Empowering Women and Girls with Disabilities

Women and girls with disabilities are a group which many people in the world overlook and marginalize. Canada is working to put systems in place to change this by providing money for research and development of policies which would impact women and girls with disabilities all around the world. DAWN Canada has been working for 30 years to working to aid women and girls with disabilities and collaborated with the Canadian government to create a  “More Than A Footnote: A Research Report on Women and Girls with Disabilities in Canada".  The presentation of this report was the main focus of conversation and discussion at the CSW63 Side Event.
The discussion focused around two main points.
1. The importance of intersectional approaches to policy and data collection with respect to addressing compounding forms of discrimination against women and girls with disabilities.
2.  The higher rates for gender-based violence, particularly childhood abuse and sexual assault, committed against girls, particularly Indigenous/black girls and girls with disabilities.

The first point was addressed by Meenakshi Balasubramanian, from India who provided valuable and comparative data from India's last census. She shared that there was no data that was 100 percent focused on women with disabilities and that not having an intersectional approach to data caused a large group of voices to be missing when policies were being made. She commented on having policies for education and women but not for just women, creating a marginalization of women with disabilities. The issue was also addressed by a women who works with NGO's on the ground in Mongolia. She expressed the concern of having data collection that did not fully reflect the issues that this marginalized group was dealing with. She would love to see a more community upward approach to policy making. A story shared by Anastasia Holoboff from Women Enable International(WEI), provided great context for how some policies that are put in place do not work for every situation.

Due to being short on time, the discussion of the second point was cut short. However, the discussion of education about sexual assault and abuse was brought up as one way in which the address some of the higher rates. Mention of outreach centers that can fully help with both the education and aid.

The floor was then opened to questions. The discussion was one that could have gone on all day. The wealth of knowledge and open dialogue provides a great platform for future discussion and actions for women and girls with disabilities.

Encouraging news about STEM in New Zealand

New Zealand is making great strides and changes in the STEM fields. The CSW63 Side Event: Access to STEM Education and Infrastructure Careers for Women and Girls in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, provided some very encouraging news about how STEM is being transformed by girls and women. The panel consisted of several extraordinary women from New Zealand, who represented companies and governmental roles that are taking gender equality very seriously. 

The first speaker was from GirlBoss. The programs focus is to close the gender gap in the STEM fields by targeting high school aged girls through workshops, networking, and community building. GirlBoss is impacting young girls dreams of working and studying in STEM fields. 

Ernst and Young (EY) is a global law firm based in New Zealand that is changing the way it does business when it comes to gender equality. They are making a conscience choice to recruit and place women in more prominent roles with in the company. They recognize what value assets women are to the teams they are on and encourage them to be role models to younger women who are looking for jobs in the STEM fields. The program Women-Fast-Forward provides valuable information and guidance to women looking to work for EY or any business. 

BECA, is an engineering firm and so much more, that is opening doors for women in STEM fields. They encourage thinking beyond labels and finding what you love to do regardless of gender. The company is changing the way they think about gender roles by offering flexible working schedules, encouraging equal responsibility at work or at home and holding focus groups to find out what ares are being overlooked and need to be improved. They also believe in going beyond their own company and engaging the masses/ society in the conversation. Be it parents, educators, boys, girls, or role models; everyone needs to be aware of gender equality. By hosting events like the Wonder Project, they engage the community and are making people think about STEM and those that work in the field.

Each panelist shared they encourage women to strive for more than the normal gender roles so that they may begin to close the gender gap. They are working to make STEM fields more exciting and inclusive. Asking society to have an open mind and understanding that STEM jobs are no long just for men but for all!

Leveraging Media Literacy to Improve Gender Equality in Nigeria

The panel discussion began with an opening speech by the founder of the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria and the First Lady of Ondo State in Nigeria, Betty Akeredolu. She mentioned the need of more female representation in tech industry in order to bridge both gender and digital gaps. According to her speech, technology has redefined everyday life including employment and job description while she also stated that in the future, 90 percent of work will require information communication technology (ICT). She highlighted gender issues in Nigerian context related to cultural norms and religious beliefs and how ICT can either solve or worsen those problems depending how it is utilized. Thus, it requires deliberate and conscious efforts to make an effective use of media and ICT to promote gender equality.

The panel consisted of four individuals from different backgrounds and having different expertise. Asked how media could be use to promote gender equality, the panelists provided different responses including using social media campaign, providing access and media education to young girls, and producing gender neutral advertisements. Even though the panelists did not really discussed much of Nigerian context-specific innovation and challenges with media literacy, the discussion provided a certain degree of insight of media literacy projects in the country.

When asked about the sustainability strategies, the panelists highlighted the importance of involving community members either through funding or participation. In addition to that, they also mentioned the importance of mentoring and volunteering, training boys and men through gender-neutral programs, changing people's mindsets about gender issues, and creating role models for young girls.

Immigrant Women Workers in Beauty Industry

During a session titled "Feminist Analysis of Social Protection Systems: Employment, Health, and Peace-Building", five presenters from Sociologists for Women in Society (https://socwomen.org) shared their research studies of various focuses and contexts. The session that I found most interesting was the presentation about the lives of immigrant women workers in beauty industry in the United States and its implication of the intersection of gender and racial issues.

Providing the background information related to her study, the presenter mentioned that a large number of immigrant women who work in the informal service provision sector receive low wages. Specifically in beauty industry, immigrant women workers receive low wages because they do not have the license; they are hired to perform simpler tasks compared to those with the license. According to her observation as a part of the data collection, the presenter described the demography in ethnic beauty salons as having men of color as owners and women of color as managers and workers.

The data showed that immigrant women workers normally work up to 10 to 11 hours a day and 6 days a week while on busy days of the year, such as festivals, they work up to 100 to 120 hours a week without any extra benefit. Compared to workers with licence who earn 1200 to 2000 dollars a month, immigrant women workers without license earn only 700 to 1000 a month.

The study found that the immigrant women workers remain in the job despite getting low wages which are barely enough for them to make ends meet as they think that the familial situation they are in is close to a family-like environment. Based on the data, some workers were asked by the owners or managers of the salon to perform duties which are not even a part of their jobs, but they still interpret their familiarity provided by people of the same ethnicity as their niceness.

Based on the presenter, this family-like environment reproduces oppression in the ethnic beauty industry.

A participant in the study said,

"They are nice. They treat me like their family member. Love is good, but I wish they paid me more."

The Shrinking World: Global Citizenship & Digital Literacy

Three speakers came together from different backgrounds doing different tasks toward one common goal: improving the status of women through digital literacy.

The technological advancement and the increase of access have provided more opportunities in education and shifted the ways in which we look at communication.

The first presenter described global citizenship as a threshold concept which opens new ways of thinking and perceiving things. It is the acquisition of "troublesome, transformative, integrative, and irreversible" knowledge about the world. She presented a success story of a project in which student participants were from different parts of the world connecting with one another using online tools. They collaborated on research projects by reviewing journal articles and engaging in complex discussions about challenging topics related to injustice and inequality around the world. The project built community and compassion among participants.

Global citizenship is an arguable term, but a participant of the project said, "The right approach is perhaps not to pursue the real definition of global citizenship but to never stop looking."

Shifting the focus to digital literacy, the second presenter, who works at a university in New Zealand, provided a framework of conditions to become digital literate as stated below:
          1. Sustainable energy
          2. Digital transporter
          3. Hardware
          4. Software

It was stated that technology helps enhance women's participation in research and innovation. While women's participation in research has been improving, their status in innovation is still lagging behind. While providing some resources (listed at the end) as examples of how technology can be used to improve women's lives, the presenter also brought up the dangerous side of technology, especially the internet. She emphasized that women need protection to avoid the misuse technology which may lead to threats such as non-consensual pornography, cyber bullying, and identity fraud, just to name a few.

The last presenter, whose project is based in several West African countries, highlighted the importance of analyzing the context of where a project is based because that could unveil a number of underlying issues which need to be addressed as they prevent women from gaining access to technology education. Those problems may include the lack of affordability, the unfamiliarity of the usage, the gender barriers, and the lack of awareness of the benefits.

To sum up, the session provided a variety of ways to look at digital literacy, and how it looks like in different contexts for different groups of individuals. Even though, different approach is required in each context, what seems to be applicable in every situation is that education should be inclusive and technology in education should be introduced with caution.

Resources:

ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education): https://www.iste.org/
MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses): http://mooc.org/

Take the HOT SEAT

 The CSW63 side event High Level Intergenerational Dialogue "Take the Hot Seat" was a well organized, easy flowing, intellectual event. The young moderators were well prepared and enthusiastic. The questions, both from moderators and general population, were well thought out. The panelist had very thoughtful and relevant answers. 

Here was a nice news story that highlights several key points made at the event.
At CSW 63, youth ask for increased investment, accountability and seat at decision-making tables

One question asked was; "How can the Common Minimum Standards now be shared with everyone? Even those who were not in attendance at the CSW." 
No one from the panel truly answered this question. Geraldine Byrne, Chairman of the CSW was urging all UN members to look over them and commit to sharing and taking action.  So please take a minute to read over them and contact your UN and government representatives and they will have "no choice to ignore it." 
Youth Common Minimum Standards

There were a few other websites and organizations mentioned that can help spread the word about both youth and women's voice being heard. The links below provide opportunities for you to share your voice, get involved, take action, promote, and support the youth movement. 

https://www.heforshe.org/

http://www.nottooyoungtorun.org

https://www.sheshouldrun.org/

Gender Equality: Not just a Fairy Tale

 CSW63 side event, Nurturing future human capital through equality between girls and boys, is proving that gender equality is not just a fairy tale.  A joint project between Georgia, Sweden, and UN Women is out to change the world; one story and one child at a time. Once There Was a Girl is a collection of fairy tales written by Georgian authors. The stories highlight famous Georgian heroines throughout Georgian history. The book has been sent to libraries, passed out to school teachers all over the country of Georgia and is available online for free.

http://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20georgia/images/news/2018/06/mg323.jpg?la=en&vs=4625

The goal of this project is to change gender stereotypes through early childhood education. Fairy tales have always played an important role in the nurturing and moral education of children. The speakers of at this event shared that 31 percent of literary characters are female and of those females, most were either princesses in distress or evil old women. From these stories young girls are being exposed to stereotypical gender norms. The Georgian UN Women felt there was more to be told and narrative to change.
The fairy tales in this book present a new look at what women have done and can do. Tales of helicopter pilots and mountaineers provide both girls and boys a new narrative about what girls can be and do.
This book and event has opened the door for youth to be part of the conversation of gender equality. The UN invited students, both girls and boys,  to read their favorite excerpts from the book. Sharing in such a large event as the CSW and being a true part of the conversation can teach them that they too can make a different is gender equality, and that it isn't just a fairy tale.

Empowering adolescents through social protection

Social protection is a set of tools and policies to help people during life's challenges - was the definition formulated by the moderator Femi Oke at the CSW63 side event Empowering adolescents through social protection. Hosted by DFID, GAGE, UNICEF and ODI, this panel discussion included representatives from Jordan, Ethiopia and Bangladesh on the topic of social protection. 

The discussion opened with two keynote speakers, Henrietta E Fore Executive Director, UNICEF, and Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the United Nations at the Foreign and Commonwealth office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Both expressed  examples of how social protection work was both failing and aiding women and adolescent girls around the world.
 Lord Ahmad expressed that every tool and power available to governments and organizations be put into social protection services. Fore spoke of how research on social protection services gives a voice to women who may not have one. She spoke of 5 key areas in which UNICEF has recognized a need "to scale up social protections" in order to better help women and young girls. Birth registration, educational grants and scholarships for girls to enroll in and remain in school, enhancing economic participation through skills training, strengthening research and data collection, and calling on a redesign of the workplace are all ways in which people can be more responsive to social protection around the world. 
A presentation by the GAGE consortium shared data taken from a 9 year study on social protection. The evidence provided many positives and negatives but shared an overall message of a "promising role of social protections in reducing gender inequality."
Though the event was about empowering adolescent girls much of the discussion had focused on social protection. Each speaker appeared to have an agenda that the event did not seem to have time to hear. The moderator moved them quickly along in order to provide opportunities for questions from the several members of the audience. An adolescent girl representative from WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) posed a question about how government was integrating  adolescent girls' needs into policy. Each country was able to give a brief example of ways in which the government had social protection in place for adolescents or how it is being worked into policies.  Other questions asked about not just protection programs but also those that empowered women and girls, and another about child brides. Overall, the questions help direct the event back to its original topic of empowering adolescents through social protection services. 

Secure Land Rights: Enhancing Women's and Girl's Social Protection

The discussion was hosted by LANDESA * Rural Development Institute, 

International Land Coalition.

The panel consisted of:

Beth Roberts – Program Manager, Center for Women’s Land Rights, Landesa, USA

Josephine Mong’are – Chairperson, Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA, Kenya)

Monica Mhoja – Tanzania Program Director, Landesa, USA

Nzira de Deus – Director, Forum Mulher, Mozambique

Ana Paul Tuacale – President, National Union of Peasants (UNAC, Mozambique)

Katia Araujo - Director of Advocacy, Landesa, USA, Moderator

The panel debate evolved around the following question: what innovative approaches have civil society organizations implemented to increase women’s access to resources, and how are these approaches contributing to the social protection of women and girls who experience the most deprivation and vulnerability?

A short summary of the panelist’s answers:

-       Josephine Mong’are: land is very important. It is important to understand how the patriarchal traditional system with tribes and elder counsels work in order to achieve change. To work with them, rather than fight them. Kenya now has laws that say that women can inherit land.

-       Monica Mhoja: In Tanzania the land rights are the same for men and women; they have equal rights to control, use and access land. However, they are underrepresented in matters that concern them, and affirmative action calls for a minimum of women in the local land counsels in the villages. The challenge is that the women might be elected, but still stay silent. They are working to push the women’s confidence and teach them that their voices can be heard. They encourage women to acquire their own land through Village Community Banks (VICOBA) and increase women participation in land governing.  

-       Nzira de Deus and Ana Paul Tuacale: In Mozambique 80% of those who produce food are rural women. Many of these are illiterate. It is important to inform women of their rights to own land, and the organization disseminates information in local languages in the communities. Mozambique has a good land policy, but it’s not well implemented. They demand a 50/50 participation of men and women in the commission on natural resources in local areas.

-       Beth Roberts: Land gives power and identity. Women’s right to own land is a fundamental right, it will empower and enable them and create more equality as they will have a voice and participation in the economy. The voices of rural women are crucial in decision making but the women are not called to the table. Landesa is trying to bridge the gap by creating forums where these conversations can happen. https://www.landesa.org/

Civil Society Contribution to the Integration of Refugee Women

The session was funded by Set Them Free and Journalist and Writers Foundation (www.jwf.org)

The panel consisted of:

Ann Graham – Attorney, Texas

Youstina Youssef – Gardner Public Services Fellow, International Refugee Assistant Project, USA

Esra Aydin – NY Representative Communication Director, Set Them Free

Yalda Atif – Employment Specialist, HIAS, New York

Cemre Ulker – UN representative Journalist and Writers Foundation, moderator

(The talk started with a moment of silence due to last night’s horrible terrorist attack on the mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand…).

Yalda Atif informed about HIAS which provides legal services and assistance in social and economic integration in local communities. The main challenges for displaced women refugees are language barriers, lack of former work experience, and lack of child care services in the new community. She underlined that economic empowerment is important for social integration.

Esra Aydin informed about Set Them Free and their work on rising awareness of violations of women’s rights in prison and how they lack access to health and legal services. Set Them Free works with the organization Sisters Without Borders in Greece, where they assist displaced Turkish women and children with language classes, psychological support and basic social skills which are required for a successful integration in their new country.

Youstina Youssef informed about International Refugee Assistant Project’s work with women refugees. They work with law students and law firms and offer legal advice to refugees all over the world. Although they don’t work directly with reintegration, they cooperate with other reintegration agencies like HIAS.

Ann Graham highlighted her work with women refugees on the Texas/ Mexico border. Defining who the women refugees are is a complex question due to the US laws.

She strongly urged us to make refugee women feel welcome, and that this is something everyone can do. In Texas both Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities have come together in order to help the refugees. She ended her talk with the words:

“See the people, see their need, choose humanity”.

Girls Learn International: Girls' Political Empowerment

Girls Learn International (GLI) is a part of the Feminist Majority Foundation.

The GLI panel consisted of 11 young women between the ages of 15 and 20, each telling their own story of how they became political activists and what kind of challenges they had encountered in doing so. It was a diverse group spread across several US states and different countries. Despite their young ages they had all contributed with remarkable things in their communities and schools that have led to various forms of social change.

The panelists were: 

Zoey Brewer

Aishwarya Rajesh

Siman Shresta

Sara Blau

Samantha Bastien

May Li

Sagoon Bhetwal

Magdalena Tesha

Julia Bintz

Irina Sandoval

Jamila Pitre 

Some of their achievements: 

One girl founded Game Changers in New York which helps all children participate in sports by collecting and redistributing sports equipment to children in need. Two of the participants were part of Women LEAD Nepal which encourages and empowers women to participate in politics in order to create social change. Some girls had formed discussion panels and networks in their schools which created spaces for youth to be heard in matters that affect them, and others had spoken up about the lack of infrastructure in their country, formed protest marches against gun violence and founded “Art to Action” which is now painting anti-gun violence murals on the school campus. Another girl was an advocate for women leadership and STEM participation, and last but not least: they were all working hard to make politics more accessible to young people and create arenas where their voices can be heard. 

I was impressed by how driven and compassionate they were about their activism. They advised the public to always push forward, to motivate others and to be passionate about your cause. I am confident they will contribute to great social change in the future.