New Book on Peaceful Solutions for Women's Advancement Across Cultures

On Friday, March 17 in the Salvation Army Auditorium, African Views promoted 100 Peaceful Solutions for Women's Advancement Across Cultures, a new book and global call to action which has been in the works for over eighteen months. Curator Wade Idris Aijbade was present, along with other authors and families of authors who contributed to the book. The soft launch and panel was moderated by Padmini Murthy, MD, and Regina Askia Williams, RN. 

The event began with keynote speaker Madame Innocence Ntap Ndiaye, President of the High Council on Social Dialogue by Decree and international lecturer from Senegal; her French presentation was translated by an interpreter. She discussed Senegal's Constitution of 2001 which includes a set of principles to promote women's rights and access. Her country has also ratified international policies on the subject, including CEDAW, and a national strategy for social justice and gender equality SNEEG. Women are concentrated in the informal economy, meaning unpaid work that remains invisible in statistics and discussions. Highlighting the context of vulnerability generated by inequality, she stressed the importance of education and social dialogue as "a means of producing social justice through consensus of main actors and democratic means of involvement." 

The first panelist, Ora Welch, M. Ed., President and CEO of Hopes CAP, Inc. (HOPES), focused on respect and early education. She stated that all people need to learn how to respect themselves and each other from a young age, so that we stop mistaking abuse for love. Abuse is tied to education, and poverty will not go away until we fix education. Young people, and particularly girls, need safe spaces for dialogue and support to become well-rounded and self-sustainable. Too many young girls are searching for approval; they need good mentors to help them understand what they are feeling.

The second and final panelist, Terry D. Ince, a human rights activist with expertise in women's economic and political empowerment from Trinidad and Tobago, reminded participants that "change starts with us." She described an incident in her country during Carnival last year where a young women's movement made their voices heard, successfully removing a man from office following his distasteful comments about a young girl's death. Women should be able to walk down the street wearing whatever they choose without being harassed, attacked, or having their space invaded, and these women exemplify the power of civil society in demanding equality and rights. 

Ince also cited CEDAW in the expectation of women and girls to be protected by the government and called for participants to put pressure on their governments to uphold the treaty in practice. For countries that have not ratified CEDAW, including the United States, Murthy encouraged participants to look into Cities for CEDAW, which aims to "Make the Global Local" by passing legislation establishing the principles of CEDAW in cities and towns across the United States. 

During the Q&A portion, the following topics were discussed: 

• Williams said, "These men didn't come from Mars, we raised them." How can we correct inequalities caused by our parents (ex. gendered ways of sitting)? 
• In order to overcome institutionalized inequalities, we must gain the respect of those (parents) we are trying to inform. By carrying yourself with respect and projecting the change you want to implement, you can talk to people one-on-one about the development and growth of their children and make a difference.
• Self-empowerment first, then social engagement. 
• Growing up, girls are encouraged to be affectionate and to be drawn to affection. Caregivers are often the source of this affection, so what advice can be given to victims of molestation by these caregivers? 
• We need protectors in the community that victims can talk to and we need to stop victim blaming. We cannot let silent suffering go on any longer. Safe spaces for dialogue and support will open the door of trust and raise awareness, enabling victims to build networks between mentors and other young people. 

Addressing Sexuality to end Child Marriage

There is an important need to talk openly about sexuality and how it relates to child marriage, how sexuality is closely linked to gender roles and how understanding and addressing this link can help achieve sustainable development goal number 5, Gender Equality. Many have claimed that “talking abut sexuality” is a “personal matter” and not one that is discussed in the public eye, particularly in certain cultural context. However, the United Nations has been talking about sexuality for over 20 years, in negotiation rooms and spaces dealing with women’s health and other important issues. The panelist in the session Why Addressing the control of sexuality is critical to ending child marriage? address the topic with a cultural, social and professional lens noting the values and norms and how it relates to complex women’s issues. The idea that in order to address practices such as child or forced marriage, girls and boys need to be properly educated in order for them to take control of their own sexuality. The key is in programs that work closely with the community, men, women and most importantly religious leaders. Understanding the use of ‘language’ and how to talk to the community in a way that doesn’t add to the taboo and challenge of speaking openly about sexuality even in “safe spaces”.

Archana Dwivedi, Director of the NGO Nirantar in New Delhi, India stated that sexuality is not an issue it is a perspective, as is gender and we need to find a wholesome way to view those norms in order to understand its construct. Dwivedi goes on to say that, sexuality has no beginning or end point, and is informed by gender and sexuality norms and gender norms are informed by sexuality norms. Research in India mapping early and child marriage found that poverty is linked to gender and sexuality norms, however, many young people are marrying out of their own choices, and young people are concerned about many issues other than sexuality. Gender and sexuality norms are linked, and at the same time are constantly challenged by changing cultural views of gender and sexuality which impact girls much deeper, without losing sight that boys are also affected. Panelist Anthony Keedi noted that, if we continue to look at women as the ones we need to provide for, ones that can not provide for themselves, that creates a perpetual need for paths such as child and forced marriage on a social, cultural and economic basis. The concept of taking control of one’s own sexuality and allowing for that control to be given to women is a step towards eradicating child and forced marriage.

In Times of Need, Women Stand Together As One

“Women are 14 times more likely to die in disaster-ridden areas.”
 

In times of crisis, from war to natural disasters, women are often neglected in the process of relief. The session titled “Ensuring Gender Equality and Sustainable Livelihood in Post-Disaster Situations” was lead by the Women’s Rehabilitation Center (WOREC) Nepal. WOREC worked extensively in Nepal following the devastating earthquake thag struck the country in April 2015. As infrastructures collapsed to the ground, people lost their homes, businesses, and even loved ones. As people set up shelter alongside the debris, WOREC stepped in to provide help, particularly to the women and children. 

WOREC launched the Sneha Campaign, sneha meaning love and compassion in Nepalese. They recognized that lactating women, pregnant women, and elderly women were most at risk. They also recognized that third-party support can be viewed as a burden by the women in Nepal, a favor that they must soon repay. Instead of giving food and water, WOREC took a novel approach to provide “dignity kits”. 

What are dignity kits?

When asked what the worse part is about the earthquake, with no hesitation women said not being able to bathe. Those of us who are fortunate to not be living in a disaster area take simple things like bathing, brushing our teeth, and for the women, having access to menstrual products for granted. For the Nepalese women, not being clean was a hit to their dignity. With this knowledge, WOREC made dignity kits full of soaps, sanitary napkins, underwear, bras, etc.

WOREC also works to provide psychosocial counseling for all women. Though it often goes unnoticed, data suggests that sexual violence and exploitation increases during disasters. To combat this reality, WOREC set up “female friendly spaces” where the women can go to receive one-stop help.

It is normal in most governments that women groups are least funded. During times of crisis, the numbers don't seem to change despite the increased need for help. People must realize that even in crisis, women are still menstruating, still pregnant, still nursing. In crisis, the most affected and disadvantaged are women. More needs to be done to reflect this reality.

Sexuality: It's a Personal Matter...

“Take a moment to remember a time in our own lives when we did not have control of our own sexuality.”

That was the powerful opening statement to the CSW session “Why Addressing the Control of Sexuality is Critical to Ending Child Marriage”. Talk of sexuality is considered taboo in many contexts though it parallels gender, which receives much attention. People will shake off the topic as being a personal matter, a cultural tendency, that an outsider should not question. Yet, it is sexuality that fuels the gender inequality in the world even in 2016.

When a family is in poverty, why is the girl the first to be married off and not the boy? What is the underlying value in a woman’s virginity that would justify marrying off a 12 year old girl? Why is a child bride no longer considered a child after marriage, despite her obvious young age?

The panelists represented NGOs that work to end child marriage in various parts of the world. Anthony Keedi, a representative from Abaad, a NGO based in Lebanon, spoke on challenging the concept of child marriage in the Middle East. Abaad is currently working with government officials to revoke a penal code in Lebanon that states if a man rapes a woman but the proposes to marry her for a minimum of five years, he can escape a prison sentence. Laws such as these stem from a strong cultural background of male dominance and sense of entitlement. Keedi says that in order to end child marriage, one must first tackle the cultural gender roles and gender norms. He points out that in the context of the Middle East where religion is a strong identity, introducing a concept such as gender equality may face opposition as people do not want to go against what they believe to be a religious culture. For this reason, Abaad purposefully works with religious leaders in an effort to help people realize that gender equality can be accomplished while still exercising one’s faith. Though it is a work in progress, it is a step towards dispelling myths on the "unimportant" topic of sexuality.

Lack of control of sexuality is something everyone experiences at some point in life; it is the extent of the lack of control that creates the need for intervention.

Real men are allowed to cry

Amongst a conference bustling with thousands of women debating about female struggles amongst other women, it was more than refreshing to assume a different perspective in the session, “Real Men Do Not Hurt Others: Ending Sexual and Gender Based Violence by Working with Men and Boys on Positive/Transformative Masculinities”, where I was greeted by an enthusiastic all-male panel. It was both a comforting and morale boosting experience for all the women in the room to be reassured that they are not fighting the feminist fight alone, but rather backed by the strength and support of many influential men also devoted to their cause.

Panelists included a president of a Canadian-based NGO focused on youth empowerment and violence prevention, a South African minister raised by a single-father, and an English-Anglican priest working for Christian Aid International. Together, these men from colored backgrounds all agreed that a major underlying threat to women’s empowerment is the way in which the idea of ‘masculinity’ is socialized in society. Universally, men are expected to uphold a degree of masculinity that is characterized as being successful in their finances and careers, emotionally and physically strong, and exercising power and dominance in whatever they do. Images of these ideals are inescapable, persisting in traditional family dynamics, societal judgments, and media. Many times, as we are familiar, these pressures of socialization initiate a need that men experience to display, or prove their masculinity to others when they feel as though they are frustrated, vulnerable, or being challenged - which often results in aggression towards others, especially women and girls in their lives.

Therefore, the panelists argued, women will never be able to be fully empowered until this harmful, discriminatory concept of masculinity is broken down. With this understanding, it is men too that need to be targeted through education and empowerment in a movement towards an equal society. Specifically, we need to transform the definition of what it means to be a “real man” into a concept that acknowledges and accepts men’s ability to feel, empathize, lose, and cry, to ultimately delineate the idea of masculinity and domination. The strength associated with masculinity should be interpreted as a strength to love, care, help, and protect rather than hurt. We also need to recognize that while striving for positions of leadership and power, whether official (president of a company) or unofficial (patriarch of a household) is natural, that it no longer becomes a positive attribute when such power is used to injure, hurt, or undermine the rights of others – and be able to identify when such abuse of power is occurring. In this way, these panelists insist that gender issues are not solely about women, but also involve and affect everyone. Not only will achieving gender equality help women escape societal oppression and domestic violence, it will also save many male lives, such as the seven men for every one women who die a violent death in an attempt to defend their “alpha-male” qualities. 

Organizations such as NGOs have the power to bring together men, women, boys and girls from around the world and unite them under the universally beneficial goal of challenging dominant patriarchy. This can be done through empowerment of both sexes by raising the self-esteem of both men and women to be comfortable in challenging gender-norms and standing up to defend their individual feelings, opinions, and societal roles regardless of their biological sex. Camaraderie, rather than competition, should be the desired relationship amongst males and respect, rather than control, should be the desired relationship between males and females. While feminism roots itself in female empowerment, this socially transformative goal cannot be achieved without willing collaboration between both sexes - for if the socialization of masculinity continues to “project a fragile male ego, and women continue to submit themselves to protecting this ego”, this oppressive system will remain unbroken.