GENDER INEQUALITY
Ashlee
Dalia
Fiza
Simran
United Nations Initiatives
Businesses (CEO's)
NGO's/ Self Made
Main topic
Emma Watson - HeForShe
Who is Emma Watson and what Does She Do?
She is a actress, model, and activist. She always wanted to be an actor and trained for it in oxford but then after she got big, used her privilege and connections to start this organization. She announced it on September 20th 2014, working the UN. HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for the advancement of gender equality, initiated by UN. Its goal is to achieve equality by encouraging both genders to partake as agents of change and take action against negative stereotypes and behaviors, faced by people with feminine personalities/ genders. She works with UNWomen to help create this organization. Also Simon Pegg, Kiefer Sutherland, Wolf Blitzer. Because of this organization a senior village chief from Malawi annuls 455 customary marriages, and sends 1312 girls and 143 boys back to school.
How Do They Impact Gender Equality? (Positive)
Their main goal is to fight gender inequality, they work against child marriages, bias education rights, and many other problems such as Gender Bias, Discrimination and Violence. In June 2015, Senior Chief Inkosi Kachindamoto annulled 330 youth marriages in Dedza district, in the Central Region of Malawi. The move affected 175 girl wives and 155 boy fathers and is part of an effort to encourage former child spouses to return to school and continue a healthy childhood. Malawi has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. In 2012 one in every two girls in Malawi was married before the age of 18. Youthful marriages and pregnancy cause high dropout rates, and only 45 per cent of girls stay in school past standard eight (8th grade).
What have you learned from Emma Watson and HeForShe, and how will they influence your work?
Seeing how they tackle gender inequality as a total, they have many different issues to deal with. I saw how they couldn’t go for everything seeing how some issues are much bigger than others like child marriages and sexism and discrimination. So I decided to focus on something small and local to help add on to what they’re doing. They show how gender inequality works both ways. A male nurse in Iceland works toward deconstructing gender stereotypes in a country where only 2% of nurses are men. Even though it is gender inequality, and that is more girl based, they forced on inequalities when it comes to males too, like toxic masculinity, gender biased jobs, it shows how we can focus on period stigma and try to involve guys into this as well, since the main reason girls are uncomfortable is because of the stigma, so educating males to help and become a part of this can help. Even though they wont fee the same connection girls will, it can still help.
Questions
What was the hardest part of starting your organization?
How do you get people involved that don’t want to actually get up and be a part of it for a day? How do you make things easy and simple enough for everyone do help out, without spending their day?
What does the 'commit' button on your website do? What does it represent?
How else did you focus on including all genders even though it is more of a issue that affects females?
Women Deliver
Who are they?: Women Deliver is a leading global advocate that champions gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women.
What do they do?: Our advocacy drives investment – political and financial – in the lives of girls and women worldwide. We harness evidence and unite diverse voices to spark a commitment to gender equality. And we get results. Anchored in sexual and reproductive health, we advocate for the rights of girls and women across every aspect of their lives. We know that investing in girls and women will deliver progress for all.
How have they made an impact on the issue?: Women Deliver worked with experts and the Young Leaders to develop a short discussion paper, infographic, and items for social media on the topic of meaningful youth engagement in international development. The paper drew upon key literature in the field, informant interviews, and a consultation survey to 600 young people within Women Deliver’s network. This initial effort to engage young people directly, to listen and take into account the barriers they identify and tools and resources they need to more effectively engage, offers a snapshot of the path ahead that Women Deliver will continue to work towards.
Background on Katja Iversen: Katja Iversen is the CEO of Women Deliver, which is a leading global advocate for investment in the health, rights, and well-being of girls and women. Iversen is an expert on development, advocacy, and communications, and has more than 20 years of experience working in NGOs, the private sector and UN agencies. She is a health adviser to the Clinton Global Initiative and is on the civil society consultative group to the World Bank. She has also been named an “International Gender Champion”.
Ask Question:
Are you planning to expand further beyond women’s deliver?
Who inspired you to join women’s deliver?
How have you used your power as the CEO of women’s delivered in a positive way?
Reflection: That they are different strategies that can be used when addressing gender equality through political and financial investments. Youth have a voice when addressing gender equality and mobilize in ways to impact the issue in a positive way
Malala Fund
What they do?: Education activists like Malala and Ziauddin present the strongest challenge to barriers that keep girls out of school. Threats to girls’ education — like poverty, war and gender discrimination — differ between countries and communities. Local educators and activists understand challenges in their communities and are best placed to identify, innovate and advocate for policy and programmatic solutions.
How have they made an impact on the issue?: Malala Fund's Gulmakai Champions in Afghanistan are recruiting female teachers and eliminating gender discrimination to increase the number of girls enroled in school. Malala Fund supports Gulmakai Champions in Brazil who are ensuring schools reach the most marginalized girls, educating teachers on gender discrimination and training young women to speak out for their rights.
We support Gulmakai Champions in Nigeria who are helping girls who live under the threat of Boko Haram go to school and campaigning for new policies that support 12 years of free, safe, quality education for every girl.
Background on Malala: “I spoke out publicly on behalf of girls and our right to learn. And this made me a target.
In October 2012, on my way home from school, a masked gunman boarded my school bus and asked, “Who is Malala?” He shot me on the left side of my head.
I woke up 10 days later in a hospital in Birmingham, England. The doctors and nurses told me about the attack — and that people around the world were praying for my recovery. After months of surgeries and rehabilitation, I joined my family in our new home in the U.K. It was then I knew I had a choice: I could live a quiet life or I could make the most of this new life I had been given. I determined to continue my fight until every girl could go to school. With my father, who has always been my ally and inspiration, I established the Malala Fund, a charity dedicated to giving every girl an opportunity to achieve a future she chooses. In recognition of our work, I received the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2014 and became the youngest-ever Nobel laureate.”
Who are they?: Malala Fund’s Gulmakai Network supports the work of education champions in developing countries — and helps bolster girls’ secondary education around the world.
Ask Questions:
What was your biggest setback throughout your process?
Did you ever imagine you to come this far? ( why or why not)
Do you have any other next steps within this organization?
Reflection: I realize that one of the most powerful things that we have is our voice. And how we should never let someone silence us or make us be quiet. Like for example when Malala got shot. She had a choice she could live a quiet life or she could make the most of this new life she has been given. And that's exactly what she did, She continued to fight and speak out against gender inequality.
PROMUNDO
Who are they?: Promundo works to promote gender equality and prevent violence by engaging men and boys in partnership with women and girls.
What do they do? "Our programs, campaigns, and advocacy efforts across the themes below are based in rigorous research, including the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), and are designed to improve the lives of people around the world."
How have they made an impact on the issue?: Healing from trauma and preventing violence after conflict: To help men, women, and children heal from traumatic experiences of conflict and urban violence and learn positive alternatives to violence, Promundo conducts formative research on attitudes and behaviors regarding gender roles, experiences with and responses to violence, and more. This work informs the development and expansion of intervention programs and community campaigns designed to reduce gender-based violence and promote gender equality, nonviolence, and healing.
Subtopic
Background on Gary Barker: Gary Barker is president and CEO of Promundo, a global leader in engaging men and boys in promoting gender equality and preventing violence. He is also the co-founder of MenCare, a global campaign to promote men becoming equitable, non-violent caregivers and co-founder of MenEngage, a global alliance of more than 700 NGOs and UN agencies working toward gender equality. He also coordinates IMAGES (the International Men and Gender Equality Survey), a pioneering multi-country survey of men’s attitudes and behaviors related to violence, fatherhood, and gender equality.
Ask Question:
What compelled you to join the Promundo team?
what would you say would be your biggest challenge throughout this whole process?
Any advice for younger influences?
Reflection: They help women, children and men heal from traumatic experiences and provides positive alternatives to violence.They do intervention programs and community campaigns that help to reduce gender-based violence
Alyssa Bertham - Easy Period
Who is Alyssa Bertham and what Does She Do?
Alyssa is the CEO and Founder of easy. a service that delivers 100% organic cotton feminine hygiene products right to your door and donates a portion of profits to delivering sanitary pads to Kenyan girls. Alyssa supports the movement to end menstrual shame and promote access to safe products for all girls and women. Alyssa completed her thesis in psychology at Ryerson University and spent the first part of her career coordinating large scale research studies for the major hospitals in Toronto. Today she spends her time running easy period, writing and speaking at various events. She has a passion for empowering women and helping them fulfill their dreams. She was always invested in gender equality, and easy period was her way to help.
How they impact Gender Equality? (Positive)
5% of profits are donated to Zana Africa Foundation, supplying pads and health education to girls in Kenya. She has always wanted to help girls rights, and is fighting for it in other countries that are not as privileged as developed countries are with periods and school. 4 in 5 girls in Kenya lack access to sanitary products and health education. She donates to help stop this problem, while creating the #NOSHAME campaign to educate and remove the stigma around periods.
What have you learned from Alyssa Bertham and Easy Period, and how will they influence your work?
Seeing how she grew her business, and how she was focused on giving out her orders and spreading the issue in Kenya, and while doing that it grew. She didn't want it to grow too fast, she stated an over growing business is too stressful and overwhelming. Rather than focusing on just growth and not quality. This will be helpful for us since, we are working with a group that has already gained awareness, so we also need to focus on what were providing and not get overwhelmed. She has a business, so an amount of profit will go to Kenya, since we are an organization, we are donation and grant based.
Questions
What gave you the idea to sell menstrual products? What inspired you?
What were some of the different platforms you used to grow your business from scratch? What was the most effective
Did you reach out to any other business or NGO’s to help start up your business?
Amika George - #FreePeriods
Who is Amika George and what Does She Do?
Amika George, an 18-year-old Indian-origin teen from the United Kingdom, became a recipient of the Goalkeepers Global Goals Award in September, for her 2017 campaign that demanded free sanitary products for poor girls in schools, #FreePeriods. George has also spoken about how menstruation is a taboo subject in every country, and that women are 'punished' for bleeding. While she has lived in the UK all her life, her grandparents moved here from Kerala. The teenager, now studying at Oxford University, began the campaign after reading a report that stated there were girls across the UK who could not afford menstrual products during their periods.
How they impact Gender Equality? (Positive)
Following this youth-led campaign, the UK government granted 1.5 million pounds to end 'period poverty' — the factor that has prevented many girls from low-income households from attending school while on their period. One in 10 girls in the UK can’t afford sanitary napkins. Nearly 2000 protesters, including Amika's own grandfather, took to Downing Street to support the #FreePeriods initiative. "There are definitely people you meet online who will tweet certain things saying, like, 'Oh, why are you tweeting about periods when I'm trying to have my dinner?' or 'Typical teenager she wants everything for free.' Obviously, that's quite hurtful," But she still tries to contact the government about making products a necessary and not have it considered a luxury.
What have you learned from Amika George and #FreePeriod, and how will they influence your work?
From Amika, I have learned how to advertise our organization, so that people will take us seriously. I can connect with Amika because were both teenagers, and seem too young to make a impact in the government or school board. She has to deal with guys and rude comments about what she has to do, which can happen since high school boys wont be as mature as they should be with this subject. Seeing how someone close to my age and fighting for the same issue, is helping to see how she grew her network, she even got inspired by the same statistic as our group. The way she is active on social media is something we will take into account for awareness.
Questions
How did you get people to take you seriously as a teenager?
How did you get your net work to grow using only a hashtag?
How are you going to make big enough of an impact to get the mostly male governments attention? How are you going to make stubborn people change their views?
UN Women
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
WHO IS SHE AND WHAT DOES SHE DO?
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. She was sworn into office on 19 August 2013 and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this position, having devoted her career to issues of human rights, equality and social justice. Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka has worked in government and civil society, and with the private sector, and was actively involved in the struggle to end apartheid in her home country of South Africa.
Subtopic
HOW DO SHE IMPACT THE ISSUE?
She has done an interview with Woman Deliver, here’s what she had to say. “The ability to make evidence-based decisions is critical. On gender equality, in particular, sometimes there is an illusion of exaggerated success about how far we have come. As women, the more we fight the more people - and even young people - think that the battle has been won. But when you present data – for instance, about how many women are in decision-making bodies, unequal pay or the number of discriminatory laws limiting women’s rights and opportunities - then you get people to see that we are still far from winning the battle. It tempers the illusion of that exaggerated success. It is a good way to gauge our success but also to make us be realistic, because we have come so far that we may think that we have already achieved our goals.” She believes that a lot of the time, people often think that women’s rights have improved, which they have, but when you lay out all the information and timelines, you’ll be surprised with how much inequality there still is. She works towards advocating for common issues women face in society.
ASK QUESTIONS?
What could you do further to expand your work on gender equality?
What have been some of your biggest challenges throughout your career?
Is there any advice you’d like to give some younger influencers?
Marlène Schiappa
ASK QUESTIONS?
How does it feel knowing you’ve positively impacted the lives of many women?
Despite all the challenges you face throughout this, is there something that constantly keeps you determined to get justice for women who have been through abuse?
WHO IS SHE AND WHAT DOES SHE DO?
Marlène Schiappa is a French politician serving as the Secretary of Equality between women and men in the Philippine Government since 17 May 2017.The most youthful individual from French President Emmanuel Macron's bureau is on a mission to make the lanes in urban areas all around France more secure for women by dispensing with whistling and harassment. As France's gender equality serve, Marlene Schiappa means to draft enactment that would make bothering women in the city a wrongdoing possibly deserving of a weighty fine.
In spite of the fact that France precluded inappropriate behavior in the work environment in 2012, NPR reports there is right now no law notwithstanding the harassment of women in the city. As indicated by the news outlet, Schiappa needs to give police the specialist to issue fines "on the spot" to those discovered annoying a woman in the city. Schiappa is supposedly going for fines set at some place around €5,000, the Guardian has detailed.
HOW DO THEY IMPACT THE ISSUE?
In combating street harassment, Schiappa is also hoping to begin changing a larger culture of violence against women present in France. According to a 2016 report from the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), 26 percent of French women will report experiencing at least one incident of physical and or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. Data from the U.N. entity also shows 9 percent of French women will report experiencing non-partner sexual violence sometime in their lifetime. Ending street harassment isn't the only goal Schiappa is tackling as France's gender equality minister. Schiappa, whose outspoken brand of feminism has reportedly ruffled the feathers of some of France's conservatives, has also been tasked with closing the country's gender pay gap. According to the Guardian, women in France earn anywhere between 12 percent and 27 percent less than their male counterparts, depending on the industry they work in.
ASK QUESTIONS?
What inspired you to start taking such serious charge and control on this issue?
Are there any struggles/discrimination you face when telling people about what you're advocating for?
Azza Soliman
WHO IS SHE AND WHAT DOES SHE DO?
Born in 1968, in a family of five sisters, Soliman was encouraged by her father to study. She became a lawyer and an activist for human rights in Egypt. In 1995, she founded the Centre for Egyptian Women's Legal Assistance (CEWLA). From 1997, CEWLA implemented training and legal awareness programs on the issue of gender equality. This non-governmental organization also conducts studies and organizes communications on topics such as violence against women, honour killings, female genital mutilation, the khul (a procedure through which a woman can divorce her husband in Islam), legal interpretations of sharia law, etc.
HOW DO THEY IMPACT THE ISSUE?
Every day, Azza Soliman risks her own safety and freedom to defend survivors of abuse in Egypt. Azza bravely speaks out for victims of torture, arbitrary detention, domestic abuse, and rape. She co-founded the centre for Egyptian women’s legal assistance and later Lawyers for Justice and Peace to give much-needed legal aid, support, and literacy lessons for women in poverty and survivors of abuse. She is a prime example of a Voice for women, encouraging them to speak out for themselves and get the justice they deserve, with help and support.