Archive for category: Women’s Empowerment

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Women’s Empowerment in the Maldives

Women's Empowerment in the MaldivesAs a small island country in South Asia, the Maldives ranks at 106 out of 144 nations in a 2017 global gender gap report. There are about 420,000 people in the Maldives, and its population density is among the top ten nations in the world. Women’s empowerment in the Maldives has been a heated topic for a long time.

As early as the fourteenth century, the Maldives had already been ruled by three queens. Sultana Khadija reigned this nation for about 30 years from 1347 to 1380. However, after the transition from monarchy to constitutional republic in 1960s, women in the Maldives were not allowed to become president until a new constitution came out and abolished that regulation in 2008.

However, women in the Maldives currently have a limited presence in political affairs. The 2017 global gender gap also reported that only 5.9 percent seats of parliament and 17.6 percent of ministerial positions are filled by females. In the past 50 years, there have not been any female heads of the state.

Since modern development has changed the traditional way of living, many women in the Maldives play dual roles, working and taking care of their families. In the Maldives, the overall rate of labor force participation for women is 59.6 percent, compared to 81.3 percent for men. Women take all sorts of occupations but remain primarily in education, nursing, administration or secretarial services. Those relatively special positions such as police officer also recruit women and provide equal opportunities.

Regarding educational attainment, there is almost no gender difference in literacy rates are primary education enrollment rates. For tertiary education, women’s participation (20.4 percent) is significantly higher than that of men (12.4 percent). In 2014, the ratio of female teachers in the Maldives reached 75 percent. Well-educated and trained young ladies often become teachers and medical workers in the islands, while most stay in the capital city of Malé due to career choices. Appointment as an island chieftain, is no longer dominated by males.

Women in the Maldives have the rights and indeed own land and real estate. Despite the fact that inheritance is generally in accordance with Muslim theology, any division of land will be based on civil law such that sons and daughters may inherit the same share of land. Women in the Maldives enjoy a personal freedom not shared by the majority of Muslim societies.

One case related to women’s empowerment in the Maldives was widely reported in 2013. A teenage girl was repeatedly raped by her stepfather, and for this she was to be punished with 100 lashes after reaching the age of 18. Thanks to a petition of two million people from global campaign network Avaaz ,and efforts from local groups on women’s rights, the Maldivian High Court reviewed the case and dismissed the sentence.

While women’s empowerment in the Maldives has not been restricted by official regulations, there remain aspects of ingrained culture that must be continually addressed as the nation moves forward.

– Xin Gao

                                                     

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Women’s Empowerment in Swaziland

Women's Empowerment in SwazilandThough Swaziland has experienced quick and promising economic growth in the past decade, women remain left out of economic participation. Women make up 52 percent of the population in Swaziland, yet in 2008 they consisted of only 48.6 percent of the wage employment in non-agricultural sectors. In an effort to improve women’s empowerment in Swaziland, the African Health Observatory, which works with the World Health Organization (WHO), aimed to increase this percentage to 52 percent by 2015.

Women in Swaziland are not only left out of the country’s economic activities but also the country’s government. From 2008-2013, women made up 28 percent of the ministers in the national parliament, which increased from 20 percent during the 2003-2008 government. The Constitution sets the requirement at 30 percent, though many international bodies, including the African Union and the Southern African Development Community, have set their goal at 52 percent.

Formal employment opportunities for women in Swaziland are also scarce. It has a Gender Inequality Index (GII) of 0.557, which has ranked Swaziland 150th out of 188 countries.

Health and Education

Due to the lack of formal employment opportunities, women often resort to commercial or transactional sex as a way of making ends meet. Their work puts them at a higher risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Compared to the 20 percent of men in Swaziland that have HIV, 31 percent of women from the ages of 15 to 49 have HIV.

Another factor that contributes to women having to turn to sex work is their lack of education. In Swaziland, many girls must drop out of school in order to work at home and provide support for their families.

In 2007, the ratio of girls to boys in secondary education was 1.01. However, in that same year, there were over five thousand more girls of secondary school age than there were boys of this age. This statistic demonstrates that there is still a significant gap between the number of girls that attend school versus the number of boys that attend school in Swaziland.

Progress in Gender Equality

Despite the work that is still to be done for women’s empowerment in Swaziland, considerable progress has been made. The Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly (SRWA), whose goal is to raise the voices of rural women and to further progress in gender equality, has grown by over four thousand members since 2012. It has also mobilized over 20,000 women to more actively fight for change.

In 2016, the Swaziland Progressive Women’s Charter launched on International Women’s Day, March 8. Over 350 women took part in promoting the Charter, which is meant to reflect the voices of rural women. In the Charter, the women say that they recognize how necessary it is for them to unite and build a strong voice of advocacy.

Through the work of these organizations, considerable progress can be made to improving women’s empowerment in Swaziland.

– Haley Rogers

Photo: Flickr

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Progress for Women’s Empowerment in Montenegro

women's empowerment in montenegroMontenegro became a sovereign state after 55 percent of the population voted for independence in a May 2006 referendum, splitting from the former Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Women’s empowerment in Montenegro is at a complicated crossroads, with their fight for basic rights being heavily encumbered.

Women have topped the list of most discriminated groups in Montenegrin society for years. The statistics of violence are heavily skewed towards women, meaning every third woman in the state has experienced some form of violence. There is both political and social marginalization of women, visible through the lack of participation granted to women in formal institutions. As a result, most important decisions for Montenegrin society are made by men.

Misogyny is also prevalent in media, as smear campaigns against women and civil society activities have become commonplace in Montenegro. Lastly, the troubling economic situation has affected women the most, with many women being forced to work in the grey economy. This work exposes women to additional risks, as these jobs are not covered by insurance nor monitored by the government.

The latest Centre for Civic Education (CCE) research on discrimination indicated that more than 70 percent of citizens agree that the most important role of women in Montenegrin society is to be a good mother and wife. This illustrates the core problem and the difficult challenges that come with moving towards women’s empowerment in Montenegro.

Despite these struggles, there are plans being undertaken to improve the situation. The first of these is the Time for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in Montenegro, which is a three-year project that was implemented between May 2014 and September 2016. It was undertaken in cooperation with the Ekvilib Inštitut and the Public Policy Institute, focusing on the fields of women’s rights and gender equality. The overall objective of the plan was to increase the visibility of the issue of gender inequality and women’s rights among the public and political actors in Montenegro.

To further women’s empowerment in Montenegro, the United Nations Development Programme has implemented a project that advocates for women’s and girl’s equal rights. The project combats discriminatory practices and challenges the roles and stereotypes that cause inequalities and exclusion in the country. Along with this, the UNDP’s goal is to support Montenegro in fulfilling its commitments of achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in the post-2015 development agenda.

With these programs instituted and the problems interfering with women’s empowerment in Montenegro exposed, there will be visible improvements to women’s rights and equality throughout the country.

– Drew Fox

Photo: Flickr

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Efforts for Improving Women’s Empowerment in Guyana

Women's Empowerment in Guyana
The early 1970s marked the mainstreaming of women’s empowerment in Guyana, with protection and gender equality coming next, followed by the establishment of the Women’s Affair Bureau in 1981. Since then, efforts are constantly made to keep Guyanese women safe. In ten years, female participation in the labor force increased from 48.2 percent in 2003 to 52.9 percent in 2013, ranking 154th according to the World Bank ratio of female to male labor force participation. In 2015, President David A. Granger stated, “we seek to build a country in which women and girls can expect to live in safety, to be protected from abuse, such as trafficking in persons, domestic violence and workplace hazards.” He took action soon after this statement at a Global Leaders Meeting.

The Five-Point Plan

President Granger created a five-point plan that would boost opportunities for women. The plan would focus on: improving access to education for women, taking on violence against women, enhancing employment opportunities for women, eliminating poverty and promoting equality of women in politics. These issues have been addressed in the past but there is still more work can be done.  Adjusting these foci into modern approaches will significantly push forward women’s empowerment in Guyana.

Improving Access to Education for Women

Guyana has met the goal of abolishing gender variation in primary and secondary education, and currently aims to achieve the same at college level.

Taking on Violence Against Women

“Break the Cycle Take Control” ran from 2008 to 2013, and served as a national policy on domestic violence. In 2012, many cases of violence against women went unreported, and there’s currently one center for women of violence, funded by the State party and ran by a non-governmental organization.

Enhancing Employment Opportunities for Women

The Women and Gender Equality Commision of Guyana intends to monitor and educate the public and employees on desirable employment practices in relation to women. The State party has been urged to increase vocational and technical training for women — including within agriculture and male-dominated fields — and allow women’s empowerment in Guyana to thrive.

Eliminating Poverty

It was estimated that 50 percent of women lived in poverty in 1999; in 2017, the number was reduced by 2.5 percent, and now reports state that it’s predominantly children 16 years or younger who live in poverty. Nevertheless, the Sustainable Development Goals are on target, and openly indicate that poverty must be decreased among women and children.

Promoting Equality of Women in Politics

For national and regional elections, candidate lists must have at least one-third of gender representatives be women in order for the proposal to be eligible. This regulation has improved women’s involvement in decision-making at a high level, and in 2015, women represented 33 percent of Parliament — a 14.5 percent increase from 1992.

With backing from the First Lady, Sandra Granger, these five points will also include influence from a woman’s perspective. Focusing on equality, safety of children and education, Granger will help instill her husband’s goals while merging the divide of the country through women’s empowerment in Guyana.

– Tara Jackson

Photo: Flickr

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Women’s Empowerment in Liberia


Liberia experienced 14 years of civil war between the years 1989 to 2003, which totaled in more than 250,000 casualties. After 2003, the country spent several years undergoing reconstruction and since then, progress has been made in achieving women’s empowerment in Liberia.

In 2006, Liberia became the first country in Africa to democratically elect a woman president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Along with Leymah Gbowee, the leader of the women’s peace movement, President Sirleaf quickly became a symbol for women’s empowerment in Liberia.

In an interview she gave in April 2017, Leymah Gbowee explains that the real beauty of the fight for women’s empowerment in the country is “in the number of young women who have seen a future beyond what they had” and in particular before the end of the war in 2003. She highlighted President Sirleaf’s role in raising an entire generation of young women to look themselves in a mirror and believe that they can achieve anything. Gbowee views President Sirleaf as the female version of Nelson Mandela, a real trailblazer for women’s empowerment in Liberia.

Through her organization, Gbowee Peace Foundation USA, Leymah Gbowee is working on promoting peace, security and reconciliation in the country, as well as lobbying for girl’s and women’s rights and leadership.

Women in Liberia are aiming to achieve equal political and economic rights. Despite having the right to vote since 1946, it is still a predominantly patriarchal society in Liberia. As such, most positions of authority are occupied by men. The disproportionate number of men in these positions can be explained by the lack of education girls and women receive in Liberia, as well as the high rate of child marriage, all which impact future opportunities for women.

As a result of efforts made to increase access to education and the personal development of girls and women, women represent half of the country’s workforce. The poverty level dropped by 10 percent between 2007 and 2010: according to the United Nations Development Programme, empowering women is central to fighting extreme poverty.

Many associations have been created by women, for women, in an effort to continue the progress for women’s empowerment in Liberia. One example is the Association of Women in Cross Border Trade, created in 2010, which teaches women how to manage their financial resources.

With continuous efforts by these organizations, the progress made for women’s empowerment in Liberia is sure to continue. In the words of Karin Landgren, the Coordinator of United Nations Operations in Liberia, “When women are empowered, nations are transformed.”

– Lea Gorius

Photo: Flickr

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Entrepreneurship Boosting Women’s Empowerment in Moldova

women's empowerment in MoldovaIn the Eastern European country of Moldova, women have a very peculiar place in society. Men revere and admire women in their society, but many men also hold traditional views which say that women should be the caretakers and the nurturers of the household. These views can stagnate women’s empowerment in Moldova.

Domestic violence is also an issue. About 22 percent of women in Moldova claim that they have been abused at the hands of a partner. This number can increase as the parties get older, according to a report by Promundo Global.

Like many countries, Moldova strains against a predominantly patriarchal society. There are women who own businesses, but they have to struggle to find resources. Women are often unable to obtain loans and lack control of their capital. In this male-dominated political society, women are not favored.

Despite these circumstances, there is hope for women’s empowerment in Moldova. The country has pledged to encourage gender equality. The biggest commitment is the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Highlighting the state of women’s rights is the primary purpose of CEDAW.

Another way the country has promoted gender equality is via the Women in Politics initiative. This initiative “works to increase women’s participation in Moldova politics and decision-making,” according to U.N. Women. It also supports women in media.

While women in politics and media are important, a big focus of organizations such as the World Bank is women entrepreneurship. Women-owned businesses make up 25 percent of all businesses in Moldova.

There is evidence that shows that productivity is higher when a business is owned by a woman. This is important for Moldova’s economy, as female-owned businesses employ more people, specifically women.

Women can generally outperform men in Moldova if they are given the chance to do so. In order for women’s empowerment in Moldova to be progressive, the restrictions that limit women need to be removed. The programs that are already underway are providing many opportunities to make that goal a reality.

– Dezanii Lewis

Photo: Flickr

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The Importance of Improving Women’s Empowerment in Zambia

women's empowerment in zambia
Zambia is a nation directly above Zimbabwe that has made a concerted effort in the past year to stave off both gender-based violence and child marriage. The nation realizes that in order to enjoy a brighter future, it must educate all members of the household and strive for women’s empowerment in Zambia.

The female Vice President of Zambia, Inonge Wina, made a statement in August of this year wherein she commended the nation for making great strides in not only championing for women’s empowerment in Zambia, but also in taking practical steps in appointing women to positions of leadership.

“However, there is [still a] need to adopt laws in our country and policies that empower women and enhance their leadership roles and equitable participation in governance, politics and in the labor force,” she said.

In 2017, Zambian police recorded 55 gender-based violence (GBV) murder cases, an increase of nearly a quarter compared to 41 recorded in the same period in 2016. There was also a spike in cases of assault, with 1,644 cases recorded this year.

Independent advocacy groups such as the Non-Governmental Organizations Coordinating Council (NGOCC), have been pushing for the implementation of an anti-GBV fund to help survivors. NGOCC executive director Engwase Mwale has also advocated for the full implementation of the “anti-GBV law,” which includes constructing shelters for survivors in the districts.

In response to the increase in gender-based violence, Zambia’s Ministry of Gender launched a strategy aimed at aiding women who have experienced gender-based violence financially.

The Gender-Based Violence Survivors Income Generating Activities Tracking Strategy has already helped to empower 6,500 survivors by providing them with financial opportunities; evidence has shown poverty to be one of the causes spurring gender-based violence.

Lawmakers and government officials in Zambia point to a lack of education as one of the main reasons that gender-based crimes occur so frequently. At the moment, the law in Zambia describes a child as anyone under the age of 16, and allows anyone to marry at the age of 18.

Chief Cooma of the Tonga-speaking people in Zambia’s Choma district, capital of the southern province of Zambia, has taken a strong stance on early marriages. He has warned his subjects against doing so, saying he will not hesitate to have any perpetrator prosecuted by the full power of the law.

Esnart Siandavu of Sikaunzwe, Kazungula, says gender-based violence does not apply only to battery, but in the distribution of resources as well.

“I think gender-based violence is not only when a husband beats his wife. Like here, women are involved in farming while their husbands go drinking. Surprisingly, when it is time to sell the produce to the Food Reserve Agency or private buyers, it is the husbands who take a central role as if we do not know where the FRA depots are. I think it is a violation of our rights because we do not see the money after toiling for the whole farming season,” she said.

Even though women’s empowerment in Zambia is continuing to make strides through education, the patriarchal systems in place still make it difficult for women to take full control of their own financial situations.

– Sam Bramlett

Photo: Flickr

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Women’s Empowerment in Serbia

Women's Empowerment in Serbia In Serbia, gender inequality is prevalent in the workforce. Disproportionate responsibilities for household tasks, the lack of flexible work arrangements, the continued practice of traditional gender roles and low demand for female employees lend to inequalities among business and governmental roles.

According to research by the World Bank, the employment rate of women is 26 percent lower than it is for men, resulting in higher unemployment and inactivity rates for women. When addressing self-employment and company owners, men constitute 72 percent of those who are self-employed and 71 percent of business owners. Men also make up 80 percent of ministerial positions in government, leaving a disproportionally small percentage of women in positions of authority. The largest discrepancies in employment are evident when discussing uneducated women and girls.

Women in Serbia are disadvantaged due to an educational system that does not promote a balance between work, school and domestic duties. Many lose opportunities to pursue education or attain work experience because of the expected duties of women, such as unpaid household work. Women who are in need of work, due to their economic situation or cost of living, are often forced into lower-paying jobs.

Employment rates rose 4.7 percent for women between 2012 and 2014, but many of these jobs proved to be temporary positions, leaving many uneducated women and girls living in rural locations at a disadvantage. However, various entities are looking at education and work-related gender equality reforms to enhance women’s empowerment in Serbia.

Multiple NGOs and gender advocates are working to influence the government for women’s empowerment in Serbia. The areas of concern relating to gender inequality include the electoral quota, violence against women, women’s entrepreneurship and gender-responsive budgeting. Several laws have been passed to address these issues, some being the Gender Equality Law of 2009, National Strategy for the Improvement of the Status of Women and Promotions of Gender Equality and the Action Plan for 2010-2015. These laws center on the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also promotes its goal of equal participation in economic activities and decision making. UNDP’s initiative focuses on building lives free of violence against women, in order to enhance women’s empowerment in Serbia. UNDP’s focus on violence against women addresses the fact that 54 percent of women are exposed to some sort of violence. This program supports state institutions and actors that aid in gender equality and benefitting women and girls against discrimination and violence.

U.N. Women and U.N. Global Impact also worked with twelve companies to sign the Women’s Empowerment Principles. These twelve companies committed to transforming current business methods to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment as core business objectives. The principles addressed flexible working arrangements, such as maternal leave, promotion of enterprise development, marketing empowering women and advocacy on behalf of women. These principles, laws and organizations are actively working to improve the lives of women in Serbia.

– Bronti DeRoche

Photo: Flickr

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Women’s Empowerment in Romania

Women's Empowerment in RomaniaWomen’s empowerment remains a crucial international issue, with each nation facing its own set of challenges. Significant progress has been made in improving gender equality over the last fifty years, but setbacks still remain regarding women’s empowerment in Romania.

After the collapse of communism, Romania began the slow process of democratization, which triggered many economic, political and social transformations, all with varying outcomes regarding gender equality.

In 2009, a financial crisis occurred throughout the country, resulting in financial assistance packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the European Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

During this time, continuous changes were made in legislative provisions involving employment and the work-life balance of Romanians. This posed an issue, especially with the dissolution National Agency for Equal Opportunities between Women and Men in July of 2010. Between 2008 and 2010 the unemployment rate increased by 1.2 percent for men and by 1.8 percent for women, exposing the labor market as favorable to men.

According to a recent report, many laws still make it difficult for women to get a job, start a business or fully participate in the economic life of Romania. Discriminatory rules remain utilized in the country which ban women from certain jobs, limit their ability to make legal decisions and even restrict access to capital from women-owned firms.

Despite these changes, there are many crucial efforts being made to increase women’s empowerment in Romania. The International Finance Cooperation (IFC) through its Banking-on-Women Program has established a loan agreement with Garanti Bank to help Romanian women run their own businesses. Since launching in Europe, the Middle-East and North Africa in 2011, the Banking-on-Women Program has provided over $130 million to six banks for lending to women entrepreneurs.

The labor market segregation is also closely linked to the educational system. Unfortunately, many women in Romania have been greatly deprived of receiving an education. Traditional female domestic roles are still upheld by society and even taught in the school system. Textbooks promote a male-dominated world, leaving girls feeling inferior. Many women do not see the connection between education and getting a job, therefore girls are often taken out of school in order to marry or help with household chores.

Location also impacts the connection between women and education. Around 68 percent of women in urban areas are gaining a secondary education, while only about 42 percent of women in rural areas are receiving a secondary education.

Furthermore, evening attaining a university degree does not help women outright. Despite large numbers of women graduates and high qualifications, women are not equally represented in decision making or professional levels.

To combat this, the Educational Priority Areas (EPA), in partnership with UNICEF and the Institute for Education Sciences, targets disadvantaged communities to increase women’s access to education. With an emphasis on quality communication between schools and parents, and schools and authorities, this project trains teachers with inter-cultural approaches to education while creating a curriculum that will keep students interested and informed.

In addition, UNICEF has helped set up a number of education centers with girl-friendly educational programs. By changing the curriculum and textbooks to accurately represent a balanced gender perspective, this project seeks to decrease the school dropout rate and promote education for everyone, especially women. Since knowledge is power and education drastically alters the economy, this is a positive step towards women’s empowerment in Romania.

With these work and education efforts being made, women in Romania stand a chance to gain their own independence and positively improve the Romanian economy.

– Kailey Brennan

Photo: Flickr

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Machismo Culture and Women’s Empowerment in Nicaragua

Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a Central American country situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It has gained popularity with tourists for its coastline and variety of landscapes but, its superficial beauty masks a larger problem with women’s equality — the machismo culture. Breaking a long-standing philosophy, such as a machismo culture, has been one of the largest barriers to women’s empowerment in Nicaragua.

Machismo Culture

In Nicaragua, machismo or “macho” is often coupled with a sexist connotation that describes “machistas” as men who objectify women. To overcome the strict gender roles established by a macho society, organizations like The Masculinity Network for Gender Equality (REDMAS), have established gender equality programs in Nicaragua to begin transforming men’s “machista” behaviors. The impact of Machismo culture takes on many forms, and changing machismo behaviors is just the beginning of supporting women’s empowerment in Nicaragua.

During a forum supported by the U.N. in Nicaragua, a member of the FEM (Fundación Entre Mujeres) noted, “money has been managed by men, the gender-based division of labor is absolutely an economic relationship because work for (women) doesn’t have the (monetary) value as it has for men.”

In some Nicaraguan households, women are expected to deposit their earnings to the family patriarch and the women make much less than men in similar positions. In these households, the machismo attitude spreads to affect economic equality for women and obstruct their financial freedom.

The Road to Female Empowerment

In 2012, to counter the machismo culture and enhance women’s empowerment, the Nicaraguan government passed a legislation that requires “50 percent of political party candidates to be women.” This legislation is a large reason Nicaragua is ranked 4th in the World Economic Forum’s political empowerment gender gap.

An article naming Nicaragua “The World’s Unlikely Champion of Gender Equality” states, women are also gaining greater access to higher paying jobs, “making up more than 40 percent of lawmakers, senior officials and managers.”

In consideration of women’s political empowerment, economic opportunity, educational attainment and health and survival, the World Economic Forum has appointed Nicaragua the 10th highest nation in the global gender gap index. The nation has made immense strides to close the gender gap and combat a machismo culture. The World Economic Forum reports that “since 2006, Nicaragua has closed approximately 19 percent of its overall gender gap—making it one of the fastest-improving countries in the world.”

Thankfully, violence against women in Nicaragua has decreased, and more women are finding higher-paying jobs. Nicaragua is also ranked higher than any other Central American country on the global gender index. Efforts to counter machismo behavior have brought more than 25,000 Nicaraguans to various gender equality programs.

Although the Machismo culture is still present, the future for women’s empowerment in Nicaragua is bright.

– Eliza Gresh

Photo: Flickr