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Women’s Empowerment in Panama Benefits All


In 2015, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reported that access to basic rights such as health, education and employment was becoming increasingly difficult for women in the country of Panama. UNDP representative Martin Santiago lamented that the current climate was creating a “Panama for men and not for women.” Women’s empowerment in Panama is ultimately about making sure that all of Panama’s citizens have the same opportunities to thrive. It is important to remember that a society cannot truly move forward unless it empowers all its citizens.

The idea that women’s empowerment is good for everyone within a society became quickly apparent in a U.N. Women water management program. The program set out to increase access to drinking water for Panama’s indigenous population.

The indigenous population in Panama has the lowest standard of living of any group in the country. Ninety-six percent of Panama’s indigenous citizens live in poverty and accessing clean drinking water is extremely difficult.

The U.N. Women program found that women in these indigenous groups had more relation to water than the men did, but the women were treated like second-class citizens in many ways. By working toward women’s empowerment in Panama, they could also increase access to clean drinking water.

The program sought to foster greater gender equality within the Ngäbe Bugle people by increasing women’s community involvement and access to education and by instilling the idea that women and men are equal members of society. The program had very successful results: 99 percent of the Ngäbe Bugle people no longer have problems accessing clean water and there has been a significant decrease in illnesses that result from unsanitary water usage.

The program also led to a more equitable society. The Ngäbe Bugle women now play a more significant role in their community. They are able to start their own economic activities and more women are being elected to leadership positions.

U.N. Women has pledged to continue to work toward women’s empowerment in Panama. The organization states that its goal is to promote the rights of women and girls by closing gender gaps in the labor force, eradicating violence against women and ensuring that women play an equal role in Panama’s development.

With the continued work of this organization and many others, women’s empowerment in Panama will continue to improve and create a Panama not just for men, but for everyone.

– Aaron Childree

Photo: Flickr

Promoting Women’s Empowerment in Egypt

The 2015 Global Gender Gap Index declared Egypt as number 136 out of the 145 countries measured, with the country ranked at number 1 having the best gender equality and the 145th country expressing the most disparities. With Egypt among the top ten countries with the largest gender gaps, USAID, U.N. Women and UNICEF are all determined to advocate for women’s empowerment in Egypt.

Women Empower Women

U.N. Women tells the story of an Egyptian woman named Maissan Hassan, who is the program manager for the Women and Memory Forum (WMF). Since 1995, WMF seeks to tell the stories of Arab women without any bias or negative perceptions.

Hassan grew up with her mother telling of the inequalities she experienced regarding her career choice and her inability to choose a husband. Her mother battled these inequalities and became a professor at a university.

Hassan was inspired by her own mother’s life story and wished to document the trials and experiences of other women.

Not only does WMF record both oral and written histories on Arab women, but they also establish the Women and Memory Library and Documentation Centre to provide a designated resource center for gender and women’s studies. These stories empower Egyptian women and girls to seek their own dreams and join the battle against gender disparities.

To spread the word and gain female empowerment, WMF and other NGOs held two events in 2014 called “Women’s Rights and the State: Insight into the Egyptian Feminist Movement” and “Revolutionizing Gender Education: Lessons from Egypt.”

Education

Advocacy and education work hand-in-hand to gain women empowerment in Egypt. UNICEF and education officials from Egypt partnered with UNGEI to hold a conference in support of gender equality in Egyptian schools.

As one of the first to gain partnership with UNGEI, Egypt has focused on improving early childhood programs through training teachers and creating a child-centered curriculum since 2006. The conference also identified the value in informing parents and gaining families’ support in equal, quality education to end gendered stereotypes.

With UNICEF financially supporting community schools and UNGEI advocating for higher female attendance, Egyptian schools began to witness a leveling of the gender gap in 2012. While the primary school enrollment rate was 105 percent male, it was 99 percent female. This ratio proves a near success in the efforts to provide females with an education equal to that of males.

Labor

In turn, USAID partnered with the government of Egypt to end restrictions on women’s economic participation. The 2015 Global Gender Gap Index stated that 79 percent of men participate in the labor force, while only 26 percent of females participate.

To address such a disparity, USAID implemented the Strengthening Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (SEED) project, which aids women with business strategies and guides them toward opening their own businesses. In the encouragement of entrepreneurship, women create more jobs in Egypt and gain leadership roles without needing to battle the male hierarchy.

Even further, USAID promotes women empowerment in Egypt by granting scholarships to female undergraduates and graduates in fields related to business, science, and engineering. Since 2014, USAID has given over 600 of these scholarships.

Through the tireless efforts of NPOs, a shift in the role and confidence of women within Egyptian communities has prevailed.

– Brianna White

Photo: Flickr

 

Women’s Empowerment in El Salvador: Hope Against the Odds

Women’s Empowerment in El Salvador
El Salvador is a tiny conservative country in Central America and also one of the world’s deadliest countries for women in the world. In fact, the country has the highest murder rate in the Western Hemisphere. Women’s empowerment in El Salvador is a task made all the more difficult given the highest rate of women murdered in the country.

The Plight of Female El Salvadorians

In 2016, one in every 5,000 women was killed according to the Institute of Legal Medicine. This figure did not and could not take into account the females killed, dismembered and buried in clandestine locations.

Criminal gangs, known as maras, are the largest impediment to women’s empowerment in El Salvador. The government has periodically attempted to establish truces with the gangs but the bitter rivalry between Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 youth gangs has left little room for hope of an end to war and conflict.

Spurred by mass deportations of gang members from the U.S., the problem of gangs began affecting El Salvador at a sensitive time in its history when civil society was recuperating. The government lacked any strategy to reintegrate or psychologically support these gang members, who found the only recourse in turning to abduction, killings and extortions. The same gangs today inflict sexual violence and assaults on women from all walks of life.

Sexual and LGBTQ Assaults

Because abortion is illegal in El Salvador under any circumstances, including rape, victims of sexual assaults face heavy penalties and are subject to authorities’ prejudices. Earlier this year, a teen rape victim was sentenced to 30 years in prison after having a stillbirth, the same amount of time given to gang members convicted of murder.

According to the UNHCR, seven transgender women in El Salvador were killed in the country but some local LGBT organizations placed the number as high as 17 in the first four months of 2017. Lack of investigation and prosecution of violence against the LGBT community by police and gangs alike has engendered a culture of impunity and threatened efforts for all women’s empowerment in El Salvador.

One Salvadoran transgender activist, Karla Avelar, has spoken out against such violence despite receiving many threats and surviving three assassination attempts.

Other Salvadoran women are far from silent; rather they actively uplift themselves to plant seeds of independence and empowerment.

For instance, a Salvadoran woman is at the heart of legally challenging restrictions on refugees seeking a better life in neighboring countries. After President Trump issued executive orders to curtail immigration and refugee resettlement in the United States and cast doubt on the role of the United States as a safe country for refugees, many Central American migrants living in the United States made the dangerous border crossings to seek asylum protection in Canada.

One of these persons was a Salvadorian woman identified as “ABC” in court documents escaping persecution and facing removal proceedings in the United States. After ABC was denied entry to Canada under the Safe Third Country Agreement, many groups filed challenges to the Agreement to prevent her deportation from the United States to El Salvador.

Global Encouragement of Women Empowerment

In El Salvador, rural women cooperatives are encouraging the participation of women in agriculture. With the support of international and local government initiatives for women’s empowerment in El Salvador, such as Ciudad Mujer, many rural women are finding a way out of poverty through increased access to public services, income levels and even provisions for child care for working women.

One of the 26 such cooperatives, Mujeres en Acción (Women in Action), has been supported by the U.N. Women to encourage women to become entrepreneurs. Other women are partaking in economic empowerment through cooking businesses.

HOPE

Salvador’s HOPE is a Christian-based, non-profit based in Melbourne, Australia working to uplift Salvadorans from the traps of poverty. According to the organization, HOPE is just the beginning of changing the living and working conditions of women in El Salvador. It works with the civil society and local NGOs in El Salvador “to positively influence, impact and empower people through the establishment of programs that promote development and self- sustainability.”

HOPE also runs several Women’s Empowerment projects that provide education, training and support to women as well as challenge the gender stereotypes that perpetuate violence against women.

The Women’s Empowerment Project 

Another initiative, the Women’s Empowerment Project (WEP), has combated the marginalization and vulnerability of Salvadoran women by providing them with workshops, counseling and other services “that aim to strengthen their self-confidence, improve their leadership and communication skills as well as develop business management techniques.”

Women’s empowerment in El Salvador remains a work in progress and is compounded by the violence inflicted against them by corrupt police officials and gang members. The rights of women in El Salvador and elsewhere are an integral part of the fight for universal human rights and fundamental freedoms and need to be extended for women’s economic, political, social and cultural empowerment.

Salvadoran women are actively mobilizing and breaking down barriers to participate in public life; they should be encouraged and aided by the United States and the international community to empower their communities and care for their families.

– Mohammed Khalid

Photo: Flickr

Improving Women’s Empowerment in Myanmar

Women's Empowerment in MyanmarThere is still a long way to go in order to achieve universal gender equality. However, more governments and organizations around the world are making this a priority. As such, there is progress being made to improving women’s empowerment in Myanmar.

One of the most notable recent pushes for gender equality was the U.N. Millennium Development Goal number three, which seeks to promote gender equality and empower women. This goal has helped governments and NGOs all over the world have a better understanding of the importance of prioritizing women’s empowerment.

Myanmar is an example of a country that still has a long way to go to achieve gender equality. But progress is being made in closing the gender gap. The country is at a key juncture and must continue to develop in a way that benefits its entire population.

Here are some of the positive steps that are being taken toward women’s empowerment in Myanmar.

  1. Myanmar’s Ministry of Social Welfare and Relief and Resettlement is implementing reforms that enhance gender equality and empowerment. The ministry is cooperating with other international organizations to work toward women’s empowerment in Myanmar.
  2. Myanmar’s government created a National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women. This plan includes many of the same areas of focus as the Beijing Platform for Action, the agenda for women’s empowerment adopted by the United Nations. The National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women is a ten-year plan. It includes directives targeting the key areas that affect women’s lives and indicates practical ways to address the issues that Myanmar’s women experience.
  3. U.N. Women has been working in Myanmar since 2013. The organization has made electing more women to government positions one of its priorities. This will give women a stronger voice in politics and make sure that their concerns are heard in all areas of government. Other priorities include ending violence against women and girls and working for women’s economic empowerment.
  4. The Gender Equality Network was founded in Myanmar in 2008. This NGO works toward women’s empowerment in Myanmar by influencing government policy as well as social and cultural norms.

Women’s empowerment in Myanmar has improved in key ways, but there is still work to be done. Because of the long history of patriarchal societies ingrained in cultures across the globe, progress toward women’s empowerment is often slower than we would hope for it to be.

It is important to recognize the progress that is being made while maintaining a commitment to the goal of complete gender equality across the globe.

– Aaron Childree

Photo: Flickr

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UN Women: Internship Program for Women in Afghanistan

Women in Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s population largely consists of people under 24 years of age, and about 400,000 people are entering the workforce every year. It is hard enough finding a job as a young graduate, but it’s even harder for the women in Afghanistan. The women in Afghanistan who try to get an education or become working members of the society still face a backlash from men.

Although 64 percent of Afghans believe women should be allowed to work, many men still feel that women should be forbidden from pursuing an education. Girls who attempt to get an education face great danger. Schools for girls have been burned down, teachers have been threatened and killed and girls have been injured walking to and from school. The women who actually complete their education often have forces working against them, preventing them from getting a job.

In December 2015, U.N. Women developed an internship program to help women who have graduated from college acquire skills and develop a work ethic to better prepare them for the working world in Afghanistan. As of now, 48 women have completed the U.N. Women’s internship program in Afghanistan. It is a six-month program, where two months is spent training the women in different professional skills, and four months is spent interning with an organization in the woman’s chosen field, where they receive a stipend from U.N. Women for the duration of their internship period.

As drastic and detrimental as things are for women in Afghanistan, the country is making progress for women and girls in education, political participation and in their economic role. The National Unity Government has committed to the empowerment of women and recognizes that equal opportunity for women is necessary for stabilizing Afghanistan and ensuring that the country develops in a sustainable way. There are more women in power than ever before in history – 27.7% of parliament consists of women, four ministries and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission are led by women, and three women serve as ambassadors. Also, Afghanistan has in place a National Action Plan for implementing a resolution for the peace and security of women. These strides for progress show that there have been efforts in promoting and upholding a peaceful society with equal opportunity for women.

The internship program has helped the women in the program with vital social and professional connections with different programs around the world, some of which have offered these women jobs after completing their internships. The U.N. Women internship opportunity is helping women in Afghanistan look more suitable and appealing to job recruiters, even more appealing than the many young men they are competing against for jobs.

Women in Afghanistan continue to be disproportionately affected by poverty, discrimination and exploitation. There is still a substantial amount of resistance and discrimination in the workforce, but Afghanistan is making progress. With help from U.N. Women, the working and educated women in Afghanistan can be the progressive rebels that serve as role models and leaders to all other women and girls. Although Afghanistan has established ambitious goals, these actions are necessary to ensure that progress is not reversed and to preserve the great gains the country has made.

– Kayla Mehl

Photo: Flickr

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International Women Development Champion Award

International Women Development Champion AwardThe International Women Development Champion Award honors exemplary women who have dedicated their lives and have committed their efforts to the economic development of Africa and African women. On 24th March, the President of UN Women National Committee Canada, Almas Jiwani, was awarded the International Women Development Champion Award in Paris. She is the first Canadian and the first UN Woman representative to receive this award. The initiatives she took in trying to connect the gaps between the corporate world and the humanitarian world made her a new face for humanitarianism. She has put tremendous efforts into establishing change through excellence and dedication to philanthropy.

Almas Jiwani expressed how this award promotes equality, “We must continue investing in African women and increase their involvement in the political structures in place and in everyday life.” Furo Giami, the Executive Director of the Center for Economic and Leadership Development said that it’s an honor to present Almas Jiwani with this award to recognize her efforts and achievements at contributing to the end of global poverty and “all forms of vices militating the development of African women.”

Some of the women who have received this award in the past include President Joyce Banda of Malawi, Vice President Joice Mujuru of Zimbabwe, Business Leader Wendy Luhabe of South Africa, Ida Odinga (wife of the Prime Minister of Kenya), Rt. Hon. Anne Makinda (the Speaker of Parliament in Tanzania) and others.

– Leen Abdallah

Source: Market Wire