Roles of WomenThe informal slogan of the Decade of Women became “Women do two-thirds of the world’s work, receive 10

percent of the world’s income and own 1 percent of the means of production.”

— Richard H. Robbins, Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism, (Allyn and Bacon, 1999), p. 354

What are some roles of women in our world?

Mentor mother Child rearer Nurturer/healer Partner/wife Spiritual leader

Politician/activist Artist/preserver of

culture Laborer Others?

The average annual income of Aboriginal women is $13,300, compared to $18,200 for Aboriginal men, and $19,350 for non-Aboriginal women -Statistics Canada, 2000, p. 258.

Why is it a global issue?

immigration

Prejudice &Discrimination

Education & literacy

Oppression Human rights

Fertility and population

growth

trade

religion

Environmental concerns

w

Isolation and lack of social support are major factors in the health of immigrant women.

-http://www.nms.on.ca/Secondary/women__facts__figure.htm

http://www.indexmundi.com/g/correlation.aspx?v1=67&v2=31&y=2003

Why is it a global issue?

Millennium Development Goals, UN:Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower womenTarget by 2015:

Eliminate gender disparity at all levels of education by 2015 and empower women.

Goal 5: Improve maternal healthTarget by 2015:

Reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters. -http://www.unicef.org/mdg/gender.html

A woman dies from complications in childbirth every minute – about 529,000 each year -- the vast majority of them in developing countries.  -http://www.unicef.org/mdg/maternal.html

Fatma’s Story…

http://www.unicef.org/sowc07/profiles/3_fatna.php

Two-thirds of the world’s 799 million illiterate adults ages 15 and over are women.

-http://www.unicef.org/mdg/maternal.html

Are there local linkages?

YES!

This is relevant to us simply because we are women or we know women or we interact with women!

Businesses owned by women in Atlantic Canada generate more than $2 billion/year in sales-http://weesociety.ca/index.php/site/womencedinfo/

Are there local linkages?

Other local issues/topics of interest: Pay equity in this region Athletic funding and other support in

schools Academic/career counseling in secondary

schools Others?

In Canada, approximately 57% of all full-time undergraduate university students among the 18-24 age group are women, according to Statistics Canada (University enrollment, 2001)

Implications for the classroom? How are we conducting our classes? Hidden curriculum? Can be empowering (or not!) for girls…

treat with sensitivity

Age appropriate concerns?

Perhaps…

Tread lightly surrounding topics such as sex trafficking

But…

Start dealing with gender issues early!

Sex is a factor in the assignment of students to ability groups in mathematics, and males are more likely to be assigned to the high ability group (Hallinan, M.T., and A.B. Sorenson. 1987. "Ability Grouping and Sex Differences in Mathematics Achievement."Sociology of Education 60 (2): 63-72)

Potential controversial elements? Sensitivity re. religion, culture Pitting one sex against the other in class

(and out of class)

“Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult." - Charlotte Whitton (former mayor of Ottawa )

Starting points… http://www.unicef.org/gender/index.html http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/

WomensRights.asp http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/

econvention.htm http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/rwanda/ http://www.irc.nl/page/31320