Intro to Global Awareness and WCI

How to Bring About Positive Change in a Complex World

© Women’s Campaign International 2011

Overview

Working in International Development Challenges Faced by Women in Today’s World

Women:• Perform 66% of the world’s work• Produce 50% of the food• But earn 10% of the income• And own 1% of the property

UNICEF, ‘Gender Equality-The Big Picture,’ 2007. “Facts & Figures on Women, Poverty & Economics.” http://unifem.org/gender_issues/women_poverty_economics/facts_figures.php,


Education

Challenges Faced by Women in Today’s World

2/3 of the world’s illiterate adults (ages 15 and over) are women.

When a girl in the developing world receives 7 or more years of education, she marries 4 years later and has 2.2 fewer children.

UNICEF, Millennium Development Goals, Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women. From http://www.unicef.org/mdg/gender.html

United Nations Population Fund, State of World Population (1990). From http://www.girleffect.org/media/Girl_Effect_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Photo From:http://photos.merinews.com/upload/imageGallery/bigImage/1231908762237.jpg


Gender-Based Violence

Percentage of women abused by partners or former partners:


Violence kills and disables as many women between the ages of 15 and 44 as cancer.

Krug et al. 2002. World Report on Violence and Health. Geneva: World Health Organization. From http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsacd/cd26/factsfigures.pdfWorld Health Organization, Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence Against Women (2005). From http://www.who.int/gender/violence/who_multicountry_study/en/UN Millennium Project. 2005. Taking Action: Achieving Gender Equality and Empowering Women. Task Force on Education and Gender Equality. London and Sterling, VA: Earthscan. http://www.girlup.org/learn/the-worlds-adolescent-girls.html


Labor & Economic Opportunities Women are more likely than men to be

employed in the informal employment sector, which usually offers minimal job security, little to no benefits, and much lower wages.

75% of women worldwide cannot get bank loans because they have unpaid or insecure jobs and do not own property.

40 billion hours are spent by women and children every year traveling to and from water sources

Seven Priorities, Seven Years to Go: Progress on Achieving Gender Equality, (2008). From http://www.icrw.org/files/publications/Seven-Priorities-Seven-Years-to-Go-Progress-on-Achieving-Gender-Equality.pdf

UNDP, Gender and Poverty. From http://www.undp.org/poverty/focus_gender_and_poverty.shtmlAction Aid: Hit or Miss: Women’s Rights and the Millennium Development Goals (2008)

http://www.actionaid.org.uk/doc_lib/aamdg.pdf

Challenges Faced by Women in Today’s World© Women’s Campaign International 2011

Sexual and Reproductive Health

4/5 of maternal deaths result from complications that could have been prevented if a skilled birthing attendant had been present or if emergency obstetric care had been available

1 in 3 deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth could be avoided if effective contraception is available to all women who want it


UNICEF, Child Info, Statistics by Area/Maternal Health, ( ). From http://www.childinfo.org/delivery_care.htmlUnited Nations Population Fund, State of World Population (1990). From http://www.girleffect.org/downloads/The_Girl_Effect_Fact_Sheet.pdf


Sexual and Reproductive Health: Fistula

Main Causes: malnutrition and early pregnancies, no access to medical care, days of obstructed labor, cultural norms

Results in child’s death and mother’s loss of control of urine and feces

Associated with high death rates for mother and child


100,000 new cases reported each year, estimated 2 million living with it

Treatment Options 90% success rate, $300 USD WCI supported Fistula clinic

in Addis Ababa, EthiopiaCampaign to End Fistula, http://www.endfistula.org


Displaced Persons/Refugees

Challenges Faced by Women in Post-Conflict Regions

70 - 80 % of refugee and internally displaced populations are women and children

Nearly 100 % of girls who escape or are released from rebel control exhibit one or more STIs

Reproductive Health Response in Crises Consortium, “Conflict, Post-Conflict, and HIV/AIDS — The Gender Connections” (2001). Fromhttp://www.rhrc.org/resources/sti/benjamin.html


Additional Challenges

Challenges Faced by Women in Post-Conflict Regions

Widows, single women without family support and female-headed households are especially susceptible to increased economic hardship

A lack of property rights, inheritance rights, or access to pensions increases economic fragility

Lack of social services Land grabbing Increase in domestic violence

Amnesty International, “Women in Post-Conflict Situations: A Fact Sheet” (2005). From http://www.amnestyusa.org/women/pdf/postconflict.pdf


What we do?Working in emerging democracies and post-conflict regions around the world,

Women’s Campaign International advances opportunities for women to

actively participate in public advocacy, market and political processes. In

providing the requisite skills, knowledge and culturally-sensitive support, we

develop leaders who transform the lives of everyone they serve.


Where We Work

Colombia

Philadelphia

Liberia

Romania

Namibia

TanzaniaMalawi

EthiopiaPalestinian Territories

Azerbaijan

Sri LankaSudanUganda

Afghanistan

Andean Region

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Ghana Kenya


Our Program Models

WCI empowers women leaders around four core areas:Political Participation, Campaigns and LeadershipCivic Education, Advocacy, and Grassroots OrganizingPeace Building and Conflict MitigationEntrepreneurship and Sustainable Livelihoods

Why Women? “When it comes to development and poverty reduction, all roads lead to women: their education, their health, and their economic independence.”

- Marjorie Margolies, WCI President and Founder


Our Program Models

WCI program criteria: Strong (or emerging) civil society that supports women’s rights; Movement to enhance women’s leadership and participation in

political, economic, and advocacy processes; Strong on the ground relationships (or the ability to form key

partnerships).

How do we select a country?


Political Participation, Campaigns & Leadership

625 women candidates trained in Afghanistan in

2010

Over 50% of the world’s population is female but only 18% of legislators in parliaments around the world are women

May 2010 Training of Women’s Caucus in Afghanistan

Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union

Increasing Women’s Political Participation


WCI and the Women’s Caucus tripled the number

of people tested for HIV/AIDS in Malawi

through a nationwide advocacy campaign

33.2 million estimated living with

HIV/AIDS

75% of HIV infected youth in Africa are

girls

Source: WHO and World Bank

61% of people living with HIV are women

Civic Education, Advocacy, & Grassroots Organizing

HIV/AIDS Media Campaign- Malawi


Building Women’s Capacity

Improving women’s abilities to: Create, lead and participate in conflict transformation efforts in cases of

protracted conflict; Impart the skills and knowledge they gain to other women in their country in

order to ensure that their impact is sustainable; and Build productive relationships with their male colleagues

Peace Building and Conflict Mitigation© Women’s Campaign International 2011

Of 985 million people living in extreme poverty in developing

countries, 70% are women

Source: IFAD

Providing women with the skills to be successful entrepreneurs, including value added agricultural production, business planning skills, marketing, and accounting

Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Livelihoods

Women Entrepreneurs, Liberia 2009

When women have equal access to inputs such as

training, tools and fertilizer, total yields can increase by

up to 20 %

Source: USAID Women in Development


Obstacles and Challenges

Politics, Civil Unrest, Unstable, Volatile and Confusing Environments


Obstacles and Challenges

Weak Infrastructure, Lack and limited resources Limited Rule of Law Lack of Coordination


The Road to Successes

Words to Live by: Structured Flexibility

Thorough and Participatory Assessment Comprehensive program design using the Log Frame Process Strong partnership and on the ground presence The right hires (experienced and innovative) Local Buy in and engagement


Program Design© Women’s Campaign International 2011

Liberia Model

Liberia Model

Engaging Women in Post-Conflict Reconstruction

Provide Ministry of Gender and

Development with:

Provide Rural Women with training

on:

Leadership

Advocacy

Agriculture

Economic Empowerment

Women Lead Social Change


National Rural Women’s Program Comprehensive leadership and

economic empowerment model Cassava grinder

Women’s Campaign International

Liberia Model


Women’s Campaign International

Advocacy

Advocacy is…. a way that people and organizations in Civil Society can let decision-makers in Government or Businesses know about issues that are important to them. Advocacy focuses on an issue and raising awareness about that issue, any related problems, possible solutions and what people can do to help.

Why it’s important:•Raise awareness•Impact decision-makers•Grassroots mobilization


Contact Us

www.womenscampaigninternational.org

For use of these slides please contact: [email protected]

Telephone: (215) 387-2601Fax: (215) 387-2604
