Erica Higbie, UN Rep in NY and Chair of the Working Group on Girls Advocacy Committee, writes:
March 10
What inspired me
"We can only walk the last mile if we stand by the last girl." Ruchira Gupta on young prostitutes in India
"It is not a problem WHAT to do but HOW to get it done"
"The key now is implementation" Phumzile regarding women's rights
"We need to stop working WITHIN patriarchal systems"
"climate change + gender inequality = double injustice" Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland
What I'd like to see
India's Daughters (on the Delhi rape), documentary available on YouTube and BBC
What I learned
Australia is spending all of its Ending Violence Against Women funding on programs for men.
Many feel strongly that the term 'sex work' implies that prostitution might be a good career option.
Violence against women on university campuses is increasing in the US and Canada.
- 700 sexual assaults were reported by 87 Canadian universities over a 5 year period.
- 900 US female college students were interviewed; 25% of them reported being victims of sexual aggression; 33% reported being sexually harassed.
More women than men are enrolled in medical school in the US. There is one female Medical School Dean.
Prostitution in India looks like this: Girls 9 - 13 years of age forced to have sex with 8 - 10 men per night for 4 - 5 years.
March 12
Good ideas and things I didn't know from the last two days:
Women should use boycotting to achieve gender equality - brands supplied by sweatshops or unsafe work environments for women, degrading media, etc.
Divorce does not exist in the Philippines - annulment or separation are the only options.
Men are being encouraged to join the fight for women's equality by signing on to HeForShe online.
Iceland has the highest women's workforce participation in the world - parental leave has been critical to this achievement.
Gender equality should be taught in schools.
"No one can advocate for girls better than girls" The Canadian Ambassador.
Canada is launching a "Strong Girls Strong World" campaign, which will include a mentoring and championing program and direct access to the Prime Minister.
New statistics worldwide:
60% of the chronically hungry are women and girls.
70% of secondary school dropouts are girls.
70 million babies are born to girls under 18 each year.
Every ten years there are 146 million new child brides.
We need to start 'packaging' UN initiatives for general consumption.
Teen pregnancy is a big issue in South Africa. Their President is currently advocating for legislation that would allow the state to take young unwed mothers' babies and put them into institutions.
For the new post 2015 UN Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, indicators must capture the priorities of women and girls. The indicators will become the evidence that will drive practice.
The Gender Equality Study just released by World Vision finds:
- The age of marriage is increasing.
- Girls have much better access to primary education that they did.
- Harmful practices are slowly reducing, including FGM, but very slowly.
- Women have better and more income generating work opportunities.
- Women are in more leadership roles.
BUT
- There has been no reduction in women's domestic work.
- Women still lack decision making rights in the home: household expenditure, family size, medical access.
- Violence against women is unchanged or getting worse in some countries, particularly domestic violence.