Caitlyn works on research and publication for ONE's global policy team. She also focuses on how gender, women's empowerment and women's leadership intersects with ONE’s priority issues.
Malawi’s new president, Joyce Banda, was recently sworn into office following the death last week of President Bingu wa Mutharika. The former vice president is taking office as Malawi’s first female president and only the second female African head of state next to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia.
President Banda has her work cut out for her as she takes office in a country that is battling high unemployment and a struggling economy. In recent years, President Mutharika, a former World Bank official, was accused of economic mismanagement, becoming increasingly autocratic and souring his country’s relations with important donors, particularly the United States.
I’m sure you remember that taunting chant from elementary school, “Girls _____and boys _____;” I’ll let you fill in the blanks with “rule”, “drool” and any other concoctions your primary schoolmates may have imagined. In a very simple but impactful way, your peers were grading girls against boys and vice versa, whether it was smarts, skills, talents or athleticism. You name it; there was competition!
A similar conversation on equality is progressing in the international development discourse. No, we’re not wondering if girls drool, but we’re asking if boys and men should be included in the gender equality dialogue. ONE members gave their thoughts on this question via Facebook, and they had some quite insightful and provoking things to say: “yes . . . equality is a human issue, first and foremost, “absolutely . . . the topic is gender equality, not female quality” and “equality doesn’t exclude anyone.”
So, what is the definition of gender equality? USAID’s new policy on gender equality provides a comprehensive definition: “concerns women and men, and it involves working with men and boys, women and girls to bring about changes in attitudes, behaviors, roles and responsibilities at home, in the workplace, and in the community. Genuine equality means more than parity in numbers or laws on the books; it means expanding freedoms and improving overall quality of life so that equality is achieved without sacrificing gains for males or females.” So, while it is imperative to continue efforts in female empowerment and leadership efforts, men, boys and all genders need to be included; because, it’s quite difficult to have a conversation on equality when only half the population is engaging.
But let’s continue the conversation — what do you think? How should we engage all genders in the equality dialogue? What are some ways to include men and boys?
On the eve of International Women’s Day, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of the film “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” hosted by our friends at CARE. This bold film is the first in “Women, War and Peace,” a special five-part series on PBS that challenges the conventional wisdom that war and peace are men’s domain.
In a very unprecedented move, USAID announced a new gender policy a few weeks ago. The primary goals of the policy are to shrink the wide disparities between women and men, reduce violence against women and girls, and increase their capacity to make their own life decisions and fulfill their potential.
At ONE, you will often hear the jargon “siloed,” “cross-cutting” and “lens” when referring to our issues affecting global poverty. In reality, all the issues are cross-cutting and work hand-in-hand toward worldwide development. One lens that is important to ONE and gaining the attention of the international community is gender and its role in development objectives. So, let’s put on our gender glasses and take a look at what is happening around this topic.
In the 110-year history of the Nobel Peace Prize, most honorees have been men. The first African woman to win was Kenyan activist Wangari Maathai, who was recognized in 2004 for her persistence in democracy, human rights and environmental conservation. But last week, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was honored to three campaigning women: Yemen’s Tawakul Karman, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and her compatriot Leymah Gbowee. The women were awarded for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full peace-building work.
This past weekend, the National Geographic Entertainment film, The First Grader hit theaters. This powerful movie is based on the true story of a Kenyan man who believed that “power is in the pen.” Since just returning from Kenya a few weeks ago, this film certainly struck a note for me. There, I had the opportunity to work with disadvantaged and orphaned girls with the organization, One Home Many Hopes. In a place where education is a privilege, it is incredible to witness young women developing the skills and knowledge to achieve their aspirations. The film The First Grader shows the impact of one man believing that education truly does create transformation.
Right now, some of the world's biggest oil companies are fighting to keep some of their deals with foreign governments secret. Let's tell big oil we won't be bullied.
Cuts to poverty-fighting programs won't balance the budget, but they will set back progress on Canada's development priorities and risk jeopardizing existing investments.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
