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2011 ONE Africa Award Winner Announced
I’m delighted to announce that Groupe de Reflexion et d’action, Femme Democratie et Developpment (GF2D), from Togo are the 2011 winners of the fourth annual ONE Africa Award.
The ONE Africa Award celebrates and bolsters innovative Africa-led, Africa-driven advocacy efforts to help advance one or more of the Millennium Development Goals, the world’s blueprint to fighting extreme poverty and disease. The goals specifically address critical issues to development, such as; halving extreme poverty; halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and malaria and providing universal primary education.
GF2D helps women in exercising their right to participate in decision making processes of their country.
One of GF2D’s tools is the use of paralegals who are trained in Togolese laws by GF2D and empowered to communicate messages to communities about women’s rights, engage in mediations related to marriage, inheritance and children, and offer referral assistance for issues that need to be handled in court. Many of their paralegals are everyday women – traders, seamstresses, mothers, whose lives have been changed because of their paralegal training and some of them have gone on to seek local political positions. These women and men have become well-respected members of their societies because of their knowledge of Togolese laws and their ability to convey the rights of women to their peers in simple messages. GF2D has been integral to the increase in the number of female political office holders in Togo today.
As winners of this year’s ONE Africa Award GF2D receive $100000 in prize money.
As the award was announcement here in Johansburg, Léontine, GF2D’s General Secretary said:
“We dedicate the 2011 ONE Award to all Togolese women whose bravery and dynamism are well known. We want to recognize the silent majority of those who suffer from violence, discrimination and low incomes gained from their hard efforts. The announcement of the award was greeted with a great joy at the “House of women” by all the members and staff of GF2D.
This award represents the recognition for over 20 years of efforts to realize a vision where: women know their rights and fully benefit from them:
- Togolese women, freed from the constraints and socio-cultural burdens imosed on them, contribute to the development of their society
- equal participation of men and women exists in the political, social and economic decision making processes
- a genuine partnership exists between men and women in the management of their families, public and private institutions
We receive this award as an encouragement to persevere in defending the cause of women. We thank ONE whose mission is to recognize, reward and support the important work of African civil society organizations towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). “
The runners up of the award this year in no particular order include: Prévention Information et Lutte contre le Sida (PILS) – Mauritius, Africa Youth Trust (AYT) – Kenya, Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR) – Ghana and Sylva Food Solutions Limited (SFSL) – Zambia
Previous award winners include Nigeria’s Development Communications Network (Devcoms) and Kenya’s Slums Information Development and Resources Centres (SIDAREC) and SEND West Africa.
We are here today to celebrate Africa’s unsung heroes and to play our part on changing the stereotype narrative on Africa. We don’t deny that there are challenges that exist, but, we also need to highlight the successes, the determination and the ingenuous creativity of the African people despite these challenges.
I’m sure you will join me in congratulating GF2D and our runners ups, and thanking them for the amazing work they are doing across the continent. We wish them every success in the future!
ONE Africa Award 2011: Promoting women’s rights in Togo
The 2011 ONE Africa Award process is halfway through and when the call for applications closed on 16 September we had received over 150 applications! ONE staff have spent the last couple of weeks reviewing the amazing applications that came in and I am pleased to announce that we have identified our top 5 finalists!
I have already embarked on a tour around the continent, to visit the finalists, in no particular order, and over the coming weeks I’ll be unveiling the candidates, one at a time, immediately following my visits to them. I am really excited by the quality of the candidates this year and I am certain the selection committee will have a tough time picking a winner!
My visit with the first organization has just concluded and I can reveal that the first of our top candidates is the Togolese organization, Groupe de refelxion et d’action Femme, Democratice et Developpement (GF2D). This amazing organization was founded by a group of mostly women lawyers almost twenty years ago and uses Togolese constitutional laws to promote the rights of women and encourage their equal participation in democratic governance.
Founders and staff of GF2D outside their office
One of GF2D’s tools is the use of paralegals who are trained in Togolese laws by GF2D and empowered to communicate messages to communities about women’s rights, engage in mediations related to marriage, inheritance and children, and offer referral assistance for issues that need to be handled in court. Many of their paralegals are everyday women – traders, seamstresses, mothers, whose lives have been changed because of their paralegal training and some of them have gone on to seek local political positions. These women and men have become well-respected members of their societies because of their knowledge of Togolese laws and their ability to convey the rights of women to their peers in simple messages. GF2D has been integral to the increase in the number of female political office holders in Togo today.
Madam Toublou, a seamstress turned paralegal and women’s activist, trained by GF2D.
GF2D has also set up audience centres within popular markets where people can walk in for legal advice and I was fortunate enough to visit one in the biggest market in the Togolese capital, Lome, and see how they work. People came in for advice ranging from questions about how to get birth certificates for children to what to do in the case of a woman not being allowed to access her inheritance by male relatives. The paralegals are also frequently on radio and television programs promoting their work. Not far from the market, I sat in on a national radio program with a station GF2D works with regularly, Nana FM. The station is focused on women’s issues and got its name from a group of Togolese women who were famous in the 1950’s for their wealth acquired from their trade in wax cloth. These women were very influential in the Togolese independence movement and were called “Nana Benz” because of the Mercedes Benz cars they favoured! Radio is still the most powerful medium of communication in Africa and Nana FM, whose staff have been trained by GF2D, includes dynamic programs in their broadcasts that help ensure that that information related to women’s rights, development and democracy is conveyed effectively throughout the country.
GF2D’s amazing work has been recognized by the government of Togo and during my visit, the Minister of Women’s affairs was kind enough to meet with me to endorse the work of GF2D. She explained to me that the government has replicated GF2D’s model and has worked with GF2D to train the government paralegals. GF2D has also been critical to the increase in the number of women holding political office in Togo today.
(left to right) Two GF2D staff, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Togo; ONE’s Edith Jibunoh; staff of GF2D.
GF2D recognizes the importance of the inclusion of both men and women in development and understand that unless men and women can equally participate in decision-making processes that determine their access to opportunities, Togo will not fully develop. To this end, GF2D also includes male paralegals in their outreach and ensures that they equally target men whose understanding of women’s rights is just as important and critical to the success of their mission.
We wish GF2D good luck in the 2011 ONE Africa Award and thank them for their hospitality in Lome!
Stay tuned for the announcement of the second finalist………
This post first appeared on the ONE Africa Blog
G(irls)20 Summit: 3.3 billion ways to change the world
Photo courtesy of GirlsandWomen.com.
The second edition of the G(irls)20 Summit opened today in Paris, and will run until October 21. Because girls and women are half of humanity and are always the first affected by the different global challenges, this international summit is dedicated to women and to solutions they can provide to major global economic issues. The G(irls)20 is an integral part of the international campaign “3.3 Billion Ways,” based on the assumption that the planet has 3.3 billion women and therefore, there are 3.3 billion ways to change the world!
The G(irls)20 brings together female citizens, aged 18 to 20, from each G20 country and a representative of the African Union, bringing the number of delegates to 21. Delegates will discuss, debate and design innovative solutions to global economic challenges. Representatives of civil society, the private sector and foundations are attending this 100% female summit and will share and discuss their ideas with each other for better integration of girls and women in the global economy.
According to Belinda Stronach, founder of the Belinda Stronach Foundation and summit organizer, “The G(irls)20 Summit is a unique platform for the girls to express their innovative ideas and to bring them to the G20 leaders.”
At ONE, we fully support this initiative and look forward to its conclusions!
For more information, please visit: www.girlsandwomen.com
Nobel Peace Prize recognizes women’s contributions to global development
In the 110-year history of the Nobel Peace Prize, most winners 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 honoured to three campaigning women: Yemen’s Tawakul Karman, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and her compatriot Leymah Gbowee. The women were awarded for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full peace-building work.
Last week’s announcement is another shining indication of the immense contribution from African women. Momentum is building around the investment of girls and women as an essential part in eliminating poverty and establishing global development. Research is proving that investments in women will impact economic growth and improve the well-being of communities.
Productivity will have gains. According to the 2012 World Bank, Gender Equality and Development Report, women now represent 40% of the global labour force. And advances in women’s health and education will create improved outcomes for the next generation. Empowering women to be actors in the social, economic and political arenas will create a varied representation of voices on local and national community levels.
“We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society,” stated Thorbjorn Jagland, a former Norwegian prime minister and head of the Oslo-based Nobel committee.
Yemen’s most lively activist and mother of three, Tawakul Karman is advocating for freedom of expression and protest not only for women’s opportunities but also for the youth of Yemen. Winner of the Blue Ribbon Peace and Profiles in Courage awards, Leymah Gbowee serves as the executive director of the Women Peace and Security Network Africa, based in Accra, Ghana, and her peace-building initiatives have spanned numerous parts of Liberia. The efforts of Gbowee greatly assisted in the 2005 election of fellow citizen President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The Harvard graduate, incarcerated activist and exile from Liberia, has tirelessly fought for years against social inequalities in her country.
ONE congratulates these women on their individual and revolutionary marches for the leadership of women and their role in promoting peace, democracy and gender equality. This momentous occasion demonstrates the importance of women’s voices in creating purposeful political leadership and social change.
A reason to celebrate this Mother’s Day
As Mother’s Day is marked in the UK, Melinda Gates explains why we have an extra reason to celebrate.
Mother’s Day is usually a joyous occasion—and this year we have even more reason to celebrate. Mothers and their children are surviving today at higher rates than at any other point in history. In fact, just since 1990, the number of children who die before their fifth birthday has declined from more than 12 million per year to slightly over 8 million.
I feel fortunate because I get to see this progress firsthand. On a recent trip to Nairobi, I spoke with a group of women about their children. One mother told me, “I want to bring every good thing to one before I have another.” It reinforced what I always hear on my trips to different countries around the globe—that mothers everywhere have the same goal for our children, a successful future.
So, what’s behind this success? Over the past decade, innovators around the world have developed new tools and technologies– vaccines, drugs, and bednets to name a few—which have been integral in saving millions of lives.
But the innovation driving this success is not just limited to these stunning breakthroughs in science, in technology; it can be creative without being high-tech. I’m talking about pioneering ways of changing behavior, working with communities and sharing these new ideas with women in the poorest areas of the world.
Take breastfeeding, for example. Simply put, breastfeeding is a life-saving act. We know exclusive breastfeeding – when the newborn is fed only with breast milk and nothing else in the first six months – is one of the best ways to save baby’s lives.
When I was in Dowa, Malawi last year I visited the Dowa District Hospital. Exclusive breastfeeding is a core project of the government, one supported by Save the Children’s Saving Newborn Lives Program. The initiative encourages women to give birth in a health clinic and then provides them with three home visits from healthcare workers, in the weeks following the birth. These visits help mothers learn about how to care for their children, including exclusively breastfeeding. Programs like these aren’t created in a laboratory, yet help mothers realize they can significantly improve the health of their newborns without any new technologies.
The British government and citizens have been true leaders around these types of health innovations for women and children. I had the pleasure of meeting with Andrew Mitchell recently and was impressed with his remarkable passion. I’ve met with a lot of ministers over the years, but I don’t often see the dedication like that of Minister Mitchell. It’s also truly amazing to see the way Britain has stood by its international commitments on foreign aid in the midst of the current global financial crisis.
Investing in the health of women and children is the right thing to do. If we keep innovating, we’ll make faster and faster progress and achieve more with our investments. We’ll save the lives of mothers and their children in even greater numbers. And we’ll help make sure that motherhood is always a joy, for every mother, everywhere.
I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate Mother’s Day.
This post was first published on the UK Department for International Development (DFID) blog
Why transparency in the extractive industries matters for women
Each year around the world, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8, with thousands of events occurring not just on this day, but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.
As the world marks this special day ONE spoke to Winnie Ngabiirwe, Chairperson of Publish What You Pay Uganda and Executive Director of Global Rights Alert, on why transparency in the extractives industries will benefit women in Uganda and other countries.
Winnie leads the effort to make sure revenues received for Uganda’s recently discovered oil are not wasted, and are put towards social and economic development programmes.
As Winnie says:
“Once governments disclose how much they are receiving from oil and mining companies it creates a conducive environment for debate in which women’s issues can be put into consideration. And that debate can translate into beneficial investments in sectors like health and education… so if investments of the monies that come from the extractive industry are invested wisely then the status of women will improve.”
Find out more about International Women’s Day and sign our petition to the UK Chancellor, George Osborne, asking him to support laws that will require oil, gas and other extractive companies to declare exactly how much they are paying foreign governments.
Africa’s future is female
We’re officially kicking off our special coverage of the U.N. Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) today. Keep an eye out for more blog posts on the MDGs throughout the week — and be sure to tune into the blog during the Summit. We’ll be reporting live from New York City.
Hot off the presses — it’s ONE’s new report, titled “Africa’s Future is Female.”
So what’s this new report about? Here’s a quick description: If the world is serious about tackling extreme poverty and disease, then it’s time to step up our investments in Africa’s women and girls — and the U.N. MDG Summit in New York City next week is the perfect place to begin.
Study after study has shown that, if women are given the tools they need, they can help lift communities out of poverty and transform millions of lives. For instance, when women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90 % of it into their families, compared with only 30 to 40% for men.
And the good news is that the world is starting to sit up and take notice of the African women who have been leading some of the incredible advances on the continent over the past decade. The women profiled in this new ONE report –- from a Tanzanian sweet potato farmer to the director general of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission –- are all leaders in their own right.
But even with all these powerful stats and unbelievable female leaders, women worldwide still make up an estimated 70% of all people living in extreme poverty.
It’s time to make a change—and we hope this new report will help move us in the right direction. Filled with compelling stats, stories and recommendations for next steps, we hope you’ll take a read and let us know what you think!
Women can’t wait
Check out this great post from our friends at Concern Worldwide:
Despite the fact that women produce up to 80% of food in the developing world, they often aren’t able to grow enough to feed themselves and their families.
Agatha Akandelwa is one of these women. These days, she takes care of 21 people in her Zambian village, including her grandchildren and several children of sick and deceased relatives. But sometimes it’s hard to find food for her large family.
“Our food situation becomes very difficult every year, starting in about September and lasting right through until January. During that period we only get about one meal per day. I really don’t feel good during that time. As an adult, I can go all day without food and then get up and go to the field the next day, but I get really concerned for the children during the hungry times.”
Concern Worldwide works daily with women farmers like Agatha through our ‘Women for Development’ program. We help provide them with tools and a little money to invest in seed—and so far the women farmers have seen lots of success. They’ve not only been able to grow enough to feed their families, but they’ve also been able to use the income from their extra food to send their children to school and keep their families healthy.
To hear more stories like Agatha’s, click here. And to learn more about Concern’s “Women Can’t Wait” campaign, which is calling on world leaders to make sure poor women are supported in their efforts to overcome hunger, click here.
-Natasha Adams, Campaigns and Parliamentary Officer, Concern Worldwide UK
ONE in Ottawa with Christy Turlington-Burns
On June 3, ONE hosted a parliamentary reception at the National Gallery in Ottawa, Canada to raise awareness on maternal and child mortality ahead of the G8 in Muskoka later this month. Featuring a special appearance by model and activist Christy Turlington-Burns, we showed a clip of her new documentary No Woman, No Cry.
Ottawa-based ONE member Kirika Bussell attended the screening, and sent us this great photo and blog update:
People often advocate for a cause because of a direct link to a situation, or because we know someone who has been affected. It was her health scare following the birth of her first child that prompted Christy Turlington-Burns to learn about and then advocate for maternal and child health. She survived a common post-partum complication because of timely access to quality medical treatment, but not all women are so fortunate. It was this experience that inspired No Woman, No Cry.
ONE member Kirika Bussell and Christy Turlington-Burns at the event in Ottawa
Every minute a woman dies from preventable complications during pregnancy or birth. What is stopping us from keeping these preventable deaths occurring again and again? If the answer lies in education, compassion and understanding, then Ms. Turlington Burns has made the job of spreading the message more accessible, and more importantly, she has put a human face on what could simply be seen as another sad statistic.
At the screening I was fortunate enough to speak with Christy Turlington Burns about the concept that we all have a stake in the future of maternal and child health. She agreed that it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman, a father or mother, or if you’re childless- this is a universal issue.
When I volunteered to assist with the ONE’s screening at the National Gallery, one of my goals was to help maximize the opportunity to generate interest and keep the issue moving. Reflecting on this event after the fact, I can say my interest in this issue has only grown the more I’ve learned. I hope other ONE members come to feel the same way. Everyone’s reasons to act are different, but when we do act, together we can act as ONE voice for proactive, comprehensive change. The future is ours, but the choice to act is yours.
Kirika M. Bussell, Ottawa, Canada
If you’d like a sneak peak at Christy’s documentary, visit www.everymothercounts.org.
To sign ONE’s petition to the G8 for 3.5 million new health workers go to:
The G8 agrees: Maternal and Child health a ‘top priority’
ONE members Jana Henderson (middle) and Nicole Yeadon (right) handed over ONE’s petition to Canadian Minister for International Cooperation Bev Oda © ACDI-CIDA/Mike Dembeck
Earlier this week G8 development ministers met for a crucial round of planning and negotiations on a maternal and child health initiative they will announce this summer at the G8 summit in Muskoka, Canada. At the top of the agenda: how to best address the global problem of 8 million plus children around the world still dying before their fifth birthday.
ONE ran a petition ahead of the meeting encouraging Canada, as host of the G8, to create a plan that was as ambitious and effective as possible. Any initiative to tackle maternal and child mortality must be specific, results-based and ambitious, with new funding for key global health initiatives.
The goal of the petition was demonstrate public support for the initiative and to encourage the G8 to be as visionary as possible. Find out more about the specifics of what ONE thinks a good G8 maternal and child health initiative would look like.
On 28 April ONE member Jana Henderson met with Canadian Minister for International Cooperation, Bev Oda, to hand over the 9,000+ signature-strong petition. Jana said:
“Today could not have gone any more smoothly. While we waited to meet Minister Oda I saw all the ministers for the G8 countries milling around me. We then had a quick handover with Bev Oda herself. It was the opportunity of a lifetime and I couldn’t have asked for any better treatment from those at the G8.”
At the close out of the meeting, the G8 released a joint statement recognising maternal and under-five health as a ‘top priority’ along with a statement of principles which should guide the final product. ONE will continue working with decision makers across the G8 in the lead up to the summit to ensure that the specifics of the initiative reflect our priorities.
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About the Blog
The International ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with guest contributions from ONE volunteers, members and allies.
The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
TAGS: Africa, Millennium Development Goals, ONE Africa Award, Spotlight, Togo, Women