Women Empowering Women
by prize winning feminist researcher Wendy Harcourt
Why has ‘gender’ emerged as a key area of development funding in these days of reduced funds for development? How has the MDG3 Fund helped catalyze progress towards achievement of the 2015 MDG3 on gender equality and women’s empowerment? How are women overcoming violence against women, gaining economic independence, fighting for land rights and becoming more involved in decision making?
10 inside stories on ten projects reveal how the MDG3 Fund has helped women to help end social discrimination and rights injustices and to catalyze transformative changes in women’s and communities lives worldwide.
14
Nov
2011
JASS Mesoamerica Regional Allies
Latin America is a region where the global community is increasingly looking for leadership in the search for alternatives to neoliberal capitalism. The term buen vivir, or ‘good living’, is at the heart of efforts in the region to forge a more democratic and just development that rejects the violence of modern economic and militarised development. The region has suffered a violent, racist and sexist past in the name of modernity.
Rejecting this, countries like Ecuador and Bolivia are trying to balance indigenous ways of living with community and nature and local and global notions of economic progress. Throughout the region, governments are learning – painfully at times – that it is crucial to work not just with powerful international forces but also with their own civil society, listening to the voices of the poor men and women. More »
11
Nov
2011
14 days away!
Here’s a great resource for online activism specifically for women’s organisations from the Association for Progressive Communication Women’s Networking Support Programme and Violence is not our Culture.
Their guide, below, offers tips for online campaigning, harnessing social networks and minimising security risks.
What is your group planning – online or off? Tell us in the comments below, on Twitter at @thegenderwire or on our new Facebook page.
Click to download.
09
Nov
2011
We are happy to share with our readers AWID’s most recent publication: “Strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation for Women’s Rights: Thirteen Insights for Women’s Organizations“.
The publication presents thirteen key insights into how women’s rights organizations and movements can strengthen capacity to track and assess the contribution of their organizations and interventions.
These thirteen insights stem from AWID’s intensive research into the challenges faced by women’s organizations in effectively monitoring and evaluating women’s rights work, and the ways to enhance the collective capacity to assess the influence and impact of such work. More »
07
Nov
2011
Women protesting in Syria. Credit Karama
The world continues to watch the Arab Spring as we head for 2011/12 winter, with some trepidation. Although one woman Tawakkul Karman of Yemen from the Region has been honoured with a Noble Peace Prize, all those women who took to the streets, blogged, tweeted, risked lives and made the revolution happen may well find themselves struggling against a backlash. During the revolution activists such as Esraa Abdel Fatah (known as “Facebook Girl” after organizing a nation-wide strike through her page in 2008) commented on how women were not violated during the protests. But now there are stories of women harassed and attacked once more post revolution the fight to end violence against women has to be an ever-vigilant demand. More »
18
Oct
2011
Libya Women’s Platform meeting in Cairo. Credit Karama
Over 40 Libyan women gathered in Cairo from October 7-9, 2011 to inaugurate the Libya Women’s Platform for Peace, a new national movement that will work together to increase all forms of female political participation in post-Gaddafi Libya.
“I thought I was alone, but now I know I’m not,” said Amal Bugaighis, a lawyer and deputy president of the 17 February Coalition in Support of Women’s Decision-Making.
Facilitated by the regional Arab women’s NGO Karama, this meeting was the first of its kind in recent history, bringing together women from all regions of Libya, expatriates, diverse professional and social backgrounds, and members of older and younger generations. More »
08
Oct
2011
Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemini opposition leader Tawakkul Karman.
Ottawa — The women Peace Laureates of the Nobel Women’s Initiative—Jody Williams (USA), Shirin Ebadi (Iran), Mairead Maguire (Ireland) and Rigoberta Menchu Tum (Guatemala)—sent letters of congratulations to the three women who today were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemini opposition leader Tawakkul Karman.
“Your victory today is a victory for all women around the world struggling for peace, justice and equality,” said Jody Williams, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 1997 for her work to ban landmines. “We are inspired by your example of nonviolent action in the face of brutal violence, discrimination and injustice. You remind us that with women’s bold action, there is hope for a better world.” More »
07
Oct
2011
New York City – The American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA) announced the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality (WISE) Conference to be held October 14-17, 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey. “Soon the world will witness how Muslim women activists, scholars, politicians jurists and poets have assumed leadership roles largely perceived to be restricted to Muslim men, ” says Daisy Khan, Executive Director of ASMA and the organizer of this conference.
Over one hundred and seventy five Muslim women leaders of diverse backgrounds and religious ideologies from 45 countries, from Senegal to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia to Kazakhstan, will participate in Muslim Women Leaders: At the Frontlines of Change, a global conference of WISE, a program of ASMA.
This timely convening will highlight how Muslim women are shattering stereotypes by playing significant roles as key leaders in their societies. “Our goal is to legitimize a coherent global movement, highlighting the ground breaking advancements of powerful Muslim women who are sharing and building on their individual experiences,” adds Khan.
Top leaders attending the conference include Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General Dr. Nafis Sadik; Palestine’s first female judge, Judge Kholoud Al Faqeeh appointed to the Shariah Court; Esin Celebi, the descendant of the 13th century poet Rumi; Notable female Spiritual Sheikha’s Aisha Rafea (Egypt) and Seemi Ghazi (Canada); Pakistan’s Shahina Akbar a lawyer who recently was elected as a Member of Parliament.
The conference will focus on the key roles Muslim women play in Politics, Civics & Business and Spirituality, featuring provocative debates and successful case studies including from Jamila Afghani, an educator from Afghanistan, who will showcase a unique approach to training Imams on women’s rights in Kabul and Jalalabad.
A special session will be dedicated to women who ignited the Arab Spring. Political activists Asma Mahfouz (Egypt) will recap how she called upon Egyptians to join her on January 25th in Tahrir Square; and Nimah Nawwab (Saudi Arabia) will address voting rights for Saudi women as granted by King Abdullah and also highlight obstacles faced by Saudi Women; and Afra Jalabi a Syrian Canadian will discuss how her compatriots are maintaining a non-violent movement in the context of state brutality.
Finally, the conference will announce the vision for the first Muftiyyah Doctoral program which will educate contemporary Muslim women to become full-fledged jurists capable of issuing fatwas. Accompanying this, the Muslim Women’s Shura Council, a global body of scholars and activists will present a religious justification for Muslim women’s leaderships in all spheres of society.
A special Turkish panel with Cemalnur Sargut a prominent Turkish Spiritual leader joined by Nazli Kayahan, Dilek Guldutuna and Nese Tas titled “A Woman’s Place in Islam – Views from Turkish Women” will provide a unique lens into Turkish women’s interaction with Islam.
Joining their sisters in faith will be an interfaith panel of Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn, Reverand Gwynne Guibord and Dr. Rita Sherma who will share their experiences as women spiritual leaders in Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism.
Contact Information :
Daisy Khan daisy@asmasociety.org
Dominic Bocci: Dominic@asmasociety.org Ph: 212 870 2552 (ASMA)
Caitlyn Bolton: cb@cordobainitiative.org Ph: 212 870 2552 (Cordoba Initiative)
Website: www.asmasociety.org – www.wisemuslimwomen.org
05
Oct
2011
Hibaaq Osman. Credit: El Karama
“I never thought in my lifetime I would see a revolution unfolding under my eyes. It was a moment of uncertainty and excitement,” Hibaaq Osman told DLD (Digital Life Design) Women in a recent video interview.
Hibaaq Osman is founder and CEO of the IPS MDG3 partner El Karama, an Egypt based organisation for women’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa.
In her reflection, Ms. Osman shares her personal experiences and observations from the days of revolution in Egypt, including descriptions of the Egyptian people and their protective nature toward each other, for instance, the way they came down to protect one another and their property in the days when the police could no longer be found in the streets. More »
12
Sep
2011
IPS is happy to share with its readers a new, inspiring video recently released by TrustAfrica.
The film features TrustAfrica project “Enhancing Women’s Dignity”, and gives insight on some of the work done to build capacity to curb violence against women and increase women’s political participation. The work is being realised with funds from the Dutch MDG3 Fund.
The video can be accessed here
To learn more about TrustAfrica MDG3 project, visit the webpage.
