Shopping and Giving - the App

Shopping and Giving : the App

CARE Canada - Becoming an Agent of Change!

Impoverished women confront humanity's most severe hardships, day in and day out. Help empower women and girls around the world.

For $1 a day, this fund empowers a woman or girl to succeed.  Learn more at http://www.care.ca/

$10.8 million pledged for Haiti

$10.8 million pledged for Haiti

WikiLeaks just made the world more repressive - The Globe and Mail

WikiLeaks just made the world more repressive - The Globe and Mail: "This latest Wikileaks release continues the spineless, voyeuristic and manipulative behaviour of someone unwilling to take responsibility for the 2nd and 3rd orders of consequences of this action. You bet, there will be increased security issues - for aid workers, citizens, diplomats, reporters, allied military in theatre, and more. Furthermore, 'questioning' democracies, either formally mentioned in the reports, or watching on the periphery, will clamp down on human rights. Canadians have a lot at stake in Afghanistan, and in other messy parts of the world, much of which involves human lives on the ground. Who is going to benefit from the release of this information? Taxpayers? Military dictatorships? Hollywood screenwriters? Bored bloggers?"

HIV/AIDS in South Africa - Putting the Community in Charge

In honour of World AIDS Day, this essay focuses on MDG #6 [Combat HIV/AIDS] with a story about people living in rural South Africa. South Africa is regarded as having the most severe HIV epidemic in the world (UNAIDS, 2010). After 30 years of fighting this relentless pandemic, women in South Africa, 55 per cent of whom are living with HIV/AIDS, still do not have the same levels of medical treatment, public health policy and social supports as their counterparts in other parts of the world, suffering from the affects of a similar pandemic. More often than not, women living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa bear additional burdens to their own illness. Due to the prevalence of the virus, most are also caring for the sick in their communities, and they are sheltering their sisters’ orphans and their dead brother’s young wife and baby. The disease continues to run rampantly and has devastating socio-economic consequences, i.e. sick women earn less money, sick women cultivate less food, less children go to school, and no one has savings (Nolen, 2008).

Canada’s fearless, eloquent and unstoppable human rights crusader and former United Nations envoy on AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, calls the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis the “most difficult and damaging pandemic we’ve ever experienced” (Mahoney, 2010). The hardship for infected women and their families begins long before they die. Social stigma and self-denial, related to suspected infection, cause many women to delay or refuse testing. When positively diagnosed, fear and despair soon follow because of poor-quality counseling and lack of social support. Again, poverty plays a role in terms of impact and complications because it prevents many infected women from finding adequate nutrition and prevention measures (Avert, 2010). In rural South Africa it is difficult to access health clinics and yet, once discovered, waiting lists for antiretroviral (ARVs) treatments and meeting the eligibility criteria for ARVs mean that many become seriously ill before accessing treatment. Yet, it is community-based care that is being touted as the best option since it would be impossible to care for hundreds of thousands of people dying from AIDS in public hospitals (Avert, 2010).

One such community-based development organization is St. John South Africa. This 1000 year, humanitarian organization offers a network of medical professionals, program development specialists, and instructors who provide health and safety training, HIV/AIDS awareness sessions, as well as, first aid and home care training to more than 39,000 South Africans each year (St. Joh, 2010).
In addition to classroom training and community-based delivery of care, St. John also participates in a very innovative concept of rural care for poor, sick people living in the farthest reaches of South Africa. Since 1993, The Phelophepa Health Care Train (pronounced pay – low- pee – pa) has traveled more than 100,000 miles on South African rail tracks, to the most remote rural communities possible, to bring primary health care to communities that otherwise have no access to modern medicine (a compelling 23 minute video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn_1MUed06o). A combination of 19 staff and 36 volunteer medical students work on the train and currently see about 45,000 patients per year – a total, so far, of more than 500,000 patients (St. John, 2010).

I had the privilege of reporting on the funding progress and success stories of the Phelophepa Miracle Train for five years, as the Canadian communications officer for St. John Ambulance Canada. It was this kind of community-based care and compassion which spurred my desire to learn more about the fundamentals of international community development. It seems that much of the success of community-based programs, such as the Phelophepa train visits, are based on bringing professional care and training to the poor at their level, empowering the patients with preventative measures, teaching them basic health and first aid skills, engaging their leaders, and being honest and respectful with them. Many of the patients and visitors are orphaned children and youth, or are primary caregivers for their HIV/AIDS – afflicted mothers. These are brave young people who are able to provide comfort and basic personal care for their ailing family members in some of the most difficult conditions.

This learning unit has broadened my understanding of women’s issues by underscoring the interrelationship of the MDGs. We cannot simply focus on one goal in isolation from the other seven. Furthermore, I believe that as the collection of national and international statistics, indicators, and sex-disaggregated data improve; as MDGs make greater gains; and, as governments, military and non-governmental organizations work more collaboratively and demonstrate greater accountability of investments into developmental initiatives, only then will we begin to see gender equity or at least greater gender equality.

Finally, as a community development worker, I will be ever-mindful and respectful of the many complex challenges, risks and unimaginable burdens which women, children and families bear.

References

Amnesty International Rural women living with HIV face human rights abuses in South Africa

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR53/001/2008/en]. Retrieved November 30, 2010.

Avert HIV and AIDS in South Africa. http://www.avert.org/aidssouthafrica.htm.  Retrieved November 28, 2010.

Berger, Karen. Health Care on Phelophepa, South Africa’s “Miracle Train.” September 25, 2010Globe and Mail Editorial  MICROFINANCE Micromanaging November 23, 2010. Biggar, Nigel, Grameen Foundation.

Human Rights Watch, Women's Rights
http://www.hrw.org/women/.  Retrieved November 26, 2010.

Mahoney, Jill  Searching for hope in the AIDS battle. Globe and Mail, November 29, 2010.

Nolen, Stephanie 28 stories of AIDS in Africa. Vintage Canada.

St. John South Africa. Caring for People. http://www.stjohn.org.za. Retrieved November 28, 2010.

SIL International, Women and literacyhttp://www.sil.org/literacy/wom_lit.htm.%20Retrieved%20November%2029, 2010.

The Vision of Africa The Phelophepa Health Care Train http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sC2wK-LTJQ. Retrieved November 30, 2010.

United Nations Statistics Division   The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics, http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/indwm/wwpub2005.htm. Retrieved November 28, 2010.

UNAIDS (2009), AIDS Epidemic Update: November 2010, http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/EpiUpdate/EpiUpdArchive/2010/default.asp

United Nations, Statistics and indicators on Men and women
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/indwm/wwpub2005.htm.  Retrieved Nov 29, 2010.

United Nations Development Fund for Women  Women, Poverty and Economics. http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/women_poverty_economics/. Retrieved Nov 27, 2010.

World Health Organization, Department of Women, Gender, and Health
http://www.who.int/gender/en/. Retrieved November 29, 2010.

Women-owned businesses in Afghanistan!

Up and Running

Women and their role in international community development is a fascinating field of study. This unit’s readings provide a dramatic picture of women’s successes, struggles and relationship with those Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) which support gender equity and gender equality[1].  Notwithstanding, significant female gender challenges remain in the majority of the developing world. By this I mean, the evidence of gender inequity is still pronounced in the political, economic, social and cultural realms around the world, including Canada. The methods of gender analysis reveal a disproportionate amount of women who are unable to achieve their full potential due to restricted access to resources, limited mobility, and many other socio-economic constraints, when compared to the same opportunities or conditions afforded to men (United Nations, World’s Women 2000).

Against this backdrop of suffering and misery, there are some emerging trends of women leading businesses which may help to rebalance gender equity. For the purposes of this essay, I will focus on an exciting market development in Afghanistan’s new economy.

To begin, most women in Afghanistan are faced with significant systemic, religious, cultural and security barriers which prevent them from realizing their full human potential. With more than 30 years of violent conflict, crushing abject poverty, lawlessness, constrained cultural practices, as well as social, political and economic exclusion, the opportunities for Afghan women have been severely limited. These women experience the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, suffer from malnutrition and bad health, lack access to social services in health and education, endure human rights abuses, and have weak property rights and limited access to the justice sector (CHR Michelsen Institute, 2010).

To address these desperate conditions, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community have established initiatives promoting gender equality and efforts to expand women's opportunities (CHR Michelson Institute, 2010). Just last week, Canada recommitted investments, into Afghanistan, in human rights promotion and protection, and justice sector capacity building, through targeted initiatives with a particular focus on the needs of woman (Government of Canada, November 2010). While economic pressures have placed untold stress upon families, some women have discovered new breadwinning roles due to the loss of male providers (Kandiyoti, 2005). Others have accessed jobs through contact with international aid agencies that provide new avenues of employment or business income. For example, in 2008, Canadian-based Peace Dividend Trust (PDT) was approached by an international contractor in Afghanistan to coordinate a conference for women-owned businesses. The ‘Female Business Leaders Conference’ prompted the development of new business opportunities for Afghan women-owned businesses in key sectors (Landry, 2010). As a result, the contracting office set aside a portion of textile manufacturing contracts specifically for local, woman-owned Afghan companies with the dual purpose of increasing the capacity of Afghan woman-owned businesses, while creating a shorter supply chain for the buyer. More than 60 female participants from 35 different woman-owned Afghan companies attended these events. In total, three companies won two separate groups of contracts valued at $54.3 million to be renewed yearly, for five years, with overall value at more than $1 billion and would require the hiring of at least 300 more people, mostly women. This injection of business activity will drive domestic manufacturing capabilities, supply chain management abilities, and will position them to win future bids.

“As women, it is not always easy to operate in the private sector because most business happens through old networks which we never had access to in the past. This will give us a great opportunity to get on our feet to be a bigger player in the business community.  Our job is now to deliver according to our contract and prove that we can provide quality products … proudly made by Afghans.  In this way we can contribute to the stability and security of our country.  It’s a win-win.  We are grateful… for encouraging Afghan women entrepreneurs and we hope they plan to have more programs for women in the future.”                    Female Afghan CEO

It’s a long road ahead. However, like the benefits and challenges of micro-financing[2], securing locally-tendered contracts and using local employees will increase the capacity of local women-owned companies to build their companies and communities. These forms of economic development can be both financially sustainable and an effective anti-poverty tool (Biggar, 2010).

In summary, women have a tremendous role to play in community development. When women generate their own income, they have greater opportunities for personal and professional growth, better access to food and health care, improved mobility, and greater access to active participation in the civil and political sphere.

Question:

To what extent do biases in the broader investment community dismiss women as potential business owners and economic drivers? Has the constant diet of casualty reports and images of dusty, war-torn villages shaped irreversible opinions of Afghans’ capacity to work, particularly women?

References:

Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit Gender http://www.areu.org.af/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=32. Retrieved November 22, 2010.

CMI CHR. Michelsen Institute  Women in the Peace and Development Process.           http://www.cmi.no/afghanistan/?id=&Women-in-the-Peace-and-Development-Process. Retrieved Novermber 22, 2010.

Globe and Mail Editorial  MICROFINANCE Micromanaging November 23, 2010. Biggar, Nigel, Grameen Foundation.

Government of Canada  Canada’s Engagement in Afghanistan Four Themes for Afghanistan: 2011-2014 (November 16, 2010)  http://www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-afghanistan/news-nouvelles/2010/2010_11_16b.aspx?lang=eng#security

Kandiyoti, Deniz The Politics of Gender and Reconstruction in Afghanistan http://www.unrisd.org/unrisd/website/document.nsf/ab82a6805797760f80256b4f005da1ab/3050be40da5b871cc125704400534a7a/$FILE/OPGP4.pdf. Retrieved November 22, 2010.

Landry, Kate. http://buildingmarkets.org/blogs/afghanistan/2010/09/29/local-women-owned-companies-win-a-large-manufacturing-contract-that-will-benefit-afghanistan/. Retrieved November 22, 2010.

Peace Dividend Trust   www.peacedividendtrust.org  Retrieved November 23, 2010.

USAID Women in Development http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/wid/eg/index.html . Retrieved November 23, 2010.

United Nations Development Programme  The state of Human Development and the Afghan Millennium Development Goals http://www.undp.org.af/MDGs/nhdr07_chap1.pdf. Retrieved November 22, 2010.

Zand, Zogol  Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit Case Study Series The Impact of Microfinance Programmes on Women’s Lives: A Case Study in Parwan  September 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.

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[1] End Poverty and Hunger, Target 1B; Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, Target 3A; Improve Maternal Health; and, Develop Global Partnership for Development

[2] Empowerment outcomes associated only with women’s participation in micro-financing [MFI] are not guaranteed. Factors such as existing family dynamics and power of the women as well as the quality and processes of the MFI programme are among the factors that can support change in gender relations.

2. The changes that occurred post-loan in families with favourable pre-existing conditions include women’s enhanced self-worth and courage, greater perceived contribution, and to some extent control over money.

3. Participating women in the loan programme in this study (except for one) expressed enhancement in their “courage” and “awareness.” They have linked this change to the opportunity to informally meet other women in the loan office and learn from them.

4. There have not been significant changes in decision-making power, gender division of labour and the range and location of women’s activities. Women are mainly limited to doing homebound activities while men still largely take on work outside the home, even in situations where women have made investments with their loans.

Fighting terrorism and extremism with microloans.

Nicholas Kristof [New York Times, Nov14, 2010] captures essence of small investments making huge gains. Kashf Foundation has dispersed more than $200 million to 300,000 families. This means tremendous economic opportunity and access to new markets, not to mention job creation and educational opportunities. Hats off to Roshaneh Zafar [in Lahore, Pakistan] for her commitment to helping generate growth at the community level against some serious odds and difficult circumstances.

Women and International Community Development

Launching new ICD course next week - via Mt. Royal University. Will explore why women are still systematically marginalized in the home, workforce, human rights, etc. Will describe the social indicators of well being for women in various aspects of their lives in the developing world; using sampling of statistics and linking these indicators to three (3) Millennium Development Goals with regard to women’s development


Blogging with classmates will be great!