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| Women's Day |
“Without progress in the situation of women, there can be no true social development.” - Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former UN Secretary General
Since the early twentieth century, women's groups around the world have marked this day in recognition of the economic, social, cultural and political contributions women have made to society. It has also served to heighten political and social awareness of the enduring issue of gender inequality that infringes on women’s human rights and inhibits their development.
This year's theme is entitled - 'Work and family: The way to care is to share!' - in recognition of the fact that whilst women are increasingly finding paid work, they continue to shoulder the majority of household and childcare tasks in the home. The YMCA joins people and organisations around the world in honouring the courage and conviction of women, and in the remembrance of those who continue to suffer injustice and exploitation.
MDGs and Gender Equality
Set for 2015, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are an agreed set of eight measureable goals that respond to the world’s main development challenges. Whilst there has been significant progress towards achieving these Goals since their inception in 2000, the combined effects of the economic downturn and escalating global food prices have jeopardised these advancements.
In these times of crisis it is the vulnerable and marginalised sections of society that suffer the gravest effects. Extreme poverty and hunger are on the rise, and women, as both primary care-givers and often those responsible for providing food to their families, are disproportionately affected by these shifts.
Navigating these turbulent waters demands significant reappraisals of the global system, not least of which is the question of gender equality. The third of the MDGs is to 'Promote gender equality and empower women', and it is just such empowerment that is required if the rest of the Goals are to stand a chance of being achieved. The rest of the MDGs, which include targets for: education, poverty and child mortality, are inextricably linked to gender equality, making it even more imperative to maintain positive progress in the area of women's empowerment. For example, if a girl is educated for six years or more, as an adult her prenatal care, postnatal care and childbirth survival rates will dramatically and consistently improve. AIDS spreads twice as quickly among uneducated girls than among girls that have even some schooling .
Challenging Traditional Understandings of Masculinity
Any efforts to redress gender imbalances must recognise the need to critique traditional forms of masculinity and to envision alternatives that recognise women's rights as human rights and put equal value on women's and men's contributions to society.
As a community-based organisation bringing together men and women, old and young, the YMCA is uniquely placed to facilitate open discussions to challenge traditional forms of masculinity that can serve to perpetuate and even justify violence, harassment and discrimination against women and girls.
The YMCA's Commitment to Gender Equality
The YMCA is a movement of women and men. It works to empower all, especially young people and women, to take increased responsibilities and assume leadership at all levels. YMCAs working in 124 countries are advocating for and promoting the rights of women. Key actions include supporting entrepreneurial and vocational training opportunities for women, and facilitating dialogue among all sectors of the community including children, parents and elders, to challenge traditional gender stereotypes. The YMCA is committed to creating genuine partnerships between men and women to overturn social injustices.
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| 70% of poor people on this planet are women. |
"Through meeting, sharing and working with people, we, the young members of the YMCA will continue our journey to create genuine partnerships between men and women, and to overturn social injuctices." (Student YMCA Japan)
The YMCA is a movement of women and men. It works to empower all, especially young people and women, to take increased responsibilities and assume leadership at all levels. YMCAs working in 124 countries are advocating for and promoting the rights of women.
These facts must change!
· Young women represent 67% of all new cases of HIV among people aged 15 to 24 in developing countries (UNFPA, 2005)
· In countries such as Uganda and Kenya, 80% of those who work and cultivate the land are women, yet they make up only 5% of all landowners (FAO, 2006)
· Worldwide, an estimated one in five women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. One in three will have been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused, usually by a family member or an acquaintance (UNFPA, 2005)
· Women and children account for more than 75% of the refugess and displaced persons at risk from war, famine, persecution and natural disaster (UNFPA, 2005)
· In 2005, the rate of female political representation is just 16 percent globally (IDEA, 2006)
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