STAY TUNED FOR OUR 2018 RE-FRESH

Coming in 2018 our reinvigorated Chat For Change blog! If you're interested in being a contributor, or have suggestions on what you would like to see on our blog please contact info@chatforchange.net

A picture can show a story of inequality- Amy, Innovation and Infrastructure Ambassador

Earlier this year I had the privilege of spending 6 weeks travelling in Canada and the USA. One of the places my husband and I visited was Atlanta, home to Martin Luther King Jr, now home to the MLK National Historic Site and the newer National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Prior to visiting Atlanta, I had some understanding of the black rights movement based on years of watching movies and reading the New York Times over the past few years as the Black Lives Matter movement has had to become prominent due to ongoing racial injustice. However, our visits to these centres focussing on the work of the movement in the 50s, 60s and 70s to fight and end segregation in the South of the USA changed my understanding of what the people involved experienced and the level of hatred that was shown people wanting to make the world a better place.

Both places told the story of segregation in different ways. One, from the life and work of Martin Luther King; the other from the reflections and views of the movement and the people doing the work of the movement. There were pictures, there were videos, there were stories of protesters being hosed down with fire hoses, of dogs being set on people, of people being spat on and sworn at. All of this hate had continued from a time when people were stolen from Africa and forced to work in inhumane conditions for ‘owners’ who saw them as animals to make them money. Slavery was officially abolished at the end of the USA Civil War in 1865, but there were no provisions given to providing the former slaves with land and jobs so that they could feed themselves and their families. This meant that many were forced to continue in an unofficial form of slavery working for their former masters under very similar conditions. The inequality continued, and the slave owners, who lost a lot of money in the civil war, saw the former slaves as the reason for their misfortune. Over time, their hatred became law as the former slave owners were the ones with money and power in a very unbalanced society. These laws were known as segregation. Black and white people had separate bathrooms and drinking fountains, in many cases separate restaurants. They weren’t allowed to travel in the same train carriages and had separate sections on buses.

There was one photo that has particularly stuck in my mind. It is a picture of two school housed on the same road. One is for black children, the other is for white children. They were not allowed to go to the same school. The school for white children is a lovely, well-kept building with an area outside for children to play in. The school for black children is a rundown shack which gives the impression of wind whistling through the cracks and it being very hot in summer. Federal law in the USA at the time said that all children had to be provided with an education. Law makers in States with segregation in place said they met the federal laws by having separate, but equal schools. This picture clearly demonstrated to me that this was not the case. Black children were severely disadvantaged by their schools. While the white children were given up to date facilities, the black children were left with old, falling apart buildings. All were given the opportunity to go to school, but that school experience was not equal so their ability to learn and make something of themselves was not equal. So while it is important to acknowledge that great things can be done with limited resources, it is also important to acknowledge how much harder it is to do great things with limited resources. Inequalities, such as different standards of buildings, can continue to deepen inequalities in society and make it much harder for the people with less to fight for equality.

The impacts of climate change on the world’s indigenous people- Ashleigh

Indigenous communities are some of the first people to be experiencing the effects of climate change. This is because many indigenous groups depend on the natural environment for their way of life, and have a close relationship with their environment.  As such, these communities are often the first impacted by floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events. They are also some of the lowest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, as many indigenous peoples live in developing countries. However, indigenous peoples also have very limited access to the kinds of resources that would help them cope with a changing climate.

 

Despite being amongst the most severely impacted, indigenous peoples are rarely considered in the public climate change discussion, and are continuing to push for the right to participate in international decision-making. Indigenous communities are feeling the impact of changing climate world wide. Different communities experience different impacts, but climate change is touching all.

 

South America: The Kamayura of the Brazilian Amazon have already been severely affected by climate change. Their homeland, encompassed by the Xingu National Park, is now surrounded by farms and ranches. The fish stocks that the Kamayura relied on have plummeted due to higher water temperatures in jungle lakes, and rainfall has diminished because of increasing temperatures. The tribe has no transportation out of their homes deep within the jungle, and little money, to buy food to replace what they used to get from the land. Farming has also been a problem - the lack of water has killed many crops. Elders have compared the threat from the changing climate to that of the arrival of measles in the 1950s, when the disease wiped out 90% of their people.

 

Europe & the Arctic Circle: The Saami people live in northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia and survive by fishing, hunting and herding reindeer. Reindeer are an important part of the culture, food supply, and economy of the Saami communities. However, harsher winters have created hard ice crusts over the lichen that the reindeer dig through the snow to eat, which then caused a large loss of reindeer. The changing climate is also making frozen lakes unsafe as the ice is unreliable, which is forcing Saami herders to change herding routes they had used for generations. Have a look at this short video (only 1 minute and 6 seconds!) to hear a young Saami woman explain what the changing climate means for their way of life.

 

Africa: Traditionally the Maasai people have been pastoralists and nomadic cow-herders, both of which are at risk from the impacts of climate change in the Serengeti. The climate is becoming drier, with short rainy seasons, giving grass little time to grow, and the Maasai cow herds little to eat. Their nomadic lifestyle has become very limited by property rights, increasing populations, and national parks, which prevents the Maasai from moving to more suitable climates as past generations would have done.

North America: The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Perry Bellegarde, has commented that indigenous peoples not only have rights, but responsibilities to the land and water. Eriel Deranger, a grassroots indigenous activist of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, discussed the historical lack of consultation by government with Aboriginal peoples regarding climate change policy at the Indigenous Peoples Meeting on Climate Change in January 2016. However, speaking at the UN Conference on World Climate Change in December 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it clear that his government would be turning to indigenous peoples for advice on properly caring for the environment.

 

Australia: There are hundreds of different nations, each with unique cultural practices, beliefs, and languages. However, traditional Owners are concerned that climate change will impact their totems, which are used to recognise different groups and are an important part of cultural identity. Totems can be represented by animals and plants, which may be affected by climate change. The Climate and Health Alliance has reported that indigenous Australians have shown higher risks of respiratory illnesses and emergency medical care from air pollution and heat waves, as well as high rates of mental illnesses related to losing lands and culture because of climate change. To find out more about what young indigenous people are doing to fight climate change in Australia, check out Seed, Australia’s first indigenous youth climate justice network.

 

Asia: The traditions, generational knowledge, and subsistence lifestyle of Orang Asli, the indigenous groups of Malaysia, are threatened by climate change. Orang Asli make up nearly 12% of Malaysia’s population - that’s 2.1 million people whose culture and livelihoods are at risk due to climate change. The Temiar people of eastern Malaysia are severely impacted by deforestation, which is itself an important cause of climate change, as well as by its immediate impacts. The Temiar have a deep respect for the natural environment, but their land rights are not usually acknowledged. Logging has reduced local water supplies, prevented hunting and gathering traditional medicines, and seen burial lands disturbed.

 

Across the globe, indigenous peoples are under threat from climate change. Food sources, health, and traditions are all at risk for cultures that have lasted longer than most of our countries. Share with us what you would like to see your government do to support indigenous communities in your country with the impacts of climate change. What would you like to see the world do to support all indigenous communities under threat from a changing climate?

 

So what are goals 11 and 12?

Our July focus is SDG11 and SDG12 - learn more about theme here (and meet their corresponding SDG Squad members!:

Super thanks to Annie for creating these amazing infographics!

How can sustainable cities help us all? Ashleigh.

Sustainable cities and communities is goal 11 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Let’s have a brief look at what it’s all about…

Making our cities more sustainable is incredibly important with so many people living in cities – as of 2008, more people live in urban areas than rural areas, a first for human history. It is estimated that two thirds of all people will be living in urban areas by 2050. That’s a lot of people! With so many people living in cities, it makes sense for them to be a focus for addressing climate change.

Reducing a city’s greenhouse gas emissions, thereby reducing the city’s contribution to climate change, should be a key part of any strategy to make a city more sustainable. Cities are a huge area to tackle for emissions reductions, as they are responsible for more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. One crucial way to do this is to reduce energy consumption, and increase the amount of renewable energy being used to power a city.

There is exciting work happening across the world to make cities of all shapes and sizes more sustainable. The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy is a global initiative of cities and local governments to address climate change. More than 7,000 cities from 119 countries are part of the initiative. The Covenant notes that cities can innovate faster than countries, and are less tied down by national and global politics. The Covenant allows cities to share and compare data on climate and energy, and allows for increased collaboration.

The UN targets for making a city sustainable include sustainable transport systems, improved air quality and waste management, and access to green spaces. The UN Guiding Principles for City Climate Action Planning states that city climate action planning should be ambitious, inclusive, fair, comprehensive & integrated, relevant, actionable, evidence-based, and transparent and verifiable. The Guiding Principles are flexible, and intended to help cities on their sustainability journey. They do not set out strict actions local governments must undertake.

There is no one right way to make a city more sustainable. Some cities chose to work with nature, such as protecting coastal ecosystems, while others look to ‘climate-proof’ by building water treatment plants and moving energy production facilities away from areas that could be impacted by climate change. In developing cities, strategies might include early warning systems, upgrading slums, relocating people away from areas vulnerable to climate-induced impacts.

Taking action against climate change also has other benefits for the population of a city – like designing transport for people instead of cars, which improves public health. Sustainable cities are also about creating cities that are prepared for the changes climate change will bring. City planners for Copenhagen, Denmark, have made sure that their city is prepared for the projected increased rainfall and rising sea levels by designing convex streets to channel water and water storage areas.

That gives you a good start to find out more about sustainable cities! Is your city working to be sustainable? What ideas do you have to make you city more sustainable? Share your thoughts and more interesting information with us in the comments.  

World Population Day

This month we celebrate WORLD POPULATION DAY!

Thanks to Annie for these infographics.

Climate Change is limiting our chances of a Peaceful World - Jasmine, Peace and Justice Ambassador

Many people still don’t believe that climate change is a major issue in the world today, but what if you knew that climate change is reducing our chance of a peaceful world? In 2007, the UN Security General Ban Ki-moon, described the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region as the world’s first climate change conflict. Since 2007, many more wars have resulted from climate change, including Syria’s current civil war. If we cannot reduce our Earth’s rapidly rising temperature, climate change wars will become a reality.

Did you know that immediately before Syria’s civil war in 2011, Syria suffered the worst drought on record? This is not a coincidence. Syria’s drought resulted in more than 1.5 million people moving from Syrian farms into the city. This caused a stronger political unrest and allowed more people to rebel, ultimately producing a civil war. Although Syria’s record- breaking drought cannot be the sole blame, climate change cannot be overlooked as a cause f Syria’s current war.

The earliest water war was recorded 4500 years ago, when two nations fought to secure disappearing water. As soon as water disappears, a result of climate change, tensions will rise to secure the most precious resource on this Earth. This is already happening around the Nile River in Africa, the Indus River in South Asia and the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. New competition will appear, trying to secure the vanishing water, which will likely 

lead to conflict. If the Earth’s rising temperature cannot be controlled, countries will go to war to secure our disappearing water.

If we cannot stop climate change, which causes wild weather and eradicates resources, the little peace that we possess now may soon be lost. Countries will go to war to secure resources and citizens will tire of governments who cannot make situations better. If we are unable to control our increasing temperature, then we may have no hope of maintaining a peaceful and just world.

“The bottom line is that the impacts of climate change can exacerbate resource competition, threaten livelihoods, and increase the risk of instability and conflict, especially in places already undergoing economic, political, and social stress.” - John Kerry

Sources:

http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2015/11/249393.htm

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/kerry-political- crises-linked- climate-change- 151110190932931.html

http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/does-climate- change-cause- conflict

Dead Cows, Asia and the Global Economy- Laura, Sustainable Cities Ambassador

In rural Victoria and Southern NSW there is the beginnings of a cry to arms. But without understanding the issue Australia is on the cusp of accelerating the poor vs rich divide and sliding into a corporate wealth and citizen slave economy. Through the media over the last few weeks we have all heard about the Farm milk crisis, but do we understand how it came about that Fonterra dropped their Farm Gate milk price?

Farms within southern Australia have traditionally been small family operations with a couple of thousand acres, Dairy farms as a subset of this have been and still are small herds with farms employing between 2 and 4 people. With this size operation processing milk has changed enormously since the days of fetching a pail from the neighbour. No one farm can afford to purchase and run a milk processing plant, however a geographically linked group of like-minded farmers can band together and build a co-op. Then the Co-op might grow and merge with other Co-ops this is how Australia’s Largest milk processor Murray-Goulbourn came about.
Murray-Goulbourn then decided on a strategic path of growth into the Asian markets, to do this they needed more processing facilities and all the co-opted farmers couldn’t stump up the cash, so it was decided that they would ask investors, to help out. They tried to protect the farmers with conditions regarding the profit margins eating into the price paid for the raw product (Farm Gate Milk Price). This was all very ambitious and some of the strategy and goals sold to the investors didn’t take into account Asian and global market risks. Basically the price of a product on a global market is different to the price within local markets. The calculation kinda goes like this Cost to produce the product + profit margin = Price to consumer however when the consumer can’t afford to pay the end price, the profit margin drops but what happens when the profit margin can’t drop any further and the product is already being produced. The payment back to the producer becomes less than the cost to produce the product, Farm Gate Milk price dropped.

When the global financial crisis happened Australia came out on top, this meant our money and products cost more in other economies, Asia’s economy hasn’t bounced back in a timely manner. This means Murray-Goulbourn had two choices; turn the lights out and default on investors and farmers or drop the Farm Gate Milk price. When the largest milk processor drops the FGM price there is a knock on effect to the other processors, they look to the largest operator to help understand the market value. Fonterra panicked, and retrospectively dropped the milk price. This meant farmers for a couple of months payments prior to May had to return money and would be paid less going forwards. Farming isn’t a cash business where you are able to quickly access cash. Farmers can’t drop down to cash-converters and sell a tractor. Therefore they need to look at what is costing them more to keep than to sell, the farmer starts searching the farm and sees his cows. Calls the local abattoir operator and books a truck for that afternoon.

This is how we ended up in this mess but how do we help the farmers out, how do we build in a safe guard? I don't have any answers but here are some options to think about:
- In good years build a levy and invest the funds into other markets.
- Encourage primary production diversification to soften the fall for farmers for example grow crops or breed other animals. - Support other industries in rural areas such as manufacturing to stimulate the rural economy, by building manufacturing plants in small towns it allows farmers to have off farm incomes. 

These are long term Government changes that need to be put into place how can we the city folk help?
- Pay extra for our local milk.
- Donate to a kick starter.
- Push our big supermarket chains to pay a higher price at the Farm Gate.

Why women's health is fundamental for equality

Improving women’s health is fundamental in reaching the eventual goal of equality. Without proper access to health care that deals directly with the issues pertaining to health problems related to females, women can be severely and unfairly disadvantaged within society, hindering them from
overcoming further hurdles to the path of reaching gender equity. Education is an essential tool in bringing about this valuable change and improvement to women’s health globally.

For developing nations, in many countries, due to lower levels of access to health care services, maternal health, and disease can be large problems that pose an ongoing threat to women. However, these nations can benefit greatly from investing in education.

In reducing fertility rates, education for girls has been an important part in increasing female participation in school and thus decreasing birth rates. In particular, engagement in secondary and further study for women in Mali leads to an average fertility rate of 3 as compared to those without
access to education, with an average fertility rate of 7. This discrepancy highlights the great potential for education to be used as a manner in which we can aim to reduce fertility rates. This reduction is important as young women of high school or middle school age account for 1 in 7 deaths due to childbirth. Also, adolescents who give birth are up to 5 times more likely to suffer complications as a result. Thus, limiting the amount of potential births and delaying them is key in improving women’s health.

Additionally, higher levels of education for women directly correlate to a delay and spacing out of pregnancies as well as a seeking out of health care and support. This means that increasing access to education directly improves maternal health. In Burkina Faso, compared to those who have not had an education, mothers who have completed secondary school are two times as likely to give birth in health facilities, and so give birth in a safer environment. In all, around 2 maternal deaths are avoided in every 1000 women with one additional year of education.

In terms of the prevalence of HIV/aids in women, education can assist in increasing access to treatment, combating stigma and limiting discrimination. Women with post-primary education are 5 times as likely to be educated on the topic of HIV/aids, with HIV having the capability to spread twice as fast amongst girls without an education in Zambia, showing that education is the best way we can reduce the impact of health problems for women.

With generally greater access to health facilities and contraception, and more widespread knowledge about family planning and pharmaceutical services, in developed nations, the most pressing matters for women’s health can be quite different. Mental health issues, such as eating disorders, and depression have been increasing in prevalence over the years, especially amongst girls of primary and secondary schooling age. This provides a massive obstacle for change, as without an empowered, engaged and able collective of young women pioneers for gender equality, a truly just society will be difficult to attain. However, within the context of developed nations as well, education focused around women’s health can provide an important platform to facilitate assistance, raise awareness and transfer information. Undeniably, knowledge of these health problems and de-stigmatisation of such mental illnesses can have a tangible impact, allowing those who suffer from them to identify more easily if they should seek help.

Education, ultimately increases opportunities for women to access pathways to attain health care. It is a key component of working towards gender equality, that assists in reducing the barriers that limit female participation within society.

** Much of the information regarding the impact education can have in developing nations for women can be found in more detail at this link: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001902/190214e.pdf

I’m not making this up! A look at the treatment of women’s health

There are more women and girls in poverty around the world than men and boys.  That’s a fact.  A fact that leads to the inevitable outcome that women and girls are more likely to be denied adequate health care than men and boys.  You can see from this graph that these statistics aren’t limited developing countries either.  http://www.citylab.com/work/2012/11/poverty-gap-between-men-and-women-around-world/3840/ In the USA the gap is larger than the global average.  Why?  Women are more likely to be victims of violence than men, often forcing them to leave their homes, pets, possessions and life’s work behind.   55% of Australia's homeless women are homeless because of domestic violence. This makes women susceptible to further violence and financial difficulties, leaving them unable to afford adequate health care, especially in countries where basic health care isn’t free or accessible.  Maternity care, access to contraceptives and termination services are in limited supply, illegal or too expensive for many women around the globe.

But, there is one issue that affects women with health issues all over Australia and the world on a daily basis that is being ignored; it’s a problem I’ve had constantly over the last five years and it’s something we need to talk about.  It’s a common disease called ‘I’m not making this up’.  It flared for months before I was diagnosed with glandular fever and chronic B12 deficiency.  For years before I received a nervous system disorder diagnosis.  It occurs in hospital every time a doctor reads ‘fibromyalgia’ on a chart or when ‘depression’ or ‘anxiety’ are listed under known health problems.  It must come up in my blood tests every time a health professional asks if I’m seeing a psychologist instead of dealing with my physical health concerns.  It’s exhausting and it’s making the health of thousands of Australian women and girls worse.  Everytime I see a doctor I am torn between trying to appear tough and wanting them to understand the severity of my pain.  I shouldn’t have to worry about that, I should be entitled to feel and respond accordingly without needing to analyse how to best react in order to recieve adequate medical attention.  Many people and health professionals still function with the medieval assumption that some women are hypochondriacs, attention seekers or have low pain thresholds.  We need to work as a community to change the stigma which surrounds conditions and illnesses common to women.  We need to listen to women and stop making them feel guilty for admitting they’re in pain, sick or needing help.  We need to encourage each other to see medical professionals when something seems not quite right because this is the only way we can make sure we catch cancer and other illnesses in their earliest possible stages. As women and girls we need to do these things for ourselves, we need to allow ourselves to be looked after.  As men and boys we need to work on changing these stereotypes and helping the women around us feel comfortable.

I have spoken with so many women and girls who have been frustrated because their doctor carelessly misdiagnosed or dismissed their health concerns.  Although there are fair reasons for denying treatment or tests for a patient, that reason should never be because the patient is a women.  However subtle the discrimination is at times, it still exists and it needs to stop.  If you’re not happy with the way a health professional has treated you, tell them and if you’re still unhappy keep looking until you find someone who treats you and respects you.  In extreme cases, it is okay to report them without feeling like their actions reflect badly on you.  I wish I had.  There are wonderful health professionals out there who want to help.  So keep your eyes out for women who need practical support as well as emotional.  Together we can change the stigma which surrounds the treatment of women and make ‘I’m not making this up’ a disease of the past.

For those struggling with illness and feeling isolated, Facebook is full of support pages with other people going through what you are.  Having a mental or physical illness is never something to be ashamed about.  Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au/Get-Help and Beyond Blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ are great websites to check out if you ever need help or want to participate in fundraising events.  Check out http://www.may28.org/ to learn more specifically about women’s reproductive health and rights as touched on in the opening paragraph.  If you’re struggling financially there medical services besides a basic GP visit that you can access with government support so speak to you GP about health care plans for mental and physical health.  It’s so important that you keep the chatting about these things.  Every conversation leads to awareness which leads to change.

Equality - Difference - Unity

The issue of gender inequality undoubtedly is a huge and complex one. Therefore, a solution, on a large scale, is equally as complicated. In light of this, two key ideals have emerged and have been proposed as the best methods of female empowerment. This has culminated in a common debate amongst feminist theorists. That is, the debate between equality and difference.

The notion of equality involves women aiming to conform to typically masculine economic, social and political structures, therefore adopting them as their own and gaining equal power to men within them. On the other hand, embracing difference involves women accepting and celebrating their fundamental differences to men and being granted choice in decisions relating to their individual preference for compliance or defiance within patriarchal structures.

Equality is often criticised for its implied acceptance of the rational tendencies of male practices as being superior to the perceived irrational tendencies of women. By simply wishing to immerse themselves in structures that have been established by and for men, it can be argued that the female fight for “equality” with men elevates and promotes the masculine role as being superior within society. Simultaneously, the desire to disassociate from traditionally feminine practises implicitly denounces their value, necessity and importance within society.

Likewise, the acceptance of essential differences between men and women is also often criticised for a number of reasons. It is often said that the “free choice” that this method of empowerment claims to offer is not in fact necessarily free. This is because every decision that is made is always influenced by the social structures that surround everyone within a community. Given that modern society is patriarchal, these decisions will almost definitely be tainted, either consciously or subconsciously, by ideas of male superiority.

Thus it can be seen that both of the fundamental driving solutions within circles dedicated to battling gender inequality seem inherently flawed. So, can we ever reach gender equality? Will it ever be possible with the current structures of our global society?

These are both difficult questions, because whilst we should always remain optimistic, looking forward to our goal of reaching total gender equality, the path ahead seems increasingly tough. However, I think the key idea to take away from all this is that reaching gender equality is an uphill battle that will require the desire to change from all members of society.

It will require the recognition of structural power that some hold, and the subsequent relinquishment of that power because inequalities always stem from an imbalance of opportunity and influence. That is why campaigns such as #heforshe [1] become so important. They allow us to discuss openly the need for the entire international community to be supportive of gender equality in order to move forward and make improvements. So for me, the only real solution here is unity. This involves all members of our society looking within themselves to find how they unintentionally contribute to gender inequality, and cultivating a desire to not only change as individuals, but instigate a change within society.

[1] http://www.heforshe.org/en

Never underestimate the importance of a woman. She can change the world!

As March draws to a close, so too does, what I like to call, the Month of Women.  Although International Women’s Day is but one day and was held on the 8th March, the dialogue it inspires, the awareness that it raises and the action it encourages in raising awareness of international women’s rights, plights and power is something that, once highlighted, only seems to gain momentum.

The truth is that gender inequality is still a monumental, contemporary issue in all global communities.  Even in Australia, gender inequality prevents equal participation in social and employment environments, and sees a gender pay gap of 17.9%.  That’s right. In 2016, women are still earning less than men for doing the same work, right in our own backyard.

However, internationally, the constraints placed on women due to their gender are concerning, appalling, and in some cases, deadly.  For example, arranged marriages in Pakistan can lead to ‘honor killings’ in the case of refusal or marrying below their caste.  Girls in Afghanistan aren’t generally permitted to go to school under Taliban rule, and even where they can (generally families will prefer to invest in a male’s education over their female relatives), they are subjected to acid attacks, segregated education or poisoned water.  In Niger, women are designated domestic duties that tend to transcend any chance at education.  This education doesn’t necessarily need to be in the form of books and literature, statutes and mathematics, but personal development and interpersonal skills, market skills, financial literacy.  But no. What is failed to be realised though, is refusing to invest in the education of women is refusing to facilitate a solution to the global problems of poverty and hunger.

Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 concern ‘End[ing] poverty in all its forms everywhere’ and to ‘end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture’.  Time and time again, it has been discussed and proven that women are key to reducing poverty and ending hunger by increasing education and facilitating their skill development in a similar vein to what men are entitled to.  For example, women are expected to tend the farm as well as look after children, to prepare meals and keep the residence clean, while men hold land titles and make financial and commercial decisions.  Some women have small artisanal businesses that stagnate due to lack of business acumen and access to finance.  Teaching women time management and productivity skills lead to efficiency and better time to invest in diverse pursuits.  Allowing women greater access to resources can all but eliminate hunger for up to 150 million people, according to The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.  Ensuring women are aware of investment funds and micro finance loans that could invariably increase the scope of a business is key to improving female self-sufficiency.

The point is that gender inequality doesn’t just inhibit women; it inhibits the global community.  Educating and increasing access for women to productivity resources, to agricultural education, to personal development and efficiency, to basic education, can almost orchestrate a substantial decrease in global poverty and hunger.  Mobilising women just a little bit - whether it be how to deal in increasingly volatile situations or how to manage their fruit-selling business efficiently and accurately - can create a whole new world, not just for the individuals, but for their children, families and community.

Never underestimate the importance of a woman. She can change the world.  All that we need to do is to facilitate this change by campaigning against archaic discrimination and empowering women.  This is key to working towards the elimination of poverty and hunger on a global scale.

How can "Scrubs" teach us about gender equality?

I’ve spent the last week rewatching episodes of Scrubs. It was a popular TV series in the early to mid 2000’s and has become somewhat of a modern classic.  I love the show, I think it fits well into its time.  However, if Scrubs was airing now it would probably be considered politically incorrect.

It’s the little things in the way we relate to each other that have changed.  It’s no longer okay to insult men by calling them girls names.  It’s not okay to insult someone by saying they do something ‘like a girl’. You can watch a video about that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs.  It’s not okay to dismiss a woman’s opinion because she may be menstruating.   We’ve come a long way in the last ten to 15 years but we’re slowing down and we still have a long way to go before we can say gender equality has been achieved.

It’s International Women’s Day on the 8th of March and this year’s campaign is focused around the theme Pledge For Parity.  Parity essentially means equality of rank.  The International Women’s Day page (which can be found here: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/) tells us that in the last year we have gone backwards.  

In 2014 the World Economic Forum estimated, based on current progress, that the gender gap would not be closed until 2095; last year they estimated that it would not be achieved until 2133.  That means that girls born in the next decade may be lucky enough to have great grandchildren born into a world where women and girls are received as equal world citizens.  

I’m not really okay with that.  

So I have been doing small things like changing AFL teams (even though I don’t really follow football) to the team which has both a women’s league team and the most female board members.  Encouraging our communities to stop victim blaming, keeping up the momentum on the period taxing debate.  Even things as simple as supporting our mothers as they go through menopause, instead of treating ‘the change’ as a taboo subject.  These are things we all can do and a good place to start is to head to the women’s day page and make the pledge.  

This March is also an opportunity to celebrate the work women and men have done and are doing all around the world.  If you would like to do something outside of your local community then head to http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/ to get updated with information.  The page is a partnership of over 600 organisations in 40 countries all determined to end the practice of child brides.  The International Women’s Day page is also full of valuable information on what you can do to celebrate this women’s day.

New school of thought- when it comes to education, girls deserve better!

At an international scale girls and women have faced many gender-based barriers to being in school and getting an education. In some places there are barriers that affect boys in particular (such as recruitment to fight in war and conflicts) and trans* and non-binary people face extreme barriers to education based on their gender identity. However, it is the month of International Women’s Day and so this blog is going to focus on those which disproportionately affect girls.

A lot of research has been done all over the world to try and identify why there were a lot less girls in school that boys and there were found to be a lot of factors involved. There were cultural norms which parents or girls themselves enforce. Many thought that an education wasn’t needed or a waste of money for girls and there are stereotypes about what are ‘girls-subjects’ and what are ‘boys-subjects’ in most countries. Even in the UK and Australia, where we should have equal access to education regardless of gender, these stereotypes influence what people study, the careers they have access to afterwards and the relative value we place on those different jobs – in pay and in prestige. Work to break down these cultural norms has to be sensitive – it might be scholarships specifically for girls so the parents can see an immediate financial benefit to them being in school rather than at work, or wider campaigns such as those about women in STEM subjects that are now visible across many countries.

Then there are other barriers that girls face. Physical provision of facilities can often be a problem – particularly toilets. These might not be provided at all, or if they are, not have the necessary privacy or resources that girls need once they start getting their period each month. If you can’t go to school when you have your period then you end up missing out on up to a quarter of your education and soon fall behind, many then drop out completely as adolescents. Several organisations have investigated different ways to sort this problem by supporting the creation of toilets at school buildings and finding ways to increase girls access to sanitary products. This story gives one such example from India (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26260978).

The third barrier I want to talk about is gender based violence and this is a major deterrent to girls getting an education. This might be harassment from other students or even from teachers. A survey Girlguiding did in the UK revealed that 70% of girls aged 13 and over had experience sexual harassment at school – whilst that might not have meant those girls dropped out of school completely, it is going to have a tremendous effect on the education they are able to receive. There are increasingly campaigns highlighting important concepts such as consent, but to really tackle this problem I think every country needs to invest in comprehensive sexuality education programmes that are a compulsory part of the curriculum. Students shouldn’t be able to opt out of learning about how they should respect their fellow human beings. In the UK repeated calls for this to happen have been rejected by the government, but their campaigning continues and many organisations are developing and refining programmes to provide this kind of education to as many young people as possible.

This isn’t a comprehensive list of all the barriers girls and women face in accessing education, but offers some food for thought. The previous Millennium Development Goals focused on just getting an equal amount of boys and girls through primary school. The new Sustainable Development Goals go much further – wanting everybody, regardless of gender, to have access to high quality education from early years through to tertiary institutions. It also calls on the world to “Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all” – another step that will address some of these barriers faced by girls. By working together to achieve these global goals by 2030 we can help girls and women to get the education they deserve.

Women on the frontlines of climate change

The poor are exceptionally vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and the majority of the global poor are women. Poorer women living in developing countries are more affected by the impacts of climate change than women in other living situations, as they are more likely to rely on natural resources, or live in places lacking infrastructure.

In these countries more women than men participate in farming for survival and water collecting. This exposes women to more negative impacts from poor quality natural resources. The Women’s Climate Action Agenda by the Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network (WECAN) outlines that ‘men’s work’ is more likely to be paid, and this protects them from the livelihood impacts of resource degradation. 

The Women’s Environmental Network (UK) explains that women are more likely to be affected by natural disasters and extreme weather events, and climate change will worsen things like floods and heatwaves. Studies have found that in countries where women do not have equal rights, they are more likely to die in natural disasters than men.

A team of researchers found that the impact of natural disasters on women is based on their socio-economic status in the affected country. There are several reasons for this, such as social norms and expected female behaviour that make women more vulnerable. For example, women feeling they can’t relocate to safety without permission from male relatives, or their role as carers for children or the elderly limiting their ability to move quickly.

Some scholars have suggested that climate change could worsen existing conflicts over natural resources. This would impact women as the main collectors and managers of these natural resources.

However, women are critical in the fight against climate change. There are many positive, big picture climate actions decision-makers can take, and the Gender and Climate Change Agenda, produced by the Women’s Environmental Network (UK) outlines three broad areas for action:

1. Gender sensitive strategies to mitigate climate change, where strategies to limit the negative effects of climate change consider gender issues
2. Addressing gender inequality, as without dealing with this, women will continue to suffer more from climate injustice
3. Gender-sensitive strategies for adaptation, where strategies to to get used to living with the impacts of climate change consider the specific impacts climate change has on women

Women might be on the frontlines of the climate fight, but they don’t have to be victims. Women can be powerful actors for change. Groups like the Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network, Women’s Environment and Development Organisation, 1 Million Women, GenderCC, and Women’s Climate Justice support women, both as individuals and as grassroots groups, around the world taking climate action. Click to find out exactly how these organisations are making a difference, and to learn more about the female fight for climate justice.

What weighs 20kg but can weigh down your life even more?

Water is one of the most essential elements of life, particularly human life. Safe, clean, accessible sources of water for all is a key goal of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Millennium Development Goal aiming to reduce the number of people without access worldwide by 50% was one of the few met. Unfortunately, there are still many people worldwide without ready access to a safe and clean source of water and the burden of collecting water in most places falls to women.

In the Western world, we expect to be able to turn on our taps and for clean water to come running out for us to drink, brush our teeth with, cook with and wash ourselves and our clothes in. This is made possible, in Australia anyway, by a vast network of infrastructure including water treatment facilities, pipework (big pipes, little pipes and pipes in houses), chemical dosing facilities (chlorine in various keeps the bugs from growing in the water in the pipelines) and a different set of pipes to take away the water for treatment as sewerage. The quality of this product is regulated by legislation and there are many people who work to both produce good quality drinking water and to maintain the infrastructure to make it possible for it to get to us.

A lack of water infrastructure leads to increased work for women providing them with less time to make money for their families or to go to school depending on how old they are. Because we live in a world where boy children are overwhelmingly prioritised over girl children and men are expected to work and women to look after the home, where there is a need for water to be gathered this task falls to the ‘lesser’. The girl child who can spend hours every day walking to the nearest river does not have time or energy to go to school. The woman who can spend hours walking to the nearest well does not have time or energy to raise income to support her family. On average, women and girls can walk between 6 and 10km a day just collecting water. In my house, we use an average of 220 L of water a day between two of us and for Australians we use relatively little water. Most water buckets hold about 20L of water, which at 20kg is pretty heavy anyway. Can you imagine doing enough trips to a river or well carrying 20kg just to get the amount of waste I use daily?

When collecting water from a river or other natural water source, it is often contaminated and highly unlikely to meet the stringent legislation our water is subjected to. This results in high levels of infant mortality and general illness due to diahorreoa from many things including cholera, courtesy of Vibrio cholerae a type of bacteria that loves dirty water. The burden of caring for sick members of the family also falls unfairly on the shoulders of women further impacting their ability to gain an education and earn money for their families. In some parts of the world, like Bangladesh, the natural water sources are contaminated with arsenic making them totally unusable or people are poisoned. And sometimes water infrastructure in the developing world fails. In Michigan in the USA there is a town that has no water because the local source, due to bad management of industry in the area and lack of control of the pipes from rusting, has been contaminated with lead. This is having major impacts on the local population’s health. If this sort of thing is possible in the USA where they have some of the strongest legislation on water quality in the world and possibly the leading organisation to understand and control rust of infrastructure, what hope do places without this have?

There are things we can do about this. Start by checking out WaterAid and Care who both have fundraisers in March to raise awareness and funds to help bring clean water to all and increase the rights and futures of women and girls in the process. Both of them have great websites where I got most of my facts from. Join in on Walk in her shoes or Walk4Water or pledge to only drink water for the month or sponsor someone else you know participating.

http://www.wateraid.org/au 

https://walkinhershoes.org.au/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_water_crisis

Image: This is me in a water filter trying to work out why it wasn’t performing as well as it should have been. We are lucky to have the infrastructure to produce high quality drinking water here in Australia and we maintain it.