Un Commission- Securing Grassroots Women, Securing Sustainable Development
The 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW58) – the annual gathering of States to address critical issues related to gender equality and women’s rights — is focusing on “Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls”.
Taking place at United Nations Headquarters in New York, from 10-21 March 2014, Member States, UN entities and accredited NGOs from around the world will take stock of progress and remaining challenges towards meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The MDGs have sought to: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (Goal 1); achieve universal primary education (Goal 2); promote gender equality and empower women (Goal 3); reduce child mortality (Goal 4); improve maternal health (Goal 5); combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (Goal 6); ensure environmental sustainability (Goal 7); and develop a global partnership for development (Goal 8). They include 21 targets with 60 indicators.
Report #2. Notes!
By far one of my favourite talks of the day. These women were so inspiring! The thing I just heard over and over- bottom up approach! It is the organization of communities that will end up changing legislature. It is the communities that make the real change!
10:30am Church Centre for the United Nations
Securing Grassroots Women, Securing Sustainable Development: Gains, Gaps and Lessons from the MDGs.
Huairou Commission, International Fund for Agricultural Development.
Introduction) Session moderator- Violet- Kenya, and member of Groots Kenya.
This was a session to talk about the different strategies of how grassroots women are influential in creating locally led development areas, and what are the difficulties. What can replicated by other communities and used on a larger scale.
Speaker 1) Heidi- member of Las Brumas Nicaragua
20 grassroots farmer cooperatives and 3 collectives, representing 1400 women, and 33 elected officials. Speaking from her participation as a farmer and as a woman, that her group did not participate in the decision of the MDGs, but she is interested in #3.
As a part of their participation, in the last 4 years, 310 grassroots women have been trained in literacy. 345 grassroots women and local authorities trained about the MDGs.These goals are helping improve the lives of people in their communities. There is a lack of land and lack of food security in their regions, but 100s of women are renting and producing food in this region. The MDGs are important in helping these communities push towards goals of food security and financial security.
Committees to address the needs of grassroots communities and women. It all revolves around food production and land. The women in these communities do not own the land and so cannot get credit. So, in order to economically develop they are focusing on strengthening female leadership. The recommendation is to acknowledge and give resources to grassroots women in this area to strengthen their economic state. These women have proved they can produce, now they just need funding.
Speaker 2) Joyce Mangovi- Uganda, Slum Women's initiative for development , 300 women in 2 urban divisions and 4 in rural subcountries.
She works in the industrial heart of Uganda. There was a closure of industry leaving people unemployed. Grassroots women began speaking out about the lack of safe and healthy housing, the evictions from the municipal counsel, and lack of basic facilities. In 2008, there was funding received, this started the construction of houses that now house 100 women, and 35 more women have submitted and now posses titles. The goal is to have women living dignified lives, with access to clean water and electricity, and road access to these areas. By organizing and partnering, there is now support from global networks.
Recommendations- the push for funding, the ability for women to get business loans.
Speaker 3) Maria Hatla- International Fund for Development
What we have achieved in the MDGs, and how we can go ahead in the next round of goals. What is amazing is how many women are organizing themselves. This agency gives loans to government to help put money into rural areas. The new gender policy of funding women has helped a lot in changing the focus onto women's issues.
A focus on women's economic development, helping women produce food, craft and employment. Women cannot have more economic development without infrastructure and labour reduction services. Third area- the women's voice, making sure women are in government, have access to disseminating information.
With access to these things, much more women's groups are able to get organized. The two major forums- the farmer's forum, allows women farmers to speak and exchange information. This is important since a large amount of women farmers don't have a space to speak, and these spaces are often dominated by men. Training was implemented for women in certain areas for leadership skills.
And the indigenous forum, focused on long term, rural people.
This year is the international year of family farming as well as the year of food security. The emphasis is on small farms. Why are small farms so important? There is no industrial advancement taking place, so there needs to be a space for the younger generation to work and have food security. This is small family farms. Small farms can only continue with a diversification of income and the whole family being involved. Organizing is a key enabling factor to enabling women and progressing economic stability.
Speaker 4) Lemota- International Women's Communication Center Nigeria
Using the HIV/AIDs disaster to help organize women. Care Alliance represents 30,00 caregivers across Africa. When the epidemic started, the women diagnosed were homeless, resourceless, without access to medical care. This organization came together to help forming alliances to help these women in need. This alliance was so useful that it quickly grew.
Collaboration, team work, with little resources and little support. Grassroots women work with grassroots women. If the grassroots women are not there, who is going to do it? Without the community women, there will be no one to stand up for women's rights in these areas. They are not asking for money, they are asking for implementation of laws, infrastructure and access to resources. Every woman gives one dollar at every meeting. This allows for the organization to fund medication for women all across Nigeria.
The way forward is to make sure that we strengthen grassroots organization. Without grassroots women, there is no change. To strengthen women's rights, women have to be empowered first. A bottom up model. Strengthening communities, making their own initiatives first, them pushing them forward.
Speaker 5) H. E. Carlos Enrique Garcia Gonzolez- The Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the UN.
There were a lot of stakeholders to help communities achieve these goals, however there was a lack of achievement. The principle tactic to achieve MDGs needs to change. The focus is to include the principle of universality. Every country in the planet has realized that there's no ceiling in development. Development in an ongoing process that has no end. The only thing that is common to all countries is human beings in all cycles of their lives. The perspective of each individual matters. There now needs to be the notion of sustainable development- environmental protection as well as development, this cannot be done without grassroots communities.
We used to believe that what we need is money. The focus should shift to human relations. Sustainable cities come through community, not funding. Sustainable cities can be urban and rural, it can look so many different ways, the importance is that it works for the community and we are in touch with the needs of our planet. Women and grassroots really need to press for changes. If we can connect and coordinate instead of compete, that is when changes will happen. Who is going to do it if not us? Demanding accountability, fighting against corruption, and this can only happen with organization. The focus needs to be the human being.
Speaker 6) Relina- Peru, The National Confederation of Women
The National Confederation of Women represents 150,000 grassroots organized against 65 provinces in Peru. Talking about a kitchen that works to create food for the community as a really low cost. Feeds about %6 of the population who cannot afford a meal, as well as a training centre for women. As grassroots women, they didn't participate in the development of the MDGs, but they have always been focused on overcoming problems like poverty and women's rights, so they started working on the initiative. The priority was on women, because so many women in Peru don't even know they have rights. They didn't know about public colleges and programs, so education program implemented.
They established three regions to focus on these issues. Implementing a local government office for women. INcreased awareness of violence against women in ERs and in government. This was translated to reduced violence against women. There was funding for 80 to receive training in technology. Got budget to train 300 women to know their rights and to what authorities they could go to demand their rights.
Recommendations- Poverty doesn't only mean the lack of food or resources. Food security only comes with the places to produce it, and the places to trade and eat it. It is also important to recognize the actual needs of the community. The goes in hand with economic and political empowerment. It is important to allow women into the processes of policy and law. One of the main causes of poverty is the corruption in the national budget. Allowing grassroots access, and having grassroots women push for these goals is what will allow for this to change.
Speaker 7) Josephene- Phillipines, DAMPA a grassroots women led initiative federation of 217 slumdwellers.
Again, not involved in creating the goals, but still involved in pushing them forward. These women are highly affected by natural disasters. Because of this, these women want to be involved in the 2015 goals for sustainability. These women are doing things such as creating locally funded pharmacies, delivering clean water and local funding for business and education loans. Wanting to formalize their partnerships with the government and the UN. This can only have through bottom up approach. These women have the knowledge and the ability to change things for the better
Speaker 8) Jan Peterson- United States- Access to housing in NY, and support for grassroots organizations around the world.
Most of the grassroots organizations on the ground have more power and influence than a lot of international organizations. They are stakeholders, and the agenda of the grassroots doesn't always match policy. The real women in these communities need to be the ones pushing for policy. So many changes have been made in the last 50 years, but we need to make sure that the development agenda matches what is actually needed. As soon as the money leaves an area, the "organizers" leave. The grassroots are there to stay, and without that partnership not lasting change will be made.
Implementation is important not theories. Real action is key and can't be done without locals. Share ideas, build our neighbourhoods, push for local change. The inequality divide is there because of the type of policy that is in place. Bottom up! Focus on changing real poverty in every area.
Closing words) Session moderator- Violet- Kenya, and member of Groots Kenya.
Commitment to change poverty. Calling for a holistic approach, with touching on funding for infrastructure, as well as true community building. Want to be included in monitoring and implementing these goals, instead of having things decided for them. The partnership between organizations and grassroots is needed with policy and real locals. Be sure that communities are represented and vital in making change. "Nothing for us without us!"
