Ambassador Susanne Shine - photo by Fiona Basile

MDG3 TORCH TO THE ASIA PACIFIC BREAKTHROUGH COALITION

During the “The Asia Pacific Breakthrough: The Women, Faith and Development Summit to End Poverty” held in Australia in December 2009, Danish ambassador to Australia Susanne Shine handed over a MDG3 torch to the Asia Pacific Breakthrough Coalition.

The idea for the Asian Pacific Breakthrough came when Executive Director of the International Women’s Development Agency, Jane Sloane, participated in the Breakthrough Summit in Washington D.C. in April 2008, where Danish Development Minister, Ulla Tørnæs handed over a MDG3-torch to Jackie Ogega, representative of the non-governmental organization Women, Faith and Development Alliance. Slone envisioned the potential of an Asia Pacific Breakthrough Summit to draw attention, resources and new partnerships to the Asian Pacific region in order to provide increased funding and support for programs to benefit women and girls across the region. The Breakthrough initiative resulted in the establishment of a strong coalition of organizations supporting the initiative and almost $1.2 billion in new commitments for programs to be implemented by, among others, World Vision, Oxfam and Care.

In her presentation Ambassador Susanne Shine stated:

‘I strongly believe that everybody can do something for gender equality – either in the way we conduct our lives or through special initiatives like the Breakthrough event. My standing here today as ambassador for my country would not have been possible if men and women before my time had not fought for the rights of women to get an education and to work”. As a symbol of the need for a sustainable approach to women’s empowerment the Ambassador was accompanied by her daughter, Sarah Shine, who in her speech underlined: ‘We need to understand the importance of empowering women and their children. To help the women of tomorrow we must help the women of today’.

© Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Alliance of NGOs proposed to raise status of women in Asia Pacific

Three months ago, an event called the Asia Pacific Breakthrough Summit to End Global Poverty was held in Melbourne. The event raised a staggering one-point-two billion dollars in donations and pledges from Government and non-Government agencies. The money will be used to raise the status of women in the Asia-Pacific region. The summit also set a plan in motion to promote an alliance of the thousands of religious charities, women’s and development NGOs in the region.
Presenter: Paul Allen
Speaker: Jane Sloane, International Women’s Development Agency

You can hear it at Radio Australia’s Connect Asia Page

or listen here [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Arranged and Directed by Jan Chorley

photo by Fiona Basile

Timpani
Welcome to Country
Young Voices of Melbourne Choir, conducted by Mark O’Leary
Deborah Cheetham, Indigenous Soprano
Presentation of Symbols of Women, Faith and Development
Stars of the Cook Islands

Asia Pacific Breakthrough Opening Ceremony .

Ruth Maetala - photo by Fiona Basile

Ruth Maetala currently holds the position of Head of Research and Policy Unit of the Ministry of Women Youth and Children (Solomon Islands Government).

She holds a Diploma in Christian Education from Texas Bible College, BA in Women’s Studies and Social Anthropology from Massey University, NZ and is an alumni of the University of the South Pacific and the Kennedy School of Government, Havard University.

Ruth Maetala is a native of Solomon Islands. She is a Pastor’s wife, mother of four children and is a community worker. She’s the author of “Look at God!” a personal inspiration and her research interest is in land, natural resources management and gender policy.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Ruth’s Speech 21 minutes

Ruth Maetala - photo by Fiona Basile

]]> http://www.breakthrough2009.com.au/main/2010/ruth-maetala-podcast/feed/ 0 http://www.breakthrough2009.com.au/main/2010/offshore-outsourcing-%e2%80%93-does-it-empower-women/ http://www.breakthrough2009.com.au/main/2010/offshore-outsourcing-%e2%80%93-does-it-empower-women/#comments Sat, 20 Feb 2010 11:33:09 +0000 admin http://www.breakthrough2009.com.au/main/?p=88 Discussion Highlights

• Anti-Offshoring Bill myths prevail (Sen. Fielding)
• Offshore BPO employment supports ancillary female workers
• Australia outsources 12% of its contact centre jobs, but 60% of these onshore, with 40% mainly India, Phil, NZ, Malaysia
• Research: US$1 off shored generates US$1.16 to GDP
• Discussion around empowerment vs. social protection
• Just 8% Indian female contact centre workers married (n=638)
• Challenges include family pressure, social stigma of night work, work intensity

Recommendations

• Multi-part approach (all stakeholders)
• Don’t sacrifice social support as margin pressure grows
• Females learn to say ‘No’ to family pressures
• Solutions needed around infrastructure and housing (socio-spatial restrictions in India)
• Education access for the evolution of BPO to KPO

• HIV and AIDS needs to be considered in the broader context of sexual and reproductive health and rights
• Discrimination stops people getting testing and accessing treatment, and fuels the spread of HIV and AIDS
• Funding needs to be directed to addressing intimate partner transmission, which is high in the region
• Food, security and poverty drive risky behaviour
• There are links between education and reduced risks
• Gender analysis and proper needs assessment is needed
• We need positive dialogue with faith-based organisations about condoms and contraception

Recommendations

That the alliance be representative of the region and include faith leaders, donors and private sector, community and government leaders and HIV positive groups

That the alliance:

• lobbies for increased investment in integrated sexual and reproductive health services and research
• promotes faith based leadership in supporting people living with HIV
• shares resources, expertise and good practices, promotes partnership and opportunities for training and networking
• engages in joint-advocacy
• collaborates to overcome stigma and discrimination and promote cultural change

• Ability, space given to share our faith based community and volunteer work
• Share ideas on how to make a space for women in faith and interfaith communities
• Oneness
• Support system and a central hub of learning sharing and collaboration, a focal point for connection
• Providing us a sense of being part of a larger whole
• Easy to get trapped in individual issues – how will an alliance address difficult issues?
• Look to Oneness, lifting up to another level of thinking
• Alliance as an opportunity to be a loud voice, energy filled– just sick of it – want to scream from the mtn tops – could Alliance speak loudly, need pathways for these voices – Alliance is about identifying pathways, a structured way for getting it out

• Each one of us is responsible – yet recognise that there may be possible resistance in ourselves about all three – need to work within to bring nexus of these 3 together in our own thinking and in our own projects – take responsibility to bring the 3rd or 2nd and 3rd partners to our own projects
• Keep issues in the foreground – mobilize actors – importance of networking, ability to mobilise people in different countries
• Core principles – MDGs and gender lens –
• Working from the existing interfaith groups, add development to the mix – might give interfaith groups something to work on
• Building on common ground, valuing different approaches, creativity, men & women, concept of Oneness
• Sharing real stories and experiences that can be used to inform policy
• Model of grass roots up and top down, information flow freely
• Sharing of information between members of Alliance – in this way build a quality Alliance
• Avoid having to relearn same lessons – therefore sharing information important

Recommendations

• Need to engage men leaders
• Need to plan
• Proceed prayerfully, meditatively
• Use web based links and teleconferencing (as opposed to expensive travel, conferences)
• Have the leadership team/steering group table a summary of the summit and recommendations so we have something tangible – this could take form of a regular newsletter, central database with all details
• Attendees take on responsibility of going into local communities and context and talk about the Alliance, presentation evenings, link more people to the alliance, expand
• Suggest the documenting of different faiths’ stands on women and development – misconceptions about what the faith says and what practices are, done in the name of religion, but might be folklore – if scripture taken into account, may see different outcomes
• Recommend a charter of understanding that comes out of this summit – a framework of how to continue – so we don’t dissipate into an abyss to move forward
• Ability to work together but differently – strategic plan for each country each organisation – manage each differently
• Be careful about how to communicate
• Be aware of different contexts, reality – to communicate effectively in each country
• Take action to start Alliance quickly so not to lose momentum
• Approach existing interfaith networks
• Invite wider representation of groups to the steering group
• Have a meeting of faith groups to help identify common ground
• Develop skills of listening to what women’s needs are
• Alliance should start with the education of young people

Discussion Highlights

• Discovering what each sector is doing to eradicate violence against women e.g. respectful relationships, ensuring knowledge for church leaders & promoting women’s leadership
• Sectors are already working together however this can further supported
• Focused on 2 key issues – ensuring adequate legal frameworks and engaging men and boys and key priorities within these areas
• Small actions result in large movements
• Ensuring that discussions on violence against women include all forms of violence

Actions

• Empowering individual actions – micro-movements
• Continuing to work on shifting violence against women out of the private sphere
• Working on the prevention of violence against women in conflict and post-conflict situations

• Women’s wealth is growing significantly – but women get crumbs from the philanthropic table
• Men, not just women, are giving – but there is a difference in giving behaviours
• Donors more recently see philanthropic giving and investment as strategic
• Micro-finance is an avenue for strategic investment – and the majority of beneficiaries are women and girls

Recommendations

• Visit the Women Donor’s website – www.womendonors.org.au – to see statistics on women’s disadvantage which will outrage; stories which will inspire; and projects to connect to
• Undertake the Gender Lens workshop which will take place next year – visit www.vwt.org.au – and purchase the book
• That women’s funds collaborate for greater impact – to build a funding women movement similar to that in the US
• Advocate for women and girls

Discussion Highlights

• Focus was on Social Isolation, Intergenerational issues & Employment & Training barriers
• However, we had a fantastic group discussion of broader issues & the highlights were:
• Women’s lives & issues are complex, and programs/funding should be holistic (ie English language tuition)
• Women are trying to deal with issues from their home country as well as settlement, trauma, family, work etc
• Access to women through the home fits with religious & cultural norms & is an entry point for transformation
• Anglo Aussies sharing life with new arrivals works really well

Recommendations

Social Isolation – BT to advocate for funding for existing leadership courses & distribute successful models that address language & mentoring support needs.

Employment – Initiatives are needed to address fears of women (of immigration work laws, going out to get training), and Govt. to fund holistic refugee work programs.

Intergenerational – Use schools to help, & flexible Govt policies & legislation are needed.