Category: Women

“Sadly, women and girls continue to face systemic barriers and biases that prevent them from pursuing careers in science,” he noted in a message for the day.

Today, women make up only a third of the global scientific community and, compared to men, they get less funding, are underrepresented in publications and hold fewer senior positions in major universities.

In some places, women and girls have limited or no access to education. Mr. Guterres described this situation as not only harmful to the societies concerned, but also a terrible violation of human rights. 

The Secretary-General believes that it is essential that women and girls participate equally in scientific discoveries and innovations, whether in the field of climate change, health or artificial intelligence”. “This is the only way to ensure that science benefits everyone,” he said.

“Addressing gender inequalities requires overcoming gender stereotypes and promoting role models that encourage girls to pursue scientific careers, developing programmes that encourage the advancement of women in science, and creating work environments that nurture women’s talents. especially those of women from minority groups,” he added.

“Women and girls belong in science. It is time to recognize that inclusion fosters innovation, and let every woman and girl fulfil her true potential,” the UN chief concluded.

Closing the gap

The theme chosen for this year’s International Day by UNESCO and UN Women, the two UN agencies leading on the celebrations, is “Closing the gender gap in science”. UNESCO’s Call for Action provides recommendations aimed at tackling the root causes of gender-based inequalities in science.

SDG 5: EMPOWER ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS

United Nations

SDG Goal 5: Gender Equality.

• End all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls
• Eliminate such harmful practices as early and forced marriages and female genital mutilation
• Adapt and strengthen legislation to promote gender equality and empower women and girls
• Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life
• Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care

Globally, almost half of all married women currently lack decision-making power over their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

In the second of a two-part series from Uganda, Timothy Mbene Masereka spoke to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) ahead of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, marked annually from 25 November to 10 December, Human Rights Day.

As a village health worker, Mr. Masereka goes from house to house in some of the remotest locations in Kasese district in western Uganda.

He enjoys helping people and is adept at managing illnesses such as malaria and pneumonia. However, there was one health emergency that he didn’t know how to address: violence against women and girls.

“During my sessions [in people’s homes], I saw that gender-based violence was a problem, and I tried to handle it at a lower level, using my own reasoning, but I lacked the skills to really solve the issue,” he said.

What Mr. Masereka saw wasn’t unusual – violence against women and girls is the world’s most pervasive human rights violation, affecting one in three women globally. In Uganda, almost 30 per cent of women and girls reported experiencing intimate partner violence in the past 12 months.

Despite its prevalence, Mr. Masereka said violence against women and girls was treated as a private issue.

“In my community, men dominated, and gender-based violence wasn’t discussed openly,” he explained.

UN Women/Eva Sibanda

Men and boys have a critical role to play in reducing violence against women.

Change starts at home

When Mr. Masereka was approached to complete gender-based violence training supported by the Spotlight Initiative through the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, he jumped at the opportunity.

“The community development officer talked to me about the Spotlight Initiative and its work on preventing violence against women and girls,” he said. “She said men have a big role to play in preventing violence and asked whether I wanted to work as male action group mentor.”

He then attended a training run by ACORD, a national non-governmental organization that promotes social justice. During the course, he learned how to talk to men and boys about gender-based violence, how to counsel couples to resolve disputes through dialogue and how to identify and refer women and girls experiencing violence to the appropriate authorities and services.

The training also opened his eyes to subtler forms of violence, such as economic violence and unequal gender power dynamics.

“For example, the women plant [crops], but they were given no say in what happens to the crops; the men made [all] the decisions,” he explained.

Improving power dynamics

The course forced him to examine the distribution of power and labour in his own household.

“I learned that chores in the home can be performed by both men and women,” he said. “The pounding and cooking of food and bathing the children are all tasks that can be done by both the mother and the father.”

When he first began to take on domestic chores, he said people laughed at him: “They would say ‘He has been put down by his wife,’ things like that.” But when they saw how much more productive his house became, their attitudes changed.

“You get things done faster,” he said. “For example, if my wife is preparing food, I can wash the dishes. If my wife is collecting firewood, I can get water. [This way,] we all eat earlier.”

Mr. Masereka said this shift has improved his relationship with his wife and children.

“I feel happy because now the children can tell me anything, my wife doesn’t hide anything – she is very clear and transparent, as I am with her,” he said.

United Nations

SDG 5

SDG 5: EMPOWER ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS

 

• End all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls
• Eliminate such harmful practices as early and forced marriages and female genital mutilation
• Adapt and strengthen legislation to promote gender equality and empower women and girls
• Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life
• Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care

 

Globally, almost half of all married women currently lack decision-making power over their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

 

Shifting attitudes and supporting survivors

The Spotlight Initiative aims to eliminate violence against women and girls through comprehensive programming that addresses all key drivers of violence. It promotes laws and policies that prevent violence, strengthens institutions, promotes gender-equitable social norms, strengthens women’s movements and provides essential services to survivors of violence.

Since 2019, more than 1,500 men in Uganda have trained as positive male role models with the support of Spotlight Initiative through UNFPA. Each of them plays a critical role in changing the norms and attitudes that lead to violence and supporting survivors to access the services they need.

Mr. Masereka raises awareness of the issue by distributing information at church and community functions, conducts home visits to help couples resolve issues and leads discussions about violence among men and boys at the male action groups he visits.

He also follows up on girls who drop out of school and child marriage cases. He also supports survivors of violence to access health and justice services. This includes escorting women and girls to the police and local council offices to report violence.

To him, engaging men and boys is a critical step in eliminating violence.

“Most perpetrators of gender-based violence are men,” he said bluntly. “Men and boys can be part of the solution. They can use their power to change the community for the better.”

In the first of a two-part series, Angela Muhindo spoke to UN Women ahead of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, marked annually from 25 November to 10 December, Human Rights Day.

“My life has been full of pain,” she said, surveying the green landscape where she spent her childhood in Kasese, in Uganda’s western region. “In my community, women have less power, but if you are disabled, you are even more vulnerable to exploitation.”

Ms. Muhindo, who has had a physical disability since childhood, said she has faced violence and exclusion throughout her life. Such treatment is the norm for many women and girls with disabilities, she said, noting that they also face challenges accessing education, employment and health care. 

Globally, women and girls with disabilities are at least two to three times more likely than other women to experience violence.

People think that “a person with disabilities cannot get married and have children” and that “you are going to stay in your father’s home [forever] because no one is going to take care of you”, Ms. Muhindo said.

Inheritance dispute

When her parents died, a dispute over the inheritance of their property set into motion events that changed how she lived as a person with a disability.

She said she was threatened and intimidated by her male relatives over the inheritance and felt powerless to advocate for herself.

Land disputes can be a catalyst for gender-based violence in Uganda, where it’s not uncommon for widows and children to be evicted from their home after the death of a husband or father, or in the event of a separation.

The effect of this is two-fold – violence may be used to evict women from property by force, and without a place to live or land to farm, they become more vulnerable to violence in the future.

Seeking to better understand her rights, she attended a Spotlight Initiative-supported training course implemented by the National Union of Women with Disabilities Uganda through UN Women.

At the course, she learned about inheritance rights and realized that she was the sole legal heir to the property, and she gained the confidence to stand up to her relatives.

“I realized that as a person living with disabilities, I can do whatever other people can do,” she said. “I can speak up just like any other person. I can buy land, have a job.”

WFP/Marco Frattini

Disputes over land ownership can lead to violence.

Advocating for others

It took over a year, but Ms. Muhindo successfully put the land in her name. She now has a safe place to live, food to eat and earns a living from the crops she grows. She also advocates for other women in her community, including those with disabilities, and speaks about gender-based violence on a local radio station.

“I do not want other women to go through what I went through,” she said.

The Spotlight Initiative aims to eliminate violence against women and girls through comprehensive programming that addresses all the key drivers.

This includes improving laws and policies that prevent violence, strengthening institutions, promoting gender-equitable social norms and strengthening women’s movements and essential services to survivors of violence.

United Nations

SDG 5

SDG 5: EMPOWER ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS

 

• End all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls
• Eliminate such harmful practices as early and forced marriages and female genital mutilation
• Adapt and strengthen legislation to promote gender equality and empower women and girls
• Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in political, economic and public life
• Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care

 

Globally, almost half of all married women currently lack decision-making power over their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

 

‘I felt empowered’

Spotlight and UN Women work with local organizations to help to change discriminatory attitudes and support those at risk of, or experiencing, violence. Since 2019, almost 300,000 people in Uganda have attended community programming on women’s rights with Spotlight Initiative support.

UN Women has also supported advocacy to change legislation that advantaged male children in inheritance and land issues. In March 2021, Uganda’s Parliament passed the Succession (Amendment) Bill, formally recognizing the equal rights of women to own land.

“I used to feel uncomfortable speaking up, but after the training I felt empowered,” Ms. Muhindo says.