Brief Series: The Crisis’ Impact On Women’s Rights
AWID is pleased to announce the launching of our latest Brief series: The crisis’ impact on women’s rights. This series presents different sub-regional perspectives on the impacts of the crisis on women’s rights.
AWID is pleased to announce the launching of our latest Brief series: The crisis’ impact on women’s rights. This series presents different sub-regional perspectives on the impacts of the crisis on women’s rights.
Women are at the centre of the fallout from the systemic crisis, which combines distinct interlocked crises: a global economic recession, the devastating effects of climate change, and a deepening food and energy crisis.
This systemic crisis is now a driving force behind many policy choices and processes at all levels (from the local to the global). In a context where most of the responses to the crisis are gender-blind, women’s rights and gender equality must not be further overlooked. This is not simply because women are particularly affected by the crisis, but also because they are key development players in most communities around the world. Women are relevant and vital actors in proposing effective approaches to mitigate the impacts of the crisis, promote empowerment strategies, and ensure the fulfilment of human rights, including environmental, economic, social, and cultural rights.
The development model promoted in the past decades is clearly in crisis and women’s groups have experiences, lessons learned, and expertise that can contribute to promote a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and democratic development model.
It is in that spirit that the authors of these briefs accepted the challenge to explore answers to the following questions:
- Considering the diversity of situations in which women live, what are the main challenges for women in your sub-region in the context of the current crisis?
- Can you identify concrete actions or initiatives (responses to the crisis) that have already had either negative and/or positive impacts on women’s lives?
- Are women’s groups in your region experiencing increased discrimination as a direct or indirect result of the financial crisis?
- If stimulus packages are not inclusive of human rights and gender equality perspectives then are there any alternatives so that these packages are reshaped in order to include gender and rights dimensions?
- If the governments of the region/sub region (or regional bodies) have not set up any stimulus packages or measures yet: what do you expect will be the impact of not tackling the crisis in a timely way at the national and regional level?
- What are potential future impacts on women in your region in the context of a global recession? Which are the most outstanding weaknesses of the region in regards to the economic crisis?
- The UN Stiglitz Commission and the G20 are trying to identify international initiatives to reduce the impact of the crisis on development. Do you think these global initiatives consider challenges confronted by women, and how to help women in your region face the crisis?
To access these sub-regional perspectives please visit the following links on the launch date: November 9th , 2009.
Influencing Development Actors & Practices for Women's Rights- IDeA
Latin America- Social and Gender Impacts of the Economic Crisis. By Alma Espino & Norma Sanchís
Caribbean- Impact of the Crisis on Women in the Caribbean. By Rhoda Reddock & Juliana S. Foster.
Asia- The impact of the crisis on women in developing Asia. By Jayati Ghosh.
Pacific Islands- Impact of Crisis on Pacific Island women: A Snapshot. By Karanina Sumeo.
Central Asia- Impact of the global crisis on women in Central Asia. By Nurgul Djanaeva.
Western Africa- The Global Financial Crisis and Women in West Africa: Developing Impacts and Policy Responses. By Dzodzi Tsikata.
Western Europe- The Impact of the Crisis on Women in West Europe. By Wendy Harcourt.
Eastern Europe- The impact of the crisis on women in Central and Eastern Europe. By Ewa Charkiewicz.
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AWID