Gender Gap: l’occupazione cresce, ma i tassi tra uomini e donne continuano a restare distanti

Pur avendo toccato quota 60,5% lo scorso ottobre, il valore più alto dal 1977, i tassi di occupazione di uomini e donne continuano a restare distanti (rispettivamente 69,5% e 51,4%), con un gap di genere di quasi 18 punti percentuali. È quanto emerge dal Gender Policies Report 2022, la pubblicazione dell’Inapp (Istituto nazionale per l’analisi delle politiche pubbliche) che ogni anno fotografa le differenze di genere nel mondo del lavoro. Insomma: l’occupazione cresce, ma non intacca il divario di genere. Tanto è vero che il tasso di disoccupazione femminile è al 9,2%, contro il 6,8% degli uomini: divario che aumenta per i giovani fra i 15 e i 24 anni con tassi del 32,8% per le ragazze e il 27,7% per i ragazzi. Anche la sfera della non partecipazione vede ancora penalizzate le donne, con un tasso di inattività del 43,3 % contro il 25,3% degli uomini. “Segno inequivocabile che qualcosa non va”, chiosa la Professoressa Rossana Berardi, Presidente di Women for Oncology Italy, che sottolinea ancora un altro aspetto di questa fotografia poco gratificante di donne e lavoro: “Stando ai dati del congresso della Società Europea di Oncologia Medica, il gap per colmare il divario nello specifico della nostra disciplina è risultato pari a circa 300 anni. Sottolineo che gli iscritti che si iscrivono alla Facoltà di Medicina sono per due terzi donne e, nonostante questo, i ruoli apicali sono occupati principalmente dagli uomini. Molto resta ancora da fare, in tutti i settori e in tutti gli ambiti e se, da una parte chiudiamo il 2022 con il segno più in tema di leadership femminile – quest’anno per la prima volta nella storia della Repubblica italiana una donna è alla guida del governo – dall’altro dobbiamo ancora lavorare per superare il tetto di cristallo in ambito sanitario. Come Women for Oncology Italy stiamo mettendo in campo tutte quelle iniziative che auspichiamo da anni. Abbiamo documentato una difficoltà alla realizzazione in ambito professionale e all’accesso alla progressione di carriera, spesso per difficoltà alla conciliazione del tempo di vita con quello di lavoro. Auspichiamo per il 2023 un dialogo con gli interlocutori istituzionali del governo per costruire un futuro migliore per la sanità e per le donne che si occupano di salute. Questo è il nostro augurio di Buone Feste e per l’anno nuovo che verrà”.

Le coding girls combattono anche il gender gap da pandemia

Il progetto ideato dalla Fondazione Mondo Digitale aiuta a superare il divario di genere tecnologico e offre a 15mila giovani donne l’opportunità di esprimere il proprio potenziale superando stereotipi e barriere, soprattutto in tempo di emergenza sanitaria. L’alleanza collaborativa “ibrida” coinvolge Missione Diplomatica USA in Italia, Ambasciata del Regno dei Paesi Bassi, Compagnia di San Paolo, Microsoft, Eni e una rete di 32 partner accademici.Le disuguaglianze di genere sono ormai diventate un tema caldo anche sui social, come mostra l’indagine Datalab di Eni su ricerche Google e hashtag di Twitter, e continuano ad aggravarsi con l’emergenza sanitaria. Il policy brief pubblicato dall’Onu mostra come il forte impatto del virus sulle donne abbia reso ancora più complesso il quadro di disparità economiche e sociali: non solo le donne guadagnano meno, risparmiano meno e ottengono lavori che garantiscono meno sicurezza e stabilità, ma sono anche più stressate da nuove priorità familiari. Servono risposte concrete, eque e inclusive, con traguardi raggiungibili, come quello indicato dal Piano operativo della Strategia nazionale per le competenze digitali del Ministro per l’innovazione tecnologica e la digitalizzazione (MID): quadruplicare entro il 2025 il numero di laureate in discipline scientifiche e tecnologiche.
Il progetto Coding Girls, promosso dalla Fondazione Mondo Digitale, si inserisce in questa linea di intervento e propone un originale modello di formazione, sensibilizzazione e orientamento allo studio e alle professioni dei settori della scienza e della tecnologia per le studentesse di tutta Italia. Il 21 ottobre 2020 è stata lanciata la settima edizione del programma con un evento live su Facebook, animato dalle testimonianze di donne protagoniste con diversi ruoli sociali e professionali. Nel contesto attuale di regressione della gender equality in molti paesi del mondo, il programma è una soluzione strategica importante per incrementare le competenze digitali e trasversali di 15.000 ragazze della Generazione Z e potenziare le opportunità occupazionali. Punto di forza del progetto è un’alleanza collaborativa tra istituzioni e grandi aziende, che coinvolge enti come l’Ambasciata Americana a Roma, l’Ambasciata del Regno dei Paesi Bassi, la Compagnia di San Paolo, Microsoft, Eni e una rete di 32 partner accademici.
Anno dopo anno Coding Girls ha creato una rete sempre più fitta che, in questo periodo storico di crescente incertezza, insicurezza e lontananza, rappresenta un saldo punto di riferimento anche grazie alle declinazioni locali del progetto, le prime a Torino, Milano e Napoli. Già nel primo anno l’analisi condotta su un campione ha documentato nei partecipanti un miglioramento auto percepito nelle competenze informatiche, un’aumentata consapevolezza delle proprie potenzialità nell’ambito della programmazione e una maggiore propensione a prendere in considerazione una futura carriera universitaria e lavorativa nell’ambito STEM, dati molto incoraggianti che confermano il ruolo strategico delle Coding Girls anche per la rinascita post pandemica.

Intelligenza Artificiale apre la porta alla teoria del gender

“L’intelligenza artificiale applicata nell’educazione, nella cultura e nel settore audiovisivo solleva questione etiche ed è molto pericolosa. Da una parte ce la propinano come opportunità lavorativa, scolastica ed economica, dall’altra può diventare uno strumento di manipolazione di massa. Prova ne è che il Parlamento Europeo sta lavorando a una preoccupante Risoluzione su questo argomento sulla quale noi lanciamo un allarme. C’è il rischio di percorsi educativi basati sull’indifferentismo sessuale o sulla fluidità di genere” hanno dichiarato il presidente e il vice presidente di Pro Vita & Famiglia Onlus Toni Brandi e Jacopo Coghe.
“La questione dell’IA (Intelligenza Artificiale) – hanno avvertito Brandi e Coghe – solleva dunque questioni educative, che nell’intervento dell’Onorevole Basso (Commissione IMCO a cui è stato chiesto un parere) sono state giustamente sottolineate. Al punto due della bozza di parere della Commissione IMCO, compare la classica clausola aperta utilizzata da chi vuole aprire la porta alla teoria gender o ad analoghe ideologie. Un inserimento scorretto e fatto tra le righe quasi a voler passare inosservato, il tutto in un momento così delicato per il mondo che sta affrontando la sfida dell’emergenza Coronavirus. Riportiamo qui il passaggio chiave che ci ha convinto a lanciare l’allarme: “È opportuno rivedere le serie di dati utilizzati per addestrare i sistemi di IA onde evitare di rafforzare gli stereotipi di genere e altre distorsioni”.

Gender equality deserves more than 1%

The EU’s budget can be a powerful force for growth and development. EU funds have helped transform less-developed regions and reduced inequality across the European Union.
Yet a new report by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has estimated that less than 1% of the EU’s Structural and Investment Funds have been set aside for the promotion of gender equality, with gender mainstreaming treated as a theme that has little impact on the actual content of funding programmes. Proposals for the post-2020 budget – the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – display an even lower level of ambition. This is despite the EU’s legal obligations and political commitments to close the gender gap, which persists across all member states.“As the EU puts together its ‘budget for the future’, we put forward our proposals for how to ensure the next MFF serves the future of the whole population. Currently women earn less, spend more time on caring and housework, and end up with significantly lower pensions than men. Funding programmes are the most direct way for EU resources to reach those who need them and to impact individual lives – gender budgeting would ensure women and men are able to benefit equally,” said Virginija Langbakk, EIGE’s Director.Gender budgeting is a tool that helps identify the different situation and needs of women and men and allocates resources accordingly. This can include recognising women’s unpaid work: across the EU, more than a third of women care for family members on a daily basis, while almost 80% cook or do housework. This leads to fewer women than men in full-time employment and a lifetime gender gap in earnings of some 40%. Budgets that invest in public services such as transport and childcare can help offset such inequalities.
The report ‘Gender budgeting: Mainstreaming gender into the EU budget and macroeconomic policy framework’ outlines in detail how the EU institutions and member states can help realise the goal of gender equality through improved gender budgeting.Recommendations include:The setting of gender equality as a priority across the entire MFF
The institutionalisation of gender mainstreaming methods and the monitoring of its impact in all funds
The setting of budgetary targets for gender equality
The introduction of a system to track funding for gender equality in all funding programmes.
EIGE’s research shows that narrowing the gender gap in the EU could result in an extra 10 million jobs and an increase in GDP of up to €3.15 trillion by 2050.

Lauree STEM: performance universitarie, esiti occupazionali e gender gap

Oggi l’attenzione è focalizzata sui laureati STEM, che afferiscono in particolare ai percorsi disciplinari di: ingegneria, geo-biologico, architettura, scientifico e chimico-farmaceutico. L’analisi è di tipo comparativo: le performance universitarie e gli esiti occupazionali dei laureati STEM sono confrontate con quelle dei percorsi non STEM e vengono osservate ponendo l’attenzione sulle principali differenze per genere e per gruppo disciplinare.
Il Rapporto 2018 sul Profilo ha coinvolto oltre 73.000 laureati di primo e secondo livello (magistrali biennali e magistrali a ciclo unico) che hanno conseguito nell’anno 2017 un titolo universitario in un percorso STEM. I laureati STEM del 2017 costituiscono il 26,5% dei laureati dell’intero anno solare (circa 276 mila).I dati sul Profilo mettono in evidenza la diversa composizione per genere: tra i laureati STEM è più elevata infatti la componente maschile, che raggiunge il 59,0%, mentre tra i laureati non STEM prevalgono le donne (sono quasi due su tre). Tra i laureati STEM la componente maschile è elevata in particolare tra i gruppi ingegneria (74,0%) e scientifico (68,4%), mentre si osserva un’inversione di tendenza nei gruppi geo-biologico, chimico-farmaceutico e architettura, dove sono le donne ad avere un’incidenza maggiore.
Per l’analisi degli esiti occupazionali si è ritenuto opportuno concentrarsi sui laureati di secondo livello a cinque anni dal conseguimento del titolo: ciò per consentire un’analisi comparativamente più adeguata. Infatti, i laureati di primo livello proseguono in larga parte (58,6%) la formazione iscrivendosi alla laurea magistrale; tra i laureati di secondo livello, analogamente, è diverso l’impegno in attività formative post-laurea, frequentemente necessarie all’avvio della carriera libero-professionale.
Il Rapporto sulla Condizione Occupazionale ha riguardato oltre 30.600 laureati STEM di secondo livello (magistrali biennali e magistrali a ciclo unico) del 2012, intervistati nel 2017 a cinque anni dal titolo.
In generale i laureati provenienti da percorsi STEM evidenziano buone performance alla prova del mercato del lavoro. Tuttavia esistono profonde differenze a livello di genere che vedono le donne risentire di un più contenuto tasso di occupazione e retribuzioni inferiori rispetto agli uomini.

Study and work in the EU: set apart by gender

The EU’s economy has a major weakness: the uneven concentration of women and men in studies and at work. This makes the labour market less competitive and companies struggle to find qualified professionals in growing sectors, such as information and communications technology (ICT) and health or personal care. Gender segregation poses challenges for these industries and leads to a reduced talent pool, untapped potential and unfulfilled career aspirations. Women make up less than 20% of ICT graduates in the EU, a figure that has been declining in recent years. Despite labour shortages in the sector, women will keep missing out on these job opportunities because of gender segregation that shapes their choices from an early age. These are some of the findings from a forthcoming report prepared by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) at the request of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU.“We cannot ignore gender segregation anymore. This is an EU-wide problem, which reinforces the undervaluation of women’s work and leads to their higher poverty and lower economic independence. The fact that employment growth stems from the creation of quality jobs for men but not so much for women needs to be recognised and dealt with by a much wider circle of stakeholders,” said Virginija Langbakk, Director of EIGE.Even with recent employment boosts, women and men are still concentrated in jobs typical for their gender. Women often end up in part-time jobs that pay less and have a lower social status. Fewer economic opportunities for women not only mean a lower standard of living for themselves, but also rule out the chances of better living conditions for their entire family.“Gender stereotypes are the motion force behind segregation, influencing subject choices and career aspirations for girls and boys from a young age. The current situation needs to change. It is up to everyone – parents, peers, teachers and politicians to let young people know that they have both the ability and the possibility to study and work in any field they want, irrespective of their gender”, said Jevgeni Ossinovski, Estonian Minister of Health and Labour.In the coming years, our ageing society will put more and more pressure on the care sector. There are big gender imbalances and a serious undersupply of men who are willing and able to work in this field. Most men are not interested in taking up jobs in women dominated professions. They make up only one fifth of graduates in health and welfare across the EU.Narrowing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education is one way to create fairer economic growth. EIGE’s research shows that this would lead to more jobs (up to 1.2 million by 2050) and increased GDP over the long-term (up to 820 billion EUR by 2050). It would also improve the long‑term competitiveness of the EU economy, due to more exports and less imports that would contribute to an improved balance of trade.EIGE’s report ‘Study and work in the EU: set apart by gender’ (forthcoming 2018) forms the basis of conclusions adopted by the European Council for Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO). It explores the progress in overcoming educational and occupational gender segregation in the EU and looks at ways to address it. (photo: study and work)

Gender equality boosts economic growth

If the EU stepped up its efforts to improve gender equality, more jobs would be created, GDP per capita would increase and society would be able to adjust better to the challenges related to the ageing population. These are the main results of a new study by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), launched on the occasion of international women’s day on 8 March 2017.
“Equality between women and men is one of the EU’s fundamental values. It is about fairness. Now numbers talk: equality is a driver for economic growth. Gender equality will bring more growth to Europe”, said Vera Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality.
“Our study proves that gender equality is good for the economy and it cannot be disregarded if the EU wants to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth. For far too long, gender inequalities have been limiting women’s economic opportunities and we now have proof that gender equality is crucial for the entire economy”, said Virginija Langbakk, EIGE’s director.
The evidence confirms that improvements to gender equality would generate up to 10.5 million additional jobs by 2050 and the EU employment rate would reach almost 80%. EU Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita would also be positively affected and could increase up to nearly 10% by 2050.
The level of economic benefits varies considerably across Member States, with some individual countries seeing around a 4% GDP increase and others exceeding 10%. Countries with more room to improve their current level of gender equality have much to gain.
Improved gender equality measures could also help address demographic challenges for the EU, such as the ageing population. Previous research suggests that gender equality is linked to higher fertility rates, which would lead to a larger population and an increase in long-term labour supply. This is important in light of current EU demographic projections, which predict a rise in the number of older people out of the labour force.
The study on the ‘economic benefits of gender equality’ looked at what the economic impacts would be if gender inequalities were reduced in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, labour market activity and pay. It also considered the demographic changes when these gender gaps are reduced.
No previous study has attempted econometric modelling of such a broad range of macroeconomic benefits of gender equality in the EU.

“Gender and life style: from puberty to elderly frailty”

Matera. La cerimonia di apertura si svolge il 14 aprile al Museo nazionale d’arte medievale e moderna della Basilicata (Palazzo Lanfranchi) – Piazzetta Giovanni Pascoli 1 a Matera, mentre il 15 e 16 aprile il meeting si terra a Palazzo Viceconte – Via San Potito 7, Matera, del meeting “Gender and life style: from puberty to elderly frailty” organizzato da Regione Basilicata, Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Università della Basilicata, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche dell’Università di Sassari, Dipartimento di Medicina sperimentale dell’Università Sapienza di Roma e promosso dalla Fondazione Internazionale Menarini.
Il meeting valuterà l’influenza dello stile di vita e dell’età sulle differenze di genere, l’inclusione delle donne negli studi clinici, gli aspetti di genere dell’anoressia e dell’obesità durante la pubertà, le diversità uomo-donna nel diabete e l’osteoporosi, le dipendenze da alcool e tabacco, che sono in rapida diffusione soprattutto tra le giovani donne. La conferenza inoltre sarà l’occasione per confrontare in una tavola rotonda l’approccio di genere della medicina in vari Paesi per disegnare la medicina di genere del futuro. Presidenti del meeting sono Flavia Franconi, Dipartimento di Farmacologia dell’Università di Sassari, Andrea Lenzi, Medicina sperimentale dell’Università Sapienza di Roma, Luigi Milella, Facoltà di Farmacia dell’Università della Basilicata. Tra i relatori spiccano nomi prestigiosi tra cui Marianne Legato, Direttore della Fondazione per la Medicina di Genere alla Columbia University di New York, Karolina Kublickiene, Coordinatore del Centro per la Medicina di Genere alla Karolinska University di Stoccolma, Stefano Vella, Direttore del Dipartimento del Farmaco all’Istituto Superiore di Sanità. La partecipazione è aperta a tutti i medici, è gratuita e assegna crediti formativi ECM.

Who makes the news? Gender, media, and the churches in Europe

Bruxelles 29 January 2016 11am to 12pm Central European Time The Conference of European Churches and the World Association for Christian Communication Europe invite all to an online video presentation and discussion on women’s representation in church media and secular media. Presentations will be made by Prof. Karen Ross, Professor of Media, Northumbria University and Mari Teinilä, Chief Editor, Kotimaa magazine and Kotimaa website. A question and answer period will follow the presentations.
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 114 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 national council of churches and organisations in partnership. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Brussels and Strasbourg. WACC Europe is part of the World Association for Christian Communication, a non-governmental organisation that builds on communication rights in order to promote social justice, and aims to be a catalyst for change for the common good, sharing information, knowledge, and experience in the field of communication.
The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 114 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 national council of churches and organisations in partnership. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Brussels and Strasbourg.
WACC Europe is part of the World Association for Christian Communication, a non-governmental organisation that builds on communication rights in order to promote social justice, and aims to be a catalyst for change for the common good, sharing information, knowledge, and experience in the field of communication.

Gender Bender Festival

Bologna 7 novembre al ATelierSì (Via San Vitale 69) E’ il Collettivo “L’occhio della lupa” di Bologna, che porta avanti un progetto di ricerca artistica che coniuga creazione, infanzia e sperimentazione nel segno della condivisione.I bambini ci guardano. Ci osservano e ci raccontano, e si raccontano, attraverso il loro personalissimo, e creativo, sguardo. Un punto di vista sul mondo, il loro, non (ancora?) condizionato da stereotipi e pregiudizi, e per questo autentico, spesso acritico e molto colorato. Il ritratto che ne emerge – rappresentazione del mondo come volontà di espressione, si potrebbe dire parafrasando Schopenhauer – è quello di un’interiorità infantile fatta di stupore e incanto, priva di quelle strutture mentali che mai come in questo periodo storico, immediato pensare al cambiamento della famiglia tradizionale, creano conflitti ed emarginazione. Catturare l’essenza di questo sguardo e condividerlo con altre donne-madri è l’instancabile lavoro di ricerca del Collettivo L’occhio della lupa, che sarà in mostra con l’evento “Fotografando l’incanto” a Bologna il prossimo 7 novembre al ATelierSì (Via San Vitale 69), in occasione di Gender Bender Festival 2015: un gruppo di artiste che si mettono in gioco come madri e come artiste, che nella relazione con i figli portano il loro vissuto, che si confrontano con altre madri e che diventano supporto ideale e prezioso del lavoro della coreografa Anna Albertarelli, capace di cogliere l’attimo senza fermare l’incanto. Una presenza importante, quella all’interno di Gender Bender, il Festival bolognese che si è saputo imporre, nel corso del tempo, come uno spazio di riflessione sul tema della rappresentazione del corpo e dell’identità di genere. E quale relazione più profonda, ancestrale e corporea di quella che lega la madre al proprio figlio? Per questo la presenza di un gruppo di madri artiste che operano una riflessione sull’essenza dell’infanzia a partire dal loro essere madri, creatrici di corpi, unità e molteplicità, diventa un momento fondamentale di quel dibattito sul genere che dall’infanzia deve –o dovrebbe- partire.

Gender e leadership

Sul lavoro ci sono capacità o talenti che rendono una donna migliore (o peggiore) di un collega maschio? Tra i due generi, quale sa farsi valere di più al timone di un’azienda? “È bene mettere subito le cose in chiaro: non esiste una risposta a queste domande. Si potrebbe parlare per ore senza giungere a una conclusione” – afferma Sofia Cortesi, Finance Director di Hays, uno dei gruppi leader a livello globale nel recruitment specializzato. “Le questioni di genere sul posto di lavoro sono una materia di discussione che è stata esplorata da numerose angolazioni, ma se si cerca di stabilire a chi debba essere assegnata la palma del migliore si rischia di generalizzare, cadendo in stereotipi molto spesso infondati e inconcludenti”. Quello che si può fare, invece, è sentire i professionisti per capire se per loro, ha ancora importanza rispondere ad un capo in tailleur o un manager in giacca e cravatta.
Secondo quanto emerge, per esempio, da una ricerca della società Gallup condotta lo scorso anno negli Stati Uniti su un campione di 1.000 lavoratori*, ipotizzando di iniziare un nuovo impiego, il 26% degli intervistati (vs 39% delle intervistate) preferirebbe interfacciarsi con un capo maschio, mentre solo il 14% degli uomini (vs 25% del campione femminile) vorrebbe avere un boss in gonnella. “Ancora oggi, almeno in America, i professionisti sembrano sentirsi più a loro agio se al comando c’è un uomo – continua Cortesi –. La ragione può essere di natura psicologica. Una donna è spesso vissuta come una persona ‘lunatica’, esigente ed impulsiva e questo può generare ansia da prestazione nei propri collaboratori. L’uomo, al contrario, è considerato più stabile, diretto e pragmatico”.
Anche chi ha già un’occupazione preferirebbe riportare ad un capo uomo. Sempre secondo il sondaggio condotto da Gallup, tra coloro che già lavorano per un uomo, il 41% afferma di preferirlo ad una donna (15%). Seppure con uno scarto decisamente minore, lo scenario è simile anche tra coloro che al momento rispondono ad una donna: il 33% di loro preferirebbe cambiare ed interfacciarsi con superiore maschio, mentre il 27% vorrebbe continuare a lavorare con una donna come boss.
“In generale avere un rapporto equilibrato con il proprio responsabile in un ambiente complesso come quello lavorativo non è mai facile – conclude Cortesi -. Il carattere e la competenza del superiore sono sicuramente imprescindibili per creare una collaborazione proficua, ma a volte un’esasperazione delle caratteristiche e degli stereotipi di genere possono creare delle barriere invalicabili. Non va, infatti, dimenticato che la diversità è un valore fondamentale e solo con l’equilibrio tra genere maschile e femminile si riescono a raggiungere i migliori traguardi”.

No gender equality without sexual and reproductive health and rights says IPPF report

United Nations, New York: Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is not possible without sexual and reproductive health and rights. This was the message given by speakers from the Permanent Missions of Uruguay, Denmark and Costa Rica to the United Nations, UN Women and UNFPA at a high-level panel event organised by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) today.The event held in New York on the 20th anniversary of the Beijing+20 Platform for Action during the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), launched IPPF’s report “ Sexual and reproductive health and rights- the key to gender equality and women’s empowerment.”The new report sets out specific recommendations to governments, multilateral organisations and the donor community including:
• Making sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality a reality: Sexual and reproductive health and rights must be included in the post 2015 sustainable development framework and in governments’ national plans within gender and health ministries.
• Sustaining the success of sexual and reproductive health interventions: Investment in the full range of sexual and reproductive health and rights services must be continued and increased and the post-2015 sustainable development financing framework must prioritize the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls.
• Engaging men and boys as partners in gender transformative change: Men and boys must be involved as partners in programmes on sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
• Measure the things that matter: Governments must invest in the collection of robust data. This includes working with UN agencies to increase data collection and disaggregate data by sex and age and increase examination of links between sexual and reproductive health and rights and the empowerment of women and girls.
• Eliminating sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls: Domestic laws to protect women and girls from sexual and gender based violence in line with international obligations must be enforced. Sexual violence must be addressed as part of women’s political participation, peacebuilding and post conflict reconstruction.Opening the event, IPPF Regional Director for the Western Hemisphere, Carmen Barroso said, “We can tackle inequalities and change things. This goes to the very heart of poverty eradication and development goals. Sexual and reproductive health and rights give women the ability to control their fertility which, in turn, affects many other aspects of their lives – employment, education, family life, and social and economic participation. It’s the freedom from which all other freedoms flow.”Talking on Uruguay’s prioritization of gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights, Honorable Gonzalo Koncke, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Uruguay said, “Furthering policies on sexual and reproductive health is the only way to achieve higher levels of happiness, freedom and well-being so people can enjoy a fuller life.”Stefan Kovacs, Senior Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Denmark, said in his speech, “Denmark has a long history for supporting and promoting women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights. The right to sexual and reproductive health is key to women’s ability to take charge of their own lives.” Preethi Sundaram, IPPF Policy and Advocacy officer, and author of the report said: “The report assesses what we have long suspected – that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are the cornerstone of gender equality. When women are able to realize their sexual and reproductive rights, their lives can be transformed.”

International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict and the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence

London. Four Nobel peace laureates, six survivors of sexual violence and actor Danai Gurira (“The Walking Dead”) are among the interviewees available to the media throughout the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in London from June 10-13.
They are leading a delegation of almost 90 activists – including grassroots women’s leaders from conflict countries – organised by the International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict, the first and only global network of civil society organisations working to end sexual violence. This 700-member strong network brings together legal, medical and protection experts, as well as service providers and advocates.
Danai Gurira, American Actor, Star of The Walking Dead. Danai is an award-winning playwright who has penned numerous works that highlight the strength of African women overcoming war, poverty and disease. She is also star of the American hit series, The Walking Dead.
– Her specialist areas include the impact of armed conflict on women in Liberia, and the impact of dramatic arts education
Nobel Peace Laureates available for interview include: Leymah Gbowee, Liberia (language: English): Leymah united women across Liberia in a non-violence movement that lead to the end of the Liberian civil war. She is a trained trauma counsellor and outspoken activist activist against sexual violence as a tool of war.
– Her specialist topics include: peace-building in Liberia, reconciliation, trauma, counselling, and the impact of armed conflict on women in Liberia.
– She is delivering the keynote plenary at the Summit alongside William Hague and Angelina Jolie.
Jody Williams, USA (language: English/Spanish): Jody is a disarmament expert whose leadership forged the first global treaty banning landmines in 1997. She can also speak from the perspective of a survivor – in the 1980s she survived a politically motivated sexual attack by a member of El Salvador’s notorious death squad.Her specialist topics including sexual violence and disarmament.
Tawakkol Karman, Yemen (languages: English/Arabic): Tawakkol is known as the Mother of the Revolution for her role to promote the safety and participation of women in peacebuilding processes in Yemen.
– Her specialist subject areas include nonviolent resistance in Yemen, documenting human rights abuses, supporting women journalists.
Shirin Ebadi, Iran (Language: Farsi): Shirin Ebadi, one of the first female judges in Iran, is a strong advocate for the rights of women, children and political prisoners.Her specialist subject areas including justice, political prisoners in Iran and Women’s Rights in Iran.
Survivors of sexual violence available for interview include:
Hania Moheeb, Egypt (language English/Arabic): Hania survived a brutal politically-motivated sexual assault in Tahrir Square, an experience that catapulted her into the role of outspoken activist for justice.
– Her specialist subject areas include sexual violence in Egypt, supporting women journalists and documenting and reporting gender-based violence.
Amanda Lindhout, Canada (language English): In 2008 while working as a journalist in Somalia, Amanda was kidnapped and held hostage for over a year, surviving brutal attacks of sexual violence.
– Her specialist areas include sexual violence in Somalia and sexual violence against women journalists.
Esperance Kavira, Democratic Republic of the Congo (language; French): After her own harrowing experience with sexual violence at the hands of armed forces in Eastern DRC, Esperance is now an outspoken activist who is fighting for justice.
– Her specialist areas include sexual violence in DRC, medical needs of GBV survivors in DRC, impact of armed conflict on Women in DRC. Jineth Bedoya Lima, Colombia (Languages: Spanish): Jineth is an influential war and conflict journalist from Colombia who was kidnapped, tortured and sexually abused in 2000. Today she continues to seek justice, an end to impunity and support for other women victims in Colombia through her campaign, It is not Time to Be Silenced.
– Her specialist areas include sexual violence in Colombia, Judicial reform, seeking justice for GBV survivors.
Valentina Rosendo Cantu, Mexico (languages, Spanish): Valentina is an indigenous woman who was accosted by 8 soldiers while she was washing in a creek, aged 17. She was then forced to endure a difficult journey to justice, which subsequently resulted in Mexico being ordered by the Inter-American Court to end the use of military justice in cases where soldiers commit crimes against civilians.
– Her specialist areas include sexual violence in Mexico, seeking justice for GBV survivors, and military abuse of human rights in Mexico
Wangu Kanja, Kenya (languages: English): Carjacked and brutally assaulted, Wangu Kanja resiliently rose above her trauma and now supports survivors of sexual violence to access medical, psychological and legal redress.
– Her specialist areas include sexual violence in Kenya, medical and legal needs of GBV survivors in Kenya, preventing sexual violence in Kenya

International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict

London. Five Nobel peace laureates will be leading a delegation of almost 90 activists – including sexual violence survivors, grassroots women’s leaders from conflict countries and actor Danai Gurira (“Walking Dead”)—attending the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in London from June 10-13.
The delegation is organised by the International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict, the first and only global network of civil society organizations working to end sexual violence. This 700-member strong network brings together legal, medical and protection experts, as well as service providers and advocates.
“We applaud the UK’s leadership in bringing governments together to build stronger political will for ending sexual violence,” says Jody Williams, Nobel peace laureates and co-chair of the International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict. “This is a turning point in our decades-long struggle as civil society to stop rape and other forms of sexual violence—and to address the urgent needs of survivors and communities directly affected by sexual violence in conflict.”
Williams (USA) will be accompanied to the Summit by her sister Nobel peace laureates Leymah Gbowee (Liberia), Tawakkol Karman (Yemen), Shirin Ebadi (Iran) and Rigoberta Menchu Tum (Guatemala).
The Nobel peace laureates, along with US actor Danai Gurira, will be hosting two key events at the Summit:
· Wednesday, June 11, 18h30 – 20h30: Beauty in the Middle: Women of Congo Speak Out, a multi-media exhibit with images by award-winning photographer Pete Muller and featuring the voices the women of Congo speaking about their work through films by Artefact Creative.
· Thursday, June 12, 12h30 – 13h15: Launch of Survivors United for Action, the first-ever global network of sexual violence survivors focused on rape & gender violence in conflict.

 

New report: Advancing gender equality in decision-making in media organisations

Women hold only 22 % of strategic decision-making posts in the public media and only 12 % in the private media organisations in the EU-27– as the research of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) shows. ‘Increased number of women in the decision-making structures of media organisations would bring social justice, better use of talents and innovative decisions. It would also improve media content.’ – says Virginija Langbakk, Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).EIGE’s new report ‘Advancing gender equality in decision-making in media organisations presents for the first time reliable and comparable EU-wide data on women and men in decision making in the media sector. The report will support policymakers and all relevant institutions in their efforts to achieve gender equality.EIGE’s report points out that the organisational culture within media structures remains largely masculine, despite the fact that women considerably outnumber men in university-level education in this field and constitute nearly half the workforce within the media industry. Women continue to be significantly underrepresented in decision-making structures, both at operational levels as senior managers and at strategic levels, as chief executive officers and board members of major media organisations across the EU Member States.There is a significant difference between the private and public media sectors. In public media organisations the ratio of women to men occupying strategic decision-making position is only 1 in 5, whereas in private media organisations it decreases to only 1 in 10. Within the decision-making boards of media organisations women represent only 25% of all members.Internal equality policies for gender balance in decision makingDespite the fact that organisations implementing gender equality policies and measures are more likely to have a higher proportion of women in strategic decision-making positions, EIGE’s research shows that gender-equality plans, diversity policies and codes of conduct exist only in around a quarter of the surveyed media organisations. Only few organisations have formal mechanisms in place to monitor their gender equality policies. Sixteen percent of the surveyed organisations have a committee responsible for equality-policy issues, 14 % have an equality/diversity officer and 9 % an equality/diversity department. In general, public media organisations are more likely than private ones to have a gender equality policy, code or measure in place.Self-regulation has been the main strategy for the media industry. ‘Many politicians have been reluctant to take action concerning gender equality in the media because there is a risk that it could be seen as a form of censorship or a way of limiting freedom of expression, if the media industry becomes more regulated. On the other hand, it is time to think whose freedom of expression is being protected or hampered. Until now news agendas have been mostly about men for men.’ says Dr Maria Edstrm, expert on women and the media from the University of Gothenburg.More women in the media – to shape gender-equal society
Based on EIGE’s report, the Council of the European Union has adopted conclusions on ‘Advancing Women’s Roles as Decision-Makers in the Media’ and took note of the first indicators for monitoring the implementation of the area of Women and the Media of the Beijing Platform for Action within the EU Member States.In line with the findings presented in EIGE’s report, the Council calls on the Member States and the European Commission to take active measures to foster gender equality at all levels, including women’s advancement in decision-making roles in the media industry. The Council also calls for enhancing awareness of gender equality within the media sector and the exchange of good practices between Member States in this area, which will support the process of achieving a gender-equal society.

Equal Opportunities for Men and Women

Istanbul Achievinggender equality can help support economic development and prosperity in the countries of Emerging Europe and Central Asia, says a new World Bank report, “Opportunities for Men and Women: Emerging Europe and Central Asia”, released today in Istanbul. Governments can address gender gaps by facilitating women’s entry into the labor market, adopting educational reforms, and addressing health disparities.The new report reviews the performance of men and women during the last decade in three spheres: human capital, labor markets, and entrepreneurship, and examines a range of issues pertaining to men’s and women’s economic opportunities.“During much of the last century, Emerging Europe and Central Asian countries surpassed those in other regions in establishing the equal treatment of women and men,” said Sarosh Sattar, World Bank Senior Economist and the main author of the report. “In the past, the governments in the region allocated substantial resources toward health and education of both men and women, provided child care services, and adopted gender-blind labor legislation. But, as our new report shows, the region’s advantage in gender equality has eroded, and the region now looks more similar to the rest of the world. This has happened because the rest of the world is catching up, critical services such as child care have been significantly cut back, and some new gender disparities have emerged in the region.”The report finds three areas of gender inequality in the Emerging Europe and Central Asiaregion:
First, there are gender gaps in health and tertiary education in the economies of the region. In health, men are dying too young in some countries, such as Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine. In other countries, such as in the South Caucasus, there are unusually low numbers of girls being born. Up to 16 percent more boys than girls are born in the South Caucasus, an imbalance second only to China and India. In education, relative parity exists among men and women at the primary and secondary level, but gender gaps emerge at the tertiary level with not enough men attending universities. There are also large gender gaps in basic school enrollment rates for minority groups such as Roma children.Second, the structural changes in the economies of the region have opened up economic and employment opportunities for women and reduced some avenues of prosperity for men. The growth of the services sector and the shrinkage of the manufacturing sector have created job opportunities for women while reducing some high paying jobs for men. Despite this, women’s earnings are on average about 20 percent less than those of men, though the gender gap in wages varies significantly across countries in the region.
Third, the dramatic demographic changes in the region have different implications for men and women. The region’s population is aging and fewer children are being born, which will result in a shrinking labor force and increasing vulnerability to old age poverty. Between 2009 and 2025, the share of the population above 60 will rise sharply, from 15 to 25 percent of the population, and women will constitute 57 percent of this age group. The challenge is to increase labor participation rates for both men and women, at the same time as protecting women’s ability to have children and provide them with good quality care.
To address the existing gender disparities and achieve equal economic opportunities for men and women in the region, the report makes the following policy recommendations:
Women’s greater labor force participation is important, especially in the context of growing demographic challenges. Measures are needed to facilitate women’s entry into the labor force, such as better child care, more sensible maternity leave policies, and closing the gender gap in retirement age.
Improving the quality of education and reducing gender imbalances at the secondary and tertiary levels are essential to increase productivity and close existing wage gaps.
Addressing the pockets of health disparities that remain in individual countries of the region is important. Comprehensive national agendas and delivery of specific programs are needed to reduce maternal mortality rates, increase male life expectancy, and address the imbalance in the sex ratio.

Governo immobile su occupazione femminile

«Abbiamo sbagliato tutti a criticare la battuta sessista di Berlusconi in campagna elettorale quando, rivolgendosi a una ragazza preoccupata per la drammatica situazione del lavoro femminile, le ha consigliato: ‘Sposi il figlio di un miliardario’. Abbiamo sbagliato a pensare che fosse una battuta: in realtà era il programma di Governo, come dimostra l’immobilismo dell’Esecutivo su questo fronte. I dati pubblicati dal Global gender gap report 2010 del World Economic Forum, e ripresi solo da pochi organi di informazione in Italia, indicano addirittura un peggioramento rispetto al passato. L’Italia si piazza al 74esimo posto della classifica dal 72esimo del 2009 e dal 67esimo del 2008.  In particolare ci penalizza l’accesso e le opportunità delle donne nel mondo del lavoro. In questo ambito l’Italia scende addirittura al 95esimo posto su un panel di 134 paesi dell’ultimo rapporto. A questo punto mi aspetto una presa d’atto del fallimento da parte del Governo e una maggiore disponibilità a esaminare le proposte per l’occupazione femminile che giacciono in Parlamento». Così Alessia Mosca, deputato del Pd, segretario della Commissione Lavoro e vice presidente di TrecentoSessanta, l’Associazione che fa riferimento a Enrico Letta.

Festival internazionale sulle identità

Bologna dal 30 ottobre al 6 novembre 2010 Gender Bender – il Festival internazionale sulle identità promosso da Il Cassero, gay lesbian center di Bologna – dedica la 8° edizione alla Popstar e a quelle icone della musica Pop che hanno segnato profondamente gli immaginari culturali e sessuali degli ultimi sessant’anni. Dal 2003 Gender Bender ricerca in ambito internazionale quegli artisti visivi, musicisti, registi cinematografici e teatrali, coreografi e scrittori che producono visioni e immaginari innovativi e costruttivi legati alle identità di genere maschile e femminile, alle differenze di orientamento sessuale e alla rappresentazione del corpo nella contemporaneità. In otto anni il Festival è diventato un evento culturale unico nel suo genere, grazie alla spiccata originalità della sua forma e all’acutezza con cui indaga le profonde trasformazioni sociali e i rapidi cambiamenti della cultura contemporanea. Da quattro anni Gender Bender è gemellato con Soggettiva, la rassegna di cultura lesbica contemporanea, curata e organizzata dall’associazione ArciLesbica Bologna.

Sexuality and Gender Law

New York The Columbia Law School Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic has urged the European Court of Human Rights to recognize and respond to intersectional discrimination, a form of discrimination based on an individual’s combination of characteristics, such as race and sex together, rather than on a single trait. The clinic submitted to the court a “third-party intervention,” a legal document similar to an amicus brief, in partnership with the Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE) Centre.The police forbade her, but not white women in the vicinity, from standing on the street, according to a press release from Women’s Link Worldwide, a women’s rights organization that helped Solomon initially pursue her case in Spain. When multiple Spanish courts dismissed her case, Solomon brought her case before the ECHR. Her plight highlights the discrimination that can occur at the intersections of race, sex, and social status, clinic students said.  The intervention shows that intersectional discrimination is a recognized form of discrimination within Europe and also highlights American and Canadian cases in which the courts have identified and responded to such discrimination.   “We hope our intervention will help prevent the injustices likely to result when courts use a single-ground approach to analyze a case that involves discrimination on multiple grounds,” noted Erin Meyer ’11.Columbia Law School’s Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic addresses cutting-edge issues in sexuality and gender law through litigation, legislation, public policy analysis and other forms of advocacy. Under the guidance of Professor Suzanne Goldberg, clinic students work on a wide range of projects, from constitutional litigation to legislative advocacy to immigration cases, to serve both individual and organizational clients in cases involving issues of sexuality and gender law: http://www.law.columbia.edu/sexuality-gender-law-clinic.

Human Rights

New York. The United Nations estimates more than six million girls and women are trafficked at any given time for forced labor or prostitution. Compounding that tragedy is the fact that it is often family members who actively exploit the children. Sent Away addresses the involvement of parents and other family members in sending young girls and women into the domestic and sexual slavery labor markets where they are kept out of school and subjected to harsh, degrading conditions. As the report shows, as with other forms of human trafficking, international laws and treaties prohibit this form of trafficking. In the ECHR case, Osman v Denmark, a 15-year-old Somali girl was trafficked from Denmark by her father. For four years, she was left unschooled and forced to work without pay as a servant in a Kenyan refugee camp. She now seeks to remain with her mother and siblings in Denmark. According to the U.S. State Department 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report, family members are often complicit in trafficking their daughters for the purpose of sex work or forced domestic labor, usually because the family needs money. As was true for Osman, trafficking disproportionately affects young girls, as families more readily give up daughters to perform domestic work than their sons. This trend stems largely from cultural expectations and stereotypes that girls do not deserve as high a level of education as boys, and that parents can treat their daughters as chattel. While the London-based AIRE Centre, which represents Osman, and the Columbia Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic view her case as involving intra-familial trafficking for the purposes of domestic servitude, the Danish Government has been unwilling to recognize it as such. Instead, Denmark argues Osman willingly left the country per her father’s request to perform domestic work for her grandmother, and then went to the Kenyan refugee camp. Sent Away emphasizes, however, that whether a child consents to being trafficked is irrelevant, as many treaties recognize that children are vulnerable and often submit to the will of their parents, no matter the circumstances. Columbia Law School’s Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic addresses cutting edge issues in sexuality and gender law through litigation, legislation, public policy analysis and other forms of advocacy. Under the guidance of Professor Suzanne Goldberg, clinic students work on a wide range of projects, from constitutional litigation to legislative advocacy to immigration cases, to serve both individual and organizational clients in cases involving issues of sexuality and gender law.