SCORA Americas: International Womens Day Report 2016

International Federation of Medical Students Associations

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY SCORA Americas Report 2016

Introduction This year in SCORA America's we've held one of the biggest activities ever in our region in terms of consultation for a fight of basic rights recognition for all american Women. During all the month of February, SCORAngels interviewed women to try to discuss about the access to rights and social perceptions on how rights should be granted in our daily basis.

All around the world we've seen that Gender-based violence kills and disables as many women between the ages of 15 and 44 as cancer. More often than not, perpetrators go unpunished.1 For this and many other reasons we wanted to deepen the debate and approximate medical students in the americas to women´s necessities and therefore get the information they needed to guide not only campaigns but evaluate and reform advocacy skills to fulfill these rights in their medical curricula/practice. 2

Methods NORAs developed a questionnaire to identify diverse aspects of violations to women's rights (according to CEDAW3 and APA4) . Questions selected fall under the health consequences 5that a health system faces when indicators of GBV rise. Taking into account that the factors exposed have been tested mainly in North America and Europe, our regional determinants were missing so the inclusion of questions about transgender women6 and family planning determinants were also included.

1

http://www.unfpa.org/resources/human-rights-women

2

http://www.who.int/gender/documents/GWH_curricula_web2.pdf

3

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/sconvention.htm

4

http://www.apa.org/about/policy/male-violence.aspx

5

http://www.health-genderviolence.org/guidance-for-health-care-professionals-in-strengthening-health-systemresponses-to-gender-based-vi-4 6

http://redlactrans.org.ar/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/La-Transfobia-en-America-Latina-y-el-Caribe.pdf

2

After the survey was collected and each NORA analyzed their data separately, we started to construct activities that fulfilled the results proposed as well as performing a mediatic campaign that accompanied the activities on the day.

Survey Results The survey had 783 responses from 8 different countries from which 733 approved consent to utilize in this investigation. 34% of participant women were caucasian followed by self defined latino women, afro descendants and indigenous and other ethnicity.

The vast majority of participants (76,4%) rely on the age between 21-28 y/o.

These are the most relevant results:

I believe all women should have equal health access as men.

3

I believe that in my country there are not inclusive policies for women

Women are human beings born only with female reproductive organs

4

I think I am treated differently in a hospital because I am a woman

If I am walking on the street, I feel very intimidated by the presence of a man because he might hurt me

5

I don't feel support from my peers in order to defend my rights

Result Analysis The results of the questions above demonstrate that there is an agreement on the social concept of a woman. By social determinants, this limits the definition of a woman as being directly determined by the genitalia with which the individual is born. We see a general concern in expanding the region’s view of gender and then analysing why there is rejection towards other types of definitions of women. Since the survey states that in most cases women are knowledgeable about their rights, then we identify that people are conscious that women’s rights exist but exclusively for cisgender women. Losing intersectionality in this case prevents us for having plurality in our advocacy strategies which marginalizes more vulnerable spheres in our contexts.

We can analyze from the second question that there is uncertainty about knowing if the legal framework in a certain country are adequate for all women living in it. This brings a concern for us because if we translate this situation to a medical context for example, there is a great chance that patients will not be able to recognise women’s rights violations in a health facility as it occurs in an obstetric violence context.

6

NMO Activities FEVESOCEM Venezuela

Campaña #NoTeCalles a nivel nacional

IFMSA - Perú "Empoderamiento femenino"

FIAEMMEX A.C. 1.- Letters to a Warrior 2.- Prevention is your choice 3.- Women Empowerment

7

En relación a las respuestas arrojadas por la encuesta que realizamos en . conjunto con toda SCORA Américas, en Venezuela el problema principal se baso en que las mujeres no sabían que leyes las estaban protegiendo y a que organismos podrían ir en caso de sufrir algún abuso, nuestra campaña a nivel nacional titulada #NoTeCalles, fue con la finalidad de lograr que las mujeres lucharan por tener su voz, y pudieran acceder a cualquier ente que las ayude en problemas y/o maltratos que hallan sufrido o esten sufriendo, por lo cual, en toda Venezuela se realizaron charlas informativas así como diferentes actividades en las cuales se interactuaba con todas y cada una de ellas para hacerles saber el pilar tan importante que competen en nuestra sociedad, y por lo cual no deben dejarse manipular ni agredir, ademas de esto si lo han sufrido a que organismos competentes deberían dirigirse

Todas las actividades tienen un concepto similar que es empoderar a la mujer en cuanto a sus conocimientos acerca de los exámenes preventivos que se debe realizar y a los derechos que éstas tienen.

También creímos conveniente enseñarles e informarles acerca de los números de ayuda en caso de violencia intra o extrafamiliar que fueran de su conocimiento. Además de mostrarles en un pequeño video creado por SCORP cuán valiosa es y será.

1. - This project is focused on give moral support to the patients with breast cancer by delivering letters made by the medical students or by general population, this letters include phrases of courage and support for this patients.

2. - This project is focused on deliver information about prevention and early

detection of breast cancer and cervical cancer by workshops, conferences and campaigns for the general population.

3. - This project is related to the women empowerment but we focused especially to gender violence, we made workshops and conferences that describe the types of violence that can occur and how to intervene in them.

8

IFMSA-Paraguay Interactúa por ella – interact for her

9

We did the activity in Asunción's downtown, in Palma street, a very crowded place. Other SC's helped in the organization (SCORP, SCOPH). We presented statistics about violence against women ("no more" campaign) in our country and helped to collect firms for the "He for she" campaign, and tell more about it. We also talked and gave some materials about HIV with the help of PRONASIDA.

IFMSA-Panamรก Valรณrala 2016 "Mujer haz valer tus Derechos" (advertising campaign)

Valorala: it was divided in 2 parts. The first part was on the street, where the students made a little drama representing the violence against women in relationships. Also They made interviews to people asking them about the topic. Everything was recorded.

The second part was the outcomes: the videos were presented to the participants of the activity and they presented their comments and their thinking about what happens in our country about the topic.

Mujer haz valer tus Derechos: it was an advertising campaign were we were looking for to teach people about the real meaning of this day, the fight, and what are the rights that women have in the world. These pictures were uploaded to our social networks.

Both activities were made with SCORP

10

AEMPPI Ecuador

Teen pregnancy: the two sides of the coin

This project aims to raise awareness the medical students about the public health problem that teen pregnancy is, but not only from a theoretical view, but also from a practical point. The project has 3 phases, the first one is a lecture about teen pregnancy and sexuality in the teenagers. The second part is a practical one, where the participants have to take care of a hypothetical son, in different scenarios. And the third part is the one in which the participants get related with teen moms, and have the opportunity to talk to them.

Finally we send an evaluation form. The project will be realise on the third week of April.

ASCEMCOL- - "My Commitment to Colombia Gender Equality" - "Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign" - "Commemoration of the Prominent Women in History"

"My Commitment to Gender Equity": It was held in public spaces from cities of Ibague, Manizales and Armenia. Murals in which people transiting the area should put their commitment to a world with gender equity was performed. We reached around 200 people.

"Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign": It took place in a community center in the city of Ibague. A workshop in which community leaders learned to identify early clinical signs of breast cancer was performed. Approximately 50 people attended.

"Commemoration of the Prominent Women in History": Biography and a photo of women featured in the story was printed. Then, a gallery so people could read about them and know their contributions to gender equity was performed. The gallery was visited by about 50 people from Manizales city.

11

Note From Regional Assistant: Greetings from Tropical Scenarios!

I am so thankful for the participation of all our region this year in this wonderful campaign. I really enjoyed having a deeper perspective into womens needs in the region. I give a special shoutout to the participants of this year’s RM because it was there where we ere able to brainstorm everything that we made in this campaign. Te experience was tough because as a region we were pioneers on modifying the typical methodology of making projects and passed to be more socially determined wich was gratifying and awesome at the same time. I hope all SCORAngels that participated learned about gender equality and respect towards womens rights.

Lots of Hugs, Carlos

12

Special Thanks to: Carles Pericas Escalé- SCORA Director (2015-2016) Ignacia Alvarez Argaluza- Americas Regional Director (2015- 2016) Filipe Levy – SCORP RA for the Americas (2015-2016) Joel Rondon- America’s General Assistant (2015-2016) IWD Americas Team American NORAs and SCORAngels

All the women that have to stand up each day and fight for their rights in the street

13

Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.

-Rosa Luxembourg

14