International Women's Day 2023

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023

MASTHEAD CEO & PUBLISHER ANA C. ROLD

SPECIAL SERIES EDITOR JEREMY FUGLEBERG

MANAGING EDITOR SHANE SZARKOWSKI

SPECIAL SERIES EDITOR WINONA ROYLANCE

SPECIAL SERIES EDITOR KELLY R. BAILEY

MULTIMEDIA MANAGER WHITNEY DEVRIES

ART DIRECTOR MARC GARFIELD

BOOK REVIEWER JOSHUA HUMINSKI

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD ANDREW M. BEATO FUMBI CHIMA DANTE A. DISPARTE KERSTIN EWELT

SIR IAN FORBES LISA GABLE GREG LEBEDEV ANITA MCBRIDE

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS JUDIT ARENAS KELLY RYAN BAILEY HOLLY BIRKETT NINA CHALA MERCY CHEPKIRUI LAGAT DANIELLE DE LA FUENTE CYNTHIA HANSEN AILEEN IONESCU-SOMERS PATRICE JUAH OLENA LAZORENKO

NICOLE MONGE VONGAI NYAHUNZVI BETH RUDDEN YUSTINA SALEH WINGEE SAMPAIO CHANDRA SANDERS JAMILA-AISHA SANGUILA LE SEN ANGEL MARIE YSIK

Copyright © by Diplomatic Courier/Medauras Global Publishing 2023. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Medauras Global and Diplomatic Courier.

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I N TER N ATI O N AL W O MEN’S DAY I M ARC H 2023

Welcome

Ana C. Rold Publisher & CEO

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verything I learned about how to run my business I learned from my mother. She is brilliant at budgeting and coordinating complex processes, she is an amazing host beloved by everyone, humble, forgiving, disciplined, and above all, kind. These very attributes are the ones I work hard to espouse when leading my own team and company.

And the reason I even have a successful business at all is because of my mother.

My mother isn’t a CEO or what would be considered nowadays a “thought leader.” Having fled Communism in Albania in the early 90s, she mostly worked modest and menial jobs despite being college educated and speaking multiple languages. She did what she had to do to raise a family in exile. And when the time came for me to have children of my own, my mom became the CEO of my household so that I could be a globe-trotting thought leader and CEO of my company. So, when people marvel at how I manage to “have it all” I point to my secret weapon, my mother. (My husband is also an amazing partner but he knows this column is not about him!)

At work, my business partner Kelly Ryan Bailey is another mother I admire. It’s not just that we have shared values and experiences as parents that make our work together so seamless. It’s that we are each other’s cheerleaders in a way only mothers can be. Frankly speaking— no disrespect to my other wonderful staff and teammates—I love working with mothers and parents in general.

They have a special type of skillset that is not often recognized in the workplace that helps you navigate challenges in a different way. No crisis is insurmountable when a parent is tasked with the solution.

Parents are just built that way. Which is why I despair when I hear that it is parenthood—and especially motherhood— and by proxy lack of childcare that sets some women back in the workplace.

Employers don’t always realize the unique skillset mothers bring to the workplace, (although some are starting to, and those that do have a huge advantage). When we hear of studies and research about how much childcare alone can contribute to the success of a business and society at large, I am perplexed at why it’s taken so long to recognize.

As our readers know, we dedicate a special edition to International Women’s Day each March 8. This year is no different and I am proud to present an edition completely authored by women from around the world—each one is someone I deeply admire. We tackle issues that are not just important to women but that are important to society. And so, I’d like to dedicate this special edition to our wonderful contributors and to my mom. Happy International Women’s Day!

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Contents

I N T ER N ATI O N AL W O MEN’S DAY I MARC H 2023

Illustration by Midjourney.

05 I Welcome: An Ode to Mothers By: Ana C. Rold

08 I Women Can Save Each Other and the World By: Beth Rudden, Cynthia Hansen, Patrice Juah, Dr. Yustina Saleh, Kelly Ryan Bailey & Chandra Sanders

14 I Women’s Civil Society Leadership During Russia’s Invasion By: Drs. Nina Chala & Olena Lazorenko

18 I Does the World Recognize That Women Hold Up Half the Sky? By: Judit Arenas & Nicole Monge

20 I Gender Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa is Also Digital By: Mercy Chepkirui Lagat

22 I Embracing Intentionality to Support Women Impact Entrepreneurs By: Aileen Ionescu-Somers & Wingee Sampaio

26 I Left Out but Ready to Engage, Minority Girls in Cambodia By: Le Sen

28 I The Invisible Struggle for a Better Tomorrow By: Danielle De La Fuente

30 I Localization Only Succeeds if Women and Girls are at the Center By: Vongai Nyahunzvi

32 I Women Can Help Prevent Violent Extremism in the Philippines By: Jamila-Aisha Sanguila

36 I Asian Women Inspiring Others to Become Sheroes By: Angel Marie Ysik

38 I Getting More Fathers to Take on Caring Responsibilities By: Dr. Holly Birkett

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Photo via Adobe Stock.

Women Can Save Each Other and the World

By Beth Rudden Cynthia Hansen Patrice Juah Dr. Yustina Saleh Kelly Ryan Bailey Chandra Sanders

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I used to tell stories and anecdotes like this to women in my global company, and I would hear the distinct sound of their hitched breath.

It shocked my friends and proteges worldwide–from India to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, New York, and Louisiana. They would tell me privately that they thought I was courageous for saying such things on a worldwide stage. But I had learned something–by sharing my own story, I showed my female colleagues that they are seen and that they have a safe place to tell their own stories.

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n 2010, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave a talk in Canada and said something that helped me recognize that I have a certain kind of privilege–and a certain kind of power–that I didn’t see before. The Dalai Lama told the crowd that he is a feminist, and that as a feminist he believes that women from the Western world have the power to come to the rescue of the world at large. For me, that meant sharing painful stories with my women colleagues around the world to make it easier for them to do the same.

At my first job, I had to wear pantyhose, and my boss at the jewelry store checked my adherence to the rule by running his hand down my leg every time I clocked in. The sick feeling of unease this gave me is known to girls and women of all ages. The knowing that it was wrong but not having the knowledge or the power to change it and worse, feeling that it was somehow my fault. I put up with this for many reasons, but mostly because I was 18 in college and needed the extra money. They also allowed me to bring my index study cards, but I had to keep them hidden and was not allowed to bring in any books. Message received—pretty girls did not need to be reading.

The following is a set of perspectives gathered through the collective wisdom of women around the world. These perspectives showcase the cognitive dissonance felt every day by women who work–and often thrive–in contexts that don’t necessarily invite them to succeed and often reward them for staying small and quiet and “good”. These are also love letters to those women who, unseen and unsung, champion other women by pushing for systemic change, often at significant risk to themselves and their families.

-Beth Rudden *****

Don’t Despise Small Beginnings Chandra’s Story

Ten years ago, while I was working as a full time employee at Louisiana State University and raising two beautiful girls, I also owned a Mommy & Me boutique in a small community in southern Louisiana.

As a mom, I always had a passion for positively impacting other moms and women.

Although my impact was local to a small INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023 | 9

town in Louisiana at the time, it was very meaningful. In fact, it was the start of an amazing journey that would eventually allow my impact to span across the country and beyond. It was an essential piece of the journey that led me to The Mom Project and beyond.

Everything I have been through–each job that I’ve had, every challenge I’ve faced–has allowed me to be a source of inspiration in the lives of the many women I connect with on a daily basis.

As the Vice President of RISE at The Mom Project, I am thrilled to lead an initiative that helps other moms and women of color gain access to greater economic opportunities. I started my career as a high school Spanish teacher and strategically pivoted, multiple times, in order to get access to economic opportunity and to the life that I’d been dreaming of. I moved from Louisiana to Silicon Valley to find greater economic opportunities for me and my family and now, with RISE, I can create the same opportunities for other women without forcing them to move across the country. *****

Searching for Identity and Agency Yustina’s Story

I was never really able to put a finger on my identity. I never really fit. I was born in Austin, Texas, but lived most of my childhood and early professional career in Cairo, Egypt.

There, I was always accused of being “too liberal,” “too westernized,” “too emboldened,” 10 | D I PLOM AT I C COU RIE R

even as I strove to dress on the more modest and conservative side compared to my colleagues. I was 24 and alone when I moved to New York City with only two pieces of luggage–one filled with clothing and the other with my most treasured possessions, my books. I soon understood that I didn’t fit in here, either. But then I realized something–neither did any woman or any person in NYC. We were all misfits, and we were proud of it. I am still proud of it.

By some kind of coincidence, I found myself at the head of the Labor Market Information division for the State of New Jersey, managing a team of 65 people, only to become 100 as the Great Recession took us all by surprise. With this sudden onslaught of responsibility, I discovered within myself a power and a voice for transformation that I didn’t know I had. I pushed for a new paradigm for workforce development. That paradigm became a foundation for all workforce development within the state.

I could do this because I take pride in not fitting in. Not only am I a woman, but I have an accent and look different from others in most rooms. Colleagues at times would comment on my impatience, the impossibility of doing what I was doing, or even make snarky comments about how I approach scientific methodology (choosing value and meaning, at times, over statistical rigor). In response, I smile. Rather than feeling self doubt, I feel more emboldened.

And I won’t stop.

As a mostly Western woman, the best thing I can offer is compassion and a willingness to see the power of each unique story without imposing my own values. I live my life connecting with the stories of others, breaking stereotypes about how women like me should look and act in the tech industry, and providing the same agnosticism to every woman I meet, no matter how she looks or dresses. I soak their beauty in, and continue to inspire and get inspired. *****

I N TER N ATI O N AL W O MEN’S DAY I M ARC H 2023

So I quit, even though I had no other jobs lined up and no financial safety net in place. I was left with extreme burnout and little in my favor but a gut feeling that somehow I would figure out how to help make sure other women–including my daughters–never had to be treated this way.

Work-Life Balance Means Something Different Kelly’s Story

It all started with the need to keep my job and financially support my family…all while pregnant, on 10 weeks of hospital bed rest, and with only a Blackberry to work on. By the time my original full-time role was offered to me again, it was three years later–I now had two children, and was making “too much” money in the commission-only role I’d been forced to agree to in order to keep my job.

The startup I worked for did not offer paid maternity leave. When my two daughters were each born a full month early, I only had two months of state disability payments to supplement my family’s income. Then, when my son was born, there were complications with the c-section and I could only afford to take three weeks of maternity leave. My fulltime role required a lot of travel, so I had to pump in airport bathrooms and dingy office closets with no locks. It was devastating every time airport security confiscated my breast milk or when it would spoil because I couldn’t find refrigeration.

Between being unable to afford childcare, working while my babies were sleeping, and traveling with IV medication during my highrisk pregnancies, I was reaching the end of my rope. I was working harder and harder to keep up with my growing family all while striving to prove my worth to my employers. My life was exhausting, but it was also exhausting to see women, myself included, get passed over for promotions and raises all while working themselves to death.

I started by helping other moms find remote work that could be done while their children were in school. I helped them craft resumes that take into account the skills they learned while running a household and taking care of their children. Eventually, I had the opportunity to get involved with national and international initiatives–like the Girl Scouts, Mother’s Monday, and Careforce–in which I was able to empower young girls, working parents, policymakers, and those creating new technology solutions with the goal of massive societal change that positively impacts all women. *****

Sexy Like A Book: Saying YES to Girls’ Education Patrice’s Story

Growing up during the Liberian civil war, books became my best friends, thanks to the encouragement of my mother and older sister.

These books were my safe haven. They introduced me to a world beyond the horrors of my tiny shores. They took me to places like Italy’s lush vineyards, bustling Lagos, Paris’ L’Avenue des Champs Élysées the fashionladen Manhattan streets, and South Africa’s Johannesburg. In these places there was no sound of guns, and I could bond with charINTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023 | 11

acters experiencing things I’d yet to imagine, let alone see.

out and ignite that bookish spark in a girl today, because…

These are fond memories, but in reality I was a child in a conflict zone who–like many girls today–was faced with barriers in many aspects of my life, especially education. These experiences ignited my passion for writing and for storytelling. They further inspired me to follow my mother’s footsteps to become an educator and try to address some of the educational barriers faced by women and girls in conflict and post-conflict societies.

Every girl has the power to rise above limitations.

The end of Liberia’s civil war brought in a new era with the election of Africa’s first female president. In 2006 I took on a new role as well, that of Miss Liberia. As my nation grappled with challenges brought on by the civil war and its reconstruction, Miss Liberia was more than a title for me. While it posed unique challenges, it was also a call to serve my country (in an ambassadorial role) and people (by championing issues impacting girls).

Among those issues is access to secondary education. Around 129 million girls around the world are unable to attend school, according to a 2022 UNICEF report. Finding ways to engage and support these girls on their education journey is more critical than ever.

Every girl has a voice; the strength and will, To lead To rise To stand up and represent a greater purpose in her community.

Every girl has the power to rewrite her story.

Every girl has the power to dream beyond boundaries and borders.

Every girl has the power to be more than what society envisages for her.

Every girl’s voice can shape and change narratives.

Girls have the power! *****

This is why I launched initiatives like the Martha Juah Educational Foundation, which helps bring education resources to girls in rural Liberia, and Sexy Like A Book. The latter is an initiative designed to improve girls’ perspectives on education and literacy and provide them with the confidence and skills they need to make informed decisions and become socially conscious young leaders.

These initiatives say “YES” to books, scholarships, and other resources for girls who need help to achieve their educational dreams. But we can all do more, and as we observe International Women’s Day, we should also challenge one another to find more ways to say “YES” to advancing the rights of women and girls.

I was given the chance to dream and transcend the realities of my world, and am committed to doing this for the next generation.

I urge all women to also say “YES,” to reach 12 | D I PLOM AT I C COU RIE R

Anyone Can be Anything Cynthia’s Story

I have no birth certificate, and therefore no exact proof of precisely where or when I was born. As a girl born in South Korea at the beginning of the 1970s, I could have been limited by this sense of alienation. Instead, it has been liberating. Ever since I can remember, I

I N TER N ATI O N AL W O MEN’S DAY I M ARC H 2023

believed I could be anything I wanted to be.

I was adopted as an infant from South Korea and moved to the U.S., where I grew up in a multicultural, multi-ethnic family. My parents are both White and my sister, who is also adopted, is Black. In retrospect, this was highly unusual in the 70’s and speaks strongly of the open-mindedness and openheartedness of my parents. Rather than feeling unrooted due to my confusing upbringing, I was grounded in an environment of inclusiveness, equity, intellectual curiosity, and international engagement.

We moved frequently during my childhood, often to small towns in the U.S. that were predominantly White. In high school, I was constantly mistaken for any one of the other five or six Asian girls. “Oh, I know your sister,” they would tell me, referring to one of the other Asian students with whom I had no familial relation at all. But it didn’t bother me. My parents had given both my sister and me a strong sense of home and belonging–we felt connected to one another and to the world at large.

As an adult, I have continued this itinerant lifestyle, making my home in different countries and continents while finding work across different sectors and industries. As a parent, now, of both a daughter and a son, I think about how important the things my parents gave me were: home, roots, mindset, and identity. I am a mother, wife, daughter, executive, expat, community member, and a dozen other things that pull me in a dozen different directions.

I can be anything, but I cannot be everything.

The best I can do is weave together the things about which I care the most.

Social equity is one of those things. Crafting the work of the Innovation Foundation, as a Social Innovation Lab, has let me zeroin on the needs of people who face barriers to employment. Working with young mothers in Mexico to create pathways into work helps them keep their children nearby and safe, a luxury that my birth mother may not have had. Helping blue collar women in Spain come back after career breaks lets me show

my daughter that caring responsibilities do not have to mean an exit from work.

Most women don’t have a voice when it comes to the world of work. Mostly, we are struggling just to remain in the labor force, or even to enter it in the first place. As a woman who is intimately familiar with these barriers, I love that I’m able to work collaboratively with other women to create real change from the ground up.

Being from nowhere and anywhere is liberating because family and home are things that can be created—not only born into. Ultimately, it means that anyone can be anything.

Women at Risk, Women to the Rescue Our stories don’t encapsulate the deadliest of the tough battles women and girls fight every day in various parts of the world. Yet we have shared them anyway, in the hope that we can shine a spotlight on issues women continue to face today. We also want to raise awareness of some of the resources available for assistance and organizations that are fighting for our rights and those of future generations. ***** About the authors: Beth Rudden is founder and CEO of Bast.ai.

Cynthia Hansen is Managing Director of the Innovation Foundation.

Patrice Juah is the founder of the Martha Juah Educational Foundation.

Dr. Yustina Saleh is Managing Director, Innovation Solutions at The Burning Glass Institute.

Kelly Ryan Bailey is Chief Innovation Officer and special series editor at Diplomatic Courier.

Chandra Sanders is Vice President of RISE - The Mom Project.

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Illustration by Midjourney.

Women’s Civil Society Leadership During Russia’s Invasion

By Drs. Nina Chala & Olena Lazorenko

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U

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kraine’s civil society has long worked to counter Russia’s aggression against Ukraine–since before Russia’s full-scale military invasion one year ago. Volunteers, NGOs, charities, and citizen activists have all been working together to counter this aggression and build a better future.

It is a difficult fight. Russia’s invasion has significantly worsened the socioeconomic, psychological, and security institutions throughout the country. Yet it is a fight that Ukraine, and its civil society, continues to face. For Ukraine’s civil society, the leadership of women has been a key part of its resilience.

Ukrainian Civil Society Responses to the Challenges of the War

By February 2022, most civil society organizations (CSOs) in Ukraine had strategic plans in place for the year. All of those plans were upended with the start of a full-scale war. The chaos that ensued was made worse for CSOs with forced evacuations, casualties, property destruction, and mounting stress along the way. During times of war, CSOs are especially vulnerable–more so than the business world or government institutions. Yet Ukraine’s CSOs continue to actively work for the good of Ukraine despite these challenges.

Problems brought about by this war are especially complex, as Ukraine often lacks not only resources but also the institutional capacities to enact solutions. Amid the chaos of conflict and these shortages, civil society is responsible for ensuring the government can continue to operate. Ukraine’s civil society has had to be resilient in the face of these challenges to ensure: •

The state can continue to perform its normal functions.

•

That the state is prepared for various aspects of the war.

•

That the state has appropriately developed algorithms responding to crises arising as consequence of the war.

Clearly, civil society is responsible for far more than the development of analytical documents. In addition, civil society includes thousands of grassroots initiatives that, often, have not been institutionalized.

These grassroots initiatives have been a critical part of quality decision making by fragmented social groups during martial law and other emergency situations.

Sustainability has been a key focus of women leaders in Ukraine.

They have worked to build partnerships and coalitions, leveraging their networks and resources to promote long-term solutions to the challenges posed by the war and post-war recovery, in particular adult learning.

During these periods, decisions that can equitably and effectively consider the needs of disparate social groupings are the most valuable. While this means CSOs have been a key part of Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion, they will also have a critical role to play in post-war recovery. Ukraine’s civil society will be needed to help form the country’s agenda both during and after war time.

For now, Ukrainian CSOs have been faced with unique new tasks and challenges, forcing them to adapt. Some CSO members have been stranded in hostile areas, others have had to flee the country. Property and lives have been lost. Needs of the state and social groups have changed. Yet a recent survey conducted by the Educational and Analytical Centre for Community Development indicates that almost 50% of CSOs in Ukraine continued their work despite the full-scale invasion, and 60% submitted new non-profit projects.

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Women have played a critical leadership role in many CSOs as they struggle to adapt and be resilient to the challenges posed by Russia’s invasion.

Women’s Leadership During War Time During active conflict, civil society remains primarily focused on supporting the military, helping those who are displaced or injured, and the general security situation.

Less attention is paid to more traditional realms such as education, science, and civil activities. While this is understandable, it remains important to continue work that supports Ukraine’s socio-cultural context. One Ukrainian CSO which is looking to continue carrying out socio-cultural analytical and advocacy activities is the women-led NGO League of Professional Women (LPW). The challenges faced by LPW are illustrative to those faced by other Ukrainian CSOs. Like many CSOs in Ukraine, LPW was forced to close its offices early in the invasion and seek to relocate its people and resources to safer spaces, but employees were scattered around and outside of Ukraine. An internal energy crisis due to Russian shelling of infrastructure meant that even remote work was a real challenge. So like other CSOs, LPW had to not only pivot its activities to meet changing requirements amid the war, but also to regain the capacity to operate at all. Thus, LPW’s early tasks were: •

Recovering operational capacity.

•

Developing new and reinforcing old partnerships in Ukraine and abroad.

•

Recovering capacity for analytical and advocacy activities.

LPW outlined how it met these challenges here. To share best practice for other CSOs, while disseminating information through other channels such as webinars and video presentations. LPW’s leadership, recovery, and resilience have been on display for the past year, an experience which proves the 16 | D I PLOM AT I C COURIE R

importance of character in its leadership and in its broader (in this case composed of women) network. This resilience has allowed LPW to continue providing critical civil society services such as this policy paper on adult learning, which helped inform a currently under-consideration draft law.

Sustainability has also been a key focus of women leaders in Ukraine. They have worked to build partnerships and coalitions, leveraging their networks and resources to promote long-term solutions to the challenges posed by the war and postwar recovery, in particular adult learning.

In conclusion, the role of women leadership and the resilience of civil society in Ukraine’s response to Russia’s invasion highlights the critical importance of these factors in maintaining a stable and resilient society in the face of significant challenges. By continuing to support and empower women leaders and organizations, it will be possible to move to post-war recovery and build a brighter future for Ukraine and its people. ***** About the authors: Dr. Olena Lazorenko is the Senior Researcher at H. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine & President of Ukrainian NGO “League of Professional Women” in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Dr. Nina Chala is Head of the Centre for Analytics and Business Modelling of Sustainable Development, Professor at the Marketing and Business Management Department, Faculty of Economic Sciences, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

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Does the World Recognize That Women Hold Up Half the Sky? Illustration by Midjourney.

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By Judit Arenas & Nicole Monge

oes the world recognize that women hold up half the sky? One wouldn’t think so. Last year, overnight, women in the U.S. woke up only to realize that the Supreme Court had wiped away rights to bodily autonomy they had held with the sweep of a pen—or a computer in this case.

as previous battles for women’s rights had been fought by feminist and the women’s movement, this time CEOs were being asked for their personal take. We saw an unprecedented number of companies and CEOs speak up and take a stance on the issue, with some women CEOs sharing their stories of their own abortions.

Yet, as tragic and backward as the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision was, it undeniably served as a wake-up call for what is at stake for women’s rights, including reproductive justice, and not just in the U.S. but worldwide. And companies were caught right in the middle—not just from an advocacy perspective, but also a talent one as potential employees consider job options around state abortion laws. Where-

Women’s Leadership Under Fire

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Beyond the C-suite, in the U.S. women engaged politically at a greater rate than before. The month after the Dobbs decision, the number of women registering to vote in the midterm elections rose by 35% in 10 states that share voter registration data, according to one analysis.

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While the prospect of greater civic engagement has to be welcomed, the path to women’s leadership in politics is clearly uphill. Despite evidence that the performance of women leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic was A+, according to the Reykjavik Index for Leadership that measures the perceived legitimacy of women’s suitability to lead, there was no improvement of the perception of female leadership across the G7 countries, in fact in the U.S. the score dropped by almost 10 points.

The same study pointed to a downward trend in acceptance of female business leaders. Even more troubling, women are prejudiced against women as leaders (but men are more so), and young people are more prejudiced than their parents against women as leaders. Against this backdrop, it’s not surprising that leaders like Jacinda Arden decide to end her term of “strong and compassionate” leadership.

Arden became a beacon of hope and a role model to many when she became the world’s youngest female head of government in 2017 at the age of 37. She led New Zealand through the pandemic and the Christchurch attacks. Yet she became the target of online gendered violence and disinformation. The Te Pūnaha Matatini disinformation project, which monitors misinformation and online extremism, found that the level of violent rhetoric against the prime minister had risen exponentially in recent years noting that “The vocabulary … has migrated from implicit and elusive references to her murder, assassination and rape now to explicit calls for it.”

Online abuse against politicians is often thought of as the inevitable cost of being in the public eye, but women appear to be disproportionately targeted by online abuse and disinformation attacks. As the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Khan, has noted: “Women journalists, politicians, human rights defenders and feminist activists are targets of vicious, coordinated online attacks. The objective is to intimidate, silence and drive them off the platforms and out of public life.”

But There is Reason for Optimism Despite the gloom, there are reasons to be optimistic and maybe the world is indeed realizing that women do hold up half the sky.

The personal and economic productivity agendas have collided with the coming of age of care. The care burden, for instance, falls predominantly on women and has for a long time been a hidden burden. Today, the care burden is now very clearly at the center of the economic agenda. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 16.4 billion hours a day are spent in unpaid care work, 9% of global GDP—twice as much as GDP for the worldwide agricultural sector. It seems that everyone now is publicly grappling with the balancing act of work and child/elderly care. Tackling care is a no-brainer: not only does it support women in the economy, but meeting these needs could create almost 300 million jobs by 2035.

There is a marked increase in gendered health, wealth, and wellbeing with recognition that women’s health, including in menopause treatment and pleasure, require not just the science but the dollars to back them. Gender lens investing and women’s funds are increasing.

But the greatest beacons of hope are the brave women and girls who are out in the streets. From the women in Afghanistan who have braved the wrath of the Taliban as opportunities and rights are taken away from them, to the women who have protested in Iran. ***** About the authors: Judit Arenas is Executive Director and Co-Lead at the Gender Center of Excellence.

Nicole Monge is a senior associate director in APCO’s Washington office.

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Gender Violence in SubSaharan Africa is Also Digital Photo via Adobe Stock.

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ore international human rights conventions safeguarding the rights of women have led to the creation of instruments that would set the standard for the protection of women’s rights, as well as instill state obligations to combat all forms of discrimination against women–including online violence.

Some of the rights and freedoms set forth by these instruments include, but are not limited to, privacy, freedom of expression, and living a violence-free life both online and offline. In particular, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) explicitly analyzes and addresses digital gender-based violence against women through general observations, recommendations and rapporteurs, including Recommendation No. 35 of 2017 that outlines how these instruments are also applicable in cyberspace 20 | D I PLOM AT I C CO URIE R

By Mercy Chepkirui Lagat

where the perpetration of violence against women is common.

In a bid to embrace equality, a global paradigm shift in women’s inclusivity has been witnessed in all socio-political spheres since the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995. Since then, opportunities for women’s inclusion are gradually increasing in science and technology, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) in particular has emerged as a tool for empowerment. In fact, SDG 5–which focuses on achieving gender equality–calls for support through ICT as an enabler of women’s empowerment. Similarly, platforms where women can generate income through social media influencing, content creation and e-commerce have increased in number. However, while digital platforms may act as a public sphere for women’s emancipation, they have a double

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effect of exposing the very same women to digital gender-based violence.

Unfortunately, the context of rapid digitalization has been exacerbated by the growth of artificial intelligence and furthered by systemic inequalities and biases that have introduced new forms of online violence, such as misogynistic hate speech, defamation, stalking, sexual blackmail, cyber bullying, and doxxing. With an increase in smartphone usage and Internet access in remote areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, access to the digital world has become more widespread throughout the region.

Despite this widening access to technology, however, there is still an even wider gender gap in Internet usage between men and women in the region which has contributed to the patriarchal nature of the society. In fact, a 2022 World Bank report highlighted that in 2020, 34% of the male population in Sub-Saharan Africa used the Internet as compared to 24% of their female counterparts. Therefore, although digital spaces have become a nexus of social, political and economic development for women, it has also manifested relational battles between women and men.

Even more concerning, the growth of the ‘manosphere’ has led to growing misogyny and sexism on various digital platforms. Generally, violence both online and offline leads to physical, mental and psychological trauma. However, digital gender-based violence is yet to be acknowledged by governments in Sub-Saharan Africa. In most states within the region, cyber violence has been normalized, creating a culture where online gender-based violence is inevitable. Yet so much emphasis is directed towards offline gender-based violence. In a study undertaken in 2020, it was found that 28 percent of female respondents in five countries located in Sub-Saharan Africa had experienced digital gender-based violence (UNGA Report A/77/302). Such studies show that there is a need for a more binding regional policy framework to be put in place through the African Union Commission, as well as a need for additional protocols to be made by the African Union Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

Thus, state parties have an obligation to advocate for the prevention, investigation and pun-

ishment of any acts involving digital genderbased violence. In Kenya, for example, there is the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act that dictates offenses related to the unlawful use of computer systems. The act, however, implicitly refers to cyber violence, which is not sufficient enough in addressing all digital gender-based violence; even then, the interventions that exist focus on supporting the victim rather than punishing the perpetrator. Therefore, more domestic laws and institutions should be set up to monitor and address gender-based violence against women and girls online—and more importantly, these specific acts of violence should be covered by criminal law. Ultimately, judicial officers and law enforcement personnel need to be equipped with necessary training specializing in gender-based violence in order to conduct more efficient investigations and prosecutions of cyber violence.

In the end, international laws ought to be applied in the cyberspace since cybercrimes, including acts of online violence, are considered transnational crimes. Similarly, existing international human rights frameworks need to take effect in mitigating online genderbased violence, and domestic, regional and international mechanisms should enforce more stringent measures for a comprehensive human rights approach in combating violence against women. In fact, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 75/161 calls for an intensified effort in the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls (Report A/77/302), demonstrating the need for an outright focus on women’s safety in the digital space on all levels. Furthermore, a multisectoral approach between states, non-state actors and tech companies such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft should be initiated through self-regulating standards in combating online gender-based violence. As women should have rights both offline and online, cyber kindness needs to be upheld in uplifting engendered conversations. ***** About the author: Mercy Chepkirui Lagat is pursuing an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy at Kenyatta University, Kenya.

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Photo by Romane Gautun via Unsplash.

Embracing Intentionality to Support Women Impact Entrepreneurs

By Aileen Ionescu-Somers & Wingee Sampaio 22 | D IPLOM AT I C COU RIE R

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omen impact entrepreneurs have been a force to reckon with when it comes to creating market-based solutions to social and environmental challenges. Women represent 1 in 3 high-potential entrepreneurs globally, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2021/22 Women’s Entrepreneurship Report: From Crisis to Opportunity. Women are leading promising businesses and have strong aspirations for growth and impact. They are also highly innovative, accounting for almost half of the entrepreneurs around the world who offer new products or services to their local markets. Positive impact is often firmly embedded in their business models alongside profitability.

As business owners, women have had entrepreneurial journeys that are both impressive and uplifting. Gender equality is one of the key UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Less than a decade remains to meet these goals. To achieve gender equality, those developing entrepreneurial ecosystems have a responsibility to provide support to women impact entrepreneurs that is timely, relevant, and targeted. The GEM Women’s Entrepreneurship Report has highlighted concrete ways to do this.

Amplify Visibility of Women Entrepreneur Role Models There is a dominant narrative that women are overrepresented among the poorest and most vulnerable businesses in the world.

While the numbers show that subsistence entrepreneurship is indeed a reality of many women entrepreneurs, this narrative tends to overshadow another truth: that today, across the globe, women entrepreneurs are building large, successful businesses in all sectors. These businesses have a considerable positive impact on their families, communities, and economies.

Seynabou Dieng is a woman entrepreneur in Mali. Her company, Maya, turns local produce into processed food products. This

creates more demand for produce from area farms, offers local alternatives to imports, and fosters a sense of cultural pride.

In Iraq, Basima Abdulrahman’s company Kesk offers green building services that are transforming the way that buildings are designed, built, and maintained.

compared to men, women are less likely to feel that it’s easy to start a business, less likely to identify new business opportunities, and less likely to recognize they possess the necessary skills to start a business, while they are more likely to be deterred by fear of business failure.

Women are just as likely as men to succeed in entrepreneurship, when starting similar businesses in similar industries. Yet too often they must battle negative stereotypes that characterize them as less capable.

They also find themselves working harder than men for access to enabling resources.

As a result, their own perceptions of entrepreneurship as a life choice are affected.

For instance, the GEM report shows that, compared to men, women are less likely to feel that it’s easy to start a business, less likely to identify new business opportunities, and less likely to recognize they possess the necessary skills to start a business, while they are more likely to be deterred by fear of business failure.

To break down the fixed mindsets and stereotypes, it is incumbent upon all stakeholders to shine a light on successful women impact entrepreneurs. Stakeholders also must provide these women with platforms that amplify their voices and inspire other potential impact entrepreneurs. Studies have shown that having a role model can INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023 | 23

Research has shown that in many countries, the tech gender gap starts early, and part of the solution is policy-centric. For example, women in North America were 78% more likely to report being active in the ICT sector, which is likely to be a result of STEM education programming targeted at girls. encourage women to venture off the beaten path and consider entrepreneurship as a career choice. For example, the Cartier Women’s Initiative’s a global community of almost seven hundred members is helping to shift prevailing stereotypes and provide access to a support system for entrepreneurs leading up-and-running businesses.

Create Wide-Ranging Networks to Support Women Impact Entrepreneurs The power of a community cannot be overstated. Being part of a network of entrepreneurs has numerous payoffs. It improves access to investors, partners, suppliers, mentors, and training. Yet, on average, across all countries in the 2021 GEM survey, women were 11% less likely than men to report knowing an entrepreneur, which is indicative of a serious dearth of access to networks for women entrepreneurs. Moreover, according to GEM’s National Expert Survey, experts generally rate the enabling environment for women entrepreneurs as being very low in most of the 50 countries involved in the research, which makes it vital to focus on developing reliable support networks for women.

In addition to serving as sounding boards and support systems, such networks can also help business owners catalyze new collaborations. For example, Cartier Women’s Initiative fellows from North America, Stephanie Benedetto (Queen of Raw) and 24 | D IPLOM AT I C CO URIE R

Benita Singh (Nest), both lead businesses that fight waste in the textile sector. By connecting as part of the same network, they were able to identify ways to collaborate. Stephanie provided Benita’s community of artisans with access to her platform, so that they could view and appraise donated deadstock fabric prior to delivery.

This perfectly illustrates how being part of diverse and extensive communities expands the range of possibilities available to entrepreneurs, and sparks ideas for innovative collaboration.

Privilege Funding, Support for High Potential Sectors While women are well represented in highimpact, high-growth businesses, sectoral imbalances remain a persistent challenge to overcome. For example, women are woefully underrepresented in tech: only 2.7% of women compared to 4.7% of men are starting businesses in the Information, Computers, and Technology (ICT) sector that, significantly, draws most venture capital worldwide.

Research has shown that in many countries, the tech gender gap starts early, and part of the solution is policy-centric. For example, women in North America were 78% more likely to report being active in the ICT sector, which is likely to be a result of STEM education programming targeted at girls.

There is also an opportunity here for entrepreneurs as agents of change. For example, Dora Palfi from Sweden worked as the only woman developer in her organization for years before she founded imagi, which produces fun, easy-to-use education tools to draw a new generation of women into tech.

Dora is one among many entrepreneurs who are leveraging tech to advance diversity and inclusion. For example, Jennifer Clausell Tormos from Denmark created Develop Diverse, an AI-powered software that automatically detects social biases across an organization’s communication platforms and suggests inclusive alternatives.

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Both Dora and Jennifer are undertaking vital work; on the one hand, showing young women what is possible, and on the other, harnessing tech to build better and more inclusive working environments for everyone’s benefit.

The other part of the solution, of course, is improving access to funding. Often, traditional venture capital may not be the best form of investment to seek, for entrepreneurs who are looking to challenge prevailing systems. The good news is that new financial vehicle structures and types of capital are emerging, which provide greater flexibility to entrepreneurs that are focused on solving complex social and environmental problems.

Women impact entrepreneurs are a diverse community of forces for good, dedicated to delivering positive impact. All over the world, they have set in motion the ripples of change we need to see by 2030. Are we ready to be a part of the next big wave?

In a nutshell, that means using all available platforms to shine a light on women’s successes and directing support to the most promising sectors. In other words, entrepreneurial ecosystem enablers need to play their part by deliberately embedding impact in their models, just as many women entrepreneurs are tending to do. ***** About the authors: Aileen Ionescu-Somers is Executive Director of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a consortium of National Country teams that carry out surveybased research on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship ecosystems around the world.

Wingee Sampaio is Global Program Director of Cartier Women’s Initiative, an annual international entrepreneurship programme that aims to drive change by empowering women impact entrepreneurs.

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Left Out but Ready to Engage, Minority Girls in Cambodia Photo via Adobe Stock.

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hile much international discourse centers on women’s equality and youth engagement, girls from minority communities are often excluded from global efforts. In Cambodia, girls from ethnic groups outside of the Khmer mainstream face barriers–both in mainstream society as well as within their own communities–to pursue their dreams. Many minority girls are not even able to begin to dream.

I know all too well the real-life dimensions of the “triple marginalization” (age, gender, minority status) of being a minority girl.

Growing up with the expectation of both mainstream society and our own minority communities to act as a “proper woman,” we are often tasked with taking care of the household and staying quiet even when we 26 | D IPLOM AT I C COU RIE R

By Le Sen

are being treated unequally. Cultural norms have a strong influence on our lives, such as how we think of ourselves, how people see us, and how it affects our goals.

I used to think this was just the life of girls in my own community–the ethnic Cham minority in Cambodia that practices Islam, speaks their own language, and practices their own form of culture that differs greatly from the mainstream Khmer majority. Four years ago, however, I took the lead in an initiative to explore the lives of minority girls across Cambodia. “Making the Space” was a study, an experiential journey, that became a new alliance of minority girls and young women in the country.

Minority girls are either being told to get married at a young age or to go to work to

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support their families. Unfortunately, this cultural norm is a hidden barrier for minority girls to achieve their academic and professional pursuits in life.

“My family and neighbors told me to quit school because they think that there is no point studying and I should just go to work in the factory instead,” said a 17-year-old Cham Muslim in one of our research conversations.

That comment hit me hard. I grew up with the same comments when I moved from my village to the capital city of Phnom Penh to start my first year at university. Like me, the girl who was quoted also overcame community pressure to graduate high school.

Through the study with girls from four minority communities including Indigenous, ethnic Vietnamese, Muslim, and Khmer Krom, we found that minority girls often live in poverty, face various kinds of oppression, experience discrimination from others, and lack prospects for higher education. Such barriers often leave them out of reach of the same opportunities available to the mainstream population.

SDG 4’s lofty goal of freeing primary and secondary education for all may be ambitious and noble, but it does not fully take into account minority populations. Minority girls often face language barriers, coming from families that have raised them in a language that is not taught in public schools.

Additionally, there is often pressure for them to work and contribute to their family’s income instead of attending school. For those lucky enough to have more opportunities, they are frequently discriminated against by other students and teachers for attributes such as their accent, clothes, and different cultural backgrounds from the mainstream.

Therefore, SDG 4 needs to put more focus on how to make schooling truly accessible for all and respond to the real barriers that minority girls are facing in being admitted into and attending school.

Voices of minority girls remain unheard, and they are frequently left out of policymaking.

With an onslaught of funding and initiatives to promote gender equality in developing

In Cambodia, girls from ethnic groups outside of the Khmer mainstream face barriers–both in mainstream society as well as within their own communities–to pursue their dreams. Many minority girls are not even able to begin to dream. countries, where do minority girls fit? They are sometimes talked about—but rarely talked with. Given that women are underrepresented in most decision-making, how does that justify inclusiveness in the scope of development? Being young, female, and from a minority group puts us in a situation that often is not fully understood by even the most seasoned gender advocates.

While some institutions are starting to focus on inclusiveness, the question will remain whether our challenges are understood and involved in the design process.

We cannot achieve the quality we want in education and employment if we continue to be a beneficiary instead of a co-creator.

Quality education is an ideal for minority girls to overcome oppression and unemployment. We need to feel safe and comfortable at work and in schools regardless of our identity. Indeed, inclusiveness does not have to start with “women, minorities, and a person with disability are encouraged to apply” at the beginning of educational ads or job announcements. We can include someone without making them feel less than anyone in the room. ***** About the author: Le Sen is an ethnic minority Cham woman in Cambodia.

She is the lead author of the Making the Space: Voices from the girls of Cambodian minority community.

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The Invisible Struggle for a Better Tomorrow

By Danielle De La Fuente

Photo via Adobe Stock.

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o much time is spent worrying about what children will become, yet we forget about what we can do for a child today. I love children, and believe that every child, no matter their circumstances, has the right to an education and to experience the joy of being a child! But millions of kids around the world have been forced to flee due to conflict, growing crises, and natural disasters. They are stripped not only of their childhood, but left to deal with trauma, fear, and uncertainty. Women and girls often pay an even higher price, being exposed to sexual violence, exploitation, the danger of sexual trafficking, early marriage, and other forms of gendered injustice.

My background is in international relations and peace and conflict studies. I spent 28 | D IPLOM AT I C COU RIE R

years working at embassies and for the U.S. Department of Defense fostering relations amongst nations. But I traded in peacebuilding with senior level diplomats and generals to teach children the foundational elements of peace, and the social and emotional skills they need to grow into emotionally intelligent adults.

But, protecting the fundamental rights of children to have access to quality holistic education is no easy feat. In humanitarian contexts, education receives less than 3% of humanitarian aid funding. Of that 3%, psychosocial support, early childhood development, and the more ‘fluffy’ subjects like social and emotional learning are at the bottom of the priority list. Understandably basic needs such as food, water, and shelter come first. But what about the

PAR TNER EDI TORI AL

emotional and physical health of women and children? Studies show that anxiety, depression, and other alignments of the mind can have profound impact on physical health in the long term.

The cost of inaction is tremendous. It leaves children exposed to a variety of security risks, potential for drug abuse to numb the pain, and the inevitable abyss of intergenerational trauma and violence.

Henceforth, I founded Amal Alliance, an international nonprofit NGO that aims to empower displaced and disenfranchised children by making an intentional effort so children can learn to heal by identifying, processing, and managing their emotions and feelings, whilst acquiring the social and emotional skills needed to succeed.

These 21st century skills include empathy, effective communication, planning skills, responsible decision making, creativity, teamwork, environmental stewardship, global citizenship, and emotional regulation. Employers note these are among the most sought out skills, ensuring children are learning competencies that will enhance the odds of finding meaningful employment.

Invisible Sheroes At Amal, we pride ourselves with making our programming adaptable to ensure it meets the needs of the communities. We train women from the refugee camps to be our classroom facilitators. We gather feedback from the parents, teachers, and children to ensure our content is culturally sensitive and conducive to their goals and aspirations. We elevate the voices of women and children by taking our concerns to international arenas such as the UN, so the invisible plight is not left behind.

“I traded in peacebuilding with senior level diplomats and generals to teach children the foundational elements of peace, and the social and emotional skills they need to grow into emotionally intelligent adults.” was pregnant and traveled inside a barrel with her unborn child and 2 year old toddler for weeks on end until she reached safer ground, who gratefully kissed the ground that welcomed her despite having encountered tremendous xenophobia—to the mother that fled Haiti by boat, walked through the amazon in Brazil, and carried her baby throughout the entire migration path from Central America to Tijuana Mexico, who now found herself sharing a blanket with strangers in a shelter to survive the cold—to the NGO worker in Greece that attempts to assist an unaccompanied minor who lost her mother during their departure from Syria. These women are unsung sheroes, fighting for a better life. In a society still filled with gender injustice, these women continue to plant seeds of kindness, understanding, and opportunity in the fight for a brighter tomorrow. ***** About the author: Danielle De La Fuente is the Founder of Amal Alliance.

While carrying out our mission, I’ve encountered numerous women, courageous sheroes. These women are at the forefront, fighting to make this world a better place. Yet, most play an invisible role with no spotlight or credit. These women include: the mother that fled Iraq while she INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023 | 29

Localization Only Succeeds if Women and Girls are at the Center Photo by Abigail Keenan via Unsplash.

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he international development sector is finally getting on board with the need for localization in their work, and there is growing global recognition that meeting the needs of girls and women in the Global South requires a fundamental shift in the humanitarian system. While we have seen positive steps in terms of good commitments, targets, and guidance to better support girls and women in humanitarian aid contexts, ensuring girls and women have a place at the table where these commitments are made is still the exception, rather than the norm.

Although there are differing views on what exactly counts as “local” when it comes to localization, at the heart of the concept is the idea of ownership. In other words, those who are most affected by a situation take

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By Vongai Nyahunzvi

ownership and are central in leading the process of devising solutions that address the challenges they are experiencing. Women are the backbone of local economies across communities in the Global South, managing household budgets, and driving food production and local enterprise. In order for any localization drive to be successful, women have to be at the center of its focus.

This is currently far from the case. Strategies for localization are too often being generated in boardrooms and headquarters where women are not sufficiently represented. Globally, women are on the front line of local development efforts, yet they occupy a minority of senior executive roles and board seats—a ratio which is likely even more unbalanced in the Global South. The disparity in the global health sector is in-

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dicative of a challenge faced by the whole development sector. This paints a picture of an ailment being treated without the patient being present. When it comes to localization, how can we claim to be bringing solutions closer to the people without the people who are really doing the work being part of the decision-making process?

A conversation with a colleague who leads an organization focused on the education of girls is illustrative of the broader issue.

She shared how in the early 2000s, the duty taxes being imposed on sanitary pads in one African country had a significant adverse impact on girls, who had to walk long distances to school and were unable to attend school during their menstrual cycle. Her organization rallied global actors to get the duties removed, only to later learn from a female community member that this particular issue was not their primary concern—the community’s major concern was avoiding starvation, not sanitary issues. The colleague thought she was solving a problem and removing a barrier, but because she didn’t consult with the community first, she missed the opportunity to work on what the women in the community really needed and wanted.

Thankfully, a growing movement of locally rooted agencies are empowering women to take on leadership roles across the Global South. Their work is shifting the way communities perceive women’s leadership, and it is providing opportunities for women to challenge traditional power dynamics.

Hindou Ouramu Ibrahim is a Chadian activist who is improving indigenous people’s access to basic needs and helping to prevent resources-based conflicts in one of the poorest and most vulnerable regions of the world. She has through her organization—Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad—been able to lean on her experience living in an indigenous community to design and lead projects that are changing the narrative for her community and giving more girls an example to look up to in aspiring to lead better lives themselves in a society where girls face significant barriers to success.

a growing movement of locally rooted agencies are empowering women to take on leadership roles across the Global South. Their work is shifting the way communities perceive women’s leadership, and it is providing opportunities for women to challenge traditional power dynamics.

Fresta Karim, who was born and raised in a refugee camp in Afghanistan is working to improve access to education for young children in Kabul through her initiative of mobile children’s libraries. Despite the volatility and challenges faced by women in Afghanistan, she has continued to advocate for the needs of the most marginalized. Hindou Ouramu Ibrahim and Fresta Karim are examples of women leading the way in showing what is possible if local women are empowered to lead local transformation efforts.

Women and girls must be better included in localization efforts than has been the case to date. International NGOs, multilateral donors, and philanthropists wanting to see equitable localization processes should explicitly seek out and fund local organizations in the Global South which are led by women, have women on their boards, and whose strategies are informed by local women. Ultimately, efforts to put decisions in the hands of local people will only succeed if equity and inclusion is at the heart of the localization drive—which means women must be at the center. ***** About the author: Vongai Nyahunzvi is the Chief Network Officer for Teach For All.

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Photo by Adobe Stock.

Women Can Help Prevent Violent Extremism in the Philippines

By Jamila-Aisha Sanguila

32 | D I PLOM AT I C COU RIE R

E

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xtremism is a complex global phenomenon. It has impacted many Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines due to the presence of extremist groups. In recent years, violent extremism has persisted as one of the leading causes of conflict in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). BARMM is an autonomous region in the southern Philippines and has five provinces (including the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi), 116 Municipalities and 2,590 Barangays. These provinces are breeding grounds for extremist activities as recorded by Conflict Alert (20162018). According to a 2015 census in Muslim Mindanao, there are 3,445,248 Muslims recorded in the region, of which 49.7% are males and 50.3% are females.

Studies done in the Philippines by the International Alert, The Asia Foundation, UNDP and many others reveal that there are many factors that contributed to the growing extremism in the region such as gender discrimination, extreme poverty, weak governance, irregular migration, historical dynamics, the shadow economy (like the kidnap-for-ransom, drugs and gun proliferation), and the emergence of the different extremist groups such as the ISIS-affiliated Dawlah Islamiya Maute group (Lanao del Sur), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (Maguindanao), and the Abu Sayaff (Basilan and Sulu). These groups continuously recruit Muslim women (family members, relatives, friends, and colleagues) to carry out attacks, bombings, and extremist propaganda in the Philippines and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

The 2017 Marawi siege, the 2018 chain of suicide bombings in Surabaya, and the 2019 Jolo twin bombings have seen women alongside their male counterparts at the frontline. But the role of women in violent extremism extends beyond being branded as perpetrators. These women serve as recruiters, finance and logistics facilitators, and conduits between the Jihadists’ funds to the Philippines and Southeast Asia (receiving and distributing money). However,

women are essential actors at the grassroots level and play an important role in countering violent extremism. In most cases, women are the first to detect early signs of radicalization in the community— thus, women should be encouraged to be part of crafting policies at the national and international levels in the interest of preventing violent extremism.

Violent extremism will require context-specific, gender, and conflict-sensitive approaches.

It will need a long-term process of building community cohesion and resilience.

In putting this article together, I relied on my experience and professional background as an educator and peacebuilding practitioner in Mindanao. I reviewed think tank reports and open-source documents, attended web conferences on preventing violent extremism and interviewed key military informants, survivors, and relatives of extremist group members. Recently, as the project lead of K-BARMM, I had the opportunity to engage with the Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausog, and Sama women during in-person consultation meetings.

Here are six important roles that women play in preventing violent extremism: 1. Mothers as changemakers. Mothers are frequently monitoring the safety and movement of communities in order to protect their children, and they are often the first to detect early signs of radicalization.

Mothers should be given more attention because their safety and security affect how they raise, mold, and influence their children.

Mothers are key actors in bringing change to society.

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2. Women as providers and protectors. Violent extremism impacts both men and women differently. In times of conflict, women and girls are severely burdened by the sudden adjustment from homemaker to breadwinner. They become providers. In keeping the family members—as well as entire communities—safe from any further violence, they also take the role of protectors.

3. Women as promoters of gender-specific interventions. Women need to be leaders in crafting gender-specific interventions for women and girls. The roles that women play can be empowered through such initiatives as the National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820, the Gender and Development, the Magna Carta of Women, and the Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security 2020-2022. Looking at the gender dynamics as seen in the radical roles of women as perpetrators there is a need for gender inclusivity in the prevention of violent extremism.

4. Women as mediators. In Southeast Asia, women have participated both in business and politics.

In BARMM, particularly in the local setting, Muslim women serve as local mediators. They prove more effective in settling disputes such as rido or clan feuds and they are welcomed and respected by the different parties involved.

5. Women as peacebuilders. Women play important roles in organizations, government, academe, and all levels of the peace processes in civil society. There is a greater need to refine the roles of women in peacebuilding and empower them to be agents of positive peace.

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To protect, conserve, and sustain our environment for the future generation, women need to be at the forefront of protecting biodiversity, conserving our natural resources, and promoting environmental-friendly practices.

6. Women as environmental stewards. Globally, climate change impacts millions of people, and violent extremism contributes to environmental damage. The five-month airstrike during the Marawi siege destroyed the city’s physical, biological, and environmental components. To protect, conserve, and sustain our environment for the future generation, women need to be at the forefront of protecting biodiversity, conserving our natural resources, and promoting environmental-friendly practices such as combating pollution through reforestation, greening urban spaces and enforcing the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle). These practices can go a long way.

Violent extremism will require contextspecific, gender, and conflict-sensitive approaches. It will need a long-term process of building community cohesion and resilience. With this, it is essential to examine the roles women used to play in the past, roles they are still playing in the present, and roles they will be playing in the future so that we can maximize their capacities and capabilities in securing, sustaining, and keeping the Bangsamoro region safer for the next generation. ***** About the author: Jamila-Aisha Sanguila is the founder of Women Empowered to Act for Dialogue and Peace in Mindanao, Philippines.

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Asian Women Inspiring Others to Become Sheroes

By Angel Marie Ysik Photo courtesy of the author.

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any women are indoctrinated to believe that they are weak, that they are incapable of defending themselves, and that they need other people–brothers, fathers, husbands, boyfriends, or partners (read: men)– to protect them from harm. It’s ironic, however, because almost 27% of women worldwide, aged 15-49 years, who have been in a relationship reported that they experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner (WHO 2021). Systematically, policies and programs to address violence against women and girls (VAWG) are left in the hands of politicians, government leaders, and religious leaders, all of whom emphasize the response rather than prevention.

A new breed of female leaders is rising up to demystify the social constructs that say wom36 | D I PLOM AT I C COU RIE R

en are weak. From Pakistan to Thailand and the Philippines, women are unlocking their inner power to tackle abuse and violence by using a range of mental, verbal, and physical strategies through Empowerment Self Defense (ESD) training. ESD is empowermentbased self-defense training that builds on an individual’s strengths in order to face the spectrum of violence. One training participant said, “The class was designed to help us seek and unleash the ‘power within.’. This type of self-defense training brings out the strength of a woman’s body and teaches women to trust their intuition. It encourages them to believe that they can draw from within to be able to respond assertively.

Since 2018, 30 women leaders from 18 countries in the Asia Pacific were trained to become a part of the global movement

I N TER N ATI O N AL W O MEN’S DAY I M ARC H 2023

mainstreaming violence prevention strategies to advance UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5). One Pakistani training participant said, “My goal was to learn the ESD principles to practically adapt to the gender issues women face in Pakistan.

Now I am confident to apply and share the skills and knowledge from this training. This platform has provided opportunities for me to network with organizations combating gender-based violence (GBV) and receive moral support from my sisters in the Asia Pacific region”, said the participant from Pakistan. These women gained knowledge, tools, and skills to continue their advocacies to advance women’s rights and create safe spaces, and foster synergies and partnerships to promote the safety and empowerment of women, girls, and vulnerable populations in their counties and communities.

ESD teachers from South Asia and Southeast Asia, where the prevalence of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and street harassment are high, began teaching ESD to young women in May 2022. Currently, ESD has been incorporated by Dastak Foundation in their Healing Circles for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and in the leadership training for young women to amplify feminist voices. In India, ESD was introduced to university students to tackle harassment in public spaces and to impart physical and verbal techniques they can use when faced with an uncomfortable situation on the streets, trains, buses, and other public spaces. Their ESD teacher said, “I have overcome the fear that I have had my entire life—the fear that when someone grabs me I won’t be able to escape. But during ESD training, I stayed calm, I used my strength to kick the attacker, and escaped. I want you to know that you can do it too.”

Meanwhile, teachers in Thailand have taught ESD to women peacebuilders from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Sri Lanka who face insecurities in the field and are experiencing burnout, stress, and trauma as they continue to uphold human rights and guard democracy in their communities. Women peacebuilders shared, “I’m personally shy,

From Pakistan to Thailand and the Philippines, women are unlocking their inner power to tackle abuse and violence by using a range of mental, verbal, and physical strategies through Empowerment Self Defense (ESD) training. so learning ESD helped me practice setting boundaries for things, people, and situations that are consuming my energy,” and “Selfdefense is more than just fighting. I learned that I could defend myself using my voice.

ESD training helped me imagine what I can do if I face danger in real-time.”

So what can we do to empower individuals and communities and address VAWG? We can teach individuals how to recognize coercion and control before it escalates into potentially dangerous situations. It’s not a quick fix, though. It’s a long-term initiative with potentially long-lasting results. But where do we start? At the individual level, practice the five principles of ESD: THINK, YELL, RUN, FIGHT, and TELL. At schools and workplaces, invest in ESD as a strategy to create safe learning and working environments to eliminate gender and socioeconomic barriers. Like it is in the Philippines, ESD should be taught in schools and universities in order to foster safe learning environments for children and youth.

We can restructure this world into one where women and girls live safe, violence-free lives.

But first, we must allow them to become active agents of their safety. Let’s inspire women to be their own #Sheroes through ESD. ***** About the author: Angel Marie Ysik is WPS Security Specialist and Program Coordinator for ESD, Asia Pacific.

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Photo by Juliane Liebermann via Unsplash.

Getting More Fathers to Take on Caring Responsibilities

By Dr. Holly Birkett

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T

I N TER N ATI O N AL W O MEN’S DAY I M ARC H 2023

he UK, like many countries globally, has a breadwinner culture and low remuneration for parental leave, particularly for fathers, which is why uptake for policies like Shared Parental Leave has been very low. Despite a desire by successive UK governments to create change, it has been challenging to create a significant shift in caring behavior through policy developments alone. As such, change in the UK has been led by employers, particularly in the professional services sector, who are realizing the benefits in terms of recruitment, retention, and wellbeing and are starting to tackle the assumption that mothers will always be primary caregivers directly by offering benefits such as non-transferable leave specifically offered to fathers and improved remuneration (pay for leave).

Below we offer three great examples in this area by several employers, all of which won awards at the 2022 Working Dad Employer Awards, run by the Equal Parenting Project and Music Football Fatherhood. Two of the examples are from large multinationals and the third is a smaller local council that has been able to support fathers’ care despite much more limited resources.

What does good practice look like?

Vodafone is a multinational telecom company that made a strategic decision to extend support to fathers/non-birthing parents to further enable gender equality and support families in all of their diverse forms. The decision contributes to Vodafone’s goal to improve 1 billion lives. The approach was informed by external research such as the Women and Families 2019-2020 UN Report. Vodafone offers all parents a first-day right to 16 weeks of paid parental leave at full pay and other policies such as adoption and pregnancy loss leave, which provides two weeks paid leave in the event of loss of a pregnancy. All Vodafone’s policies refer to primary/secondary care-providers, so they are inclusive of all genders. In addition, when fathers return to work after taking paternity leave, they are only required to work 80% of their contractual hours but receive 100% of their contractual pay and benefits for a period of six months. This is known as the “80/20 period.” Vodafone also uses internal research

to find out more about the needs of parents and care-providers across its organization and continuously improve its policies. It also publicizes its policies.

Aviva is a multinational insurance company which provides a very generous 26 weeks of equal paternal leave with full pay. The company also offers many other policies aimed at parents, including first day of school leave, caring commitments paid leave, and paid fertility leave. There is clear buy-in from senior leadership, champions who advocate for carers, a well-resourced parenting community within the business, and extensive internal and external communications activities to promote the offer. Aviva also uses data to inform its understanding of the use of the policies it offers and has found that the average length of leave among fathers increased by three weeks across their company over the past four years since they began these new policies. In 2021-2022, 80% of new fathers at AVIVA spent at least five months on parental leave. What is particularly clear at AVIVA is the way the business has woven being a family-friendly employer into their culture and identity—it’s not just a bolt-on to their employee value proposition. The combination of a strong family-friendly policy offer, a thriving employee network, and structured and consistent internal and external communications has embedded this father-friendly approach throughout the business. Aviva also actively helps other organizations take strides towards introducing inclusive policies explaining their approach to other organizations and offering advice, as well as participating in panel discussions at large events.

Waltham Forest Council is a local council in the UK with fewer available resources than the large multinational organizations but that still manages to offer impressive support for fathers. Its approach has been driven by the experiences of fathers in the local community and a passionate desire to close its gender pay-gap and a related need to challenge assumptions about gendered caregiving. It set up a Championing Fatherhood scheme, which was supported by the Council’s management board, CEO and strategic directors. It was the first UK employer to endorse The Smallest INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023 | 39

Things campaign, taking proactive steps to assist their employees experiencing premature birth. All parents of babies born at or before 37 weeks are entitled to receive an extra week’s premature baby leave and premature baby pay (full pay) for every week until their baby’s original due date. As a result, Waltham Forest Council has advised the central government with its plans on implementing neonatal legislation as a statutory requirement. Waltham Forest Council has also recognized the vital role of managers in delivering on this agenda and has produced toolkits to support managers to ensure they feel well equipped to better support their staff. Guidance is also in place for employees to ensure they understand the benefits available to them. The council also supports staff through a series of “Lunch and Learns” that capture the experiences of Fathers who have taken shared parental leave.

These one-hour sessions have created a forum for staff to engage and learn from the lived experiences of their colleagues.

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Encouraging some companies to develop a first-mover advantage, adopt best practices and be vocal about them encourages competitors to follow suit and can stimulate sector-wide change.

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The most-effective government policy for encouraging shared care is well-remunerated, nontransferable leave for fathers and other parents.

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Smaller organizations should not think, “We cannot afford to support fathers as it is too expensive to enhance pay for parental leave.” Instead, they should consider how they can develop more inclusive policies and how they can support fathers in other ways, even if enhancing pay is not an option.

All the organizations featured here have won prestigious awards in the 2022 Working Dads Employer Awards due to their excellent work supporting dads in the workplace. The awards continue to help drive best practices by encouraging continuous improvement from the participating organizations and providing examples for other organizations to follow, stimulating healthy competition between employers, including demonstrating what is possible on a tighter budget, with fewer resources for smaller organizations.

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Organizations that adopt best practices in this area are often keen to share their experiences with other employers. This can be a good way to promote change across different sectors of the economy or in different geographical areas.

Scaling the Lessons Elsewhere •

Large professional service firms are often low-hanging fruit in this area due to their desire to be seen as best-practice employers to attract and retain top talent. They often have the resources to develop programs of support and globally some of their competitors are already doing great work. If more professional services companies are vocal about what they are doing in this area, other sectors are likely to take note.

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Existing global research suggests that the best way to encourage fathers to do more care is to develop statutory policies that offer fathers well-remunerated non-transferable leave.

However, this is not always possible and in these cases, employers can lead the way. They should be reflexive about the value of encouraging shared care and developing approaches that are context specific to break down barriers to care, while also encouraging other employers to reflect on how they also can improve their practice. ***** About the author: Dr. Holly Birkett is a Senior Lecturer in the Management department at the University of Birmingham Business School.

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