Noteworthy. (2016). Solutions 7(5): 6-9.
Idea Lab Noteworthy Swedish Foreign Minister Blazes Feminist Agenda
by Zeynep Karatas and Christina Asquith Millions of women in developing nations still lack basic human rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and access to capital. And, while first world countries talk about the importance of women’s rights, they often do little beyond making speeches. Not so with Sweden. Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Margot Wallström, has been executing a “feminist foreign policy” since she entered office in 2014. It showed once more that she is sticking to this approach during the World Humanitarian Summit, held in Istanbul in late May, where she spoke on several panels about the importance of her strategy. So, what is feminist foreign policy? The Scandinavian country states that it is executing a foreign policy that considers and gives support to issues that specifically affect women, such as maternal health, reproductive rights, and sexual violence. The government’s official website goes so far as to state that “equality between women and men is a fundamental aim of Swedish foreign policy.” The Swedish Foreign Service outlined a wide range of ways to tackle the struggles of women in its 2015–2018 action plan. Their published strategy mentions increasing the agency of women and girls by promoting their rights and opportunities in civil society organizations. The Foreign Service will also aid women’s access to productive and economic resources, promote a gender-equitable division of unpaid housework, and increase access to legal and safe abortions.
Mikael Wiman
A girl at play in Sweden.
Sweden takes pride in being a self-proclaimed “humanitarian superpower,” and is the world’s sixth largest development aid donor, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Minister Wallström stated during the World Humanitarian Summit that this policy of gender equality will be executed in the country’s aid efforts. “Sweden will continue to only finance humanitarian projects that take into account the different needs of women and men, girls and boys according to [the] UN’s Gender Marker system. We find that creating financial incentives has significantly increased the number of projects designed to meet the needs of women and men, girls and boys,” she explained. “Humanitarian partners need to ensure that gender-based violence is included in cluster response plans, reports, projects, programs and pooled funds,” Minister Wallström outlined.
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These methods for gender equality are not limited to the country’s humanitarian efforts. The foreign minister has also been furthering a feminist approach for Sweden’s relations with foreign countries.
Peace Bloc: Advocating for Academics in Turkey by Devin Windelspecht
In January of this year, a collection of 1,128 Turkish citizens, 90 of whom were members of Turkish universities, unitarily stood in protest to the Turkish government through a petition entitled, “We Will Not Be a Party to this Crime!” Stylizing themselves as the “Academicians for Peace,” they declared that the Turkish government had forsaken the rights of life, liberty, security, and freedom from torture through its actions in towns such as Sur, Silvan, Silopi, and others in the Kurdish province of the country.
Idea Lab Noteworthy
Beyza Kural, Bianet
Academics Esra Mungan, Muzaffer Kaya, Kıvanç Ersoy, and Meral Camcı were held in Istanbul after this press conference in March 2016.
Demanding an end to the “deliberate massacre and deportation of Kurdish and other peoples in the region,” the self-titled Academicians soon found themselves under criminal investigation, potentially facing up to five years in prison for alleged “terror propaganda.” Accused of being “fifth columns” for foreign powers, sympathizing with terrorists, and undermining national security, these signatories quickly became the subjects of threats, intimidation, and potential expulsion from their respective universities. Situations like these are the reason for the creation of Peace Bloc,
a non-profit, non-partisan organization that brings together residents of the United States and Canada to advocate for peace and democracy in Turkey and the Middle East. In an article entitled “A Statement by Peace Bloc on Academics in Turkey,” Peace Bloc extended solidarity to the Academics of Turkey by demanding secession to the policies of intimidation, persecution, and prosecution by the Turkish government against the Academicians. In addition, Peace Bloc called for a reorganization of the Council of Higher Education, in order to preclude influence by political parties or government,
renew respect for the nation’s commitment to the rule of law and democracy, protect human rights by international treaties and the Turkish Constitution, and restart the peace process with Kurdish representatives. With the current political situation in Turkey, international support is needed for local actors who risk challenging the established powers for the sake of democracy, peace, and human rights. Peace Bloc is one of these very advocates, and its solidarity with the Academicians of Turkey could prove vital to the democratic future of the country.
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Idea Lab Noteworthy Campaign for Wild Horse Protection Gains Traction by Zeynep Karatas
A massive campaign to vaccinate wild horses in the American West has gained momentum, with over threedozen advocacy groups signing on. Over 36 wild horse advocacy groups are demanding that the human fertility control PZP vaccine is used as a substitute to removing wild horses from the range in the American West.
According to the American Wild Horse Preservation campaign, the US Bureau of Land Management’s policy of rounding up, removing, and stockpiling wild horses in holding facilities is leading up to a USD$1 billion crisis. Currently, up to USD$80 million is being budgeted for the collection and removal of wild horses. Over three dozen advocacy groups believe that the more humane and cost effective solution is to vaccinate these horses with PZP, an immunocontraceptive vaccine.
The American Wild Horse Preservation campaign highlights that the use of the reversible vaccination, which is applied by dart, would save millions in US tax dollars. For example, for each mustang removed from wildlife and not adopted, a cost of about USD$49,000 is incurred. Meanwhile, to vaccinate a single horse will cost about USD$27 per year. PZP is a biodegradable vaccine and does not pass through the food chain. Its side effects are limited.
James Marvin Phelps
Wild horses in Cold Creek, Nevada. 8 | Solutions | September-October 2016 | www.thesolutionsjournal.org
Idea Lab Noteworthy UK Party for Women Lays Stepping Stones for Gender Equality by Zeynep Karatas
The Women’s Equality Party (WE Party) came to life in the United Kingdom in the spring of 2015, and has not looked back since. The party, with its selfexplanatory name, is saying, “WE are not going to wait for equality, WE are going to make it happen—now.” The party was co-founded by author and journalist, Catherine Mayer, and broadcaster and author, Sandi Toksvig. The party is currently led by former Reuters journalist, Sophie Walker. Walker participated in the London Mayoral elections in May 2016, and was able to gain 5.2 percent of the vote. She is adamant to continue as an active politician. While women make up 51 percent of the UK population, they are still a minority in terms of voices heard in political, judicial, and business spheres. Even in the UK, one of the most developed and progressive regions of the world, women only comprise a sliver of representation, at only 28 percent of Members of Parliament, 25 percent of judges, and 24 percent of FTSE 100 directors. It is not difficult to see how a party giving a spotlight to women would be necessary. The Women’s Equality Party has focused on creating solutions for the obvious gender equality gap, which has been extensively discussed with few substantial gains to show for it. The feminist political party demands equal representation in politics, business, and industry. They press for equal pay, and also for equal parenting responsibilities, standing for equal opportunities both at home and in the workplace. The party is also pushing for a massive change in the
Fiona Hanson
Sophie Walker
education system for girls and boys to learn about the discrimination females face, and the importance of facing these issues head-on. Finally, the WE Party has complete intolerance for violence against women and seeks its termination as a priority. “With our policies, we could have an equal parliament in just two elections. We could ensure every woman fleeing abuse was safe and got justice. We could ensure every working woman had access to childcare. We could ensure dads no longer felt stigmatized for looking after their children. We could ensure that every child grew up thinking gender equality is normal,” the party’s official website states.
So, why a political party focused strictly on gender equality instead of working within other parties? Walker argues that while the UK has established the Sex Discrimination Act, legally mandating equal pay and shared parental leave, these are only statuses that do not work so well in practice. In a previous interview, Walker stated, “We very deliberately set out to adopt the same model that was used so effectively by the Green Party and by UKIP, which is to put a political party around our goal; to use it as an electoral force. Because when you start threatening the vote share of the other parties, that’s when your agenda becomes their agenda.”
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