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12 November, 2007November 2007
1. The ICEM Women’s Conference Runs 17-18 November in Bangkok
2. Africa – More Women in Governments
3. Mexico – Discrimination Is on the Rise
4. The Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) Meets in Washington
5. ‘Molecular condom’ Is Developed To Fight HIV/AIDS
6. From Our Readers
7. Resources
1. The ICEM Women’s Conference Runs 17-18 November in Bangkok
All systems are go for the ICEM Women’s Conference, which will kick off week-long events of the ICEM’s Fourth Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. The Women’s Committee will be meeting on 17 and 18 November, and most delegates will stay on to attend Congress as delegates. The conference theme is “Women – Work – 21st Century.”
The theme blocks for the conference will cover peace, contract and agency labour, women’s health in the broadest sense, and the work-life balance. Presentations, debates, and working groups will contemplate these subjects and decide on a work plan covering these issues for the next four years. Congress motions will also be discussed.
The conference will elect the chair and vice-chair of the Women’s Section, who in turn will sit on the ICEM Presidium. We look forward to seeing you in great numbers in Bangkok!
2. Africa – More Women in Governments
In Morocco, seven women were appointed to head strategic ministries, ranging from energy to culture. This compares with two in the previous government. In Senegal, the new Senate has double the number of women. There are now 40 women in that body, out of 100 total, and this compares with the previous chamber, which had only 18 women.
3. Mexico – Discrimination Is on the Rise
A recent Mexican report indicates that accusations for job-related discrimination have gone up astronomically. From 2001 to 2006 the accusations of sexual harassment went up by 122%, firing for pregnancy-related causes by 106%, work-related violence by 61% and general discrimination by 133%.
Employers tend to consider pregnancy to be a crime, instead of it being normal and a social responsibility. The Women’s Institute considers sexual harassment to be one of the reasons why women are not promoted. The salary gap in Mexico is between 7% and 35%. The old forms of discrimination still remain, but they have been joined by new ones – emphasis on size, stature, figure, physical appearance, and simply on being single.
Discrimination is banned by the Constitution, but the Labour Ministry feels that not much can be done against it because there are too loopholes. The main problem is that there is no culture of equality. Economic necessity also forces women to accept jobs that they know beforehand discrimination exists. But when women are heads of families, they have little choice.
4. The Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) Meets in Washington
The Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) met in Washington on 5-6 November. The Commission worked on the Draft Declaration of San Salvador: Gender, Violence, and HIV and redrafting its statutes. CIM, a specialized organization of the Organization of American States, is the principal forum for generating hemispheric policy to advance women's rights and gender equality.
Established in 1928 at the Sixth International Conference of American States (Havana, Cuba), the CIM was the first official intergovernmental agency in the world created expressly to ensure recognition of the civil and political rights of women. As such, it has played a crucial role in making the participation and support of women a legitimate and indispensable part of governance and international consensus building in the Americas.
5. ‘Molecular condom’ Is Developed To Fight HIV/AIDS
Kavita Gupta, a female doctoral student from India at the University of Utah in the US, has developed a "molecular condom." The condom is really a microbicide gel that kills HIV, and is designed to allow women more control in preventing AIDS since partners need to be involved in the application.
The university is partnering with a contraceptive marketer to sell the products in India, where AIDS in increasingly being seen as a feminized disease. AIDS is spreading most rapidly in India among young women, according to the World Health Organization, and 2.5 million people there carry the virus.
6. From Our Readers
The Women’s Committee in the Petrochemical, Mines and Energy Workers Union in Palestine held a four-day workshop to train women. The aim of the workshop was to enable women to make plans and support women’s issues so that they would have experience and insight into women’s activities in Arab countries and the world.
The workshop dealt with women and democracy, new technologies, public speaking, and support mechanisms for women workers. The women had many ideas about trade unions and society. At the end they received a diploma.
7. Resources
Unequal, Unfair, Ineffective and Inefficient Gender Inequity in Health: Why it exists and how we can change it - Final Report to the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health - September 2007 - Women and Gender Equity Knowledge Network
World Bank’s website – Extractive Industries and Gender
http://www.mdgmonitor.org
UN’s new website to track progress on the Millennium Development Goals.
http://www.catalystwomen.org
On reports on gender stereotyping at work, inclusive work environments and women’s progress in business.
http://www.uchastings.edu/?pid=3624
Work Life Law, a site dealing with family responsibilities and discrimination
Women in the workplace: New ILO report highlights how action in the world of work can help reduce maternal deaths
http://www.observatoriogeneroyliderazgo.cl/
Women Leadership (in Spanish)
http://www.generoycomercio.org/
Gender and Trade (in Spanish)
The Global Gender Gap Report 2007
http://nomasviolenciacontramujeres.cl/cms/
Chilean network against domestic and sexual violence (in Spanish)