Gender Inequality: The plight of the world's women

Anne-Marie and Me Matsepo- Spring of 2014

"The fate of girls and women is precisely the fate of their countries their communities and their world."

No offense guys.........

In 1994, eight hundred thousand people we slaughtered in 100 days in the Rwandan genocide.  A brilliant description of the complicated social, cultural and political events that lead to this catastrophe can be found in Romeo Dallaire's book, 'Shake Hands with the Devil' and in James Orbinski's book, 'An imperfect Offering'.  Both of these books changed the way I think about the world.

Human beings are hard wired with resilience and the people of Rwanda are remarkable examples of this.  Seventy percent of Rwanda's population was female in the aftermath of the genocide.  Women played a very small role in the political and cultural tensions that lead to the slaughter.  Only 2.3 % of  those who were jailed for the killings were female.  As a result, ' there was a broad sense afterward that females were more responsible and less inclined to savagery'.  Whether that is true or not, the country was prepared to give more rights and freedoms to women and allow them to seek after positions of power.

Paul Kagame, Rwanda's president since the genocide and the rebel leader who defeated the perpetrators, was very wise when he turned his focus on rebuilding the country.  

He said, "You shut that population (females) out of economic activity at your peril.  The decision to involve women, we did not leave it to chance.  In the constitution we said that women have to make up 30 percent of the parliament."

By 2007, forty-eight percent of the seats in parliament were held by women and in 2008, Rwanda became the first country in the world with a majority of female legislators at 55%.  It is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa.  It is also one of the least corrupt and best governed.

I don't think that men in particular are at fault for the vast number of nations in economic peril or for the resultant hardship, poverty, corruption, death and disease that exists in a struggling or failing state.  I do believe that whenever large groups of people are left powerless, stigmatized, abused and victimized, whether male or female, the over arching loss is the collective power, intelligence and creativity that can be used to prevent and overcome such darkness.

Another book that changed my life is ' Half the Sky' by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  A must read for anyone looking for ways to overcome our greatest challenges as a world.  The theme of the book is summed up in this quote.

"In the nineteenth century the central moral challenge was slavery.  In the twentieth century, it was the battle against totalitarianism ( remember Hitler?).  We believe that in this century the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality around the world."

I help run an organization ( Bracelet of Hope ) whose goal is to end the AIDS pandemic in Lesotho.  Seventy percent of those infected with the virus worldwide are women.  This is not because of some gender-related biological quirk or some risky exposure that is unique to women.   This is because the women in our world struggle everyday to survive in households, villages and countries where their lives are ruled over by predominantly male power brokers.

Bring everyone, male and female alike, into the places of work and around the decision making tables, and not only will AIDS be eradicated, but so will poverty and needless child mortality.

Join Bracelet of Hope this Sunday, May 24th at Apt. 58 in Guelph for an afternoon of shopping, good conversation and food as we support the women of Lesotho.  A group of students from Ross CVI will be combining beautiful beads made by women in Lesotho with Canadian materials and design to create custom bracelets for order and sale.  Tickets are $20 and available online at braceletofhope.ca or at the door.   All proceeds go to Bracelet of Hope and our efforts to assist the women and children affected by AIDS in Lesotho. 

For those of you living  in other countries who follow this blog, you can donate online at the same website:  braceletofhope.ca or you can add your thoughts by emailing us at info@braceletofhope.ca.  We would love to add your voices to this conversation and I would love to write about your experiences and opinions.  

Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik MD CCFP
Founding Director, Bracelet of Hope
Braceletofhope.ca

Women to Women- A new international movement

            

2.7 billion live on less than $2/day

1.0 billion of these are children

                                                             70% or 1.4 billion are women

          But let's not forget the really, really good stuff that is happening in our world.  

          We are surrounded in and smothered by bad news stories; stories of terrorism, war, global poverty, economic and environmental collapse.  My voice is small but I still firmly believe in the power of good people who can change all that.  People who have not lost faith in a world that will be restored, people who still have the energy to stand, activate, inspire and encourage. They have gathered together to create powerful groups that are fighting for the protection of our environment, for the restoration of communities devastated by war and natural disaster and for the rights of the most vulnerable.  We have learned so much about how to fight for and conquer the world's greatest problems. 

Here is some of what I have learned:

 It is now firmly believed, based on international research, that eliminating gender disparity is the primary path forward to achieving global prosperity and peace.

A global movement to emancipate women and girls, to unlock women’s power as compassionate, community and family focused leaders and economic catalysts is the most effective way to fight global poverty and restore global security.

In my career, I have delivered thousands of babies and, by the grace of God,  not one mother or child died.  An intact health care system that is available to all, prevents these deaths.

                  

 In resource poor countries with little access to healthcare, one woman a minute or five jumbo jets worth of women, die in childbirth each day.  Ninety-nine % of these deaths are preventable.  Five Jumbo Jets.  All those women.  The most common cause of death in childbirth is post-partum hemorrhage.  A uterus that doesn't contract after delivery will bleed and if the bleeding is not stopped the mother will bleed to death.

What was the most effective, lifesaving skill I learned in medical school?  Once that beautiful newborn was delivered, my hand would automatically go to the top of the mother's uterus where I would apply pressure.  That's it.  Pressure applied to a uterus makes it contract.  A contracting uterus stops bleeding.  A new mother does not die and in resource poor countries, that means her children have a much greater chance of survival.  She works tirelessly to prevent her children from dying of starvation and disease.

 One small manouever, jumbo jets empty, thousands upon thousands of women survive.

        In all parts of the world regardless of class or race, women are viewed as the inferior gender, incapable and undeserving of the same rights as men.  They are left uneducated and powerless and in this powerless state, they are unable to lead efforts that fight for the health of their communities and countries.  In this powerless state, they are unable to join the board room tables and the political decision-making teams that should be creating effective healthcare systems which protect people from dying needlessly and thriving education systems that provide education for all.  

Here's the truth:  women with equal access to education will more likely survive childbirth, have healthy children and ensure that her children go to school.  If women in the developing world are educated for just 1 to 3 years, her country's child mortality rate will decrease by 15%.

   “Gender equality produces a double dividend:  it benefits both women and children.  Without it, it will be impossible to create a world of equity, tolerance and shared responsibility.”  UNICEF    

    

The status of women is directly related to the economic health of the community:  if women flourish, so does the nation’s economy.  UN economist Jeffery Sach’s

Countries that oppress their women are doomed to be failed states. Failed states increase extremism and terrorism which decrease global security.

By simply applying pressure after delivery, thousands of women live.  By creating a movement that eliminates gender inequality, countries are saved and the planet becomes a safer and healthier place to live.

Pretty simple from my point of view.  So, now that I can lift my emotionally weakened self and extend my arms on my own again, here is what I'd like to do.  Why don't we link the women (and men of course) in our country, starting first in our community, with the women of Lesotho?  Why don't we create a Women to Women partnership that empowers the mothers in this world to stand up and do what they do best; love and care for their families, their villages and their country.  

A team of women have already started this movement and on May 24^th we are going to do what we all love to do…..shop.  Something special will happen at this event.  We will create a new bracelet made by the combined efforts of our female colleagues in Lesotho and the lovely women in our community.  It will be beautiful.