GENDER EQUALITY
There is systemic inequality between women and men everywhere in the world. Universally, women continue to face limited access to and control over resources. Women are largely under-represented in decision-making processes that shape their lives and their societies. Gender inequality is reinforced every day through discriminatory attitudes, practices and structures. The inequality that women experience hinders the progress of half of any society and is a fundamental barrier to integral human development and social justice.
Gender equality is a systemic issue. We frequently observe gender-specific impacts across our areas of work. The lack of enforcement of rural women’s property rights makes it difficult for them to access land on which to grow food. Though women are often assigned the duty of caring for the health of a community, women are denied participation in decision-making on energy sources that may emit dangerous pollution. Women’s position in society is exploited by corporate supply chains as a source of cheap labor in poor working conditions. Women face structural barriers to accessing justice if they try to seek legal rectification for land grabbing or corporate abuse. Though we often see women at the heart of organising grassroots movements, rarely are they the spokespeople or representatives. Despite efforts by many movements and the international community to address this imbalance, their voices do not carry the same weight in front of government or corporate authorities as their male counterparts.
We know that these gender specific impacts must be addressed in the policies we advocate for to regulate corporations, and the solutions we propose for just and sustainable energy and food systems. These solutions must acknowledge the decision-making structures that disempower women, and try to actively reimagine participatory processes that ensure women are treated equally as actors within society. We are working with our partners and members to find methodologies to open conversations on gender equality in their diverse cultural and economic contexts, to challenge mentalities and unequal relationships. We celebrate women’s perspectives and amplify their voices in our media.
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Nicky Broeckhoven
broeckhoven(at)cidse.org
Blog
Publications
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We remember Berta Cáceres and the urgency to guarantee free,
March 4, 2019EU-LAT Network and CIDSE; together represent more than 57 European and international organizations, echoing the requests of COPINH supported by […]
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Amandla Awethu! – or power to the people in Zulu
February 18, 2019An encounter that brings the whole world together always represents an opportunity. But a gathering where men and women from […]
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The Feminists for a Binding Treaty
January 24, 2019Early this month, January 2019, thousands of employees from Bangladesh factories making clothing apparels for global retail giants such as […]
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Women Be Brave
January 24, 2019When I came back from Rome, I had a tattoo because of the pope and a good story to tell. […]
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Blogging on Gender Equality in 2018: A review
December 19, 2018This year we collected incredible testimonies from women who are fighting for their rights, their land and the future of […]