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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The Courage to Act
November 1, 2021Note: this interview of Josianne Gauthier was originally published on 23 October 2021 in a special report of the UK […]
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News from CIDSE – September-October 2021
October 28, 2021Read our latest newsletter for an overview of our activities from September to October and find out what’s coming next! […]
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Two years after the Amazon Synod: Indigenous women’s voices more
October 12, 2021In October 2019, over two hundred people gathered for three weeks in Rome for the Amazon Synod to discuss Integral […]
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Linking gender equality and food justice in the run-up to
July 29, 2021Photo: UN Women. Ahead of the United Nations Food Systems Summit, which is being criticized by civil society for being disproportionately influenced by […]
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Reflections on food systems and justice
July 23, 2021Interview with Josianne Gauthier, CIDSE Secretary General The United Nations Food Systems pre-summit will take place next week (26-28 July). […]