Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Gender inequalities persist in Asia Pacific region, says World Bank report

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT

Helen Thompson
WVoN co-editor

Women in the Pacific and East Asia have fewer economic opportunities and generally earn less than men, according to a report from the World Bank released today.

The biggest gaps exist in the lower-skilled job sectors where female workers are over-represented.

The wage gap in the Philippines is especially large, with women earning only 76 percent of what men earn.

Entitled ‘Toward Gender Equality in East Asia and the Pacific’, the report argues that: “Despite considerable progress in this economically dynamic region, gender disparities still persist in a number of areas, particularly in access to economic opportunity.”

Pay inequities result from the persistence of traditional gender roles, according to the report’s lead author, World Bank economist Andrew Mason.

“Gender norms play a role, there is social expectation that women will attend to household work,” he said. “Men work longer hours per day on the average in the market and do very little household work.”

Mason says “gender streaming” in education, with girls studying education, humanities and arts subjects while boys study law and engineering, limits women's access to professional careers.

In addition to economic inequities, the World Bank report cites a high level of violence against Filipinas, with almost 20 percent of women experiencing sexual or physical violence in the home.

In response to the report, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman, said: “It is precisely because of these hard truths that we are called upon to be more proactive in creating gender-sensitive policies and implementing them well in the country and the region.

“We should start at the basic unit of society that is the home, then to other institutions like the schools, communities, churches, media, corporations, organisations, government and eventually the whole nation and the region.”

Soliman also pointed out that the government has created gender-awareness policies in programmes that aim to reduce poverty.

“Gender equality is not only a fundamental right but is also good economics,” said Motoo Konishi, country director of the World Bank for the Philippines.

This sentiment is reinforced in the report, which argues that workers' productivity could increase by 7 to 18 per cent if employers hired workers based on their skills rather than their gender.

This gender-blind strategy would go a long way to promoting growth and reducing poverty.

Mason cited four steps for governments to reduce the gender inequalities: promote gender equality in human development; close the gender gap in economic opportunities; strengthen women's voices and influence; and foster new opportunities and manage emerging risks.

The report does have its critics. Soliman points out that the report neglects to address lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues and women with disabilities.

Similarly, Tess Fernandez, the women's sectoral representative in the National Anti-Poverty Commission, argues that governments need to address the particular conditions of older women, who lack resources and have childcare burdens within the family.

Fernandez also cites growing number of overseas workers who need “stronger legal and social protection” against trafficking and exploitation.

Despite these inequalities, the World Bank does point out some favourable indicators for women, including women's access to education with girls accounting for over 50 per cent of students in schools.

Documentary about rape in US military highlights struggle for justice

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 05:30 AM PDT

Julie Tomlin
WVoN co-editor

A new film documenting rape and sexual assault in the military has been released in the United States as campaigners continue to fight for changes in the way that allegations are treated.

Directed by documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick, The Invisible War includes interviews with around 70 women who served in the army and were raped or assaulted.

An estimated 22,800 violent sex crimes were committed in the military last year, according to the Department of Defence. Kirby and Amy Ziering, who also worked on the film, calculate that one in five women serving in the military has experienced sexual assault.

While recent lawsuits have raised awareness of the issue and prompted more women to come forward, it is still estimated that 80 per cent of cases are never reported, with up to 25 per cent of women unable to report rape because the person responsible for receiving the report is the rapist.

Some victims, like Marine Lieutenant Elle Helmer, who is interviewed in the film, were themselves charged after reporting cases of rape and forced to leave the army while their attackers remained in post and were awarded for their services.

One such case is that of Kori Cioca, who has taken a class action civil suit against the Department of Defence after she was raped and physically beaten by her commanding officer in the US Coast Guard.  When she attempted to report the officer she was told that her punishment for “lying” would be a court-martial.

The military has repeatedly come under fire for the way it handles such cases – only eight per cent of those accused of rape have been prosecuted, and just two per cent have faced conviction.

New rules announced by the Pentagon governing the investigation of reported rapes in the military have been linked to Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta’s viewing of the documentary. Panetta is reported to have told one of the film’s executive producers that the screening was partly responsible for his decision.

A lawsuit by eight current and former female members of the US military alleging rape, assault or sexual harassment while in the military and retaliation when they complained has also raised awareness of the issue.

Anu Bhagwati, a former Marine and now executive director of the Service Women's Action Network (SWAN), said in a recent webchat with Naomi Wolf hosted by The Guardian, that SWAN had seen attention on the military rape crisis “absolutely explode” in the past year.

“We’ve placed a ton of pressure on Congress, the Pentagon, and the Department of Defence to transform policy to increase prosecution of perpetrators and to better serve survivors. But lots still has to be done.”

She added that women who reported rape were likely to be punished by members of their chain of command, peers or family members. They could also lose benefits and, a result of rules that mean they have to disclose any counselling, have less chance of maintaining security clearances, or being able to hold civilian jobs because of security clearance requirements.

New anti-trafficking strategy launched by EU

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 04:00 AM PDT

Julie Tomlin
WVoN co-editor

New anti-trafficking plans aimed at helping victims of human trafficking and increasing prosecution rates of traffickers have been launched in Europe.

Published by the European Commission last week, the strategy outlines 40 proposals to combat trafficking, including increased efforts to identify more of the estimated 1.5 million victims of trafficking and forced labour in the EU and developed countries and to arrest and prosecute traffickers.

The Commission’s plans closely follow a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in June 2102 that revealed 20.9 million people worldwide were victims of forced labour, including forced sexual exploitation.

Across Europe women and girls remain the primary targets of traffickers 79 per cent of victims between 2008 and 2012 were female and 12 per cent of those were girls. Boys made up three per cent of the trafficked males.

Gender inequality, violence against women, conflict and post-conflict situations are just some of the factors behind this “complex transnational phenomenon” according to the Commission’s report, which also cites “vulnerability to poverty, lack of democratic cultures, social integration and of opportunities, employment and access to education”.

“A lot remains to be done,” said Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, speaking at the launch of the strategy.

“I hope that this strategy, which will be evaluated every second year, will bring us closer to a point when we can say humans are not for sale.”

Due to be implemented between now and 2016, the strategy outlines five priorities for EU countries, which include: identifying, protecting and assisting victims; increased prosecution of traffickers; and better coordination between the agencies involved in tackling the problem.

Some of the practical steps include setting up specialist law enforcement units and the creation of joint European investigation teams to prosecute cross-border trafficking cases, improved guidelines about identifying victims as well as “clear, user-friendly” information for victims of trafficking about their rights under EU law.

An EU-wide awareness programme, which will use the internet and social networks, will be launched in 2014 and will target specific vulnerable groups, such as women and children at risk, domestic workers, Roma communities and undocumented workers. There will also be a focus on major sporting events.

Asia Pacific women’s conference to be held in Guam

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 02:30 AM PDT

Helen Thompson
WVoN co-editor

The biennial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Women's Association (FAWA) is being held in Guam in October.

Kristal Kroga, conference organiser and FAWA Guam Chapter President said the conference, with the theme, Empowering Asia-Pacific Women Through Knowledge and Opportunities, will focus on subjects such as women's health, education and sustainability over four days.

She expects about 100 FAWA members to come to Guam for the convention.

Women's organisations from the Asia Pacific region came together in 1959 to form FAWA, with the objective “to promote closer relations and bring about joint efforts among Asians, particularly women, through mutual appreciation of cultural, moral and socio-economic values”.

Countries such as Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Korea and Indonesia have previously hosted the conference with themes including economic development, peace, tourism, heritage and sustainability.

The conference typically attracts dignitaries from the region.

Kroga points out that the first ladies of the Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands attended the 2010 convention in Taiwan.

This year, honorary FAWA President, Cecilia Y. Koo, leader of the Taiwan National Women's League will attend as well as Charlene Yang, first FAWA Vice President.

Among the plenary speakers for the 2012 conference in Guam are Kathryn Xian, director of development and communications, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii,  Lou Leon Guerrero, president and CEO of Bank of Guam, and Helen Whippy, senior vice president at the University of Guam.

The 2012 FAWA Convention will take place at the Aurora Resort and Spa, Tumon Bay, Guam between October 25 and 28.

The deadline for registering for the convention is September 15.  For information about registration contact Sylvia Crafton at sylvia.crafton@gmail.com.

Turkey backtracks on abortion ban

Posted: 25 Jun 2012 01:00 AM PDT

Auveen Woods
WVoN co-editor

Turkey’s conservative government has abandoned plans to reduce abortion availability, Turkish media reported on Friday.

A report commissioned by the ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP) on restricting abortion in the country has decided to preserve the current limit of 10 weeks.

The report by the ministries of health, justice and family and social affairs, outlines new rules intended to make abortion safer.

Under the new rules advised by the report abortions would only be preformed by specialist gynecologists in fully equipped hospitals instead of the clinics of general physicians, which is currently allowed.

In addition, a woman or couple applying to a hospital for an abortion would first be informed about the procedure by a committee comprising a gynaecologist, a social service specialist and a psychologist and then given time to reconsider the decision.

The report emphasises the need for increased education on birth control methods in a bid to reduce the demand for abortions.

Turkey has a 14.8% abortion rate compared to 18.9% in the United States and 17.5% in the UK.

Recep Akdag, Turkey’s health minister, told reporters: “The matter is not to ban or to ban abortion. The matter is to let a new understanding prevail in Turkey compatible with certain principles and enact new regulations.

“Abortion should never be a family planning method, or a method to prevent an unintended pregnancy,” he added.

The legislation initially proposed by government would have limited abortion from 10 weeks to four weeks.

Abortion has been legal in Turkey since 1983.

It was enacted in response to the high number of deaths due to unsafe abortion procedures – a fact that many women’s groups in Turkey argued would be repeated if the proposed ban was enacted.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan immediately courted controversy when announcing the proposed legislation by comparing abortion to the botched military operation in the Kurdish village of Uludere where 34 people were killed.

Along with abortion, Erdoğan also said the rate of Caesarean section births should be decreased, which currently stands at 51% of all births.

New regulations to be introduced will allow Caesarian births only where the life of the mother is threatened. Doctors will no longer be permitted to ask the mother whether she would like a C-section.

Both women’s groups and opposing political parties had objected to the government’s proposals as the debate became increasingly polarised.

Women took to the streets to protest with marches, sit-ins and petitions across the country.

The new regulations guiding abortion are still likely to disproportionately affect rural women who already find it difficult to have an abortion within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy as local healthcare facilities are often without the necessary trained specialists.