TYO Recommends: Week of January 29, 2012
From honor killings in Canada to the future of women's leadership as discussed at the World Economic Forum, this week's posts tackle the ever meandering path of women seeking power and place.
Resourcefulness Rewarded: Following the tragic death of her daughter, a resourceful grandmother turns practice into profit by using a UNRWA microfinance loan to operate a 24-hour nursery out of her home:
[youtube 0QPjmkyZCOs 585]
Lank of Milk and Mommies: Excessively high malnutrition rates in India has forced a re-examination of PROPERTY RIGHTS FOR WOMEN, claims the UK’s Guardian news source. Providing women land-owning leverage just might be the much-needed boost to lift their children out of the direst circumstances of poverty. “Across India, national and some state governments are recognising this and are working to put a powerful asset – land – into the hands of women.” Results are backed by similar studies in Nepal, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Ghana.
Purchasing Her Personals: Saudi women step forward to take ownership of a very different sort—not land, but LINGERIE. Specifically, women are taking charge of a movement to be permitted to sell their personal undergarments. Though highly scrutinized, the measure is being met with sighs of relief for women happy to purchase their personals from a fellow female.
Women on the Move: On the court and in the field, women around the world celebrated NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY on February 1st! Sponsored by the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, this 26th day of celebration is also a day of recognition for the strides yet to come in support for women’s athletics.
On my Honor: The Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review brings to light the frighteningly high number of under-reported, or at the very least low profile, HONOR KILLINGS in Canada. Merits a greater discussion of why and how these prevalent cases are swept under the rug even in Western countries claiming to promote the rights and welfare of abused women.
Peace and Partnership: The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN), and UNDP join forces with the European Commission to spearhead a multi-country initiative to increase women’s participation in PEACE-BUILDING efforts. By strengthening women’s civil society organizations in Kosovo, Timor-Leste, and Liberia, the coalition hopes to launch a two-year program that will used targeted intervention strategies to lay the framework for similar initiatives elsewhere around the world.
What Women are Worth: In her opening remarks at the WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, former Chilean president and current Executive Director for UN Women, Michelle Bachelet discusses the road to higher education and economic imperatives for women. Together with inspiring femmes, Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) and Yingluck Shinawatra (Prime Minister of Thailand), as well as Desmond Tutu and moderator Nick Kristof of the New York Times, the panel tackles struggles for women’s leadership, the first talk of its kind at the WEF! (Scroll to the bottom and fast forward to 23:43 to listen to a riveting speech by Sheryl Sandberg.)