Oxfam Work Report: Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment

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1 Oxfam Work Report: Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment It is estimated that women represent 70 per cent of the world s poor people. In general, women in many parts of the world lack enough channels to voice out their needs and opinions, and are deprived of education, clean drinking water, sanitation, medical care, employment and access to and control of resources due to discrimination and gender inequality. Gender equality is not only a basic human right. At Oxfam Hong Kong, we see gender equality and the empowerment of women as a significant strategy to eradicate poverty. Our development programmes focus on women s participation, capacity building and practical skills needed for securing their sustainable livelihoods and meeting their basic needs. Our education programmes advocate for more equitable allocation of resources and equal opportunities for women and girls. Our humanitarian and rehabilitation programmes emphasise the needs of vulnerable women, elderly and children. Here is a brief report. Working with people against poverty Fast Facts Sources: UN Women, Women Watch, UNICEF report More than one billion people in the world today (70 per cent of whom are women) live in poverty, mostly in the developing countries In some regions, women provide 70 per cent of agricultural labour and produce more than 90 per cent of the food. But when food is scarce, women are usually the first to lower their food intake Globally, up to six out of every ten women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime Every year, more than half a million women die as a result of pregnancy or childbirth complications, including about 70,000 girls and young women aged 15 to 19 In contemporary conflicts, as much as 90 per cent of casualties are among civilians, most of whom are women and children Of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women

2 Assisting Women to Achieve Self-reliance Oxfam s livelihood initiatives focus on engaging women in income generation activities, including agricultural production, such as small scale poultry farming, cow fattening, goat rearing and homestead vegetable gardening. Micro-credit and training are also provided. Self-reliance is a goal. In Nepal, about 70 per cent of the population lives on less than two US dollars a day. Poverty is more common among women and more severe in rural areas. Oxfam Hong Kong has been working with partner organisations there to carry out development programmes which focus on livelihoods, empowerment and stress reduction for women in rural areas. Budhomati, 45, lives in Rangai Village, Kapilbastu District, Nepal. She recalled that before Oxfam Hong Kong started supporting projects in the village in 2008, there was no income source for villagers especially for women. Oxfam has set up 20 Women Self Help Groups in the village, including Saving Group, Goat Raising Group and Community Forest User s Group. I joined the Women s Self Help Group and received training on making bamboo handicrafts. Each member can earn about HK$140 a month from making handicrafts. I use the income to buy food for my family and support my children s education. The Self Help Group also provides a support system to group members. We feel more secured and independent now. In Malawi, over 70 per cent of the 15.4 million people in the country live below the poverty line. Women and children suffer from malnutrition and threat of malaria. Average life expectancy is 44 and HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for adults. Oxfam Hong Kong has been working in Malawi since Since 2007, Oxfam has supported 7,000 families in 40 poor communities through initiatives such as agricultural training, micro-credit and soil conservation. A new 5-year country strategic programme has recently been developed, focusing on income generation with poor people, especially women. Photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam Budhomati earns an income by making bamboo handicrafts Oxfam support poor women in Malawi to improve their livelihoods through agricultural training and micro-credit

3 Promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment The right to gender equality underpins all Oxfam s work. Through capacity building and training, we work with community members, partner organisations and government officials to build up women s confidence and to assert women s rights. We also work with governments to promote gender equality and advocate for national policies on gender equity. In China, for example, Oxfam Hong Kong has supported a series of training sessions on gendersensitive social work with government officials in Gansu and Henan at the village, township, county, city and provincial levels. The programme also supports rural women to set up mutual help groups to raise sensitivity and to build up networks in their communities. Zhong Meili, a group leader in Gansu, said, My mindset has changed. In the past, I only thought about what I wanted the women to do. Now I understand I need to think about what they need. We also worked to establish rural women resource centres in 40 villages in the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Gansu to help women gain skills in reading, writing, leadership and knowledge in gender sensitivity. Many of the women feel more confident and their participation in family and community life has widened. China: Oxfam promotes women empowerment in rural areas. Our community development projects provide opportunities for women to participate in community affairs. Nalie (left), a villager in Yunnan, said, "In the past, the women would only listen to the men and take their orders. Now they will participate in community affairs; their opinions are also accepted by the men. Bangladesh: In general, Bangladesh is a gender-imbalanced society where women have very limited access to resources and the decision-making process. Oxfam supports gender equality initiatives across Bangladesh, assisting women to plan and organise their livelihoods through various community groups. Myanmar: Apart from supporting women in rural communities to improve their livelihoods, Oxfam also supports a Women s Leadership Programme which focuses on gender equality, addressing structural drivers of poverty and overcoming barriers to equitable development for women.

4 Tackling Gender-based Violence Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights. Over the years, Oxfam Hong Kong has been supporting programmes to address gender-based violence. In Asia, since 2004, Oxfam has been supporting We Can, a campaign active in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan to reduce gender-based violence at the national and regional level. The aim is to mobilise 50 million people in communities, organisations, institutions and corporations through education, advocacy and community work. Change-makers are the core of the campaign. Empowered and supported with different communication means, they are committed to bringing about positive changes in their own attitudes, beliefs and behaviours regarding gender-based inequality and violence, and to working to convince others of the same. In China, we support projects in Shaanxi, Gansu and Yunnan Provinces, assisting women to fight gender-based violence and protect rights through advocacy, capacity and network building, media work, public education and legal aid. In Hong Kong, Oxfam advocated for legislative reform with a partner organisation in 2006 and we supported various public education activities with women and men. In June 2007, the government announced a proposal to amend the Domestic Violence Ordinance: a small success for civic groups who have been working for a long time for gender justice and anti-gender based violence. Cambodia: Oxfam supported a local partner to help women in Mondulkiri Province to form a women s network. Members of the network provide support and advice to women who are mistreated by their husbands. Promoting Basic Education for Women and Girls Education is a basic right. It breaks the vicious cycle of intergenerational poverty. Oxfam supports basic education projects including building schools, training teachers and curriculum reforms. We also conduct research and support advocacy for equitable allocation of resources on education especially for women and girls. Oxfam Hong Kong currently supports basic education projects in Beijing, Gansu, Guizhou, Qinghai and Yunnan, serving the needs of teachers, ethnic minority women and girls and migrant children in the cities, and village children whose parents have left to work in the cities. We also advocate for more resources for children s, especially girls education. is one of the poorest countries in the world. Poverty and illiteracy rates are high among women and their status is low both in the community and within the family. Oxfam supports a literacy and numeracy programme in the country where women and girls learn to read, write and count in an everyday context. Participants create their own reading materials based on their own experiences and with their own words.

5 Promoting Health and Sanitation for Women Women in poor communities are generally disadvantaged groups that lack access to medical and health care service. Many of them die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Over the years, Oxfam has been supporting health projects in various countries such as new rural clinics, sanitation and health education with women as well as providing training to healthcare workers, midwives and villagers. Nepal: Oxfam assists women in rural communities to build toilets and fuel-efficient stoves. Durgamaya Gurung, a beneficiary, said, The toilet is just outside my house. Now we don t need to go to the bushes. The new fuel-efficient stove needs less firewood and creates less smoke, so the workload for me is lighter, and my lung is healthier. Vietnam: Many communities do not have clinics, and residents do not have the income to pay for medical care offered far away in the towns. Oxfam has many health and sanitation projects throughout the country. We provide education on hygiene and sanitation and family planning information for women, as well as training for local health workers. Vietnam: A shortage of clean drinking water has always been a major problem in many remote villages in central Vietnam. People typically spend several hours a day collecting water from mountain streams a job usually done by women and girls. Many streams are contaminated, so water-borne diseases are prevalent. Oxfam s support in building water facilities has resolved water shortages and reduced workloads, particularly for women and girls who no longer have to fetch water. China: Due to the lack of facilities, many women in poor mountainous areas can only take a shower once a month. As a result, gynecological diseases are common among many women. Oxfam supported the construction of solar energy facilities in rural Yunnan. With access to hot water in an economical and environmentally friendly way, villagers also built a bathroom. A woman said, Now it is a lot more comfortable and convenient to take a shower.

6 Assisting Women to Cope with Disaster Poor people especially women are hardest hit by and more vulnerable to disaster. An Oxfam research conducted after the Asian Tsunami in 2004 indicated that the death rate of women might have been four times higher than that of men. Our humanitarian and rehabilitation programmes focus on the needs of women. We call on governments to make sure that women have equal access to income opportunities and livelihood recovery. Haiti Earthquake 2010: Oxfam provides cash-for-work and recovery grants to assist Haitian people, particularly women and girls, to rebuild and improve their lives. Ethiopia: Currently, the drought in East Africa triggered a food crisis with millions of people facing hunger. Oxfam provides emergency relief to affected people. We also support sustainable livelihood programmes combining cash-for-work and livelihood recovery. A participant Fatuma Abdulla said, Emergency relief is effective but it is not a long-term solution. This programme enables us to develop our livelihoods and build a mutually beneficial community network. Rights for All