Concepcion Olavarrieta 1 THE GLOBAL MILLENNIUM PRIZE: YOUNGSTERS FUTURE VISION FOR WOMEN

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1 Concepcion Olavarrieta 1 THE GLOBAL MILLENNIUM PRIZE: YOUNGSTERS FUTURE VISION FOR WOMEN Concepcion Olavarrieta President of Nodo Mexicano. El Proyecto del Milenio & Chair of the Millennium Project Mexican Node. Millennia 2015, Liege, Belgium. March 7, To build a dream and see how it comes true, is probably one of the most wonderful experiences that today I have the honour to share with you: Millennia 2015 and the Global Millennium Prize. Thank you very much Marie-Anne for inviting me to walk with you along your dream and now enjoy the beginning of its achievements and wishes. The Global Millennium Prize is a Mexican initiative supported by the Millennium Project for 3 years now. Introduction Before talking about the Global Millennium Prize youngsters future vision for women, as a Mexican and a Latin-American, I would like to comment on certain statistics, cultural traditions and attitudes that are common in our countries. The Latin-American countries, as all of you know, were colonized by Europeans and mainly by Spaniards. Thus, culturally speaking we have a strong relationship with catholic religion, with strong boundaries for obedience and submission. Furthermore, Mexicans, Central Americans and Peruvians also have a great legacy from our Pre-Hispanic cultures, where women were treated equally as men. So we, Latin-American women, are a strange mixture of obedience and empowerment.

2 Concepcion Olavarrieta 2 Latin America has 49 countries registered by UN. We have the 8.6% of the entire world s population and for 2050 we are expecting to have 8.4% This means we are now around million people and we will be for 2050, 769 million. We represent 25% of the countries registered in UN and our voices are heard in this forum. The proportion of our children and youth and women aged between years old, represent almost the same as in the world s numbers: 35% and 35.5%, and 52% vs 53.2%. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean CEPAL last report, from Quito Regional Women s Conference, mentions that women in Latin America are over represented in poverty and under represented in politics. Their income is almost 70% of men s earnings for the same job. With the disadvantage that women s contribution is fundamental for diminishing poverty. 60% of women s income goes to family in contrast with 35% of men s. Almost half of the women over 15 years old have no personal income. Since 1990, the advances in gender equity are slow: from 45% to 40% for women that have no income for their work at home in urban areas and from 59% to 50% in rural areas. A glance to UN Millennium Development Goal, number 3, shows us that the original indicators for Rich and Poor Gap have not been reached. We can see inequity between men and women facing poverty. In most of the countries, 30% of the houses are female headed as well as 37% for indigenous people. Numbers are increasing, for the period , from 27% to 32% and for this proportion is getting worse: 32% to 36%. 112 women live in extreme poverty vs.100 men. The main challenge is the institutional, structural and legal discrimination that indigenous women face on a daily basis. Vote Even after we got the right to vote, women in parliament represent only 22%, despite legal support of the Law of quotes. Worldwide, from 1990 till 2006, the participation of women in parliament has increased 4 points. It is now 17.15% and in Latin-America the advance along these years is 8.5 points. It is now 20.34%.

3 Concepcion Olavarrieta 3 The entrepreneurs prefer to sponsor men than women s electoral campaigns because still prevails the patriarchal culture that assigns women s role as caretakers. These prejudices become a distrust factor towards their capacity and ability to govern. In Latin America, we can identify several scenarios: the first one linking democracy against poverty struggle, eradicating violence and reproductive rights. The second one is the human rights struggle and the third one, appears as a democracy recovery with constitutional reforms or Law quotes. There is a difference in regard to the Feminist Movement in Europe and USA. In Latin America the main issues are development, social equity and poverty. Work House keeping is a matter of women and serving is matter of poor women. In Latin America, maids earned 40% of what other women won out of their houses. 2 factors are associated with sexual work: 1 st the social assignment to women domestic role functions as a boundary for her participation, and secondly, the social work of female work devaluation. Women in the XXIst. Century are facing an equity challenge for conquering freedoms. For empowering women at all levels, their leadership training, management and strengthening their local participation are needed. It is very important to foster in all media and strategic campaigns to remove patriarchal values of the society and the political parties. For 2015 Latin American entrepreneur women are expected to earn the same income as men. Otherwise, they will earn only 75% from men s salaries.

4 Concepcion Olavarrieta 4 Violence The main reason for women s violence is the negative synergy between institutional weaknesses and patriarchal culture, and therefore women, girls and teenagers lack power to stand up for themselves.. CEPAL mentions that if we have a sample of 10 women over 15 years old, as representative of Latin-American violence, we will find 4 Peruvian and 4 Nicaraguans that suffer physical violence from their husbands; in Mexico, 3 are victims of emotional violence and 2 of physical violence; 3 Brazilian suffer extreme physical violence and 2 Haitian physical violence. Women died more because of their partners violence than from others. On one hand, patriarchal culture operates in the mind, rooted since its very beginning in the colonial matrix extremely violent in ethnic terms and of gender, and on the other hand, in the beliefs and practices of a wide sector and institutions in the society as police, health services, legal system and media. The prevailing traditions are not protecting factors and tend to reinforce women s subordination, thus they appeal uses and customs that legitimate discrimination. The persistence of traditions, certain religious values and others that consecrate women s inferiority, institutional weaknesses and low priority assigned to public budget, hampering the eradication of this serious problem. We have in Latin America traffic of women, incest and working children s (girls) abuse. The sex violence and the patriarchal violence is a political-cultural device of domination. The violence against women is the clearest indicator of social and cultural arrear in our society. Non-desired fertility oscillates between 30% and 50%. Poverty Poverty will increase 10% in this region without women s paid work. Poverty female index has reached 2005 points. Poor homes headed by women increased from 27% to 36%. Women s autonomy is threatened by poverty, inequity, unemployment, lack of services, main reproductive health, and the persistent gender discrimination. All of this mean less opportunities for us.

5 Concepcion Olavarrieta 5 In 2005, 40% of the population lived in poverty and 16% in extreme poverty. Education In urban areas, women from 15 to 24 years old, reach 9.7 years of education and in rural areas, 7. And for women older than 25 the average is 7.8 and 3.9, respectively. This is the most successful result for reaching equity among genders in Basic Education: Goal number 4, of the UN Global Millennium Goals. Global Millennium Prize, Millennium Project 15 Global Challenges and UN 8 Millennium Development Goals. 3 years ago, the Nodo Mexicano. El Proyecto del Milenio and the Millennium Project of the World Federation of United Nations Associations have created the Millennium Award and are promoting worldwide the Global Millennium Prize. Both are contests. The Millennium Award is a contest among champions, for years old Mexican children that are champions from other Education Secretary Contests and the Global Millennium Prize is an international contest by internet open to all secondary students. The Millennium Award and the Global Millennium Prize have as: Mission: To stimulate future prospective awareness among youth around the world to imagine new alternatives for addressing the 15 Global Challenges, and hence, help achieve the 8 UN Millennium Development Goals. Vision: To develop future-oriented leaders in their communities and countries for positive change both today and for the longer-term future. Goals: To inspire creativity, responsibility and solidarity amongst the youth of the world.

6 Concepcion Olavarrieta 6 The Millennium Project 15 Global Challenges analyses their holistic impact helping humankind awareness about their risks and opportunities, in order to address them positively as part of the world social responsibility. THE MILLENNIUM PROJECT 15 GLOBAL CHALLENGES 1996* It is a foresight study that analyses annually the 15 Challenges holistic impact as a menace and opportunity of the present Millennium. It presents scenarios in order to help the world awareness for addressing them positively for the best of humankind. THE UN 8 MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS 2000** ** Are 8 goals with 18 targets and 48 indicators for measuring and following up the advances against poverty, illiteracy, hunger, education lack, sickness, inequity between men and women, children and mothers mortality and environment degradation. The eight goals urge wealthy countries to adopt measures to release debt and to increasing their assistance to allow the poorer countries to marketing and technology access. Also points out the responsibility of the development countries to undertake reforms and strengthen the governance. In the following chart you see their main links and affinities between the 2 projects: Challenge THE MILLENNIUM PROJECT 15 GLOBAL THE UN 8 MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS Goal CHALLENGES 1996* 2000** 1. Sustainable Development To guarantee sustainable development 7 2. Water To guarantee sustainable development 7 3. Population and Resources To eradicate poverty and hunger 1

7 Concepcion Olavarrieta 7 4. Democratization To foster a world association for development 8 5. Global Long-Term Policymaking To foster a world association for development 8 6. Globalization of Information Technology To guarantee sustainable development 7 7. Rich-Poor Gap To eradicate poverty and hunger. To foster a world association for development 8. Health To reduce children s mortality under 5 years Capacity to decide 10. Peace and conflict To improve mothers health. To combat HIV/AIDS, paludism and other diseases Improving Women s Status To promote gender equity & women s autonomy Transnational Organized Crime To reach the universal elementary school teaching Energy To guarantee sustainable development Science and technology To guarantee sustainable development Global Ethics

8 Concepcion Olavarrieta 8 For the past 3 years, the contests intention research has been changing every year. The women s preference sending submissions per challenge showed that 6 out of 15 challenges get their main interest: Challenge % Improving Women s Status 9.5 Health 8.1 Sustainable development 7.7 Rich-Poor Gap 7.6 Decision-making capacities 7.5 Population and resources 7.1 Democracy 6,8 Global Ethics 6.4 Peace and conflict 6.2 Water 6.1 Global, Long-Term Policymaking 6.1 Globalization of Information Technology 5.9 Transnational organized crime 5.8 Science and technology 4.9 Energy 4.3

9 Concepcion Olavarrieta 9 The winners main thoughts, proposals and actions for challenge 11, Improving Women s Status, were: In 2005, 11 and 12 year old children: 1. Women s development with dignity and respect. 2. More equity = family union and family with values. 3. Best scenario 2020: literate country with more social awareness. 4. Worst scenario 2020: more illiterate women mistreated and murdered. 5. Best scenario 2050: triumphant women, with education and rights respected. 6. Severe penalties to those who discriminate and rape. 7. Women with freedom, honest job, housing, health and food. 8. Integrated in joint projects with men. In 2006, we added the participation of secondary school students: years old Worst scenario Best scenario Relevant sentence Submission and economic dependence and incapacity to decide. Women more prepared, with jobs better paid and respect to their rights. Discriminated women are not born, they are made.

10 Concepcion Olavarrieta years old Worst scenario Machismo, intrafamily violence, indifference and lack of consciousness. Best scenario Relevant sentence Gender equity in a culture of values. I am the creator of my future. In 2007, we added the participation of university students in Mexico. Last year we had almost 40,000 visits to our Website, from 102 countries from all over the world and more than one million clicks into our Website. The participants of Challenge 11 had to answer the following question: How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition? The winners proposals and actions to be taken were: years old 1. That in commercial publicity women wouldn t be shown as sexual objects. 2. To create supportive groups between rural and indigenous women to alphabetize them and educate them in values and self-esteem. 3. To include in the curricula for students a credit and a text book about values and mutual respect years old

11 Concepcion Olavarrieta To promote countries to be governed by women, because they are more pacific and better oriented. 2. To design information campaigns about their rights as human beings. for women that live in faraway towns, 3. To create the International Court for Women s Rights. After reading all winners submissions, I can tell you that I found real treasures for building a future with creativity and world solidarity. The sentences mentioned by the winners along these years, that have mainly attracted my attention are: Before doing this work, I never thought that the future was going to be so difficult. Today is tomorrow s beginning Acting today for tomorrow. The future belongs to us and is in our hands. The futurist sees what other don t see, hears what others don t listen and feels what others don t feel. I wish that in the future things change for the best. We can change the world for the better. We only have to wish it.

12 Concepcion Olavarrieta 12 Thank you very much. Concepcion Olavarrieta President of Nodo Mexicano. El Proyecto del Milenio & Chair of the Millennium Project Mexican Node. Millennia 2015, Liege, Belgium. March 7, 2008.