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Announcement
4th DAWN Training Institute: Call for Applications
We are pleased to announce that the fourth global DAWN Training Institute (DTI) will take place from 10 to 28 October, 2011 in South East Asia. 
 
The main objectives of this three-week training course are to prepare young feminist activists from Southern countries for the challenges entailed in working for gender justice in the present global geopolitical and economic context; to build their capacity in understanding linkages between different issues and advocacy agendas, particularly those concerned with gender justice in its multiple and inter-linked dimensions – economic, political, ecological, social and personal; and, to strengthen feminist analysis and advocacy work in some complex areas at global and regional levels.

For those interested in applying to this DTI, please read carefully the call for applications which provides more detailed information. Applications can be made online. Alternatively, the application form may also be downloaded to be sent back to dti2011@dawnnet.org when completed.  
The deadline for applications is September 15, 2010
Click HERE to apply
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Announcement
Call for Action: Promote Women's Political Empowerment in PNG
Melanesian countries in the Pacific including PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji have some of the lowest global levels of women elected into national legislature bodies. There is currently only one woman elected to the PNG parliament, Dame Carol Kidu. This is a call to action for women's groups from the Asia-Pacific region to support PNG women toward special mechanisms including reserved women's seats in the PNG parliament.
 
Jill Bosro, UNIFEM PNG Communications Officer: "In May 2010, as a result of the tireless efforts of PNG women, the PNG government tabled the Bill as a Notice, once again proposing 22 seats reserved for women in the Parliament. This Bill will be put up for debate and voting in July 2010. The constitutional amendment will ensure close to 20% seats reserved for women."
Women in decision-making: A key to sustainable development
 
 
Women continue to be dramatically underrepresented in decision-making positions in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It is necessary to ensure full and equal representation and participation of women in the decision-making processes to address social and economic issues in an integrated way. It is also imperative to have a State consistent program with a budgetary allocation for effective implementation and monitoring mechanisms on women’s political empowerment.
 
Women's participation in political processes is crucial for reaching Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); States and donors must remember their commitments to gender equality. They must also remember the findings of the Global Monitoring Report of the World Bank and the Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum, which demonstrates that countries score high on competitiveness, also enjoy high levels of gender equality.
 
The PNG government committed itself in Beijing Platform of Action (BPFA), under Article 190 “To establishing the goal of gender balance in governmental bodies and committees, as well as in public administrative entities, and in the judiciary, including, inter alia, setting specific targets and implementing measures to substantially increase the number of women with a view to achieving equal representation of women and men, if necessary through positive action, in all governmental and public administration positions”.
 
In May 2010, as a result of the tireless efforts of PNG women, the PNG government tabled the Bill as a Notice, once again proposing 22 seats reserved for women in the Parliament. This Bill will be put up for debate and voting in July 2010. The constitutional amendment will ensure close to 20% seats reserved for women.
 
Recognising positive steps of the PNG state towards the implementation of MDGs, BPFA and Convention on the Elimination of all kinds of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); We the women from Asia Pacific region call upon the PNG State to implement international and national commitments made for women’s political empowerment through the following:
 
  1. Implement special measures to increase the level of women’s representation to at least 33% in parliaments, national and local governments, parliamentary standing committees and political parties.
 
  1. Implement gender budgeting initiatives and allocate adequate State finances for gender equality.

To support this call, email jillbosro@hotmail.com.

To view the signatories, click HERE

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Political Economy of Globalization (PEG)
UN Women Born: Civil Society Celebrates Creation of Gender Equality Entity After Four Years of Advocacy
The Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign celebrates the United Nations General Assembly resolution, agreed to on 30 June and to be formally adopted by the General Assembly on Friday, 2 July, to establish “UN Women”—the new gender equality entity at the UN.   This move has been sought by women’s organizations and other civil society organizations around the world since the UN established a System-Wide Coherence Panel for UN Reform in 2006.
Charlotte Bunch of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) at Rutgers University, a founding member of the GEAR Campaign, stated, “We have high expectations for this new agency to be a solid foundation for advancing the human rights of women as central to global policy efforts to reduce poverty and move toward greater realization of peace and democracy in the world.   The coalition of women’s groups and other social justice, human rights and development organizations that played a pivotal role in this effort will now turn its efforts toward ensuring that the new body has the human and financial resources necessary to succeed.” 
Particularly notable in the resolution are the paragraphs regarding the importance of civil society participation in the new entity. The body must have increased operational presence at the country level including engagement with women’s groups and other civil society organizations invested in gender equality and the empowerment of women.

The GEAR Campaign’s global, regional, and national networks will be contacting UN representatives at all levels to work with the transition process and the new Under Secretary-General, once appointed, to ensure they are connected with organizations on the ground ready to provide their expertise and support.
As Patricia Licuanan of the Philippines, GEAR focal point in Asia and previous Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women at the time of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing says: “The new gender equality entity will assist countries in their efforts to carry out commitments made in Beijing. Working through the One UN system, we hope to see UN Women taking the lead in engendering the programs of the UN at the country level.”     
As the new entity is developed, GEAR supporters will continue to advocate for four major elements critical to its implementation:
·         Meaningful, systematic and diverse civil society participation at all levels
·         Strong, country-level operational capacity and universal coverage
·         Ambitious funding with stable and predictable resources aimed at reaching $1 billion within a few years
·         Strong leadership at the top with an Under Secretary-General who combines a global vision with gender equality expertise on the ground
“We know that this is only the beginning,” stated Rachel Harris of the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO). “We must continue to ensure that we are building a United Nations that really works for all women!”
Background
The GEAR Campaign is a network of over 300 women’s, human rights and social justice groups around the world that have been working for four years to gain UN Member State and UN Secretariat approval for creation of a larger more coherent coordinated UN agency that can advance further the UN’s   mandate of working for gender equality as a crucial component of development, human rights, humanitarian concerns, peace and security.
The new Gender Equality Entity to be headed by an Under-Secretary General, will consolidate the four existing UN bodies on women, increase operational capacity at the country level and have gain increased funding for work on women’s empowerment and advancement. The UN currently has four separate entities dedicated to women’s issues which will be combined in the new entity: the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW), and the Office of the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI).  Bringing these together and coordinating their work more with gender mainstreaming throughout the UN system should the UN and governments to deliver more effectively on their obligations and many commitments to advance gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights.
For more information please go to the GEAR Campaign website – www.gearcampaign.org – or contact the GEAR Campaign at: gearcampaign@gmail.com
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Political Ecology and Sustainability (PEAS)
Reverse the Environment Act Amendments (Papua New Guinea)
On Friday 28th May, the PNG Parliament passed amendments to the Environment Act that contradict PNG’s National Goals and undermine Constitutional Rights. The amendments remove the rights of PNG citizens and give extraordinary privileges to foreign corporations.
Specifically, the amendments:
  • Give the Environment Secretary power to grant environmental approvals without any consultation
  • Remove the need for the Secretary to comply with any rules or processes set out in the Act
  • Remove any rights to challenge those decision in any court or tribunal
  • Remove any common law or statutory rights to sue for any damage resulting from the approved activities
These amendments are oppressive and dangerous as they:
  • Remove landowners legal and customary rights to be consulted and approve activities on their land
  • Remove a citizens democratic rights to challenge executive decisions through the courts
  • Give immunity to foreign companies from liability for environmental damage even where it was caused unlawfully or negligently
  • Undermine PNGs National Goals and Constitutional Rights
The amendments were passed by Parliament with no prior disclosure; no consultaion with interested parties or the wider community; and were not subject to any scrutiny or debate by MPs.
 

Controversial Amendments to PNG Environment Act: Communities Fight Back
On 28 May 2010, the PNG government passed legislative amendments that protect resource projects from litigation over environmental destruction, labour abuse and landowner exploitation.

PNG Environment Minister Benny Allen maintains that the amendments are in the national interest as they protect resource projects from legal challenges. Tiffany Nongorr, the landowners' lawyer says that the amendments effectively remove a person's right to sue for environmental damage.

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201006/s2918691.htm

Update: The Madang landowners group has just filed documents in the PNG Supreme Court to contest the constitutionality of the new environment law amendments. 

Source: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20100608/news01.htm

Source of Photo: http://www.aroona.com/tag/png/

This followed mining industry dissatisfaction after landowners won a temporary injunction preventing a Chinese-owned Ramu nickel mine from dumping waste tailings into the sea off Madang coast.

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Announcement
Asia Pacific Capacity Development on Gender and Macroeconomic Issues: 1st Regional Intensive Training Course
14 – 25 June 2010 at Miriam College, Quezon City, Philippines
Co-organized by:
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Asia institute of Technology
Miriam College
International Working Group on Gender, Macroeconomics and International Economics (GEM-IWG)
Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)
with support from  Government of Japan

Background
 
Asia has been achieving rapid economic growth for decades due to the success of East Asian tigers and emerging economies such as China, India and Viet Nam. Emerging Asian exports now account for more than one-third of world trade flows. As for the Pacific Island states, a significant share of their economy depends on remittances from temporary migrant workers, enhancement of which is now part of their free trade and economic partnership agreements. More countries in the region are joining the multilateral, regional and bilateral trade arrangements.
 
Despite rapid trade and economic growth, the region still faces high poverty and hunger incidences. More than two-thirds of the world’s poor live in the Asia-Pacific. Inequalities between the countries and among different social strata within a country have widened. Women increasingly join the labor force as coping mechanisms during economically difficult times or to respond to opportunities resulting from globalization processes. However, their responsibilities in unpaid domestic work such as caring of family members remains. As a result, women bear the double-burden of work, and gender inequality remains a significant challenge in the region.
 
Recent global economic crisis triggered by financial turmoil have gender differentiated impacts. For example, changes in unemployment rates show that men were hit harder by the initial financial shock; however, the crisis is now hitting female-dominated industries and services and may affect women more profoundly over the long-term. Moreover, proportion of unpaid family workers or own-account workers is larger among women than men in the Asia and Pacific, and recent economic turmoil is likely to push additional tens of millions of people into this vulnerable employment. Gender-responsive macroeconomic responses are urgently required for the Asia-Pacific countries to ensure gender equality over the course of development.
 
In January 2010, UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, with support from the Government of Japan through the UNDP-Japan Partnership Fund, has initiated a new capacity development project on gender and macroeconomic issues. The objective of the course is to enhance Asia-Pacific countries’ capacity in gender-responsive policy making, especially on macroeconomic issues such as trade, fiscal and monetary policies, finance, and economic crisis. The interventions will target strengthening capacities of key stakeholders, including government officials, development practitioners, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), research institutes, and academia to analyze, design, implement, and advocate for gender-responsive macroeconomic policies that are consistent with achievement of MDGs.
As one of the key activities of this project is the regional intensive course on gender and macroeconomic issues. Course structure of this regional intensive course in the Asia-Pacific region has been developed based upon the intensive summer course on engendering macroeconomics and international economics organized by International Working Group on Gender, Macroeconomics and International Economics (GEM-IWG).  
 
The course is intended for economists/practitioners in government – e.g., Ministries of Finance, Industry, Trade, and National Planning Commission, development agencies, CSOs, research institutes, and academia. The intensive course would seek to provide the ‘fellows’ with knowledge and information on gender and macroeconomic issues as well as tools and application methods for project designed and executed at national and community levels. It would also provide networking opportunities with experts in and outside of the region.
 
At the end of the course, the fellows will be equipped with tools and information to analyze, design and implement gender-responsive macroeconomic policies and plans, such as:
  • How to design, collect and analyze sex-disaggregated data for national statistics;
  • How to design pro-poor tax policies and gender-responsive budget allocation;
  • Analysis of the gender differentiated impacts of foreign direct investment and trade liberalization and the policy formulation to mitigate the negative effects; and
  • Designing and implementing gender-responsive economic and social policies;
 
It is expected the fellows make the best use of the knowledge obtained in the intensive course to carry out national capacity development projects on gender and macroeconomic issues in their respective country/community upon their return.
 
Course Instructors (in alphabetical order):
Marina Durano (Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN))
Diane Elson (University of Essex, UK)
Maria Floro (American University, USA)
Maita Gomez (Action for Economic Reforms, Philippines)
Jayati Ghosh (JNU, India)
Margerita Guerrero (UN ESCAP)
Indira Hirway (Centre for Development Alternatives, India)
Shaianne Osterreich (Ithaca College, USA)
Yasuko Muramatsu (Tokyo Women’s Christian University, Japan)
Aphitchaya Nguanbanchong (Oxfam GB in East Asia, Thailand)
Anushree Sinha (National Council of Applied Economic Research, India)
Joseph T. Yap (Philippines Institute for Development Studies, Philippines); and
 
Organizers
            UNDP Regional Centre (Biplove Choudhary, Omar Siddique, Yumiko Yamamoto)
            Asia Institute of Technology (Kyoko Kusakabe)
            Miriam College (Josefa Gigi Francisco)
 
 
Course Schedule
 
 
Daily Schedule:
Session I
09:00-10:30
Break
10:30-11:00
Session II
11:00-12:30
Lunch Break
12:30-13:30
Session III
13:30-15:00
Break
15:00-15:30
Session IV
15:30-17:00
Break/Dinner
17:00-17:30
Session V
17:30-18:30
 
 
 
-          Arrival -
 
Day 1:  Monday, 14 June
 
Opening and Introduction to Gender and Economics
I.              Opening session
II.             Introduction of Participants
III.     (continued), followed by a presentation on the 2010 Asia Pacific Human Development on Gender (Omar Siddique)
IV.           Gender-Aware Visions of the Economy (Diane Elson) via video
 
 Evening: Welcome Dinnerhosted by Miriam College
      Formal Welcome by Dean Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Ph.D.
      Serenade by the Miriam College Employees Chorale
 
Day 2:  Tuesday, 15 June
 
Introduction to Gender-aware Macroeconomic Analysis
I.         Introduction to Gender-Aware Economics (Maria Floro)
II.        [Continued] (Maria Floro)
III.      Role of Wage Employment Programmes including public works programme at the macro level: With reference to developing and emerging countries (Indira Hirway)
IV.      Public works programmes and employment guarantee programmes in the developing world: Major Approaches (Indira Hirway)
 
Evening: Group dinner
 
Day 3:  Wednesday, 16 June
 
Unpaid Work and Care Work: Meaning, Measurement and Use for Engendering Macroeconomic Policy 
I.         Engendering statistics for engendering  macroeconomics - Multiple uses of time use data in developing and developed countries (Indira Hirway)
  1. Role of time use surveys - concept, methods, data collection, classification of time use activities, presentation of data (Margerita Guerrero)
  2. [Continued] (Margerita Guerrero and Indira Hirway)
  3. Gender, work intensity, and well-being (Maria Floro)
  4. Economic crisis, gender, and time-use survey: Case studies (Indira Hirway, Joseph T. Yap, Naveeda Salam)
 
Day 4:   Thursday, 17 June
 
Engendering statistics: Paid Work, Conceptual Issues, Measurement and Indicators
I.         Employment, wages and welfare (Maita Gomez)
II.        What led to informalization of employment? – Definition, summary of debates (Maria Floro)
III.      Informalization of Employment – Basic analysis of national data on informal employment, trends and patterns (Margerita Guerrero)
 
Gender-aware Macroeconomic Analysis: Finance
 
IV.      Asset ownership, Savings, Gender and Credit (Maria Floro/ Aphitchaya Nguanbanchong)
 
Day 5:  Friday, 18 June
 
Public Forum: Global Economy and Financing Development - Feminist Perspectives
8:30-9:00           Registration
9:00-10:00         I. Opening Session
Welcome Remarks:     
Miriam College: Dean Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Ph.D.
Embassy of Japan: Mr. Shigehiro Matsuda, Secretary (TBC)
UNDP Philippines: Mr. Renaud Meyer, Country Director (TBC)
Asia institute of Technology: Kyoko Kusakabe, Ph.D.
                              
10:00-10:30       Coffee Break
 
10:30-12:00       II. Economic Crisis and Gendered Impacts in the Asia-Pacific
 
Prof. Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharla Nehru University, India
“Regional Synthesis on the Impact of the Global Financial Crisis”
 
                        Prof. Indira Hirway, Centre for Development Alternatives, India
                        “Global Economic Crisis Impact of the Poor in India: A Synthesis of Sector Studies”
 
                        Prof. Yasuko Muramatsu, Tokyo Women’s Christian University, Japan
                        "The Economic Crisis highlights women's vulnerability in Japanese economy"
12:00-13:30       Lunch
 
13:30-15:00       III. Towards Gender Responsive Macroeconomic Policies
 
Asia Development Bank, Philippines (TBC)
“Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in an Era of Global Uncertainty”
 
Dr. Marina Durano, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), Quezon City, Philippines
“How to overcome the economic crisis?: Steps towards gender-equitable public policies”
 
15:00-15:30       Coffee Break
 
15:30-17:00       IV. Feminist Interventions in Amidst Contending Views on Financing Development (organized by DAWN)
 
Ms. Gigi Francisco, DAWN
Dr. Marina Durano, DAWN
Ms. Yamini Mishra, Center for Budget and Governance Accountability (TBC)
Ms. Natividad Bernardino, International Studies Dept, Miriam College
 
 
Day 6:  Saturday, 19 June
Liberalization, Globalization and Gender – I
 
  1. Gender and globalization (Shaianne Osterreich)
I.         Migration and gender issues in the Asia-Pacific (Marina Durano)
II.        Migration and care in the Asia-Pacific (Marina Durano)
III.      Trade and gender - Overview (Shaianne Osterreich)
IV.      Trends in export sectors and female-Labour Force Participation Rate (Shaianne Osterreich)
 
Day 7:  Sunday, 20 June Free time for self study and knowledge-sharing/ networking day
 
Day 8:  Monday, 21 June        
Liberalization, Globalization and Gender – III
I.         Regional economic integration and development (Biplove Choudhary/ Yumiko Yamamoto)
II.        FDI, development, and gender (Maria Floro)
III.      Trade policies, agriculture, and food security (Marina Durano)
IV.      Linking trade, development and gender; methodological issues (Yumiko Yamamoto/ Kyoko Kusakabe)
 
Evening: Group dinner and sub-regional/ country group meeting
  
Day 9: Tuesday, 22 June
 
Gender-aware macroeconomic analysis – Macromodeling
I.          Introduction to SAM (Social Accounting Matrix) (Anushree Sinha)
II.         Use of SAM: Case studies (Anushree Sinha)
III.       Introduction to gender aware CGE (Computable General Equilibrium) model  (Anushree Sinha)
IV.       CGE model: Case studies (Anushree Sinha)
 
Evening: Group dinner and thematic group meeting
 
Day 10: Wednesday, 23 June
Gender Dimensions of Fiscal policy
I.         Introduction: Gender and a Fiscal Policy (Yasuko Muramatsu)
II.        Gender issues of Expenditure (Yasuko Muramatsu)
III.      Gender analysis in Taxation (Yasuko Muramatsu)
IV.      Case studies from the Asia-Pacific (Yasuko Muramatsu)
 
Evening: Fellow’s dinner
 
Day 11: Thursday, 24 June
 
Fellow’s Presentations and Closing Discussion
I.-III. Presentations by fellows
IV. Evaluation
 
 
Day 12: Friday, 25 June
Networking Day
 
-Departure-

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Announcement
DAWN says goodbye to Rhonda Copelon (1945-2010)

Human Rights Champion Rhonda Copelon Dies: Broke New Ground to Open US Federal Courts to Victims of International Human Rights Abuses (Read more)

Rhonda Copelon, Lawyer in Groundbreaking Rights Cases, Dies at 65 (Read more)

Rhonda Copelon has been a long time partner of DAWN in many of its struggles for women's rights

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