Christine Rose is changing the narrative on sexual violence against women in America
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here. Christine T. Rose is founder and CEO of Christine Rose Coaching & Consulting, a boutique coaching firm in the greater Seattle area dedicated to…
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here.
Christine T. Rose is founder and CEO of Christine Rose Coaching & Consulting, a boutique coaching firm in the greater Seattle area dedicated to facilitating and accelerating transformation for individuals and organizations. The firm has helped business leaders grow their leadership skills, teams, and companies since 2015. Christine’s book, Life Beyond #MeToo: Creating a Safer World for our Mothers, Daughters, Sisters and Friends, lays out a vision for freedom from violence and discrimination and offers tools for taking action to change the world.
Why do you advocate for equal rights for girls and women?
I grew up in a home with three sexual abusers. My early life was traumatic. In fact, I’ve forgotten much of my childhood and made some very poor decisions about relationships with men as a result. I’ve spent years working with counselors and coaches, reclaiming my life and rebuilding on the ashes of past abuse. I also have experienced workplace sexual harassment. I’ve volunteered and coached and worked with countless girls and women who have shared stories of harassment, abuse, and violence. I have felt the call to use what I know about coaching to help others who have faced similar challenges. Even recently, since press releases about the book have gone out, I’ve been subjected to online sexual harassment from people I’ve never met. It’s an epidemic which needs immediate attention around the world.
I wrote about this subject in my Life Beyond #MeToo book because we live in a world that is unsafe and unjust, where girls and women are not treated equally but are objectified and abused — where one third will be victims of violence and more are harassed. I believe it is past time for this old normal to end. It is time for a new normal where girls and women are honored and valued — not only for who they are, but also for the unique gifts and talents they bring to the world. The world has nothing to lose and everything to gain from working together to create this new normal.
What does #EqualEverywhere mean to you?
I dream of a new normal where all people are respected and honored for their unique gifts and have equal opportunities to live and learn and grow and earn and lead, while they contribute their brilliance to the world.
What motivates you to do this work?
The silence of millions of girls who were not born due to gender discrimination, the silence of countless more who endure harassment and abuse daily, and the outcry of those who dare to raise their voices against injustice is more than enough motivation for me and for the entire human race to engage in creating a new normal.
What are the main challenges you experience in your work to advance gender equality?
Like most who are engaged in work to advance gender equality, I am under resourced — one small voice in a community that deserves more attention. I write about some of the obstacles to change in my book.
What progress are you seeing as a result of your work?
Life Beyond #MeToo reached #1 in Amazon.com’s new release in the Workplace Behavior category the day it launched and is receiving five star reviews. Men and women are saying “I get it now.” I’m very encouraged that people are recognizing that we all need to engage to create the kind of culture change it will take to make gender equity a reality.
What progress are you seeing in the wider gender equality movement?
I believe silos are breaking down and diverse groups and people are coming together to do the work that will allow for norms to shift. As a result, more ideas and knowledge are spreading to raise awareness and to advance change. The #MeToo movement created an unprecedented opportunity for open conversations about gender equality. The world is seeing small shifts in how women are treated, and I write about some of these in my book.
In a small village in Pwani, a district on Tanzania’s coast, a massive dance party is coming to a close. For the past two hours, locals have paraded through the village streets, singing and beating ngombe drums; now, in a large clearing, a woman named Sheilla motions for everyone to sit facing a large projector screen. A film premiere is about to begin.
It’s an unusual way to kick off a film about gender bias, inequality, early marriage, and other barriers that prevent girls from accessing education in Tanzania. But in Pwani and beyond, local organizations supported by Malala Fund and funded by Pura are finding creative, culturally relevant ways like this one to capture people’s interest.
The film ends and Sheilla, the Communications and Partnership Lead for Media for Development and Advocacy (MEDEA), stands in front of the crowd once again, asking the audience to reflect: What did you think about the film? How did it relate to your own experience? What can we learn?
Sheilla explains that, once the community sees the film, “It brings out conversations within themselves, reflective conversations.” The resonance and immediate action create a ripple effect of change.
MEDEA Screening Audience in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura
Across Tanzania, gender-based violence often forces adolescent girls out of the classroom. This and other barriers — including child marriage, poverty, conflict, and discrimination — prevent girls from completing their education around the world.
Sheilla and her team are using film and radio programs to address the challenges girls face in their communities. MEDEA’s ultimate goal is to affirm education as a fundamental right for everyone, and to ensure that every member of a community understands how girls’ education contributes to a stronger whole and how to be an ally for their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, friends, nieces, and girlfriends.
Sheilla’s story is one of many that inspired Heart on Fire, a new fragrance from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection that blends the warm, earthy spices of Tanzania with a playful, joyful twist. Here’s how Pura is using scent as a tool to connect the world and inspire action.
A partnership focused on local impact, on a global mission
Pura, a fragrance company that recognizes education as both freedom and a human right, has partnered with Malala Fund since 2022. In order to defend every girl’s right to access and complete 12 years of education, Malala Fund partners with local organizations in countries where the educational barriers are the greatest. They invest in locally-led solutions because they know that those who are closest to the problems are best equipped to solve and build durable solutions, like MEDEA, which works with communities to challenge discrimination against girls and change beliefs about their education.
But local initiatives can thrive and scale more powerfully with global support, which is why Pura is using their own superpower, the power of scent, to connect people around the world with the women and girls in these local communities.
The Pura x Malala Fund Collection incorporates ingredients naturally found in Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil: countries where Malala Fund operates to address systemic education barriers. Eight percent of net revenue from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection will be donated to Malala Fund directly, but beyond financial support, the Collection is also a love letter to each unique community, blending notes like lemon, jasmine, cedarwood, and clove to transport people, ignite their senses, and help them draw inspiration and hope from the global movement for girls’ education. Through scent, people can connect to the courage, joy, and tenacity of girls and local leaders, all while uniting in a shared commitment to education: the belief that supporting girls’ rights in one community benefits all of us, everywhere.
You’ve already met Sheilla. Now see how Naiara and Mama Habiba are building unique solutions to ensure every girl can learn freely and dare to dream.
Naiara Leite is reimagining what’s possible in Brazil
Julia with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura
In Brazil, where pear trees and coconut plantations cover the Northeastern Coast, girls like ten-year-old Julia experience a different kind of educational barrier than girls in Tanzania. Too often, racial discrimination contributes to high dropout rates among Black, quilombola and Indigenous girls in the country.
“In the logic of Brazilian society, Black people don’t need to study,” says Naiara Leite, Executive Coordinator of Odara, a women-led organization and Malala Fund partner. Bahia, the state where Odara is based, was once one of the largest slave-receiving territories in the Americas, and because of that history, deeply-ingrained, anti-Black prejudice is still widespread. “Our role and the image constructed around us is one of manual labor,” Naiara says.
But education can change that. In 2020, with assistance from a Malala Fund grant, Odara launched its first initiative for improving school completion rates among Black, quilombola, and Indigenous girls: “Ayomidê Odara”. The young girls mentored under the program, including Julia, are known as the Ayomidês. And like the Pura x Malala Fund Collection’s Brazil: Breath of Courage scent, the Ayomidês are fierce, determined, and bursting with energy.
Ayomidês with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura
Ayomidês take part in weekly educational sessions where they explore subjects like education and ethnic-racial relations. The girls are encouraged to find their own voices by producing Instagram lives, social media videos, and by participating in public panels. Already, the Ayomidês are rewriting the narrative on what’s possible for Afro-Brazilian girls to achieve. One of the earliest Ayomidês, a young woman named Debora, is now a communications intern. Another former Ayomidê, Francine, works at UNICEF, helping train the next generation of adolescent leaders. And Julia has already set her sights on becoming a math teacher or a model.
“These are generations of Black women who did not have access to a school,” Naiara says. “These are generations of Black women robbed daily of their dreams. And we’re telling them that they could be the generation in their family to write a new story.”
Mama Habiba is reframing the conversation in Nigeria
Centre for Girls' Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura
In Mama Habiba’s home country of Nigeria, the scents of starfruit, ylang ylang and pineapple, all incorporated into the Pura x Malala Collection’s “Nigeria: Hope for Tomorrow,” can be found throughout the vibrant markets. Like these native scents, Mama Habiba says that the Nigerian girls are also bright and passionate, but too often they are forced to leave school long before their potential fully blooms.
“Some of these schools are very far, and there is an issue of quality, too,” Mama Habiba says. “Most parents find out when their children are in school, the girls are not learning. So why allow them to continue?”
When girls drop out of secondary school, marriage is often the alternative. In Nigeria, one in three girls is married before the age of 18. When this happens, girls are unable to fulfill their potential, and their families and communities lose out on the social, health and economic benefits.
Completing secondary school delays marriage, and according to UNESCO, educated girls become women who raise healthier children, lift their families out of poverty and contribute to more peaceful, resilient communities.
Centre for Girls’ Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura
To encourage young girls to stay in school, the Centre for Girls’ Education, a nonprofit in Nigeria founded by Mama Habiba and supported by Malala Fund and Pura, has pioneered an initiative that’s similar to the Ayomidê workshops in Brazil: safe spaces. Here, girls meet regularly to learn literacy, numeracy, and other issues like reproductive health. These safe spaces also provide an opportunity for the girls to role-play and learn to advocate for themselves, develop their self-image, and practice conversations with others about their values, education being one of them. In safe spaces, Mama Habiba says, girls start to understand “who she is, and that she is a girl who has value. She has the right to negotiate with her parents on what she really feels or wants.”
“When girls are educated, they can unlock so many opportunities,” Mama Habiba says. “It will help the economy of the country. It will boost so many opportunities for the country. If they are given the opportunity, I think the sky is not the limit. It is the starting point for every girl.”
From parades, film screenings to safe spaces and educational programs, girls and local leaders are working hard to strengthen the quality, safety and accessibility of education and overcome systemic challenges. They are encouraging courageous behavior and reminding us all that education is freedom.
Experience the Pura x Malala Fund Collection here, and connect with the stories of real girls leading change across the globe.
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here. Priyanka Jaishinghani is a social entrepreneur, journalist, and advocate with a passion for making an impact. As the co-founder of a global mentorship program,…
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here.
Priyanka Jaishinghani is a social entrepreneur, journalist, and advocate with a passion for making an impact. As the co-founder of a global mentorship program, GirlzFTW, she works to connect high school and college girls to inspiring mentors. Priyanka is also driving impact through her work as Managing Editor of Conscious Magazine and as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers community.
What does #EqualEverywhere mean to you?
#EqualEverywhere means closing the gender gap so women have access to equal opportunities.
Why do you advocate for equal rights for girls and women?
Almost 1 billion girls and young women lack the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing labor market. Women remain underrepresented in leadership and management positions both publicly and privately. According to Women, Business and the Law, globally, there are only six countries that give girls the same working rights as men. In addition, only 5% of women hold CEO positions across leading Fortune 500 companies.
These daunting statistics make me want to balance the playing field by investing in women across the globe.
What motivates you to do this work?
Growing up, I lived in the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, India, and the U.S., where I realized that girls and women needed more real life mentors. Indeed, irrespective of geography, girls face similar issues worldwide. My conviction that it is up to us to tackle adverse norms and promote positive role models motivated me to co-create GirlzFTW in 2017 (FTW stands for For The Win). It is gratifying that today, I’m building those very resources and platforms that I wish I had when I was younger.
GirlzFTW made it possible for 16 mentees hailing from India, Canada, and the U.S. to connect with inspiring and powerful mentors to help achieve their goals. Currently, girls participating in our network represent over 70 countries — from Ethiopia to Bangladesh.
What are the main challenges you experience in your work to advance gender equality?
As a global program, GirlzFTW encounters many types of gender inequality and provides a platform through which girls can share their stories. On the one hand, some countries have jumped miles ahead by introducing progressive laws and more tolerant societal norms. On the other hand, women in far too many countries must fight hard to even obtain a seat at the table.
A key lesson I have learned is that the first step toward narrowing the inequality gap is to instill confidence among women and girls by equipping them with the skills they need to speak up for themselves. Strengthening their voices requires concerted effort and deliberate networking.
What progress are you seeing as a result of your work?
Through global mentorship, GirlzFTW is channeling the magic of women every day. We do this by connecting girls in high school and college to inspirational and amazing women from diverse fields, industries, and backgrounds.
In 2019, we hosted the first ‘The Girlz, RTW (Run the World) Conference’, held as a collaboration between The World With MNR, Trinity College, and GirlzFTW. The event provided girls at the University of Toronto access to training, empowerment, career development advice, and mentorship. Over 100 girls came together to connect and network with like-minded female leaders.
What progress are you seeing in the wider gender equality movement?
Technology and a range of social media platforms are allowing us to amplify our voices beyond the usual advocacy communities that we naturally connect with. We’ve seen how a single tweet or video can spark a larger movement and create a multiplier effect.
While we have a lot of work ahead of us, women are rising and demanding a seat at the table — whether in politics, board rooms, or in the workplace. It is especially encouraging to see more diverse groups coming together in ways that allow decisions for women to be made by women.
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here. Irene Irere, a youth activist living in Musanze city in northern Rwanda, is committed to eliminating gender-based violence and preventing pregnancy among young girls.…
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here.
Irene Irere, a youth activist living in Musanze city in northern Rwanda, is committed to eliminating gender-based violence and preventing pregnancy among young girls. She participates in a youth club connected to Huguka Dutore, a youth workforce initiative operating in her country. Irene understands from her own life the importance of having links to jobs and self-employment, entrepreneurship training and coaching, and access to financing, family planning, and reproductive health services.
What does #EqualEverywhere mean to you?
For me, #EqualEverywhere means women and men can be treated equally at home, in their communities, in schools, and at work. Many people perceive this statement differently based on their culture, interests, and faith. To me, #EqualEverywhere means to treat women and men equally and respect their natural differences.
Why do you advocate for equal rights for girls and women?
I started advocating for equal rights for girls and women after seeing the harm gender-based violence was inflicting in my community. As an African living in Rwanda, it is common to say that men are more powerful than, or superior to women. Certain people assume women cannot contribute to community development. Because of this, women continue to face different forms of violence, including marital abuse. The main issue is young girls below 18 years impregnated by older men, something I strongly advocate against. Awareness of this touched me deeply and led me to push for policies to ensure such men are seriously punished. However, some families cover up for men who impregnated young children and claim it is taboo to prosecute them through the courts.
What motivates you to do this work?
I am highly motivated by the progress my advocacy is making in my home community. In fact, before I started, the pregnancy rate among young girls was high. Then, over the past year, 200 fewer were reported. This progress motivates me to continue my work.
What are the main challenges you experience in your work to advance gender equality?
As I push ahead, I face daily challenges. First, I am a girl, which means that some people in my community, even leaders, might consider my voice to be irrelevant. For example, someone might discount the ideas I express during a meeting by stating that I am merely conveying a woman’s perspective. Also, we still [experience] gender violence in daily life. For example, I might need a service and be asked for sex before getting what I requested.
What progress are you seeing as a result of your work?
More positively, Rwanda is closing the inequality gap between men and women by steadily appointing more women to leadership positions. This has made a great impact, because, among other things, women and men are having an equal chance to attend any school. Also, gender-based violence has declined and the number of women taking jobs that in the past were only filled by men has risen. In fact, before this wave of progress, the number of girls able to attend universities, especially those wanting to pursue science, was very small, but now their numbers are increasing.
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here. Jessie Elliott is a pilot for a major U.S. airline. She is prevailing in a male-dominated profession, opposes gender stereotyping, values workplace inclusion, and…
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here.
Jessie Elliott is a pilot for a major U.S. airline. She is prevailing in a male-dominated profession, opposes gender stereotyping, values workplace inclusion, and believes in generous paid family leave, including paternity leave.
What does #EqualEverywhere mean to you?
Equal everywhere means to me that girls, and boys, can grow up dreaming about what they want to become without thinking, “I can’t do that because that is for boys” or “that is for girls.”
Equal everywhere means women can make their own choices about their careers, their finances, their bodies, their lifestyles, and their futures. It means women can participate in all levels of corporations and government, in all industries, and at all levels of the military.
Equal everywhere means lifting up all women and minorities to the same status and worth as men so we all have the ability to influence the decisions that affect our lives.
Personally, it will mean people won’t be surprised to see me in the flight deck of a large jet — instead of identifying me as a “female pilot,” I will simply be considered a pilot.
Why do you advocate for equal rights for girls and women?
I advocate because the battle for gender parity is far from over, including in my industry. After I cleared my probationary period at my current job, I submitted a resolution requesting a change in the non-discrimination clause in our union contract. While my company has a robust equal opportunity statement that complies with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission requirements, it had not evolved to accommodate the changing pilot population. Around this same time, I joined a group of female pilots and we created a new committee within our union that aims to guide our peers as they navigate challenges related to maternity leave, health care benefits during in-vitro fertilization, and other issues. We also created web content to tackle issues such as sexual harassment, sexual assault, discrimination, and LGTBQ concerns. Additionally, I have joined our union’s Government Affairs Committee and am able to speak directly to members of Congress and to my own union leadership about issues that female pilots and minorities face daily.
I also advocate simply by being visible. At the end of every flight, I try to complete all of my post-flight duties as safely and efficiently as possible, then open the flight deck door to say goodbye to everyone. Often when young girls and their parents see a woman flew the airplane, the girls just completely light up and smile. I try to invite these kids into the flight deck and let them take pictures. Also, on nearly every flight, a woman passenger gives me a thumbs up or cheer as they disembark. Seeing is believing. When I have time, I speak to young kids at schools. I have also visited a few different high schools and college career programs to share my experience as a pilot and I never hide the fact that we need more girls interested in this industry.
Another reason I advocate is that I am somewhat of a pioneer, given how few of my fellow pilots share my gender and sexual orientation. Given my unique position, I constantly advocate to the pilot majority about the issues that women, minorities, and LGBTQ pilots face. I know that great advances can occur if you generate majority buy-in. I work hard to build solid relationships and create alliances with my male co-workers. Later, I engage these allies to speak up for women and minorities to the majority leadership.
What motivates you to do this work?
I love my job and I want more people across all backgrounds to have the opportunity to pursue their dreams as I have. I am just as capable of piloting an advanced jet aircraft as any man. I know that any person is capable of this, regardless of gender identity, race, sexual orientation, or background. I want every person to have a fair chance to pursue their dream career because I know how fulfilling it is.
What are the main challenges you experience in your work to advance gender equality?
As a female airline pilot, the two major challenges that I experience are resistance from the majority group, and the prevalence of a diversity-only mindset versus inclusion-oriented mindsets.
Minority groups within my industry have the impression that, if they want to succeed, they need to “just be like one of the guys”. This resistance mindset opens the door for sexual harassment and sexual assault. The diversity-only mindset problem started showing up in the airline industry back in the 1990s when several airlines grappled with equal opportunity discrimination cases, after which a wave diversity hiring ensued, with marginalized groups given priority when applying for jobs. Airlines started hiring minorities without adapting the workplace for these new group identities, which in turn caused many minorities to leave the industry before completing a full career. Corporations and majority groups sometimes resist the idea of adapting workplaces for new groups due to costs. Instead of focusing on diversity, corporations should focus on inclusion to make sure that everyone feels welcome and safe.
What progress are you seeing as a result of your work?
Progress in the airline industry is slow and quiet. More and more girls and minorities are getting into flight training. Minority numbers are improving at the regional airline level. Internally, many airlines are creating opportunities where promotions can be obtained based on merit and educational opportunities which aid in future advancement are now offered to everyone. Airlines are highlighting inclusion wins and companies are targeting minorities more heavily in their recruiting efforts.
What progress are you seeing in the wider gender equality movement?
I see more companies focusing on diversity as well as inclusion. I see women and minorities refusing to remain quiet about change. I see a great number of straight, white men also advocating for equality and demanding change. I see people working together to inspire change, across all industries.
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here. London J. Bell is Founder and President of the Bell Global Justice Institute. She is connecting the drive for equality from Michigan to the…
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here.
London J. Bell is Founder and President of the Bell Global Justice Institute. She is connecting the drive for equality from Michigan to the world while raising awareness about what it will take to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals. Bell is also a member of UNA-USA, and is a UNA Women Co-Chair.
What does #EqualEverywhere mean to you?
To me #EqualEverywhere means gender equality in every area of life for every global citizen. #EqualEverywhere means equal pay, equal access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities for all. #EqualEverywhere means equal access to participation in the political process on local, national, and international levels. #EqualEverywhere means the eradication of all forms of violence against women and girls.
Why do you advocate for equal rights for girls and women?
I advocate because I know the impact of the oppression of girls and women around the world. I am particularly concerned with violence against women and girls and the lack of access to justice for victims and survivors as well as the impunity of perpetrators. The absence of justice reinforces the belief that the dehumanization of women and girls is acceptable and normal. As an advocate, I use my voice to let law and policy makers know that the dehumanization of women and girls is 100% unacceptable. I am particularly vocal about laws, policies, and customs that strengthen protections for women and girls locally and globally.
What motivates me to do this work?
I am motivated to do this work because I know the lives of women and girls are at risk of violence around the world every hour of the day. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where women and girls are often impacted by violence in many forms. This past summer, I was deeply troubled when I learned that, within the span of one week, four African-American women were murdered in Detroit. In response to this violence, in August 2019, I organized and led a Universal Periodic Review Consultation Session (UPR) on gender-based violence with fellow members of the United Nations Association of Greater Detroit. Our Consultation Session was included in UNA-USA’s National UPR Consultation ahead of the country’s scheduled appearance before the UN as part of its Periodic Review in May 2020. When we held our UPR Session at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, an inter-generational, intercultural group of about 25 community leaders offered personal stories, observations, and recommendations for the U.S. to address systemic issues that perpetuate all forms of violence against women here at home and globally. As an advocate, a member of UNA-USA, and as a UNA Women Co-Chair, I will continue to use my voice to empower women and girls and to demand accountability in every area of life where women and girls are adversely impacted.
What are the main challenges you experience in your work to demand gender equality?
One main challenge for me is sitting down with people in my community and even my family and having tough conversations around the systemic oppression of women and girls, the intersectionalities of women and girls, and the ways in which power and privilege work against gender equality. I have had many hard conversations with very well-meaning people who may not even realize how laws, policies, institutions, and systems continue to subjugate women and girls, even institutions and systems that many among us may benefit from. Though these conversations are challenging, most people are open to becoming part of the solution and resist adhering to their preexisting views and opinions. The more we dialogue about achieving gender equality as a community, the closer we move toward making it a reality. I am committed to continuing these conversations to bring us closer to gender equality, one person at a time.
What progress are you seeing as a result of your work?
As a human rights advocate, I spend time with young people discussing issues around human rights, gender inequality, and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. When I talk with young people, I am so encouraged to hear girls and young women speak about ways they assert themselves in different situations and offer ideas for empowering themselves and fellow young women and girls. In addition, I have had the privilege to conduct a workshop about gender inequality with high school boys at Cass Tech High School in Detroit. When I walked into the room and asked for a show of hands of how many of the boys supported gender equality and supported women’s and girls’ rights, every boy raised their hand with enthusiasm. These are important examples of progress for me.
What progress are you seeing in the wider gender equality movement?
I am seeing that the movement for gender equality is everywhere! I was very excited when I learned Secretary-General Guterres declared himself a feminist at the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2018 (CSW62). I am happy to see the UN work toward gender equality under his leadership. The movement toward electing more women to government positions in Rwanda and Ethiopia is also exciting. Here in the U.S., more women, particularly women of color, are running for office at every level of government and are in turn being sworn in at every level of government. When women are at the table when laws and policies are created, the needs of women and girls are more likely to be considered. This is progress to me.
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here. Caroline Gatwiri Mutiwiri is a gender statistician at the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. What does #EqualEverywhere mean to you?#EqualEverywhere is fundamentally about fairness.…
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here.
What does #EqualEverywhere mean to you? #EqualEverywhere is fundamentally about fairness. It means that women and men as well as girls and boys enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections, irrespective of their orientation, gender, or any other defining characteristic. Notably, #EqualEverywhere does not assume uniform treatment of all people, since deliberate steps are needed to reach gender parity and to redress the exclusion of girls, women, and marginalized groups.
Why do you advocate for equal rights for girls and women? Men and women are not equal and gender affects an individual’s living experience. Gender equality is a fundamental human right and is essential to a prosperous, sustainable world. Inequalities faced by girls begin right at birth and follow them all their lives. Women and girls represent half of the world’s population — empowering them can facilitate a more peaceful society where everyones’ full potential can be realized. By accelerating social progress, gender equality can correct the long-held status quo of men being better positioned in social, economic, and political arena than women.
What motivates you to do this work? Steady progress in integrating gender perspectives into development policies over the past few decades has motivated me. Kenya’s progress across many sectors is a case in point. According to World Bank data, the share of Kenya’s waged and salaried female workers in the labor force rose from 19.4% in 2000 to 23% in 2018, a significant shift, albeit still low when compared to men, who constitute 53.2% of the workforce. News of this disparity led to a push for equality everywhere. Nonetheless, women globally earn 77 cents for every dollar that men receive for the same work, so clearly, we are far from #EqualEverywhere. Likewise, more effort is required in the economic and political sectors where the disparities persist and where legislative reforms and affirmative action are needed.
What are the main challenges you experience in your work to advance gender equality? A lack of political goodwill, inadequate legal protections, weak legislative enforcement and resource shortfalls are delaying advances. Gender stereotyping and lack of awareness regarding what constitutes gender-sensitive policy making persists. Kenya, for instance, has struggled to pass Bill 2018, known as the Gender Bill, due to lack of political will.
What progress are you seeing as a result of your work? As awareness of gender inequalities spreads, discussions are opening up — people are beginning to reject gender stereotypes, some of which are formed in the workplace. As gender advocacy begins to gain traction, more men accept that women can also hold the same positions as them and make positive contributions inside and outside the workplace. The realization that gender is not solely a women’s issue but rather an all-inclusive priority for both men and women is taking hold. In addition, the frequency with which a gender dimension is included in processing and analyzing data is growing.
What progress are you seeing in the wider gender equality movement? Harassment and violence perpetrated against women in the workplace are being identified and handled and racial discrimination is easing. Women are increasingly becoming role models, challenging the notion of male chauvinism and dominance. More and more women are joining the labor force and the push to select female CEOs and to foster entrepreneurship among women is intensifying, particularly in big economies like the U.S. This motivates other countries and international bodies to champion for gender equality. The rise of women in politics, which has long been dominated by men, is also encouraging.
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here. Kritika Singh is a bioengineering and chemistry student at Northeastern University in Boston, MA who in 2014 founded Malaria Free World, an initiative promoting…
This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here.
Kritika Singh is a bioengineering and chemistry student at Northeastern University in Boston, MA who in 2014 founded Malaria Free World, an initiative promoting research and education about the epidemic. In 2017, she established Northeastern’s Global Health Initiative (GHI) with support from faculty advisors. GHI is a student-led conference focused on public health issues around the world. Kritika is a recent Rhodes Scholarship awardee, a Truman Scholar, and a Goldwater Scholar.
What does #EqualEverywhere mean to you? #EqualEverywhere means women and girls feel empowered to do whatever they want in whichever field(s) they want.
Why do you advocate for equal rights for girls and women? I advocate for equal rights for girls and women because it is our right to be successful in any field we choose. The most important thing for the next generation of girls is to have role models in the fields they want to go into. Right now, there are not enough leadership positions in engineering, science, medicine, or policy held by women. This needs to change. Women are half the world’s population — not having them seated at decision-making tables, especially in global health, impairs program development and undermines public health efforts. We need an equal balance of leadership so that all voices are represented at the highest echelons. For example, there has only ever been one female Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We need more women leaders to bridge the gaps between health policy, biomedical research, and clinical medicine, which is why I aspire to be a physician, a scientist, and advocate.
What motivates you to do this work? Growing up, I was inspired by my mom – the first female engineer in her family. She worked hard, broke stereotypes of what a girl at that time in India should be, and was at the top of her class in her male-dominated electrical-engineering degree program. She inspired me to pursue math in middle and high school and then I fell in love with biology and chemistry. This led me to pursue a bioengineering degree at Northeastern University where I am surrounded by inspiring faculty and fellow students. My mentor at the lab where I work also inspires and pushes me to pursue my research at the intersection of bioengineering and chemical biology. Growing up at home with a strong female engineer, being part of women-in-STEM communities in high school, and now, working with strong female scientists, I understand the importance that these communities and mentors have played in my life and in motivating me to continue my path in science, medicine, and advocacy. I strive to help build and continue these communities through my work with Malaria Free World and the Northeastern University Global Health Initiative.
What are the main challenges you experience in your work to advance gender equality? Some of the main challenges are breaking into fields dominated by men. According to the Harvard Business Review, although 80 percent of the healthcare workforce is female, only 3 percent of healthcare CEOs and 6 percent of department chairs are female. Some early challenges that I encountered breaking into STEM were that, in middle school, I was the only girl on the chess team and the only girl selected for our competitive math team. There was lots of bullying, teasing, and being called ‘a nerd’ associated with this but, I was very lucky to have good mentors and role models who inspired me to keep going. Now, in my work, it is exciting to see girls so interested in STEM at an early age. I think the main challenge is to continue that enthusiasm through college and into the workforce or graduate school.
What progress are you seeing as a result of your work? In the past year, as part of Malaria Free World’s Malaria Masters program, we have recruited eight high-school girls who want to pursue science. These girls are in positions of leadership at their schools and in their states and are inspiring others to pursue careers in infectious disease research and advocacy. In our most recent Northeastern University Global Health Initiative Conference in February 2020, we had a majority of female attendees and speakers (28 women out of our 44 high-level speakers). This was a great move forward from our previous conference at which only 9 out of our 27 speakers were female. In survey responses this year, people noted that they were inspired by the strong women presenting on their leadership in global health efforts and by the diversity and equality that our speaker selection showed.
What progress are you seeing in the wider gender equality movement? I am seeing more girls pursue science and engineering. For example, in my bioengineering core classes, there are now more girls than boys. Additionally, this year there are more girls than boys in the Rhodes scholarship class. This is very encouraging, because there will likely be more female leaders and role models who will help create gender balance in STEM as well as in public health.
