Sr.

Mary John Mananzan, OSB ADB- MARCH 14, 2012

The views expressed in this paper are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.

 Thank

you for inviting me to speak at your celebration of International Womens Day. One of the factors that disempower people is the issue of GENDER. In this talk I will discuss the ways in which this issue disempower women and also the strategies and actions people have taken to face this problem

SEX IS BIOLOGICAL A PERSON IS CONSIDERED A MAN OR A WOMAN ACCORDING TO HIS OR HER SEXUAL ORGAN

GENDER IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION CERTAIN TRAITS ARE ASSIGNED BY SOCIETY TO DEFINE WHAT A WOMAN OR A MAN IS,

STEREOTYPING- CERTAIN TRAITS ARE ASSIGNED TO WOMEN OR MEN IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT LIMITS THEIR DEVELOPMENT PERSONS WHO DO NOT CONFORM TO THESE TRAITS ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST SOCIETY HAS MADE THE MALE AS THE STANDARD NORM OF SOCIETY (PATRIARCHY)LEADING TO THE DISCRIMINATION , SUBORDINATION, EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION OF WOMEN, GAYS AND LESBIANS EVEN IF MEN ARE MOSTLY BENEFITED BY PATRIARCHY, THEY ARE ALSO VICTIMS OF IT

SINCE MOST OF YOU ARE WOMEN, I WILL FOCUS MY TALK ON HOW WOMEN ARE DISEMPOWERED BY GENDER OPPRESSION

Facts of inequality and Feminization of Poverty

1.3 billion people are in poverty, 70% of whom are women

Womens share of unpaid work had increased in most regions but women receive 1/3 of mens salary for the same work

Of the estimated 146 million illiterate young people in the world, 86 million are women

UN Releases new statistics on worlds women-4/25/2005 http://www.afrol/Categories/women/wom001_un_statistics.htm

Indigenous women have the worlds lowest rates of education and life expectancy and the highest rates of illiteracy, infant and maternal mortality and death from preventable diseases. (Fr: MADRE: An International Womens Human Rights Organization, June 2000http://www. Madre. Org/articles/int/beijing. html

Facts of inequality

Women have poorer access, control and ownership of resources such as land and other financial resources (loans and credits). Some countries have
not granted citizenship nor property rights to women

Facts of inequality
In 1999, women corporate executives accounted for: US 11-12 % of 500 largest companies Canada 12% of 560 largest corporations

It will take 275 years to equalize the position of women and men in the corporate world

Facts of inequality
In 1999, women represented 11% of Parliamentarians worldwide compared to 9% in 1987. This had improved to about 15% in 2003
Western Europe 21% United States 12% Italy 10% France 9.1% Japan 8.3% Greece 6.3% Philippines-11.%

Global Statistics On Violence Against Women

At

least 60 million girls who would otherwise be alive are missing due to sex selective abortions mostly in Asia; at least one in three women and girls had been beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime;

Globally,

(The State of World Population 2000-Chapter 3-Ending Violence against Women and Girlshttp://www.unfpa.org/swp/2000/english/ch03.html)

Global Statistics on VAW

Between 100 and 140 million girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) . Every year, 2 million more are at risk of suffering the procedure 4 million women and girls are trafficked annually and at least 1 million girls are trafficked for prostitution; In Pakistan , at least 1,000 honor killings were reported in 1999

Global Statistics on VAW

In

Bangladesh, 47% adult report physical assault by a male partner; were 680 acid attacks in 2001 on women who were mostly fleeing arranged or abusive marriages or who have spurned suitors;

There

Global Statistics On VAW

Rape as a tool of war is still pervasive in many conflict areas such as in Rwanda, Bosnia , Burma, etc. 80% of the 23 million refugees are women and children who are often vulnerable to sexual violence ; Women now account for almost half of all cases of HIV-AIDS in Africa and young women are at higher risk of contracting AIDS than young men

FACTS OF VAW
Over

500,000 women still die of complications arising from backyard abortions annually; The economic costs of dealing with VAW is estimated at:
Canada

$4.3 billion; US $6.5 billion; Philippines P119 million

The Philippine Situation

In 2000, more women occupied positions in the bureaucracy from the first and second levels , but not in the upper third level and highest decision making positions In 1995, 35.2% of maternal mortality cases were due to pregnancy complications Almost a million women OFWs have been employed to the Middle East and Asian countries as domestic helpers, nurses and entertainers

The Philippine Situation

Domestic violence and rape are the highest recorded incidents of violence against women;(20 cases of VAW reported everyday- Evelyn Dunuan of NCRFW, 2005) Thousands of Filipinas are trafficked for prostitution and forced labor to Japan , US, Europe ,Middle East, Africa (Nigeria and Cote dIvoire) as well as in the Marianas

CURRENT ISSUES OF WOMEN- A SUMMARY

INEQUALITY, SUBORDINATION AND DISCRIMINATION OF WOMEN

IN THE HOME IN SOCIETY

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN/CHILDREN

SEXUAL HARASSMENT RAPE INCEST BATTERING

DOWRY DEATHS HONOR DEATHS FOETOCIDE/INFANTICIDE GENITAL MUTILATION

TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN COMMODIFICATION OF WOMEN IN MEDIA PROSTITUTION- LOCAL AND GLOBAL MAIL ORDER BRIDES OVERSEAS CONTRACT WORKERS

THE WOMAN QUESTION

IS

THE FACT THAT THERE IS A

DISCRIMINATION, SUBORDINATION, EXPLOITATION, AND OPPRESSION OF WOMEN AS WOMEN

THAT

CUTS ACROSS

RACE, CLASS, NATIONALITY CREED

IT

IS AN IDEOLOGICAL, STRUCTURAL AND GLOBAL PROBLEM

SOCIALIZING FORCES

EDUCATION

AT HOME IN SCHOOL

RELIGION

INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE CHURCH HISTORY PRACTICES AND TEACHINGS STRUCTURE

MASS MEDIA

ADVERTISEMENT PORNOGRAPHY

-THE SOLUTION? WOMENS EMPOWERMENT

EMPOWERMENT IS:

About power, and changing the unequal distribution of power in society A process and the result of a process About the redistribution of social power i.e., the rights, resources, opportunities and responsibilities of individuals and social groups in relation to one another in a given society

Empowerment is the process by which we transform:

Access to tangible (material) and non-tangible (knowledge, information, ideas) resources The ideologies that justify inequality (individual and collective consciousness) The institutions and structures that reproduce and sustain inequality (family, media, education, social, economic, legal and political institutions); Internalized oppression (self-image, self-esteem, aspirations, dreams)

DOMAINS OF EMPOWERMENT
From John Snow, Inc in Mknelly McCord, 2001, p.4

DOMAIN
1. Sense of self and vision of the future 2. Mobility and visibility 3. Economic security 4.Status and decision making at home 5.Effective interaction in the public sphere 6.Participation in non-family groups

EXPRESSIONS
Assertiveness, plans for the future, awareness of own problems, options, security Activities outside of the home, freedom from harassment in public places, interaction w/ men Property ownership, new skills and knowledge, increased income, engaged in non-traditional work Self-confidence, control of money, enhanced status, decides allocation of resources Awareness of legal services, access to social services, political awareness, provider of com. service Interaction and participation in a group, sense of solidarity with other women

THE WOMENS MOVEMENT STRATEGIES: (WHAT IS FEMINISM?)

ORGANIZATION MOBILIZATION CONSCIOUSNESS

RAISING GENDER-MAINSTREAMING IN THE ACADEME AND NGOS LEGAL STRATEGIES CULTURAL STRATEGIES CRISIS INTERVENTION SOLIDARITY

ORGANIZATION

MOBILIZATION

AWAKENING AWARENESS

GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN THE ACADEME Institute of Womens Studies, Manila

established in 1988

CRISIS INTERVENTION
Bahay LilaRefuge House

WOMENS ALTERNATIVES
WOMENS

STUDIES FEMINIST THEOLOGY HERSTORY FEMINIST COUNSELLING ECOFEMINISM ALTERNATIVE MEDIA

WOMENS STUDIES

CASE STUDY: ST. SCHOLASTICAS COLLEGE CURRICULAR-

INTRODUCTORY COURSE COGNATE IN WOMEN STUDIES M.A. IN HUMANITIES MAJOR IN WOMENS STUDIES

INSTITUTE OF WOMENS STUDIES PROGRAMS: COURSES, PUBLICATION, RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT, CONSULTANCY WOMEN AND ECOLOGY WHOLENESS FARM

FEMINIST THEOLOGY
WHY

NEEDED

THE WOMAN QUESTION RELIGION AS A SOCIALIZING FORCE MAIN STREAM THEOLOGY IS MALE-STREAM DECONSTRUCTION OF OPPRESSIVE ASPECTS CONSTRUCTION OF LIBERATING ASPECTS

TASKS

TRANSFORMING EMPOWERING SPIRITUALITY

SELF

AFFIRMING-INDIVIDUALLY AND COMMUNALLY EMPOWERING

MUTUALLY

KINDS OF POWER

POWER OVER POWER WITHIN POWER WITH

IT IS
INTEGRAL NO DUALISMS AND DICHOTOMIES INTEGRATES : REL. WITH SELF, WITH OTHERS, WITH GOD AND WITH THE PLANET INTERCONNECTEDNESS (NOT HIERARCHICAL) LIBERATING- JESUS-MODEL OF THE FULLY LIBERATED HUMAN BEING FREEDOM FROM FEAR IDOLS BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT

IT IS
PROPHETIC- THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS AS PROPHET ANNOUNCES THE GOOD NEWS DENOUNCES THE BAD NEWS CONTEMPLATIVE- JESUS AS CONTEMPLATIVE SOLITUDE AND STILLNESS PRESENT TO THE PRESENCE MEDITATION HEALING IDEA OF WOUNDED HEALER NO NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES

IT IS
A

CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF CONVERSION NO REASON FOR COMPLACENCY NO REASON FOR DESPAIR CELEBRATING SPIRITUALITY IT FEASTS MORE THAN IT FASTS IT CELEBRATES ALL EVENTS OF ONES LIFEPOSITIVE OR NEGATIVE

IT IS A PASSIONATE AND A COMPASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY