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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
Who, What, Where
11 July
World Population Day
http://www.un.org/en/events/populationday/
30 July
International Day of Friendship
http://www.un.org/en/events/friendshipday/
9 August
International Day of the World's Indigenous People
http://www.un.org/en/events/indigenousday/
12 August
International Youth Day
http://www.un.org/en/events/youthday/
19 August
World Humanitarian Day
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/world-humanitarian-day
HIGHLIGHT: Domestic Work
Domestic work is the focus we have
chosen for this "double" summer
issue. The Centre is running in July
the very first edition of its new course
on "Decent Work for Domestic
Workers" (see page 30) and we
thought this was a good opportunity
for gathering a series of contributions
and articles on this topic.
Domestic work is a female dominated
occupation. It is work mostly
performed by women, but also mainly
International Training Centre of the ILO
managed by women, in very atypical
employment relationships. It is
prevalent in almost all countries and
is overwhelmingly a female
occupation. They represent at least
three quarters of all domestic
workers.
Domestic work is also very much a
gender issue. Women are
concentrated in cleaning and care
services, while men tend to have the
better paying jobs as gardeners,
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drivers, or security guards. Household
tasks and care activities are still
perceived as natural women’s
aptitudes. Several gender aspects of
the bias regarding domestic workers
have to be taken into account: these
activities are undervalued: they are
not considered to require specific
skills or training; these activities are
not considered as “real” work and
hence the women performing them
may not be considered as workers but
as poor relatives or acquaintances
repaying for the favour of being
hosted and fed. With the recent
phenomenon of the feminization of
migration, women (and girls) now
make up approximately half of the
estimated 200 million migrants
worldwide.
Read the collection of articles from
page 30 to page 37 for an overview of
the existing trends and problems in
this area.
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Who, What, Where ...............................................................................................................................1
11 July World Population Day............................................................................................. 1
30 July International Day of Friendship .............................................................................. 1
9 August International Day of the World's Indigenous People.............................................. 1
12 August International Youth Day .................................................................................... 1
19 August World Humanitarian Day ................................................................................... 1
HIGHLIGHT: Domestic Work...............................................................................................................1
The Centre and the ILO.......................................................................................................................5
Workshop in Managua kicks-off joint ILO and donor action for gender-sensitive TVET System
in Nicaragua....................................................................................................................... 5
Gender Equality Index (GEI) Launch Conference ................................................................... 5
Interview with Ms Estelle Loiseau, Wikigender Project Coordinator ....................................... 6
UNESCO Institute for Statistics ............................................................................................ 8
ILO Working Paper - Social dialogue and gender equality in the European Union .................. 8
UN & WOMEN ......................................................................................................................................8
UN WOMEN NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - PHUMZILE MLAMBO-NGCUKA OF SOUTH AFRICA.... 8
UN Women is creating a database of gender experts:........................................................... 9
FAO Policy on Gender Equality .......................................................................................... 10
Forbes Magazine names UNDP Administrator Helen Clark has one of the most powerful
Women ............................................................................................................................ 10
Study on Ways and Methods to Eliminate Sexual Harassment in Egypt ................................ 11
What's new on the web.................................................................................................................... 11
Girls on the Move: Adolescent Girls & Migration in the Developing World ........................... 11
Social Good Summit partners launch +SocialGood at Women Deliver 2013 ......................... 12
What are they doing? ....................................................................................................................... 13
The Challenge of Being a Maasai Woman ........................................................................... 13
Kenyan Women to Break Glass Ceiling in Cabinet ............................................................... 16
Les projets-pilotes dans le cadre du jumelage européen en Macédoine .............................. 17
Femmes & Business by L’Expansion .................................................................................. 18
Londra, è una donna il manager più ricco .......................................................................... 20
Gender Issues ................................................................................................................................... 21
Dysfunction in the Boardroom .......................................................................................... 23
GENDER-SENSITIVE PARLIAMENTS ..................................................................................... 26
As Global Mobility is on the Rise, More Women Take the Lead ............................................ 26
Focus on – Domestic work .............................................................................................................. 30
DECENT WORK FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS (8 – 12 July 2013) ............................................... 30
Domestic workers’ rights move closer to becoming reality worldwide ................................ 32
THE PHILIPPINES & ITALY - INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION & OVER-INDEBTEDNESS: THE CASE
OF FILIPINO WORKERS IN ITALY ......................................................................................... 33
Lavoratrici filippine tra debiti e lavori domestici ................................................................ 34
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Making decent work a reality for domestic workers in Africa .............................................. 36
On-going and/or coming Gender Programmes/ Conferences / Events: ................................... 37
Malaysia - WIRES 2013 ..................................................................................................... 37
Faire le Genre - Fazendo Genero....................................................................................... 37
WIRES3 – Women’s International Research Engineering Summit 2013 ................................. 37
ICT2013........................................................................................................................... 38
Grants/Funding opportunities/Awards/Fellowships/ .................................................................. 38
Vacancies .......................................................................................................................................... 38
Boursières d'excellence - Université de Genève ................................................................. 38
THE ITALIAN CORNER...................................................................................................................... 38
È la Finlandia il paradiso delle mamme .............................................................................. 38
La dura vita della donna multitasking ................................................................................ 40
Poets’ Corner .................................................................................................................................... 41
WOMEN ( Poem by Federico Mayor, Former Director General of UNESCO) ............................ 41
Quote for the Day:............................................................................................................................ 42
JUST FOR FUN: .................................................................................................................................. 43
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The Centre and the ILO
Workshop in Managua kicks-off joint ILO and donor action for
gender-sensitive TVET System in Nicaragua
Workshop in Managua opens dialogue
and starts joint ILO and donor action
towards a more gender-sensitive
TVET System in Nicaragua.
In a workshop on gender and TVET
organised by the Centre as part of the
project "Financing for Gender
Equality", the EU Delegation in
Nicaragua, Member States and other
development partners have teamed
up with the ILO to produce a gendersensitive analysis of the TVET sector
in the country, which will feed into
the national TVET reform. This is part
of a broader strategy to support TVET
reforms and enhance the
employability of young women and
men in the sub-region.
Read more
at http://capacity4dev.ec.europa.eu/
blog/workshop-managua-kicksjoint-ilo-and-donor-action-gendersensitive-tvet-system-nicaragua
Gender Equality Index (GEI) Launch Conference
Simonetta Cavazza attended the
Gender Equality Index (GEI) Launch
Conference at Council of the
European Union on June 13, 2013.
The Conference officially launched
the “Gender Equality Index”, proposed
by the European Commission and
developed by the European Institute
for Gender Equality: the result of
three years of research, consultations
and development by EIGE and a group
of partners from collaborating
European and international
institutions.
The Index provides scores for each
Member State and presents an EU
average in each of the following
critical areas of gender equality:
work, money, knowledge, time, power
and health. The areas of violence and
intersecting inequalities are also
considered as critical areas, but
treated separately as they adopt a
different perspective.
Even though based on clear EU policy
priorities and adapted to EU context,
the index’ conceptual framework
takes into account important UN and
ILO milestones such as CEDAW,
Beijing PfA, equality frameworks at
international level.
The Conference was attended by
some 300 European institutional and
independent gender experts.
President of the Council of the EU, Mr
H. Van Rompuy and the Presidency of
the Council of the EU, Minister of
State for Equality, Ireland, Ms K.
Lynch addressed the audience at the
end of the morning.
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More information can be found at
EIGE’s website on the event:
and the index itself can be found at
EIGE’s website:
http://eige.europa.eu/content/event/
gender-equality-index-launchconference
http://eige.europa.eu/content/gende
r-equality-index
Interview with Ms Estelle Loiseau, Wikigender Project Coordinator
Participant in the workshop on
“Gender equality for development
effectiveness”, 3-7 June 2013.
regular online discussions to engage
further with our audience on these
issues.
Wikigender is a project initiated by
the OECD Development Centre to
facilitate the exchange of and to
improve knowledge on gender
equality issues around the world.
Focus is placed on gathering
empirical evidence and identifying
statistics to measure gender equality.
Wikigender is part of the OECD Global
Project on Measuring the Progress of
Societies. Based on the work of the
OECD Gender, Institutions and
Development Database, Wikigender
aims to highlight the importance
of social institutions, such as norms,
traditions and cultural practices that
impact the empowerment of women.
The Wikigender university programme
involves students, for example, in
India, Mexico, Thailand, France and
the USA, in writing articles and
exchanging knowledge on gender
equality. The programme helps build
bridges and fosters networks among
students and academics.
We have provided our readers with
the official description of Wikigender.
Can you tell us a bit more about
recent developments?
Wikigender was a pilot, in the sense
that as the 1st OECD Wiki, it was an
opportunity for subsequent wikis
such as Wikiprogress and Wikichild to
learn from the Wikigender experience.
Wikigender, created in 2008 has a
solid and growing community of over
2,000 editors and an average of
50,000 monthly visits. Since 2012, we
have promoted our work through
“Wikigender Connect” is a monthly
newsletter that highlights important
developments, events and articles in
the area of gender equality.
Who are the main users of Wikigender
and what do they use it for?
The audience is very diverse; it
includes policymakers, researchers
and gender experts, civil society,
students and the donor community.
They use the site to:
•
research country information
on gender
•
access definitions of gender
theories and concepts
•
find information on upcoming
events and promote their own
•
participate in online
discussions to exchange
knowledge, best practices and
information on gender equality
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•
or contribute to the platform in
the same “wiki spirit” as
Wikipedia, by creating articles,
editing or updating existing
information.
What are the objectives of your role in
Wikigender and which aspects require
the most attention?
There are several aspects, including
community building, presenting our
work, linking Wikigender to the work
we do on our Social Institutions and
Gender Index (SIGI), and building
content and programmes for the
platform and partnerships.
Although Wikigender is open to
everyone, there is quality control. In
the “wiki spirit” an article will never be
complete, as it may always be
improved by other users. However,
Wikigender staff always checks the
articles to ensure quality.
The aspects that require the most
attention from me are keeping
Wikigender up-to-date and ensuring
that it meets the needs of the
community, including via social media
and online discussions.
What were your personal and
institutional objectives for attending
the workshop?
My personal objectives were:
•
to get a new perspective on
gender from other development
sectors
•
to exchange experiences,
especially with participants
working at the country level
•
to learn new methodologies
and
•
to reinforce my knowledge of
gender and development issues
My institutional objectives were
similar and focused on learning about
new tools and methods to
mainstream gender through the work
of the OECD Development Centre and
to get new ideas on engaging with the
community on Wikigender.
Do you think you have gained new
ideas and insights into the issue?
Yes definitely, especially in terms of
communicating research on gender
and development through Wikigender
and on using tools and guidelines
that work. I also learned that there
are many entry points that we can use
to ensure a gender approach. The
training was very interesting and I will
take many good ideas back with me.
What do you plan to do after you go
back home?
I will make use of the contacts made,
plan future online discussions and
share and apply the methodologies
with my colleagues, making sure they
apply them to every day work. It may
be difficult, but it has to be done.
What is next for Wikigender?
In the next five years we plan to
strengthen and expand our
programmes, add new languages,
create regional networks and expand
our Wikiprogress.stat database to
include more gender indicators.
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UNESCO Institute for Statistics
The latest data from the UNESCO
Institute for Statistics show that there
were still 57 million children out of
school globally in 2011, many of
whom are girls. Why is this happening
and what more can we do?
Initiative as we countdown towards
the deadline for the Millennium
Development Goals. We took this
opportunity to get their thoughts as
well as a special youth perspective on
how to address these issues.
UNGEI Global Advisory Committee
members and partners met in New
York earlier this year to discuss the
future of the UN Girls' Education
Watch this new video from UNGEI to
find out more! We encourage you to
share this with your contacts as well.
ILO Working Paper - Social dialogue and gender equality in the
European Union
This paper forms part of a
comparative research project whose
objective is to demonstrate that
gender equality and social dialogue
are mutually beneficial and that their
promotion should go hand in hand.
Despite several studies on each topic
separately, there is a knowledge gap
worldwide on how gender equality at
work is advanced through social
dialogue. The topic is examined from
qualitative and quantitative aspects.
http://www.ilo.org/ifpdial/informatio
nresources/publications/WCMS_21379
3/lang--en/index.htm
UN & WOMEN
UN WOMEN NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - PHUMZILE MLAMBONGCUKA OF SOUTH AFRICA
New York, 10 July 2013 - UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
today announced the appointment of
Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka from
South Africa as the new Executive
Director of UN Women, the
organization leading UN’s work on
advancing gender equality and
women’s rights.
The announcement was made
through the Spokesperson of the UN
Secretary-General at today’s news
briefing. The statement says: “Ms.
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka brings to
this position, a wealth of experience
in advocating for women’s issues with
a combination of strategic leadership,
consensus building and hands-on
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management experience. She was the
first woman to hold the position of
Deputy President of South Africa from
2005 to 2008. Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka
initially became a member of
parliament in 1994 chairing the Public
Service Portfolio Committee. She was
deputy minister in the Department of
Trade and Industry (1996-1999),
Minister of Minerals and Energy
(1999-2005) and briefly served as
acting Minister of Arts, Culture,
Science and Technology in 2004.
Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka was Young
Women’s Coordinator for the World
Young Women’s Christian Association
in Geneva (1984-1986) and served as
the first President of the Natal
Organization of Women, an affiliate of
the United Democratic Front, when it
was formed in December 1983. Ms.
Mlambo-Ngcuka established
Umlambo Foundation in 2008 to
provide support to schools in
impoverished areas in South Africa
through mentorship and coaching for
teachers and in Malawi through
school improvements with local
partners.
Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka holds a Master’s
degree in Philosophy in Educational
Planning and Policy from the
University of Cape Town (2003) and a
BA in Education from the University of
Lesotho (1980). In 2003, she was
awarded an Honorary Doctorate from
the University of Western Cape.
Born in 1955, Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka is
married with three children.
http://www.unwomen.org/2013/07/
phumzile-mlambo-ngcuka-fromsouth-africa-appointed-as-new-unwomen-executive-director/
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.
asp?NewsID=45380&Cr=women&Cr1
=
UN Women is creating a database of gender experts:
This website allows experts on
gender issues to signal their interest
in collaborating with UN Women to
achieve gender equality around the
world.
Despite the significant progress
achieved in advancing gender equality
in recent years, gender inequalities
remain deeply entrenched in every
society. UN Women strives to help
Member States to meet this challenge,
providing technical and financial
support to those countries that need
it, while forging effective partnerships
with civil society.
ATTENTION: In order to take part in
this initiative, experts must, as a
minimum, have five years of relevant
professional experience and be in
possession of a Masters Degree or
equivalent.
If you are an expert on Gender and
Evaluation please apply to:
https://evaluationroster.unwomen.or
g/
http://unwomen.unssc.org/
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FAO Policy on Gender Equality
The FAO Policy on Gender Equality
provides a framework that guides the
Organization's efforts to achieve
gender equality in all its technical
work and assesses results. The policy,
in line with the UN System-wide
Action Plan, outlines FAO's goal and
objectives related to gender equality
and delineates an accountability
structure for ensuring policy
oversight and achievement of results.
FAO's efforts to integrate gender
issues into all facets of its work
efforts will contribute to increasing
the coverage, effectiveness, efficiency
and – ultimately – the impact of its
interventions for women and men,
while at the same time toward
achieving broader UN goals of human
rights and social justice. "FAO's
gender policy underscores the
Organization's commitment to
addressing gender and women's
issues to eradicate hunger and
poverty," said FAO Director-General
José Graziano da Silva on
International Women's Day in 2012,
when he announced the policy.
English:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/i320
5e/i3205e.pdf
French: http://www.fao.org/docrep/0
17/i3205f/i3205f.pdf
Forbes Magazine names UNDP Administrator Helen Clark has one of
the most powerful Women
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark has
been ranked as the 21st most
powerful woman in the world by
Forbes magazine. Clark has been
featured on the list nine times, and
was ranked number 34 last year, and
50 in 2011. The list ranks influential
women in global politics, business,
media, entertainment, technology and
not-for-profits based on their wealth,
media presence and impact.
Other top spots were taken by
German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff,
Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda
Gates, US First lady Michelle Obama,
former US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, and Facebook COO Sheryl
Sandberg.
See full coverage of the World's 100
Most Powerful Women by clicking
here
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Study on Ways and Methods to Eliminate Sexual Harassment in Egypt
Sponsored by the UN Women and the
National Council for Women this
study focuses on the attitudes,
perceptions and reactions to
harassment as well as methods to
eliminate sexual harassment in Egypt,
which is identified as a growing
problem since the revolution of
January 2011.This study also provides
several recommendations on the law
process surrounding this issue, the
need to increase deployment of police
officers and detectives in crowded
places, and the expected attitude
from both political and religious
authorities regarding this issue. To
download the publication click here..
What's new on the web
Girls on the Move: Adolescent Girls & Migration in the Developing
World
Girls on the Move is the first report of
its kind to examine the social and
economic drivers of internal
migration for adolescent girls in
developing countries, and the links
between migration, risk, and
opportunity.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, the
report finds that rural-to-urban
migration can—provided necessary
safety nets and resources are in
place—be largely a positive
experience for girls, and present
them with new opportunities
unavailable in their hometowns.
This Population Council–authored
report was supported by the Nike
Foundation and the United Nations
Foundation. Girls on the Move is the
sixth report in the Girls Count series
published by the Coalition for
Adolescent Girls.
Direct Link to Full 136-Page
Publication:
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http://popcouncil.org/pdfs/2013PGY
_GirlsOnTheMove.pdf
http://popcouncil.org/pdfs/2013PGY
_GirlsOnTheMove_PolicyBrief.pdf
Link to Policy Brief with Report
Recommendations:
Social Good Summit partners launch +SocialGood at Women Deliver
2013
The Social Good Summit partners
have launched +SocialGood, a new
approach to global engagement that
connects innovators around a shared
vision: the power of technology and
new media to make the world a better
place. Both an online hub and a
toolkit for planning events yearround, +SocialGood invites
community members around the
globe to connect with each other and
discuss how technology and social
media can positively impact the
issues they care about. This flexible,
user-driven platform was launched on
Monday at the 2013 Women Deliver
conference to highlight the
importance of bringing together
voices from around the world to solve
common challenges such as
improving health and expanding
economic opportunities for women.
+SocialGood unites a global
community of innovators around a
shared vision:
The power of technology and new
media to make the world a better
place.
This is a community of connectors,
bringing together ideas and action in
our social media era.
The +SocialGood engagement
platform provides a space for a truly
global conversation to take shape—a
place where connectors can
collaborate, share best practices,
influence local and global agendas,
and find new ways to translate their
vision into action.
Anyone can be a part of this
community. There are three ways to
get started:
•
Join the +SocialGood
Community {online}Make
new connections to
innovators, social
entrepreneurs, and
thought leaders to
address some of
the world’s most pressing
challenges. Add your
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voice, and help drive the
global conversation.
•
•
Host a +SocialGood Meetup in
your local community {inperson + online} Highlight the
social good happening in your
region or area of interest.
+SocialGood organizers around
the world bring their
communities together to take
on issues ranging from the
economy to the environment,
from poverty to education,
from women’s rights to global
health and beyond. You can
host a +SocialGood Meetup
around the issues that matter
most to you, or join us for
major global events like
the World Economic Forum,
SxSWi, Women Deliver, and
the G8.
Help us shape the next Social
Good Summit {in NYC + around
the world}
Each year, the social good community
and world leaders come together
during United Nations Week for the
Social Good Summit…a unique,
three-day conference that has
changed the way people talk about
global issues, social impact, and
collaboration.
+SocialGood has been inspired by the
hundreds of thousands of people who
interact with this event each
year. You’re invited to be a part of
the event this September, virtually or
in person, and help shape the global
agenda.
Your perspective will help to shine a
spotlight on the emerging voices,
ideas and extraordinary projects that
are making a difference in your
community and around the
world. http://www.plussocialgood.org
/Page/About
http://www.plussocialgood.org/News
What are they doing?
The Challenge of Being a Maasai Woman
The Maasai tribe of Kenya and
Tanzania has long been a beacon of
traditional culture to many Africans –
and for Westerners on safari through
Maasai Mara, Samburu or Amboseli, a
familiar face.
But familiarity and travels aside, the
tribe faces many of the same
roadblocks on the path to
development as any other
marginalised community around the
world.
William Kikanae, community leader of
his Maasai village in Maasai Mara,
recently spoke with IPS in New York
during the launch of an initiative to
provide economic opportunities for
local tribeswomen by the Spanish
footwear brand Pikolinos.
“First, I know for myself that women
are the most important part of the
family,” Kikanae told IPS. “(But) for
Maasai people, women are not
important. They don’t have power like
a man.”
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As an Adcam director for Kenya,
Kikanae works with brands overseas
like Pikolinos to cultivate projects that
allow the women of his community to
earn money.
Through the Maasai Project, local
women embroider sandals that are
then sent to Spain for finishing and
sold all over the world, with the
proceeds going back into community
development projects such as
schools, clinics and housing.
“Before, the men of my community
thought that I supported women to be
in power more than them,” Kikanae
said in regards to the Maasai Project.
“We’re not going against anyone. I
can say now that even our politicians
are proud of the project,” Kikanae
added.
The middlemen
According to a female government
officer and doctor from the Maasai
tribe, who asked that her name be
withheld, supporting women and
propelling them to the forefront of
development is a significant way to
achieve change among the Maasai.
“Women cannot own livestock they
look after, but if educated these
things will change. All is not lost for
those who did not go to school,
however. If allowed by their men to
trade in milk, handicrafts, they can
generate income for their families,”
the Kenyan officer told IPS.
Poor communities are always subject
to exploitation and misrepresentation
when it comes to aid, so when a tribe
like the Maasai partners with an
organisation abroad, it is only natural
for scepticism to arise.
“I think the problem here stems from
the middlemen. These are the guys
who are supposed to connect the
community with the ‘helpers’. These
people will use the opportunity to
exploit the community to realise their
own ambition with very little of the
help reaching the beneficiary,” the
officer told IPS.
“Since education has lagged behind,
the few educated individuals have
used the ignorance of the majority to
their own benefit. So, in a nutshell,
the common villager may not be able
to differentiate this.”
Homework by firelight
The women of the Maasai are hardly
in denial when it comes to their lack
of education. They understand that
the more people are educated within
their community, the fewer will fall
victim to exploitation.
But old patterns persist. In many local
African villages, it is a well known fact
that only if a young girl is rendered
useless to her family – unwilling to
marry young, reluctant to perform
household duties and chores, or go to
the garden and dig – would she be
sent off to school to study. This
caused a division in opportunity and
kept education inaccessible to those
who desired it.
A tradition-versus-modernisation
issue is still visible today.
Additionally, the lack of basic needs
at home such as electricity or
transportation to school greatly
hinders the performance of a rural
student. As the officer told IPS, “You
can imagine trying to do homework
by firelight or walking long distances
to and from school.”
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Let the women lead
From an outsider’s point of view, it
may seem that the Maasai women
cannot catch a break, from lack of
health services – especially in regards
to maternal health where many
women still die during childbirth – to
the spread of HIV/AIDS, a topic that
most do not feel comfortable talking
about.
“Men go to towns, sells cows or work,
have relationships with town women
and bring the virus home,” the officer
said. “The women have not heard of
condoms or negotiating for safe sex.”
As in other societies around the
world, the spread of HIV/AIDS is
directly linked to education, and when
children don’t receive information on
sexual health, the perpetual cycle of
disease continues.
Added to these concerns is the
growing problem of displacement.
“Large tracts of Maasialand are being
sold by men, sometimes without the
knowledge of their wives. From
Kitengela to Namanga on the border
this is happening. This land is being
bought by other communities and
before long the Maasai will be in the
back of beyond in extremely hard to
reach areas. The current leadership is
too short-sighted to see this
catastrophe in the making,” the
officer added.
Asked what is needed to facilitate
development among the Maasai, the
officer said, “There is need to for
good leadership to guide this process
so that there is no exploitation.”
With education and good leadership,
the obstacles that the tribe face are
slowly tackled. One by one, Maasai
women are more likely to reassess
the needs of their entire families and
surrounding community, whilst
working together with local and
international organisations to bring
about measurable change, she said.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/05/th
e-challenge-of-being-a-maasaiwoman/
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Volume 115
Kenyan Women to Break Glass Ceiling in Cabinet
Amina Mohamed is the first woman to be nominated head of Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Credit: Brian Ngugi/IPS
Kenya’s nominees for cabinet
secretary positions, who include an
unprecedented number of women –
six out of 18 – will undergo a
gruelling public vetting process by
the Parliamentary Committee on
Appointments Thursday.
Despite the appointments – which are
yet to be confirmed – women’s rights
organisations in this East African
nation say President Uhuru Kenyatta’s
new government must do more to
seriously mainstream gender issues
in the country.
Kenyatta made history on Apr. 25,
when he nominated the six women to
the cabinet – the highest number the
country has had since independence.
The nominees include former
diplomat Raychelle Omamo, who was
proposed to head the sensitive
Ministry of Defence, a docket which
has never before been held by a
woman.
And Anne Waiguru, an economic and
public policy expert, is expected to
head the critical Ministry of
Devolution and Planning, which will
coordinate the implementation of
Kenya’s new devolved system of
government in 47 counties.
Charity Ngilu, a former government
minister, was nominated to head the
Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban
Development; Phyllis Kandie, an
investment banker, was nominated to
head the Ministry of East African
Affairs, Commerce and Tourism; and
Judy Wakhungu, a former associate
professor of science, technology, and
society at Pennsylvania State
University, was tapped to head the
Ministry of Environment, Water and
National Resources.
Earlier, on Apr. 23, Kenyatta and his
Deputy William Ruto had announced
the nomination of Amina Mohamed as
the first woman to head the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
Twenty-three men, including Kenya’s
founding president Jomo Kenyatta,
have held this key post since 1963.
But ahead of the vetting process,
which will pave the way for the
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
tabling of the list of nominees in
parliament for debate, approval and
subsequent confirmation, Maria
Nzomo, the first Kenyan woman to
obtain a Ph.D in political science and
international studies, from Dalhousie
University in Canada in 1981, told IPS
that despite the historic
appointments, women here still lag
far behind men on a number of
fronts.
She said many of them continue to
suffer from restricted access to health
care, education, political participation
and cultural life, as well as legal
protection and economic
opportunities.
Consequently Nzomo, who teaches at
the Institute of Diplomacy and
International Studies at the University
of Nairobi, said the government must
do more to address the plight of
Kenyan women.
“Women lack required skills, access to
affordable credit or even better
education, meaning therefore that
they are perennially disadvantaged to
men and can only survive by plying
informal sector jobs,” she said.
Her comments were echoed by Grace
Mbugua, the executive director of
Women’s Empowerment Link, a nongovernmental national women rights
organisation, who told IPS that
empowering Kenyan women would
take more than the nomination of the
six women to the cabinet….
http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/05/ke
nyan-women-to-break-glassceiling-in-cabinet/
Les projets-pilotes dans le cadre du jumelage européen en Macédoine
Le jumelage européen en Macédoine
intitulé « Support to the capacity
building of the Centre for adult
education and development of
programmes for adult education and
programmes for literacy and
fulfilment of elementary education for
excluded persons » a été lancé en
2011 et s’achévera en août 2013.
Porté par le GIP International, l’AFPA
et la FIIAPP, il vise à favoriser la
croissance économique et à répondre
toujours mieux aux besoins du
marché du travail. L’objectif est
d’améliorer les compétences et
performances des travailleurs.
Dans ce cadre, trois composantes ont
été élaborées :
La première concerne le
renforcement des capacités du
Centre d’éducation des adultes,
La seconde concerne la mise
en place de six projets-pilotes
dans le domaine de la
formation professionnelle et
touchant à des domaines précis
en fonction des besoins du
marché du travail (viticulture,
plomberie…),
La troisième concerne six
projets-pilotes visant à lutter
contre l’illettrisme auprès de
divers publics (jeunes
incarcérés, ruraux, Roms,
jeunes décrocheurs,
femmes…).http://pro.ovh.net/
17
JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
~gipinter/spip.php?article210&l
ang=fr
Femmes & Business by L’Expansion
La nouvelle lettre professionnelle du
groupe Express-Roularta vous permet
de découvrir :
•
des informations et des
conseils pour aider les femmes
à mieux piloter leur parcours
professionnel
•
une approche originale de la
mixité comme moteur de
performance pour les
entreprises, au cœur des
nouveaux enjeux de
management
•
un regard aiguisé sur
l’influence croissante des
femmes, actrices de premier
plan du monde économique au
plus près des centres de
décision
Cette publication mensuelle de 12
pages s’adresse aux femmes - chefs
d’entreprise, dirigeantes, cadres,
professions libérales, entrepreneuses,
consultantes, administratrices… - en
recherche d’informations et de
conseils pour piloter au mieux leur
parcours professionnel.
La lettre Femmes & Business apporte
ainsi un éclairage nouveau sur le rôle
grandissant des femmes dans les
organisations. Elle analyse le
développement et les enjeux de la
féminisation des centres de décision.
Voici un extrait…
Oui, les femmes surperforment dans
les entreprises cotées
ENQUÊTE
Michel Ferrary, professeur de gestion
des Ressources humaines à SKEMA
Business School, confirme qu’une
stratégie d’investissement peut être à
la fois responsable et plus rentable
lorsqu’elle est basée sur le critère de
la féminisation de l’encadrement.
Grâce à un nouvel indicateur, le
Femina Index, il démontre que le
parcours boursier d’un échantillon
d’entreprises comptant un minimum
de 35 % de femmes cadres supérieurs
superforme le CAC40 sur la période
2007-2012
Les enquêtes se succèdent et se
ressemblent toutes : la pro- portion
mondiale de femmes occupant des
postes à respon- sabilité reste faible
et progresse peu d’une année sur l’autre :
20 % en 2011, 21 % en 2012 et 23 %
en 2013. En France, 26 % de femmes
affichent des positions stratégiques
au sein des entreprises. Une petite
avance par rapport à la moyenne
des 41 pays interro- gés, laquelle
risque de ne pas durer. En effet,
d’après la dernière enquête menée
par le cabinet d’audit et de conseil
Grant Thornton, seulement 2 % des
entreprises françaises interrogées
envisagent un plan d’actions en
faveur de la promotion des talents
féminins au cours des douze
18
JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
prochains mois. Alors qu’en Asie du
Sud, les entreprises du panel sont 28
% à en- visager de faire grimper les
femmes dans la hiérarchie, elles sont
18 % en Asie-Pa- cifique et en
Amérique du Nord. Même les pays de
l’Europe du Sud sont plus en avance
(10 %) dans ce domaine. « Les
entreprises qui se privent du potentiel
des femmes sont nombreuses, et
pour- tant, en ne jouant pas la parité,
elles re- noncent à une plus grande
création de valeurs » prévient
Christine Lagarde.
Michel Ferrary, professeur de gestion
des Ressources humaines à SKEMA
Business School en est tellement
convaincu qu’il a lancé, en mars
dernier, après avoir longuement
étudié les performances au féminin,
le Femina In- dex, un nouveau critère
d’investissement, basé sur le
pourcentage de femmes dans le
management. Il démontre ainsi
Les résultats boursiers sont bien
meilleurs lorsque les femmes
dépassent 35% de l’encadrement de
l’entreprise. qu’une féminisation dans
les sphères du pouvoir dope la
performance boursière de
l’entreprise. Le seuil minimum de féminisation de l’encadrement, pour
être intégré au Femina Index, est de
35 %. Parmi les entreprises du CAC40,
en 2007, dix d’entre elles avaient un
taux de féminisation de leur
encadrement supérieur à 35 % et ont
été intégrées au Femina Index :
Accor, Axa, BNP Pari- bas, Danone,
L’Oréal, LVMH, PPR, Pu- blicis, Sanofi,
Société Générale. Michel Ferrary a
ainsi comparé, entre 2007 et 2012, ce
portefeuille d’entreprises diversifié
à l’indice de référence, le CAC40. Les
résultats, démontre-t-il, sont sans
appel : sur cette période, le portefeuille reproduisant le CAC40 a
perdu 34,70% de sa valeur, alors que
celui com- posé des dix entreprises
dont l’encadrement est le plus
féminisé n’a perdu que 5,28 %.
Concrètement, 100 000 euros investis
début janvier 2007 sur l’indice du
CAC40 représenteraient 65 300 euros
le 31 dé- cembre 2012 contre 94 720
euros s’ils avaient été investis sur le
Femina Index. Cette analyse, estime
Michel Ferrary, confirme qu’une
stratégie d’investissement peut être
à la fois responsable et plus rentable
lorsqu’elle est basée sur le critère de
la féminisation. Moralité : promouvoir la diversité et favoriser la
promotion des femmes dans les
postes à responsabilité contribue à la
performance financière des
entreprises. CQFD.
Recevez gratuitement le dernier
numéro de la lettre mensuelle
Femmes & Business by l'Expansion :
http://www.global-eservices.fr/femmes-et-business/
19
JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
Londra, è una donna il manager più ricco
La manager Angela Ahrendts
Angela Ahrendts di Burberry batte
tutti con 20 milioni.
Ha cominciato il suo lavoro di
amministratore delegato di Burberry
con una dissacrazione - uso minimo
della celebre quadrettatura perché
sovraesposta, contraffatta e
«veneranda» - ma i risultati le hanno
dato ragione: in cinque anni il valore
delle azioni è aumentato del 186% e
lei, con 16,9 milioni di sterline (quasi
20 milioni di euro) guadagnati
nell’anno finanziario 2011-2012, è
diventata la manager più ricca della
city.
I conti in tasca ad Angela Ahrendts
sono presto fatti: 990 mila sterline di
stipendio, 2 milioni di bonus, benefit
vari, ma soprattutto 11,9 milioni
ricavati dalla vendita delle azioni
guadagnato come bonus negli anni
precedenti. E così è stata catapultata
in cima alla lista dei redditi dei boss
delle 350 società più importanti del
Regno. E in quella delle 100 società
più capitalizzate alla Borsa di Londra,
dove le donne sono solo tre: lei,
Alison Cooper dell’Imperial Tobacco e
Carolyn McCall di easy.
Jet Angela Ahrendts, 53 anni e tre
figli, è americana - è nata a New
Palestine, nell’Indiana, ultima di sei
fratelli di una famiglia modesta - e ha
la moda nel sangue: da piccola si
cuciva i vestiti da sé, e raccogliendo
consensi e invidie. Burberry l’ha
chiamata al vertice nel 2006,
fidandosi della sua visione: il marchio
che dal 1856 incarna l’immutabile
stile inglese andava svecchiato,
perché troppo ubiquo, troppo
contraffatto, fuori moda. Così sono
comparsi nuovi disegni, modelli
aderenti, capi in pelle, perfino una
linea di cosmetici. E Ahrendts ha vinto
la sua scommessa: Burberry oggi è un
marchio della moda globale che,
interpretando l’aria del tempo e non
più la vecchia Inghilterra, ha fatto il
record di incassi e di profitti, ha
distribuito ottimi dividendi agli
azionisti e oggi vale 6,3 miliardi di
sterline.
Ahrendts è arrivata in vetta senza
bisogno di quote rosa, e non crede
che sia quella la strada giusta per
sedersi con autorevolezza nei consigli
d’amministrazione. Ha detto al
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
«Guardian»: «Su quelle poltrone
occorre mettere la persona più brava.
Non è una questione di genere, si
tratta di esperienza, di visione, di
leadership». E ha concluso con
malizia: «Anche un uomo è in grado
di fare questo lavoro».
Marina Verna “La Stampa”
Gender Issues
MY World survey
‘My World’ Survey – First Results Half a Million Citizens Tell the United
Nations Their Priorities
“A good education”, “better health
care” and “an honest and responsive
government” are the top trending
issues to date.
MY World is the United Nations global
survey to hear people´s priorities for
the future development agenda after
the Millennium Development Goals
expire in 2015.
Over 560,000 citizens from 194
countries have already voted for the
issues that would make the most
difference to their lives, providing, for
the first time ever, real-time and
real-world intelligence on what
people think about the biggest
challenges facing them and their
families.
MY World, the United Nations global
survey for a better world
(www.myworld2015.org) is a
groundbreaking initiative inviting
citizens to virtually take their seat at
the UN and participate in the global
conversation on the next
development agenda by voting in an
option-based survey.
From Rwanda to Philippines and
Mexico City to Amman and Madrid;
across schools, mosques, offices and
refugee camps, citizens have been
turning out in their hundreds of
thousands to vote and help define a
better world for all.
In India, Laila Sein, of MY World
partner AFRC INDIA, remarked: “The
best thing I found about the survey is
that our students have started
thinking beyond cricket and mobile
phones. They have begun thinking
about critical issues that affect them.”
Initial results from this survey have
been released this week as the UN
Secretary-General’s High Level Panel
for the post-2015 dialogue meets in
New York to submit their
recommendations on the future
international development agenda.
Real time results from MY World are
also being presented on a regular
basis to the UN Secretary-General and
the Open Working Group on
Sustainable Development.
To date, 57% of the votes have been
collected offline, 35% though the
website and around the 8% have come
through mobile phone.
“We are using mobile phone and web
technology as well as conducting
surveys face to face to directly
connect with people. This is allowing
us for the first time to see in real time
who is voting, from where, and what
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Volume 115
their priorities are”- highlighted
Corinne Woods, Global Director of the
UN Millennium Campaign - “MY World
is a powerful tool for national as well
as global decision making. These half
a million votes are just a start – we
have until 2015 and beyond to
continue gathering people´s views
and maintain this conversation flow
between policy makers and citizens
around the world.”
‘Crowdsourcing’ the future
development agenda.
MY World demonstrates the UN’s
commitment to an open and inclusive
dialogue on the post-2015 agenda
and harnessing the full power of
technology and social media. MY
World is supported by over 400 civil
society organizations, youth groups,
faith organizations, corporations and
global personalities.
“We are getting a rich mix of data that
is generating important information
not only on global priorities, but also
how these differ by characteristics:
gender, age, location and education
level. So far there seems to be a
strong overlap of priorities among
regions. Education, health, water,
food, “an honest and responsive
government” and “protection against
crime and violence” feature amongst
the top ten for every region of the
world”- said Claire Melamed, from the
Overseas Development Institute.
What are global citizens saying?
Participants in MY World are asked to
select which six out of sixteen issues
are most important for them and their
families. Results to date reveal that
voters’ top three priorities are “a
good education”, “better healthcare”
and “an honest and responsive
government”. “Access to water and
sanitation” and “nutritious and
affordable food” are also perceived by
people as being of key importance to
improving their lives.
Citizens voting predominantly for
health and education reveal the
continuing relevance of the
Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) which recently observed the
1000 day milestone to their 2015
target date. MY World represents an
entry point for people to build on
MDG achievements and help define
an ambitious development agenda
after 2015 that has poverty
eradication and sustainable
development at its core.
However, results also indicate that
people are pointing to new issues to
be addressed, such as “an honest and
responsive government”, “better job
opportunities” and “protection against
crime and violence”, which also rank
within the top seven priorities.
MY World has generated extremely
positive and powerful responses
across the world, as demonstrated by
Oyebola Folajimi Kehinde, one of the
thousands who participated in the
offline representative survey in
Nigeria: “The final statements most of
the grassroots people kept
hammering on was that “let’s all hope
they do something tangible with the
newly collated data.”
Until 2015, the UN and partners
continue to invite men and women
everywhere to vote in MY World and
contribute to shaping a better world
together.
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Volume 115
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1
305/S00392/my-world-survey-first-
results-half-a-million-citizens.htm
Dysfunction in the Boardroom
by Boris Groysberg and Deborah Bell
For years women have sought greater
representation on corporate boards.
And most boards say they want more
diversity. So why did women hold
only 16.6% of Fortune 500 board
seats in 2012? And why, for the past
six years, has that percentage been
relatively flat, increasing by just two
points, according to data from the
research firm Catalyst?
Patience has started to wear thin,
especially in Europe. Having seen
little progress with voluntary efforts,
several countries, including Belgium,
France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Spain,
and the Netherlands, have enacted
legislation that calls for a minimum
percentage of female directors on
boards. The European Union is
considering mandating quotas as
well.
Quotas and the Men Who Like Them
While several countries have passed
legislation requiring boards to meet
certain thresholds for female
membership and others are
considering such mandates, quotas
remain a contentious and
controversial subject. A central
question is whether they have an
overall positive or negative effect on
board and company performance and
under what conditions. The fact is, we
do not yet truly know the effects of
quotas. What we do know is that
many myths and misconceptions
infuse the debate, and more in-depth
research is critically needed.
Our 2012 survey results reveal that—
contrary to popular belief—men in
countries with quotas supported them
in higher numbers than men in
countries without them. The women’s
response was even more emphatic:
Nearly all the female directors from
countries with quotas agreed they
were effective, versus about half of
the female directors from countries
without quotas.
We are currently conducting
additional research to help us better
understand these findings and the
experiences of boards and directors
in countries with quotas. One
dynamic that may be at play:
Satisfaction levels are higher for both
women and men in work groups with
greater gender balance. Furthermore,
in some cases, lower-performing
board members may be managed out
to create room for new female
directors, increasing the board’s
effectiveness. Men may initially
oppose or be highly wary of quotas,
but once they’re enacted, some men
might experience the benefits and
satisfaction levels associated with
gender-balanced groups.
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Volume 115
It’s unclear why women have not
made greater inroads. Board
appointments and dynamics remain
largely a black box; not much
research has been done on the
selection and appointment process or
on the differences between women’s
and men’s experiences as directors.
To learn more, in 2010 we began a
series of annual surveys in
partnership with
WomenCorporateDirectors and
Heidrick & Struggles. In this article we
reveal the findings of an analysis of
qualitative data from the first survey.
The View Outside the U.S.
Though this article is based on our
2010 survey results, which focused
mostly on boards in the United States,
we have since expanded the
geographic reach of our survey. In
2012 it covered 59 countries, and
44% of the female directors and 71%
of the male directors who responded
were from outside the United States.
When we compared the U.S. and nonU.S. female directors from 2012, we
found many similarities and a few
notable differences. (The profile of
the 2012 U.S. female board member
looked a lot like the general profile of
the 2010 female director described in
this article.) In 2012, both U.S. and
non-U.S. female directors cited
industry knowledge, strategy, and
financial experience as their top three
strengths. Both groups had previously
served on similar numbers and types
(public versus private) of boards. The
typical non-U.S. woman director,
however, was currently sitting on a
greater number of boards—twice as
many as her U.S. counterpart. The
female directors from outside the
United States were also younger than
the Americans. One possible
explanation for these differences is
that opportunities and demand for
female directors may be greater in
countries with quotas.
There were also notable variations in
the two groups’ personal profiles: A
greater percentage of female
directors outside the U.S. were
married and had children, and those
with children had slightly more. And
more female directors from the U.S
were divorced, even after adjusting
for country differences in divorce
rates. While there are no simple
explanations for these differences, we
can’t help wondering if the fact that
the U.S. lags behind other countries
in providing paid maternity and
parental leave and access to
affordable, high-quality child care
plays a role. In fact, the U.S. is among
a handful of countries that do not
mandate paid maternity or parental
leave. What would happen if parents
were able to take paid leave at the
birth of a child and have greater
access to quality and affordable care
as their children grew? What would be
the outcome not only for family life
and health but also for both women’s
and men’s careers?
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Volume 115
We were especially interested in the
backgrounds, trajectories, and
interactions of female directors—who
are the women who get onto boards,
and what do they encounter there? So
our sample was drawn mainly from
female corporate directors; we
included a smaller number of male
directors as a benchmark. (Overall the
survey had a response rate of 42%,
with 294 women and 104 men from
private and public companies
participating.) Also, because the vast
majority of the sample consisted of
U.S. directors (80% of the women and
83% of the men), the findings largely
present a picture of American boards.
While our survey has these and other
limitations, it still offers several
interesting perspectives.
In the following pages, we’ll share a
profile of the female board member
that emerged; what the directors
surveyed had to say about the
benefits of diversity and about the
dynamics between men and women
on boards; and some best practices
for recruiting and managing diverse
boards. In the process, we’ll discuss
three key themes we discovered in
the data:
•
•
Women had to be more
qualified than men to be
considered for directorships.
Women also seemed to pay a
higher personal price to
become board members than
men did.
Although boards say they like
diversity, they don’t know how
to take advantage of it. We
found a stark disconnect
between female directors’
experiences and their male
colleagues’ perceptions.
Women told us they were not
treated as full members of the
group, though the male
directors were largely oblivious
to their female colleagues’
experience in this regard.
•
Great talent alone is not
enough to create a wellfunctioning board. Boards need
formal processes and cultures
that leverage each individual
member’s contribution as well
as the directors’ collective
intellect.
Portrait of the Female Director
In our study, we observed some
distinct patterns. The female directors
tended to be younger than the male
directors—probably because, on
average, the women had joined
boards relatively recently, whereas
the men had served on boards longer.
Seventy-six percent of the female
directors (versus 69% of the male
directors) were employed in an
operational role; 68% (versus 51% of
the male directors) were in a lead
role, like CEO, president, or partner.
These findings suggest that to receive
invitations to boards, women might
need to be more accomplished than
men. They also contradict the popular
belief that female board members
have mostly nonoperational or
support-function experience.
Another distinction we discovered
between the backgrounds of female
and male directors was that by and
large, the women on boards worked
for private corporations, not public
ones. A majority of the male board
members worked for private
corporations as well, but a higher
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Volume 115
percentage of the men worked for
public companies—likely a reflection
of the fact that fewer women occupy
the C-suites of public companies.
The data also indicate that female
board members may have made
different trade-offs on their way to
the top. In comparison with male
directors, fewer female directors were
married and had children. A larger
percentage of the women were
divorced—suggesting they may have
incurred greater personal costs. We
found similar patterns in our 2012
survey. …..
http://hbr.org/2013/06/dysfunction
-in-theboardroom/ar/1?goback=.gde_150_
member_246561619
GENDER-SENSITIVE PARLIAMENTS
Direct Link to Full 20-Page Document:
http://www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/gsp11ex-e.pdf
As Global Mobility is on the Rise, More Women Take the Lead
By Michelle Clark (Keene, New Hampshire)
According to a recent study by
Mercer, the percentage of women
assigned to international projects
currently sits at 13 percent, a 3
percent increase from 2010. Mercer’s
research suggests that 39 percent of
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Volume 115
companies say that employees with
international experience are
promoted more quickly, it is
encouraging to see more women are
being considered for international
assignments, and subsequently
accepting these roles.
The dialogue around international
assignments and female expatriates
has most recently been focused on
the question of fairness – are women
receiving equal opportunities to take
advantage of the international
experience that can positively impact
their career trajectory? A study
conducted by Catalyst last fall
indicated that women, in fact, are not
being equally considered for critical
international experience that will
enhance their career. Or, if they are
chosen for an international
assignment, women are most likely to
receive smaller projects with small
budgets and less corporate impact,
compared to their male colleagues.
However, Mercer’s Global Mobility
study results paint a different picture
of women in international
assignments. Historically, eligible
women have been overlooked for
international assignments due to
assumptions about work-life balance
constraints and the potential safety
risks of sending females to work in
different cultures where views of
women – especially of women in
dominant business roles – were not
yet widely accepted. Now, 13 percent
of all international assignments
belong to women. This number might
not feel very significant in the grand
scheme of things, but is actually a
solid indication that there is a very
noticeable sea change taking place
within the international business
community.
Female Breadwinners Rise to the
Occasion
Like many of the debates about
women’s advancement in the
workplace, the key question here is
whether or not companies are making
more of an effort to include women
during the selection process for
international assignments, or if
female executives are showing more
interest and initiative when it comes
to accepting international
assignments. According to Ed
Hannibal, North America Leader of
Mercer’s Global Mobility Practice,
“The dynamic is changing as more
women are represented in upper
management roles.” He continues,
“This is resulting in an increase in
female lead expatriates.”
If you take Hannibal’s explanation for
the shift in the number of female
expatriates, it seems like there is a
very natural trickle-down effect
taking place in multinational
companies. As more women assume
leadership positions, they also are
proving to have more of the
qualifications and experience
required to take on the challenges
associated with global mobility. These
challenges, according to Hannibal, are
not gender specific either. He notes,
“Companies are not putting different
resources in place to support more
female lead expatriates. The overall
support of the family unit is key
whether the lead expatriate is male or
female.”
Hannibal also stated that in addition
to the career oriented challenges, the
personal challenges involved with
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
taking international assignments are
also becoming more gender neutral.
He says, “The non-working spouse
piece has changed over the last 20
years. There are more dual career
partners than ever before.” Having
been involved with global mobility for
20 years, Hannibal has observed the
evolution of female expatriates since
the early nineties, when international
appointments were rarely being
offered to female leaders. Speaking
about the 13 percent of females
currently working on international
assignments, Hannibal says, “This is
an exciting statistic to see.”
A Giant Leap for Womankind
There is no question that a direct
correlation exists between
international experience and
accelerated career advancement. As
the playing field begins to even out,
women in mid and senior level
positions across large multinational
corporations are seizing the
opportunity to position themselves
for success. These global trailblazers
are paving an important path for
younger generations of
businesswomen to follow as the trend
of females in international
assignments continues to move
upward.
In an article published by the Wall
Street Journal last May, eleven female
CEOs of Fortune 500 companies gave
their thoughts about women’s
advancement in the workplace in
response to Jack Welch’s remarks that
performance is the only important
metric that determines an employee’s
success. Angela Braly, CEO of
WellPoint said, “Be open to
opportunity and take risks. In fact,
take the worst, the messiest, the most
challenging assignment you can find,
and then take control.” This seems
like fitting advice for women
questioning whether or not they
should accept an international
assignment.
http://www.theglasshammer.com/ne
ws/2013/05/15/as-global-mobilityis-on-the-rise-more-women-takethe-lead/
28
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Volume 115
Le Rapport comparatif sur les défis et les priorités des administrations
publiques du Cap-vert, de la Côte-d'Ivoire, du Maroc et du Sénégal en matière
de Migration et de Développement.
Cette étude a été menée dans le cadre
du projet européen "Appui et Conseils
aux Administrations Publiques
africaines responsables des initiatives
sur la Migration et le Développement
dans la route migratoire de lÁfrique
de lÓuest" (MeDAO). Le GIP
International, partenaire de ce projet
visant à aider les pays tiers à mieux
gérer les flux migratoires et qui
s’inscrit dans le programme
thématique Migration et Asile 20072013 de lÚnion européenne , a
participé à sa réalisation.
Lire la suite.
Vous pouvez lire le rapport en
cliquant ici.
http://us6.campaignarchive1.com/?u=7d635d5e9673a44
db1e69e155&id=1ce8330307&e=1f8
8d4bd95
29
JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
Focus on – Domestic work
DECENT WORK FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS (8 – 12 July 2013)
The ITC-ILO, in close collaboration
with the International Labour Office,
will organize an inter-regional open
course on domestic workers for the
first time in July. We wish to inform
you that the deadline for signing up
to this course is the 31st of May and
we would request that you share this
information with your network and
other colleagues who you think might
be interested.
DECENT WORK FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS (8 – 12 July 2013)
Pursuant to the adoption of ILO
Convention 189 and
Recommendation 201, ITC-ILO in
close collaboration with the
International Labour Office, will
organize an inter-regional open
course on domestic workers for the
first time. The course aims to
strengthen the broad protection of
vulnerable groups such as migrant
domestic workers and victims of child
domestic labour.
To find out more about this training
course – including how to apply –
please click here. This course is in
English only.
Domestic workers to get equal rights in Brazil
The Brazilian Senate has brought in a
new law giving domestic servants the
same rights as other workers for the
first time.
An estimated 7m house maids and
cooks – nearly all of them women –
will be entitled to overtime after
working for a maximum of eight
hours a day and 44 hours a week,
among other rights.
The constitutional amendment is set
to be enacted next week.
The reform could increase the cost of
having a domestic worker by nearly
20%.
Many middle-class Brazilian families
have been used to having a maid to
cook, clean and wash for them.
In recent years, their rights have been
gradually revised to include paid
holidays, sick leave and maternity
leave.
'End of slaveship'
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
The new rights have been called
historic and widely welcomed in
Brazil.
"It's the second abolition of slavery.
We have house maids who work 18
hours a day," the head of the Sao
Paulo's Domestic Workers and House
Maid's union, Eliana Menezes, told
Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao
Paulo.
maids, as has already happened in
many developed countries.
Others speculated that the enhanced
legal rights would lead to a rise in
unemployment.
"They are subjected to their
employers' rules in their homes."
The new bill ensures that, like other
employees, domestic workers will
build up a fund of money paid by
their employers, equivalent to 8% of
monthly pay, to be made available
upon compulsory redundancy, death
and other contingencies.
The equal rights trend has led to
rising costs that are making
employing a servant an unaffordable
luxury for some.
Estimates say the cost of having a
domestic worker could rise by
between 18% and 40%, depending on
their working arrangements.
The new law is set to make them even
more expensive.
The amendment was passed
unanimously in two votes of the
Senate, after being approved by the
lower house as well.
On social media, many Brazilians
reacted to the news saying that the
country's middle classes would have
to learn how to live without house
The law came into force on 2 April.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worldlatin-america-21949502
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
Domestic workers’ rights move closer to becoming reality worldwide
Domestic workers rejoice after the
results of a vote on the ILO
Convention on Domestic Workers at
the 100th Session of the International
Labour Conference, in Geneva, on 16
June 2011. Photo credit: International
Labour Organization
According to the International Labour
Organization (ILO), there are 53-100
million domestic workers worldwide,
83 per cent of whom are women.[1]
They represent 4 to 10 per cent of the
labour force in developing countries
and about 2 per cent in developed
countries.[2] Their work is an
important contribution to economic
and social development. Still, 40 per
cent of countries worldwide have no
form of regulation of any kind for
domestic workers.[3]
workers’ unions and the private
sector to promote the rights of
domestic workers –majority of who
work as domestic helps in
households-and ensure that domestic
work is both regulated and covered
by social protection. This includes
supporting the Global Forum on
Migration and Development and
promoting the ratification of ILO
Convention 189 on domestic work – a
landmark international treaty adopted
on 16 June 2011, which will come
into force on 5 September 2013.
http://www.unwomen.org/2013/06/
global-efforts-domesticworkers/?utm_source=feedburner&ut
m_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fe
ed%3A+ungen+%28UN+gender+equa
lity+news+feed%29
Around the world, UN Women is
working with Governments, domestic
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
THE PHILIPPINES & ITALY - INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION & OVERINDEBTEDNESS: THE CASE OF FILIPINO WORKERS IN ITALY
Filipino Women's Council
http://www.filipinowomenscouncil.or
g/resources/publication/21international-migration-and-overindebtedness-the-case-of-filipinoworkers-in-italy.html
Direct Link to Full 64-Page
Publication:
http://www.filipinowomenscouncil.or
g/images/stories/international_migra
tion_overindebtedness_filipino_worke
rs_italy-3.pdf
Remittances from international
migrants are a crucial component of
the economy of the Philippines and a
vital resource for many households,
increasingly so as the prices of basic
commodities skyrocket as a result of
the current global financial crisis.
The latter also affects Italy, a main
destination for Filipino migrants, with
declining demand for workers in
domestic and care services where
migrants concentrate. The upshot is
growing levels of indebtedness
among Filipino migrants. Building on
the long-standing work of the Filipino
Women’s Council, a grassroots
migrants’ association, this paper
explores the various dimensions of
such indebtedness and its root
causes.
It analyses how limited access to
formal financial institutions,
responsibilities towards relatives and
the combined impacts of economic
pressures in both the Philippines and
Italy affect migrants’ incomes and the
need to borrow.
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Volume 115
While indebtedness has long been
overlooked in debates on migration
and development, there is growing
evidence that it is a rapidly emerging
problem that requires further
investigation and appropriate,
supportive policies.
Lavoratrici filippine tra debiti e lavori domestici
di Sabrina Marchetti, Charito Basa per INGENERE
La progressiva diffusione del
fenomeno del sovraindebitamento e
dell’usura all’interno della comunità
filippina in Italia, acuita dagli effetti
della crisi finanziaria internazionale, è
il tema di una ricerca che abbiamo
condotto, assieme a Violeta De
Guzman, fra il 2010 e il 2012. Siamo
riuscite così a realizzare finalmente
uno studio, per ora unico nel suo
genere, che rivela un lato nascosto,
eppur estremamente importante,
dell’esperienza dei circa 135mila
filippini che risiedono in Italia
focalizzando l’attenzione su coloro a
cui lo stipendio come colf o
assistente familiare non basta ad
affrontare le spese in Italia o in
patria. È per questo che si rivolgono
a enti di credito di vario tipo, talvolta
a usurai connazionali, entrando così
in una spirale di pagamenti insoluti,
interessi che aumentano e timore dei
creditori che mina profondamente le
loro condizioni di vita e di lavoro.
Il progetto è stato possibile grazie al
sostegno dell’International Institute
for Environment and Development e
della rete che il Filipino Women’s
Council ha costruito, negli anni
passati, su tutto il territorio italiano.
Si tratta, speriamo, del primo passo
per un’analisi che coinvolga anche
altri gruppi nazionali e che conduca a
misure di policy orientate al sostegno
dei cittadini stranieri con necessità di
accedere al credito.
La ricerca consiste principalmente in
interviste in profondità con 10
esperti, sia italiani che filippini, e con
32 filippini e filippine che hanno
contratto debiti in Italia, nelle città di
Roma, Firenze, Bologna e Torino. Ciò
costituisce un unicum nella ricerca sul
tema del sovraindebitamento per il
quale non esistono finora altre
indagini sia di tipo qualitativo che
quantitativo, a livello nazionale e
internazionale.
Sulla base della ricerca da noi
condotta, tale fenomeno fra migranti
sembra riguardare in primo luogo i
cinesi in Italia, seguiti dai bengalesi e,
al terzo posto, i filippini. Fra questi
ultimi si tratta più che altro di donne
filippine che qui lavorano come
collaboratrici domestiche. Il dato è in
linea non solo con un’effettiva
femminilizzazione della presenza di
questo gruppo nazionale in Italia, ma
anche con un maggior
coinvolgimento delle donne nell’invio
di rimesse e nel sostegno alla
famiglia rimasta al paese di origine.
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
Anche nel nostro campione di
persone indebitate, le donne, e in
particolare quelle arrivate da sole per
lavorare, erano più rappresentate
degli uomini. La percentuale di donne
aumenta, nel nostro campione, se si
guarda alla fascia di età più alta e a
quella più bassa. La differenza
sostanziale fra gli uomini e le donne
intervistate sta nella descrizione delle
persone che sono destinatarie delle
loro rimesse: mentre gli uomini
dicono d’inviare soldi solo ai figli o ai
nipoti, le donne inviano denaro anche
ai propri genitori e a membri della
famiglia allargata. In alcuni casi,
inoltre, gli uomini indebitati dicono di
non aver inviato denaro a nessuno,
ma di aver utilizzato loro stessi le
somme prese in prestito, cosa che
non accade con nessuna delle donne
intervistate.
Il piccolo campione da noi coinvolto
quindi, pur non essendo
rappresentativo, risulta confermare la
visione delle donne migranti filippine
come costrette nel ruolo delle bayani
(eroine) della migrazione che si fanno
carico di provvedere economicamente
a tutta la famiglia: pagando le spese
mediche dei parenti anziani rimasti in
patria, finanziando gli studi dei più
giovani o sponsorizzando i parenti
che vogliono a loro volta emigrare.
Spesso si occupano del pagamento
dei conti e delle bollette di casa (nelle
Filippine) inviando, di settimana in
settimana, la cifra esatta che è
necessaria. A ciò si aggiungono regali
e donazioni per tutta la comunità di
origine. Le loro rimesse confluiscono
in quei 10 miliardi di dollari che in
media ogni anno i filippini all’estero
inviano in patria, finanziando circa il
10% dell’economia nazionale.
È questo un chiaro esempio della
seconda dimensione del fenomeno
della femminilizzazione della
migrazione, per cui non soltanto le
donne sono quantitativamente in
aumento nelle dinamiche migratorie,
ma sono delle vere e proprie
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
protagoniste, essendo coloro alle
quali la famiglia affida il compito di
risolvere, con un lavoro oltreoceano,
le proprie difficoltà economiche e,
possibilmente, di offrire delle chance
di mobilità economica e sociale a
tutto il resto della famiglia.
Il punto è che, come emerge dalla
nostra ricerca, per far fronte a tutte
queste esigenze, lo stipendio
guadagnato in Italia molto spesso
non basta. Ad esso è necessario
aggiungere somme, grandi o piccole,
che le lavoratrici prendono in prestito
da istituti bancari, finanziarie,
amiche, datrici di lavoro e, talvolta,
usurai/e. Specialmente in questi
tempi di crisi economica, con la
contrazione del reddito e l’aumento
del costo della vita (sia in Italia che
nelle Filippine), riescono a mantenere
fede all’impegno di inviare denaro
solo a fronte di un indebitamento. Al
moltiplicarsi delle responsabilità,
queste “donne breadwinner” si
ritrovano incastrate in una condizione
di sovraindebitamento, molto difficile
da gestire.
(….)http://www.ingenere.it/articoli/la
voratrici-filippine-tra-debiti-elavori-domestici
Making decent work a reality for domestic workers in Africa
The ILO organised Knowledge
Sharing Forum in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania from 28-30 May 2013 to
share good practices, practical
initiatives and new policies to
promote decent work for domestic
workers in Africa.
In 2010, an estimated 5.24 million
domestic workers were in Africa,
accounting for 1.4 per cent of the
total employed workforce and 4.9 per
cent of paid employment. Around 70
per cent of domestic workers across
Africa are women.
Some 40 delegates from Tripartite
delegations of Angola, Cameroon,
Ethiopia, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria,
Senegal, United Republic of Tanzania,
South Africa and Zambia attended the
Strategic Forum. Observers included
representatives of the International
Domestic Workers Network, ITUCAfro, OATUU and IOE. The forum
focused on approaches to formalize
employment relationships and
tackling exploitative practices in
domestic work in Africa.
There are a number of issues
underlying domestic work in Africa
including labour exploitation and
social structures, migration of
domestic workers, trafficking of
children and women into domestic
work, gender dimension of domestic
work as well as high informal
employment and weak legal
protection.
Expected outcomes:
 Deepen participants’
understanding of Convention
No 189 concerning Decent
Work for Domestic Workers;
 Facilitate sharing of the
practical knowledge and
expertise among Member
States in addressing specific
issues and promoting decent
work for domestic workers;
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
 Map and assess experiences
and practices.
The ILO’s tripartite constituents
adopted the Domestic Workers
Convention No. 189 during the 100th
Session of the International Labour
Conference in June 2011 to improve
working conditions for domestic
workers worldwide. The ILO’s
Governing Body adopted in November
2011 a Strategy for action towards
making decent work a reality for
domestic workers. Knowledgesharing is a key component of the ILO
strategy to develop the expertise of
its tripartite constituents.
Further information
ILO topic portal on Domestic Workers
On-going and/or coming Gender Programmes/
Conferences / Events:
Malaysia - WIRES 2013
NSF, GeorgiaTech and the Ohio State
University join forces with the
European Centre for Women and
Technology to sustain a community
of excellence for Women's
International Research Engineering
Summits
Address: 2, Vas. Alexandrou Avenue,
Athens, Greece
Organiser: NSF, GeorgiaTech, Ohio
State University, ECWT
Start: 09/09/13 08:00 AM End:
12/09/13 05:00 PM
http://www.ecwt.eu/digitalcity/projec
ts/w4ict/event.jsp?dom=BAAFLWIU&e
sr=AAABOETD&prt=BAAFLAFR&men=
BAAFKZBZ&fmn=BAAFLAFU
Faire le Genre - Fazendo Genero
Séminaire International du 16 au 20 septembre à Florianópolis (Brésil)
www.gendercampus.ch/fr/aktuell/veranstaltungen#30
WIRES3 – Women’s International Research Engineering Summit 2013
Start: 09/09/13 08:00 AM
End: 12/09/13 05:00 PM
Athens, Greece
of excellence for Women's
International Research Engineering
Summits.
NSF, GeorgiaTech and the Ohio State
University join forces with the
European Centre for Women and
Technology to sustain a community
WIRES3 – Women’s International
Research Engineering Summit 2013
37
JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
ICT2013
Start: 06/11/13 08:30 AM
End: 08/11/13 03:00 PM
Lithuania, Vilnius
The ICT flagship event of the
European Commission will be 6-8
November 2013 at Litexpo in Vilnius.
ICT2013
The Gender Dimension of HORIZON2020
Start: 03/10/13 09:00 AM
End: 03/10/13 04:00 PM
Szekesfehervar, Hungary
and hosted by Óbuda University, a
centre of excellence in engineering
research.
An international conference
organized by NaTe - Hungarian
Women in Science, the Hungarian
National Point of Contact of the ECWT
The Gender Dimension of
HORIZON2020
Grants/Funding opportunities/Awards/Fellowships/
Vacancies
Boursières d'excellence - Université de Genève
Délai: 31.07.2013
Ce subside prend la forme de postes
de maîtres-assistantes d'une durée
de trois ans. Il y a en principe deux à
trois Boursières d'excellence par an.
Normalement à plein temps, ces
mandats comprennent au maximum
20% de tâches d'enseignements ou de
travail clinique. Ces postes sont
rattachés directement aux décanats,
afin d'assurer leur indépendance. Une
bonne intégration académique est
cruciale.
www.gendercampus.ch/fr/chancengle
ichheit/laufbahn#38
THE ITALIAN CORNER
È la Finlandia il paradiso delle mamme
Save The Children ha esaminato le
condizioni di madri e figli in 154
paesi badando a salute , istruzione e
mortalità: l’Italia è al 17° posto
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Volume 115
Sono tutti in Scandinavia i Paesi del
mondo dove madri e figli vivono
meglio: sono Finlandia, Svezia e
Norvegia, mentre quelli dove le
condizioni sono peggiori si trovano
nell’Africa sub-sahariana con il
Congo che chiude la classifica. L’Italia
è al diciassettesimo posto. È quanto
emerge dal 14.mo Rapporto di Save
the Children sullo «Stato delle madri
nel mondo», diffuso oggi.
Il rapporto si basa su cinque
indicatori: salute materna e rischio di
morte per parto, benessere dei
bambini e tasso di mortalità entro i 5
anni, grado di istruzione, condizioni
economiche e Pil procapite,
partecipazione politica delle donne al
governo. E i dati mettono in evidenza
le enormi disparità tra i paesi
industrializzati e quelli in via di
sviluppo: così, per esempio, se le
finlandesi possono contare su ben 17
anni di istruzione, le donne congolesi
su 8, le somale solo su 2. Se il tasso
di mortalità dei bambini entro i 5 anni
nella Repubblica Democratica del
Congo è di 167 su mille nati vivi, in
Finlandia il tasso precipita a 3 su
mille. La stessa differenza si riscontra
anche nel tasso di partecipazione
femminile alla vita politica: in
Finlandia la percentuale di seggi in
Parlamento occupati da donne è il
42,5% contro l’8,3% del Congo.
Per quanto riguarda l’Italia, le
condizioni di salute delle mamme e
dei bambini raggiungono livelli alti (il
tasso di mortalità femminile per
cause legate a gravidanze e parto è
pari a 1 ogni 20.300, quello di
mortalità infantile è di 3,7 ogni 1000
nati vivi), come abbastanza alto è il
livello di istruzione delle donne, pari
a 16 anni di formazione scolastica.
Benché la scarsa percentuale media di
partecipazione politica delle donne
fotografata dal Rapporto (20,6%)
abbia subito un deciso incremento in
occasione delle ultime elezioni (28,6%
al Senato e 31,3% alla Camera), siamo
ancora distanti perfino da paesi come
Angola (38%) e Mozambico (39%).
Il documento mette a fuoco le morti
precocissime dei neonati: ben 1
milione di bambini ogni anno non
sopravvive al primo giorno, e anche in
questo caso il triste primato spetta ai
Paesi africani, Somalia in testa (18
bambini morti su 1000 nati).
A livello numerico, invece, è l’Asia del
Sud la regione in cui si verifica ben il
40% delle morti durante il primo
giorno di vita. Nonostante
l’incredibile crescita economica degli
ultimi anni, l’India guida questa
classifica con 309.300 bambini morti
nel primo giorno, pari al 29% del
totale mondiale, ed è in questo paese
che si conta il maggior numero di
mamme che muoiono per gravidanza
o parto.
Sebbene dal 1990 il tasso di mortalità
dei bambini entro i 5 anni di vita e la
mortalità delle mamme siano calati
rispettivamente del 40% e 50%, ogni
giorno nel mondo 800 donne
muoiono ancora per cause legate alla
gravidanza o al parto, mentre sono
quasi 7 milioni i bambini che
muoiono prima di compiere 5 anni, di
cui 3 milioni non superano il mese di
vita. La quasi totalità delle morti di
neonati e delle loro mamme si verifica
nei paesi in via di sviluppo, dove è
fatale la mancanza di servizi sanitari
di base e di assistenza al parto.
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JULY/AUGUST 2013
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Salta all’occhio nel Rapporto il 30.mo
posto occupato dagli Usa per lo stato
di benessere delle mamme e dei loro
figli. Tra i paesi industrializzati, gli
Stati Uniti addirittura guidano la
classifica per mortalità dei neonati:
ogni anno più di 11.000 bambini
americani muoiono durante il loro
primo giorno di vita. Nonostante le
condizioni dell’istruzione ed
economiche siano soddisfacenti,
collocandosi tra i 10 migliori paesi,
altrettanto non emerge per quanto
riguarda la salute delle madri, del
benessere dei bambini e per la
partecipazione politica.
Da “La Stampa”
La dura vita della donna multitasking
Tra ironia e lucidità, un manuale di sopravvivenza per donne incasinate
Lavoratrici infaticabili, casalinghe
disperate e donne condannate
all’entropia quotidiana. In una parola,
multitasking. Sono le “eroine” degli
anni Duemila, costrette ogni giorno a
destreggiarsi nella giungla di impegni
- tutti importanti e urgenti -,
dribblare le insidie della vita sociale e
risolvere un’enormità di problemi.
Anche quelli del partner: perché
quando c’è, è “a carico”. Il tutto senza
l’aiuto di alcun superpotere. “Eroine
multitasking”, l’e-book d’esordio di
Giovanna Gallo, descrive con grande
ironia la dura esistenza delle “donne
incasinate” e propone un “manuale di
sopravvivenza” (come recita il
sottotitolo). Intrappolata tra panni da
stirare, estenuanti riunioni di lavoro e
aperitivi da organizzare, l’eorina
multitasking non può mai alzare
bandiera bianca. Né smarrire charme
e sex appeal: deve essere sempre
impeccabile. Infilare le tanto
agognate pantofole con forme
zoomorfe resta una chimera da
relegare alla domenica di ozio, «un
diritto inalienabile di tutte le
donne».
«Siamo delle macchine da guerra, ma
con quel pizzico di ormone impazzito
che ci fa diventare lucide, concrete ed
emotive con la stessa velocità con cui
ci passiamo il gloss sulle labbra
davanti allo specchietto retrovisore
prima di un appuntamento», spiega
Giovanna Gallo.
La donna non si ferma mai, perché
essere multitasking è nell’imprinting
genetico. Come sopravvivere,
dunque? L’arma segreta è l’ironia,
vera marcia in più dell’autrice, social
media strategist e blogger nella vita
di tutti i giorni. «L’unico modo per
uscire viva dalle giornate più pesanti
è ridere di noi stesse. Spogliarsi
dell’armatura e affrontare i problemi
con il buonumore e non prendersi
mai troppo sul serio», racconta
Giovanna.
Il libro si apre con l’eroina alla ricerca
dell’amore. Le scene esilaranti
smantellano tutti gli stereotipi da
commedia romantica hollywoodiana.
Perché anche la vita amorosa della
donna multitasking è tremendamente
incasinata. Quando non c’è un
fidanzato/marito - mammone e
lassista nella maggior parte dei casi 40
JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
a cui badare, la donna è a caccia
dell’uomo perfetto, con il terrore di
rimanere single a vita.
Leggendo l’e-book, arricchito dalle
illustrazioni di Francesca Crescentini,
molte lettrici si immedesimeranno:
«Molte amiche mi hanno detto: “Ma
questa sono io! Sono cose mi
capitano tutti i giorni”», dice
Giovanna. Ma la lettura è indirizzata
anche agli uomini, che possono
trovare le risposte agli interrogativi
dell’insondabile psiche femminile.
«Un consiglio per gli uomini? Armarsi
di buona volontà e supportarci, prima
che sopportarci, con ironia. L’uomo
deve essere un po’ un punchball con
cui sfogarsi, ma anche il nostro primo
sostegno. Specie nei problemi
quotidiani: smettete di delegare tutto
a noi donne e provate a fare voi le
cose. Magari vi riescono anche
meglio».
FILIPPO FEMIA – La Stampa
Poets’ Corner
WOMEN ( Poem by Federico Mayor, Former Director General of
UNESCO)
Woman
You carried under your skin
You brought with you
Of all colors
A new song.
The seed
But we did not let you
Of the future,
Speak out
The light
Although yours
Which could illuminate
Is the voice of half the earth.
Different paths
Rebellious
Woman,
Yet peaceful ways,
Your eyes
Woman-bridge
Saw the world
Woman-bond
Another way.
Woman-root
But we did not want
And fruit of love
To know the meaning
And tenderness.
And warmth
Of your vision.
Woman,
Your hands outstretched
Woman,
And your open arms
41
JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
Enfold the immensity
Woman,
Of refuge
With no other master
And of comfort.
But yourself,
But we have not understood
Live from now on
The strength of your embrace
Equal and free,
Nor the cry of your silence
Now as companion
And we carry on
Sharing
With neither compass
The same dream FOREVER.
Nor relief.
Quote for the Day:
What makes loneliness and anguish is not that I have no one to share my burden,
but this: I have only my own burden to bear.
Dag Hammarskjold
42
JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
JUST FOR FUN:
43
JULY/AUGUST 2013
Volume 115
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