AFRO-NETS> The Drum Beat - 46 - GENDER EQUITY - The Communication Initiative

[Warren Feek <wfeek@coastnet.com>]

The Drum Beat - 46 - GENDER EQUITY - The Communication Initiative
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from THE COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE partnership - The Rockefeller Founda-
tion, UNICEF, USAID, The CHANGE Project, WHO, BBC World Service, CIDA, 
Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, The Euro-
pean Union, Soul City, The Panos Institute, UNAIDS. 

Information, ideas, linkages and dialogue on communication, development 
and change.

Director: Warren Feek 
mailto:wfeek@coastnet.com
http://www.comminit.com

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GENDER EQUITY

Programmes

1. Enhancing Participation in Civics (EPIC) - Egypt - strengthens the 
capacities of non-governmental organizations to contribute more effec-
tively to poverty alleviation, ensure gender equity, food governance 
and sustainable development. CARE Egypt has initiated projects with 400 
community-based organizations. 
http://www.care.org/programs/country_profile.cfm?ID=121

2. Social Movement to Ban Female Genital Cutting [FGC] - Senegal - Mo-
bilised men, who traveled from village to village encouraging communi-
ties to sign the Oath of Malicounda pledge that committed those vil-
lages to abolish FGC. Process encouraged dialogue and discussion and 
the introduction of the women's perspective and stories. More than 35 
villages have banned FGC. [Thanks to Premila Bartlett - PVO/NGO Net-
works for Health] 
mailto:PBartlett@dc.savechildren.org 

3. Dukh Sukh Apney (Our Sorrows, Our Happiness) - Pakistan - a radio 
drama with a gender equity perspective on reproductive health issues 
for men and women, empowerment and education for girls and women. Epi-
sodes will air in Urdu in March-April. A PCI, UNFPA, Ministry of Popu-
lation Welfare and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation partnership. 
Contact David Andrews 
mailto:dandrews@population.org

4. Flame - a network of African sisters online committed to strengthen-
ing the capacity of women through the use of ICTs to lobby, advocate 
and participate in the Beijing +5 process. Serves as an electronic fo-
rum to share and exchange ideas, strategies, information and issues of 
concern. A specific focus on unequal gender access to the new technolo-
gies. 
http://www.flamme.org/ flamme@sn.apc.org

5. Centro de Mujeres Comunicadoras Mayas (Center for Mayan Women Commu-
nicators) - Guatemala - center for women to unite and communicate, for 
self-definition and clarity of purpose, and to develop skills in commu-
nications technology to enable better representation. Activities are 
determined by the indigenous women who participate. 
http://rds.org.gt/cmcm/ cmcm@rds.org.gt


Advocacy 

6. Center for Health and Gender Equity [CHANGE] - a research and advo-
cacy organisation that seeks to integrate concern for gender equity and 
social justice into international health policy and practice. Initia-
tives supported include: International Research Network on Violence 
Against Women; Multi-country study on domestic violence and health; and 
Men's roles in reproductive health and rights 
http://www.genderhealth.org/ 
Contact Jodi Jacobsen 
mailto:Jjacobson@genderhealth.org


Capacity Building

7. Strengthening Electronic Communication Capacities of Women's Organi-
sations in Africa - designed by ABANTU. Participatory training method-
ologies are used to strengthen Connectivity, Content and Capacity, to 
improve electronic communications between African women's organisa-
tions. 4 themes: Gender and Poverty; Gender and Conflict; Gender and 
Governance; Gender and Information Technology. 
Contact Wanjiru Kihoro 
mailto:people@abantu.org


Campaigns

8. AIDS - Men Make A Difference - the 2000 World AIDS Campaign - "En-
gaging men as partners in fighting AIDS is the surest way to change the 
course of the epidemic. The World AIDS Campaign...will work with both 
women and men, NGOs, governments, the United Nations system and the me-
dia to bring about a new, and much-needed, focus on men".
http://www.unaids.org/wac/2000/index.html

9. White Ribbon [WRC] - a large effort by men working to end men's vio-
lence against women. Wearing a white ribbon is a personal pledge never 
to commit, condone nor remain silent about violence against women. Men 
and boys wear a ribbon for one or two weeks, starting November 25, the 
International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women. 
mailto:Whiterib@idirect.com 
http://www.whiteribbon.ca/


Resources

10. Involving Men in Reproductive Health - CD ROM with 497 documents 
from around the world about men's participation in reproductive health. 
Categories include: Gender, Couples, Men & Reproductive Health, IEC & 
Men and Institutional Influences. No cost to people in developing coun-
tries. From JHU/CCP and USAID. 
Contact Rick Glasby 
mailto:popline@jhuccp.org 
http://www.jhuccp.org

11. Voices for Change - Rural Women and Communication - gender-
sensitive communication processes giving rural women a voice to advo-
cate changes in policies, attitudes and social behaviour or customs 
that negatively affect them. This book includes: 'Communication in a 
Changing World"; 'Invisible Partners'; Giving Voice to Rural Women'; 
and, "Looking Towards the Future'. Examples from practice - eg women 
and beekeeping in the Solwezi District of Zambia. By Silvia Balit 
mc8918@mclink.it in collaboration with the Communication for Develop-
ment Group at FAO.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/X2550E/X2550E00.htm

12. Preventing Violence against Women - designed by a group of South 
African Preventing Violence Against Women organisations. Aims to pro-
vide women who are in crisis with practical information on how to get 
help; and, be a space for activists, researchers and policy-makers 
working to prevent violence against women to network and share informa-
tion and resources. Includes analysis ["Understanding Violence against 
Women] and information on campaigns, laws and internet sites. 
http://www.womensnet.org.za/pvaw/vaw.htm 
and 
http://www.womensnet.org.za/

13. Gender Abuse Hinders Development - in Population Reports on "Ending 
Violence Against Women". Includes a series of action boxes - eg "Apply-
ing Communication Strategies to Address Violence"; "how to promote non-
Violent Relationships"; and, 'A Framework for Understanding partner 
Violence". 
mailto:PopRepts@jhuccp.org

14. "Feedback" on programme communication and social mobilisation - ma-
gasine of the Gender, Partnerships and Participation section of UNICEF 
New York. Issues contain a range of information on gender and partici-
pation issues. Recent issue included details on Niger ratifying CEDAW, 
Women in Conflict Zones, Gender focused UNIFEM project on HIV/AIDS and 
Wise Guys: the Male Responsibility initiative. 
Contact Silvia Luciani 
mailto:sluciani@unicef.org 


Analysis

15. "A better deal for women? Why mixing gender equity and anti-poverty 
strategies can confuse the issues" - development agencies boast the 
policies etc .. [which].. should provide cause for celebration. How-
ever...] by Cecile Jackson - University of East Anglia. [From ID21]
mailto:cecile.jackson@uea.ac.uk 

16. "The Structure of Social Disparities in Education: Gender and 
Wealth" - Uses household datasets to investigate the ways in which gen-
der and wealth interact in generating inequalities - by Filmer, D. Pro-
duced by: Gendernet, World Bank (1999) 
http://www.worldbank.org/gender/prr/filmer.pdf 

17. "Gender and Social Security Reform in Africa" - critical review of 
existing research on gender and social security in Africa and identi-
fies key issues and outstanding questions for future research - by 
Kasente, D. Produced by: International Development Research Centre 
(IDRC) (1998] 
http://www.idrc.ca/socdev/pub/documents/gender2.html


Electronic Forum

18. Gender-Related Electronic Forums is an annotated, frequently-
updated, award-winning listing of publicly-accessible electronic forums 
related to women or to women-focused gender issues. 
http://www-unix.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/forums.html


Gatherings

19. Gender, Human Rights, Sexuality and HIV - A 2-day satellite confer-
ence on women's issues at the XIII international AIDS conference in 
Durban, South Africa will be held July 9-14, 2000. 
Contact Anne-Christine d'Adesky 
mailto:HIVPLUSACD@aol.com

20. Media and Arts in Coalition against Violence to Women and Girls - 
was a session at a UNICEF South Asia organised conference - "the Media 
and Arts play a pivotal role in addressing gender stereotypes and gen-
der violence... They have the potential for supporting activist work to 
undermine gender equality and stop gender violence as well as to per-
petuate and sensationalise the situation. However, as their importance 
and reach can not be denied, strategies need to be developed to work 
with the media." Experiences and ideas for action are contributed by 
Kunda Dixit, Shanti Diariam, Khalid Ahmed and Viji Srinivisan. 
Contact UNICEF ROSA 
mailto:rosa@unicef.org 


Web Site

21. Men and Gender Equality - established by a group of male UNDP staff 
following a workshop in 1999. Includes information on the seminar se-
ries [ eg Working towards Gender Equality - where are the Men? ] ; com-
mentaries on mainstreaming gender equality; electronic discussion fo-
rum; bibliography and links to related organisations. 
Contact James Lang 
mailto:james.lang@undp.org 
http://www.undp.org/gender/programmes/men/men_ge.html


Vacancies 

22. Further details and expanded list of Vacancies is on 
http://www.comminit.com/vacancies.html

23. Recent: 

Chief Executive - Womens Feature Service
mailto:wfsdelhi@nda.vsnl.net.in

Administrator - Global Fund for Women 
http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/

Senior Officer - Change Project
mailto:employ@aed.org

Prevention of MTCT HIV - WHO
mailto:islamm@who.int

Program Associate - Trust for the Americas
mailto:iidisab@aol.com

Broadcasting Adviser - Mozambique
mailto:gmadam@btinternet.com

23. Quicklist - check out additional information on these and other 
initiatives on 
http://www.comminit.com/ql_gender_equity.html

**

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--
Thanks to Silvia Luciani <sluciani@unicef.org> at UNICEF for support 
and guidance with this issue - edited by Warren Feek.

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