Leading Change: Beijing +15: Views from around the Movement

YWCA women of all ages assess progress made since Beijing and identify urgent concerns for women in their countries today.

From Grenada:

"Violence against women in different forms remains of great concern in my community and the world. The number of cases you hear about is incredible. Despite talks and campaigns, there always seems to be more. And these are the cases we know about —many women don’t speak out for fear their situation will worsen. Women in these situations are vulnerable in some way and often dependant on their abuser for money, shelter and “love”. We need to continue to face this challenge. Women need empowerment to understand they don't need to stay in these situations, that they can rise —although this is easier said than done."

Ravika Phillip, YWCA of Grenada volunteer and World YWCA intern-elect 2010

From the USA:

"Very little progress has been made on all issues, but little is better than none. The economic, social, political and domestic status of women has not improved overall. Women superstars like presidents of nations do not help empower women in the field. It’s too bad, but it's true.

While domestic violence is on the rise, there probably has been some progress in the political front in that it is now considered OK to talk about. That is a big help in eventually finding solutions.

YWCA efforts to never let these issues drop off the radar screen are very important. The work in the field is important. When it comes to women's issues, righting wrongs takes a very long time. Many groups tire and switch from issue to issue in search of a quick and measurable result they can enjoy. The YWCA realises that success is measured in decades and centuries, not minutes and months. For that I thank them."

Jane Wolfe, World YWCA President 1999-2003, Member, World YWCA Task Force on Peace and Justice, Member, YWCA of Vermont and YWCA of the USA

From Benin

"The urgent concern for women in Benin is still violence against women (VAW), although there has been some progress in the last 15 years. Many people understand the issue better and respect for women’s rights is growing. Although there are laws and resolutions that defend women, implementation is still a problem. More education is needed. When waiting to speak on the radio about VAW, some commentators attacked me, asking teasingly, “Is it always about women? What more do women want?” They clearly didn’t understand the issue. At a YWCA of Benin training to raise awareness about VAW, women did not recognise many things as violence against them. The training however helped them understand their rights.

There are also inequalities, inadequacies, and unequal access to health care and related services. There are still areas in Benin where there is no healthcare centre. Even if there is a building, there may not be adequate equipment or personnel available and because of poverty, most villagers cannot afford care."

Angèle Biao Kolouchè, National President, YWCA of Benin

From Liberia:

"Women in Liberia face inequalities, inadequacies, and unequal access to education and training. This is due to early pregnancy, negative traditional society values, cultural barriers, lack of educational facilities in rural settings, parents’ lack of awareness about sending girls to school, and financial constraints.

Also despite efforts to achieve power sharing and equality in decision-making at all levels, there is still inequality. More needs to be done. In Liberia advocacy efforts are ongoing for gender balance in every sector--most importantly for greater involvement of women in politics.

Urgent areas of concern for women globally are VAW and inequality in economic structures and policies in all forms of productive activity and access to resources.
VAW requires a global campaign —not just for 15 years, but continuously until the world is free of it."

Roseline K. Toweh, National General Secretary, YWCA of Liberia

From Chile

"Improvement exists, but there is still a lot to be done in Chile. For women in the YWCA of Chile, one of the underlying factors involved in the achievement (or not) of the areas addressed by the Beijing Platform for Action is the never ending classic stereotypes affecting women. These stereotypes foster the cross-cutting issues of discrimination and gender inequity, which prevent the creation of successful strategies in the different areas.

As a result, violence against women continues to rise. Governmental bodies provide unsatisfactory response to gender inequity and we believe that, unless they deeply undertake the change of policies regarding gender inequity, women will continue to struggle in finding jobs and in their participation at a political level."

Vicky Rojas Araya, Member of the YWCA of YWCA Valparaíso, Chile

From Aotearoa/New Zealand:

"Violence against women is still our most urgent concern. It is non-discriminatory and pervades our society at all levels. It is often inculcated as acceptable, especially when there are low literacy levels, alcohol or drug abuse.

In the Pacific, HIV and AIDS (and other sexually transmitted infections) have markedly increased due to cultural mores, taboos, lack of education, different languages, lack of access to information, and the position of governments and the church. Therefore women's health has worsened and many young girls will never achieve maturity and “elder” status.

On radio talkback in our country diatribes against women's and indigenous people's human rights bolster messages of white male superiority and reinforce the status quo, undermining progress. Sadly, some women share these viewpoints.

What has improved is many women have been able to access education. However our government has now reduced support for education to women parenting alone, making it hard for young mums to break the dependency cycle and improve their own lives and those of their children."

Lisa Hayes, World YWCA Board Member (2003 - 2007), life member and volunteer, YWCA Aotearoa NZ