On International Women's Day, 8 March 2012, UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet calls for women's equal participation in all spheres of life as fundamental to democracy and justice. See also her written statement at http://www.unwomen.org/?p=11731. For more information on International Women's Day, visit http://www.unwomen.org/how-we-work/csw/csw-56/iwd/
Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures...
...from playground to diplomatic corridors
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| Surinamese Ambassador Fidelia Graand-Galon |
Story Updated: Mar 6, 2012 at 10:50 PM ECT
On March 8, women all around the world will celebrate International Women’s Day, and Trinidad and Tobago will be no exception. The Association of Female Executives of Trinidad and Tobago (AFETT), in collaboration with RBC Royal Bank will host a luncheon to commemorate this special event. The international theme for this year’s celebration is “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures” was the inspiration for AFETT and RBC Royal Bank to invite the female Chiefs of Mission
resident in Trinidad and Tobago, to share their journey from playground to diplomatic corridors. At present we have a record number (9) of female Chiefs of Mission based in this country. This week we feature Fidelia Graand-Galon, Suriname’s Ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Republic of Suriname
Suriname is a multicultural and multilingual country, comprising people of Asian, African and European origin as well as our indigenous people, speaking their native language some mix with Spanish and English, while they are fluent in the Surinamese Lingua Franca (Sranan Tongo) and Dutch being our official language. Each Surinamese person speaks at least two or more languages fluently. Suriname has over 20 spoken languages.
Population: 492,000.
Landscape 167,0000 km2.
My Childhood to teenaged years
I grew up in the Eastern part of my country Suriname in a Maroon village called TangNangaLanti. I grew up with uncles, aunties and cousins old enough to be my mother or father, teaching me everything I needed to know about life and the Maroon protocols and ethics. It was very challenging, but very fruitful at the same time.
Being a Maroon girl, I was not supposed to get any western education, for in the then Maroon communities in Suriname, western education, it was thought, would damage your African heritage and ethics. My illiterate mother had another vision and her mission was to make sure I go to school and speak, read and write Dutch. She rebelled against her husband, my father. I went to school and finally graduated from the University of Suriname as a sociologist—the first Maroon female person to become a scientist in that region.
My mother is my source of inspiration to become an advocate for women and education, to fight poverty, to participate in illiteracy programmes as an instructor, to teach and foster awareness activities,to contribute to the advancement of young people and illiterate people.
In my professional career after my graduation I worked at three different government Ministries. In the Ministry of Education and Science, as lecturer at high school level and part time lecturer at the university, subsequently as policy advisor to Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation on gender issues, health and poverty alleviation programmes and the Ministry of Regional Development as senior policy advisor on the MDG’s, Bureau of the development funds for the hinterland, gender, planning, community development programmes, etc.
My Volunteer Work includes
President of the Suriname Rural Women Producer Network (SUNROP), Chapter of the Caribbean Rural Women’s Network (CANROP).
President and co-founder of the Maroon Women’s Network (2000 – 2007).
I did radio programmes in the Surinamese lingua franca and in my Maroon language, on gender mainstreaming, HIV/AIDS awareness based on cultural taboos, culture vs Christianity issues, etc.
Now
2007 – present Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from Suriname to Trinidad & Tobago. My inspiration is to represent my country in the best way I can in keeping with diplomatic principles. My ultimate book of inspiration is the Bible. My mother is my mentor.
My Vision
Edification of disadvantaged people to contribute to society’s transformation, causing positive impact in their livelihood.
My Mission:
Networking through social systems for sustainable development.
My Motto:
Treasure your pride and defiance, be humble and always remember where you come from to persevere in your strength.
resident in Trinidad and Tobago, to share their journey from playground to diplomatic corridors. At present we have a record number (9) of female Chiefs of Mission based in this country. This week we feature Fidelia Graand-Galon, Suriname’s Ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Republic of Suriname
Suriname is a multicultural and multilingual country, comprising people of Asian, African and European origin as well as our indigenous people, speaking their native language some mix with Spanish and English, while they are fluent in the Surinamese Lingua Franca (Sranan Tongo) and Dutch being our official language. Each Surinamese person speaks at least two or more languages fluently. Suriname has over 20 spoken languages.
Population: 492,000.
Landscape 167,0000 km2.
My Childhood to teenaged years
I grew up in the Eastern part of my country Suriname in a Maroon village called TangNangaLanti. I grew up with uncles, aunties and cousins old enough to be my mother or father, teaching me everything I needed to know about life and the Maroon protocols and ethics. It was very challenging, but very fruitful at the same time.
Being a Maroon girl, I was not supposed to get any western education, for in the then Maroon communities in Suriname, western education, it was thought, would damage your African heritage and ethics. My illiterate mother had another vision and her mission was to make sure I go to school and speak, read and write Dutch. She rebelled against her husband, my father. I went to school and finally graduated from the University of Suriname as a sociologist—the first Maroon female person to become a scientist in that region.
My mother is my source of inspiration to become an advocate for women and education, to fight poverty, to participate in illiteracy programmes as an instructor, to teach and foster awareness activities,to contribute to the advancement of young people and illiterate people.
In my professional career after my graduation I worked at three different government Ministries. In the Ministry of Education and Science, as lecturer at high school level and part time lecturer at the university, subsequently as policy advisor to Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation on gender issues, health and poverty alleviation programmes and the Ministry of Regional Development as senior policy advisor on the MDG’s, Bureau of the development funds for the hinterland, gender, planning, community development programmes, etc.
My Volunteer Work includes
President of the Suriname Rural Women Producer Network (SUNROP), Chapter of the Caribbean Rural Women’s Network (CANROP).
President and co-founder of the Maroon Women’s Network (2000 – 2007).
I did radio programmes in the Surinamese lingua franca and in my Maroon language, on gender mainstreaming, HIV/AIDS awareness based on cultural taboos, culture vs Christianity issues, etc.
Now
2007 – present Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary from Suriname to Trinidad & Tobago. My inspiration is to represent my country in the best way I can in keeping with diplomatic principles. My ultimate book of inspiration is the Bible. My mother is my mentor.
My Vision
Edification of disadvantaged people to contribute to society’s transformation, causing positive impact in their livelihood.
My Mission:
Networking through social systems for sustainable development.
My Motto:
Treasure your pride and defiance, be humble and always remember where you come from to persevere in your strength.
Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/Connecting-Girls-Inspiring-Futures--141693103.html
Empowering women can lift millions from hunger
Published:
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
In some parts of the world, women represent 70 per cent of the agricultural workforce, comprising 43 per cent of agricultural workers worldwide. Estimates reveal that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20–30 per cent, lifting 100-150 million out of hunger.
Healthcare, education, gender inequality and limited access to credit, however, have posed a number of challenges for rural women. Further, the global food and economic crisis and climate change have aggravated the situation. It is estimated that 60 per cent of chronically hungry people are women and girls. Yet, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates reveal that productivity gains from ensuring equal access to fertilisers, seeds and tools for women could reduce the number of hungry people by between 100 million and 150 million.
Latest data from the United Nations on the status of women around the world show the following:
Poverty
- Countries with the highest levels of hunger also have very high levels of gender inequality (2009 Global Hunger Index. The Challenge of Hunger: Focus on Financial Crisis and Gender Inequality. IFPRI Issue Brief 62.)
- Gender inequality is a major cause and effect of hunger and poverty: it is estimated that 60 per cent of chronically hungry people are women and girls (WFP Gender Policy and Strategy).
- In the context of Latin America 110 women aged 20 to 59 are living in poor rural households for every 100 men in Colombia and 114 women for every 100 men in Chile. In sub-Saharan Africa (Cameroon, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe) there are more than 120 women aged 20 to 59 living in poor households for every 100 men (UN Women Progress report 2011).
Agriculture
- Estimates suggest that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20–30 per cent, lifting 100-150 million out of hunger (FAO (2011). The State of Food and Agriculture: Women in Agriculture, Closing the Gender Gap for Development, Rome).
- Equal access to resources will raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5–4 percent, thereby contributing to both food security and economic growth (FAO (2011). The State of Food and Agriculture: Women in Agriculture, Closing the Gender Gap for Development, Rome)
- The OECD estimates from recent years show that only five per cent of aid directed to the agricultural sector specifically focused on gender equality. (OECD, The Development Co-operation Report 2011)
- Women constitute half of the agricultural labour force in least developed countries (FAO, The Role of Women in Agriculture).
Land rights
- For those developing countries for which data are available, only between 10 and 20 per cent of all land holders are women (FAO (2011). The State of Food and Agriculture: Women in Agriculture, Closing the Gender Gap for Development, Rome).
Labour force
- In most countries women in rural areas who work for wages are more likely than men to hold seasonal, part-time and low-wage jobs and women receive lower wages for the same work (FAO (2011). The State of Food and Agriculture: Women in Agriculture, Closing the Gender Gap for Development, Rome).
Access to credit
- The share of female smallholder farmers who can access credit is 5-10 percentage points lower than for male smallholders. (FAO (2011). The State of Food and Agriculture: Women in Agriculture, Closing the Gender Gap for Development, Rome)
- In rural sub-Saharan Africa, women in smallholder agriculture access less than 10 per cent of available credit (UN (2011). Report of the Secretary-General on Ten-year appraisal and review of the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010, A/66/66.)
Health
- Only one third of rural women receive prenatal care compared to 50 per cent in developing regions as a whole. (United Nations, The Millennium Development Goals Report 2010 and 2011 (New York, 2010 and 2011), available from www.un.org/millenniumgoals/reports.shtml.)
Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-03-07/empowering-women-can-lift-millions-hunger
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