Blog by Nisha Ghosh, SU Pune Metro East
Streaming across the cyberspace was a worthwhile morning session on the third day of the 88th SIGBI Conference.
What can be the foremost concerns of an organization that has a mandate for women and girls? Gender equality and gender equity of course. Speaker Leigh Elle Brown – the SI Advocacy Director did not mince words when she revisited the unfinished business. Unfinished for the organization and for the world in general.
As a gemmologist specializing in diamonds, Leigh obviously brings her piercing vision for clarity to the subject that concerns the organization she volunteers for.
Seamless weaving the Soroptimist President’s Appeal of ‘Opening Door to a Bright Future’ to the need for gender equality she reminded the audience how SDG4 (Education) in linked to SDG5 (Gender). She said transforming education to boost gender equality is the need of the hour. Quoting Sima Bahous, UN Women’s Executive Director’s words at the Education Summit in Sept 2022, “SDG4 and SDG5 must go hand in hand.”
The urgent ambition of this conference cannot be divorced from the urgent global context for gender equality.
Reflecting on the 2030 Agenda to end all forms of violence against women – Leigh warned that progress towards that goal has been slow and acceleration of 17 times is required as we were already halfway to that timeline. This was particularly noticeable in areas of child marriages – a huge deterrent for girls to enjoy a taste of education.
As if the tardy progress to 2030 wasn’t enough COVID 19 occurrence, has further pushed back and dipped the progress made for gender equality. A depressing UN Women Data of Sept 2022 reads ‘Women and girls will not achieve full equality with men and boys for another 300 years’. So, what we have in an intersectional crisis of COVID 19, Climate Change, rising economic insecurity and political insecurity. A total reversal and downward slide for gender equality.
The apparent and hidden damages done to women and girls during COVID times, is being measured.
Perhaps the full impact can never be measured. It is common knowledge that violence, domestic abuse spiked during lockdowns, child marriages and FGM multiplied many folds, decline in women’s income came directly due to women-oriented businesses experiencing complete shutdown. The ripple effect of such economic loss was felt by the families and possibly withdrawal of children from educational opportunities.
But Leigh’s concluding words were hopeful and encouraging. All was not lost she said, this was the climate for change and change that Soroptimists can usher through their projects worldwide would have an impact in the communities they serve. It was the time to build back better by building relationships with agencies whose vision and mission was aligned to Soroptimist International.
Reminding the audience of the power of education the Advocacy Director enumerated the 7 Global Initiatives Calls to Action:
- Greening Education
- Connecting to Digital Solutions
- Addressing Foundational Learning
- Transforming Education Systems
- Advancing Gender Equality
- Investing in Education more effectively
- Empowering Young People.
While Soroptimist Projects worldwide do touch upon these 7 actions, Leigh set challenges for Soroptimists to join the deep conversation and develop bold ideas to accelerate gender equality and make an impact.
The unfinished business of Soroptimists needs attention if we are to experience a changed climate.