Number of questions: [5]
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Posted on 06/03/2007 13:37:07 |
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How will you celebrate International Women's Day this Thursday?
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Graciella (from Armenia)
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Hello Graciella,
Here in Nairobi, there will be an inter-agency forum on the UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict to raise awareness of the issue and discuss what more the United Nations can do to end this horrific practice.
The event will include a panel discussion in which prominent guests will address the urgent question: How can the UN intensify the global effort to prevent sexual violence in war? It will also include multi-media exhibitions on the issue of sexual violence against women as well as the release of the new OCHA/IRIN publication “The Shame of War”, which focuses on the scope and nature of rape and other sexual abuse in war with photographs and testimonies.
While this may not sound celebratory, it is an important opportunity to raise awareness and build on the collective work and expertise of several UN agencies to respond to this problem.
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Posted on 06/03/2007 13:35:46 |
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In my country there are many women employed in the science field: doctors, researchers, professors. In West, often science is seen as man's job. Why?
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Lara (from Ukraine)
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Dear Lara,
That's a very puzzling question - having grown up and studied science in the West, I'm not sure I have the answer to why there is this perception that science is seen as a man's job. I do know from personal experience growing up in a post-WWII society that the expectations of men and women were strongly entrenched in archetypical "family" roles. Even through the 1960s, 70s and into the 80s when feminism and liberalization swept society by storm, women's enrollment in the science, maths and engineering fields did not really keep up with the times. Very few of my classmates and female university colleagues studied science (I started university in 1975!), and there were very few female doctoral students in the agricultural sciences faculty at which I studied.
I am not an expert at the sociological or neurological sciences to provide any insight into possible reasons for this and as you say, many societies have an abundance of women in the sciences and engineering fields more so than in the West, in many cases. But from my own experience, I grew up in a family of 4 brothers, all engineers or science graduates of one sort or another, an engineer and military aviator for a father who rarely treated me differently to my brothers. In my family, I was taught to repair small electrical appliances at an early age since my father traveled a lot with the military. Im a natural at fixing toasters!
But perhaps theres a lesson there I was never led to believe that I couldnt do maths, or sciences, or anything else I put my energy into just because I was a girl. A little self confidence and minimal gender stereotyping throughout my life probably helped! I must confess though, I really dont like having to do integral calculus, but I understand its value and application and I know who to call if my work needs a calculus solution.
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Posted on 06/03/2007 13:29:04 |
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In what ways is the Gender Aspect important in your area of expertise, especially in terms of equity and equality?
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Jane Smith (from Kenya)
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UNEP’s Gender Plan of Action defines gender equity and gender equality in the following way, and that is the context in which I will frame my response:
- Gender equity means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs. This may include equal treatment or treatment that is different but considered equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations and opportunities. In the development context, a gender equity goal often requires built-in measures to compensate for the historical and social disadvantages of women.
- Gender equality entails the concept that all human beings, both men and women, are free to develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set by stereotypes, rigid gender roles, or prejudices. Gender equality means that the different behaviours, aspirations and needs of women and men are considered, valued and favoured equally. It does not mean that women and men have to become the same, but that their rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female.
Both in my technical area of expertise, and as it applies to the work I undertake at UNEP, recognizing and incorporating issues of gender equity and equality are necessary to succeed in the goals we strive to achieve. First and foremost, it is imperative to practice what we preach here at the UN – to lead by example demands that we, as individuals regardless of our areas of expertise – conduct ourselves and our work in fairness and without stereotype or prejudice. I work in UNEP’s Division of Regional Cooperation where we are constantly working with colleagues around the world who come from many different cultural backgrounds, religious convictions, and personal experiences. The richness that this diversity brings to tackling the enormous environmental challenges we all face simply cannot be overlooked, discounted or denied by judging the value of that richness depending on whether you are a man or a women.
How does gender equity and equality help us succeed in achieving our goals? Inherent in UNEP’s mission is the goal of improving the quality of life in an enduring and responsible manner that safeguards those same rights for future generations. Gender equity requires that we fully take on board and communicate through our work, the different ways in which environmental interventions and their consequences affect the quality of life of women and of men, while gender equality recognizes that women and men have both the right and must have the opportunity to be part of the solution. UNEP’s work creates those platforms of opportunity for women and men to engage in debate at the highest levels of environmental governance.
One facet of “the gender aspect” over which I regularly have debates with my colleagues, is whether or not “gender issues” is just another term for “women’s issues”. I am of the personal conviction that gender issues are societal issues and often issues of power and control largely, though not exclusively, by men over women and children. A chilling example of societal tolerance for violence against women can be found in “honor killings”. In a number of countries, women who have been raped are sometimes killed by their own families to preserve the family's honor. Honor killings have been reported in Jordan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and other Persian Gulf countries.
These and other examples are not just women’s issues or issues that are important to women only. Programmes that aim to empower women and children are essential to be sure, and there are numerous laudable programmes and support networks for survivors of abuse, but there are scant few programmes aimed at changing the mindsets and behaviour of the men, and in the case of honor killings the families, who perpetrate and tolerate these atrocities. From a gender equity and equality perspective, it is also vitally important for men to be brought into the solution and not just prosecuted after the fact, and to develop solutions within a broader societal context.
It is encouraging then to see that the UN is highlighting this as 2007’s theme for International Women’s Day: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls.
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Posted on 06/03/2007 13:05:39 |
Its a growing concern that academic institutions in South Africa and in many other African countries are finding it difficult to produce graduates that have the necessary skills and abilities to tackle the existing and future environmental management challenges associated with, inter alia local development as well as climate change on a larger scale.
Please share some insights on possible solutions and how UNEP can/is facilitating this.
Regards
Laurie
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Laurie (from South Africa)
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Dear Laurie,
Perhaps part of my response lies in the previous question on ensuring that education systems impart the fundamental skills of critical thinking and problem solving rather than rote memorization in order to gain a passing grade. But the broader issue you raise of tackling existing and future problems on a global scale calls for developing skills in integrating what you’ve learned across technical disciplines and applying it to a policy-setting and management decision-making realm. Many university programmes and technical colleges have been incorporating an internship or work-study programme as part of their course requirements. There is a role to be played by the private and public sectors that employ learners and graduates to provide an opportunity for hands-on experience for students to put their learning to the test. At UNEP, we support both a volunteer and an internship programme that gives students an opportunity to gain experience in the work we do (www.unep.org/vacancies).
From an organizational perspective, UNEP places a high priority on capacity building and technology support, primarily to governments, based on the priority areas requested by member states. Much of our work involves outreach, awareness-raising, and communication, in line with one of UNEP’s fundamental mandates: to keep the state of the global environment under review. UNEP’s capacity building and technology support activities can be broadly grouped as follows:
a) facilitating and supporting institution building at regional, sub-regional, and national levels;
b) developing and testing environmental management tools and instruments in collaboration with national governments, as well as regional and sub regional institutions, and other agencies;
c) promoting public participation in environmental management and enhancing access to environmental information.
UNEP plays a catalytic and facilitative role, through partnerships and with our collaborating centres, to support sound environmental governance. UNEP does undertake training programmes in very specific areas, but its primary function is not that of an academic educational institution. Targeted training in:
- assessment methodology (through UNEP’s GEO process: www.unep.org/geo and its capacity building network: www.unep.org/DEWA);
- international environmental law (PADELIA – the Partnership for the Development of Environmental Laws and Institutions in Africa: www.unep.org/Padelia and UNEP’s Global Judges Programme www.unep.org/dpdl/law/PDF/UNEP_Global_Judges_Prog.pdf);
- the work of the UNEP Environmental Education and Training Unit (www.unep.org/DEPI/programmes/capacity_building.html); and
- the Green Customs Programme (www.greencustoms.org ) which offers information and training materials for customs officials to combat illegal trade in commodities of environmental concern,
are just a few examples of how UNEP works to support governments’ needs for skills in tackling environmental problems.
In partnership with UNDP, UNEP is actively involved directly with governments to mainstream environment into national development planning processes. In this way, we work side by side with government officials to help them understand the importance of incorpoarting environment into their economic and social development policies.
UNEP also recognizes that there are many organisations and institutions throughout the world that are better placed to undertake environmental research, technology innovation, technical training, capacity building and technology transfer than we are; we work with our networks to assist governments to get the support they need. We welcome opportunities to build our networks to broaden our collective reach, and ensure that world class science and best available technologies are used in addressing global environmental challenges.
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Posted on 06/03/2007 06:07:56 |
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What strategies do you propose for educating policy-makers in your area of specialization ?
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Centre for Environment Education (from India)
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Dear Centre for Environment Education,
Thank you for your question.
My experience with the education systems of Canada, South Africa and to a limited extent, Kenya, in addition to working as a professional in the sciences, has convinced me that one of the most important aspects of education in the sciences is the art and skill of problem solving. Education policy makers would be wise to look at not only the content of the education being taught, but how it is taught to learners to ensure they are grasping concepts, and using knowledge and critical thinking to solve problems, not just memorize and regurgitate facts.
In my view, a second area of importance from a strategic perspective is to undertake (or borrow from) foresight exercises that look at the key drivers of society and the economy into the future, and identify the kind of skills people will need to be able to participate in meaningful employment once they graduate. This is a long term societal endeavor that requires attention to school curricula at all levels including university and technical colleges. In a globalizing world economy, to be competitive as a nation and as an individual - in the sciences or any other field - education systems have an obligation to prepare learners to a level that provides the foundations for building a society able to engage in global issues - scientifically, technologically and economically.
Best regards,
monika
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