People in Ethiopia’s Somali region have had their lives turned upside down by three years of drought. Oxfam’s research has found that there are several ways in which aid agencies can better meet the needs of women and girls and promote gender equality. Over the past three years the rains have been sparse in the Ethiopian Somali region. This year’s …
Why addressing power is key to ending violence against women
Violence against women won’t end until gender equality is a reality, argues Nikki van der Gaag, Oxfam’s Gender Justice and Women’s Rights Director. The current wave of interest in sexual harassment at work highlights just one consequence of gender inequality, but if things are really going to change, we need to address the power imbalances that mean women are still …
Jealousy is NO excuse for violence
In the run up to 16 Days of Activism Muthoni Muriithi, the Africa Enough Campaigner at Oxfam International, explains their new campaign which tackles jealousy as a cause of domestic violence. Follow #JealousyIsNoExcuse on social media to keep up with the campaign. Who are you talking to? Where were you, why did you come home late? Why did he look at you? Why …
Now is the time for women’s rights in the Middle East
The realization of women’s rights and gender justice in the Middle East and North Africa is inseparably entwined with conflict resolution and peace building efforts explains Farah Kobaissy. “No matter where you are, everyone says that now is not the time to talk about these issues. There is no such thing as women’s rights. We are in times of war, …
No environmental justice without gender justice
Gender equality and women’s rights are core to attaining sustainable, just human development. Editor, Caroline Sweetman, introduces the natural resource justice issue of the Gender & Development journal. 2017 is on course to be the deadliest year yet for environmental activism: 150 women and men have so far been murdered for defending natural resources and the communities who depend on …
Women’s work? Challenging gender roles in the Philippines
‘We forget our tiredness when the kiss is there.’ Nikki van der Gaag reports from the Philippines on a partnership that is changing ideas about men’s and women’s roles in the home. There is a bright red advertisement on the road from Tacloban airport to the town. It has a photograph of a woman with pale skin and red lipstick …
Las Hormigas: fighting for justice for women in Honduras
As part of our October focus on the amazing work of Oxfam partners we spoke to Eva Sanchez from ‘Las Hormigas’ (the ants) women’s rights organization in Honduras. The murder of women and gender based violence frequently go unpunished in Honduras, according to one report out of 463 cases of femicide in 2016 only 15 were investigated. Las Hormigas is …
Why access to water may not benefit all women equally
In a study of water projects in Western Nepal Stephanie Leder and Floriane Clement found that community dynamics impacted on planning processes. As a result the more marginalized and disadvantaged women were less likely to benefit from improved water supplies. (Stephanie and Floriane, with Emma Karki, authored an article for the WASH issue of Gender & Development ). Global discourses …
A no ‘tick-box’ approach to gender and resilience
A key question for Oxfam and the development sector is how to address the different challenges faced by people living in poverty in a holistic fashion. However, our partners are often already successfully addressing multiple issues at once as Caroline Ashley saw in Bangladesh. I’ve seen gender treated as a ‘tick-box’ exercise – yes women participated. The same goes for …
Putting gender at the heart of national budgeting
Having an accountable system for public spending is central to the democratic relationship between citizens and the state. What if gender inequality was taken into account in the budget process? Poe Ei Phyu and Jasmine Burnley share key findings from Oxfam in Myanmar’s research into gender responsive budgeting. A country’s budget can be the most powerful tool a government has …