The Drum Beat 190 - Women
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Below are some examples of communication programming activities initiated by women's groups, organisations which aim to network women together, communication projects and strategic articles that address issues specific to women, and publications, upcoming events and other resources that relate to and highlight these issues.
If you have further examples, please send them to Deborah Heimann at dheimann@comminit.com
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PROGRAMMES
1. Drama-based Look at Female Genital Mutilation - Nigeria
A play and a film project both launched in an attempt to change attitudes toward female genital mutiliation (FGM). The play "Sense of Belonging - the tale of Ikpiko" features 7 women recounting their experiences with FGM. Ikpiko is a reference to the abuse against girls who are not circumcised in western Nigeria. The play is based on the real-life experiences of women. In the film "Uncut: Playing With Life", scenes of circumcision are juxtaposed with the stories of several of the women who were involved in the original drama project. As part of the film, women talk about the anger and frustration they felt at having discovered they were circumcised as babies.
Contact Chuck Mike (234) 1 / 26.34.864 and 26.33.651
2. The Nepal Maternal & Neonatal Health (MNH/Nepal) Program - Nepal
Also known as The SUMATA Initiative, the goal is to improve pregnancy outcomes for mothers and their newborns. A Nepali-language-based framework was developed for the campaign, whose slogan is "Pregnancy and Childbirth are Special - Make Them Safe". SUMATA messages are woven into radio spots and dramas, print materials, community-based street theatre performances, and a television drama. A video drama that promotes "caring husbands" is also being developed.
Contact info@accesstohealth.org
3. Credit with Education - Global
A strategy to empower women in the rural regions of 14 economically deprived countries worldwide to confront the problems of hunger and poverty. Credit with Education provides women with microfinance services (access to very small cash loans and savings) and education sessions that focus on health, nutrition, and business strategies. Organisers hope that helping women invest in small, locally-based companies will help them generate income, as well as build a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.
Contact info@freefromhunger.org
4. Women's Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) - Nigeria
The network works with 250 women's groups in 5 different states in northern Nigeria in an effort to mobilise, train, and support rural men and women in the management of information and communication. WOFAN also engages in research and information dissemination, community development programmes, social mobilisation/advocacy, and partnership and networking with organisations that have similar objectives. The Network organises a weekly radio broadcast that features the efforts of rural women.
Contact Hajia Salamatu Garba Jibril wofan@ecnx.net OR wofan@mega.bw
5. The Lysistrata Project - Global
On March 3, 2003, over 1,000 community-based readings of "Lysistrata", Aristophanes' anti-war comedy, were planned in 59 countries worldwide to protest the possibility of war in Iraq. Supplemental advocacy materials are available. A study guide focusses on themes such as creatively standing up for what you believe in and the history of non-violent protest. Included in it are written assignments and projects for use in the classroom setting. "Lysistrata" tells the story of a group of women from opposing states who unite to end the Peloponnesian War.
Contact Kathryn Blume kablume@mindspring.com OR Sharron Bower sbower@jump.net
6. Secrets of Salsa (Secretos de la Salsa) - United States
This programme initially involved adult language and literacy classes. The idea of a salsa cookbook was born when the women decided to bring a favorite salsa - many of which had regional significance - to class each day. At the end of the school year, a bilingual salsa cookbook night took place. Anglos and Mexicans worked together to test recipes. Discussion of recipes like 7-Chile Salsa, a staple in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, stimulated conversation among those attending the class - much of it in English. This kind of conversation culminated in a 25-recipe book, Secrets of Salsa, which includes salsa recipes in English and Spanish.
Contact info@secretsofsalsa.com
7. Dimitra Project - Global
An ICT project that aims to highlight rural women's contribution to their communities and their countries. Dimitra's main goal is to empower rural women and to improve their living conditions and status. Currently in its 2nd phase, the programme seeks to consolidate and extend the network that it has built in Africa and the Near East, to promote information exchange, and to update and disseminate information on gender and rural development issues. The Dimitra database is accessible in both French and English. It contains profiles on organisations based in Europe, Africa, and the Near East that have organised projects or programmes involving or concerning rural women and development.
STRATEGIC THINKING
8. In Africa, AIDS Has a Woman's Face - by Kofi A. Annan
"A combination of famine and AIDS is threatening the backbone of Africa - the women who keep African societies going and whose work makes up the economic foundation of rural communities..."
9. Gender Barriers to ICT: Identifying barriers to ICTs in education based on gender differences
Four regional meeting reports and one summary document focus on the concern that women in developing countries may be marginalised when ICTs are used in open and distance learning courses.
10. Impact of Mass Media Campaigns on Intentions To Use The Female Condom in Tanzania - by Sohail Agha & Ronan Van Rossem
Data on 2,712 sexually experienced men and women in Tanzania, collected in an exit survey at outlets that sell the female condom, were used to determine if a mass media campaign [which was implemented in 1999 via radio and newspapers] promoting the female condom had an impact on women's and men's intentions to use this method.
11. Women, HIV, and the Global Gag Rule: The Dis-Integration of U.S. Global AIDS Funding - by Jodi Jacobson
"Now, service providers will have to refrain from counseling family planning clients on how to practice safe sex to avoid infection. They won't be able to help infected women prevent an unintended pregnancy. The President appears unable or unwilling to grasp the fact that women seeking contraceptive information and supplies are sexually active and therefore by definition at risk of infection from unprotected sex, and that HIV-infected women may remain sexually active and at risk of unintended pregnancy..."
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NEW Pulse Poll
Celebrities or leaders who have high profile roles in campaigns must always practise what they preach.
Do you agree or disagree?
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RESULTS from the most recent poll:
Has the word "AIDS", with the help of communicators, become too associated with stigma and finality? Does the all-encompassing term HIV convey hope and possibility? With fewer people developing the clinical manifestations of AIDS due to the use of ARV drugs, will the word "AIDS" still be adequate for care efforts? Isn't the existence of two words an unnecessary complication? Shouldn't we refocus on preventing the virus transmission? All of which leads to the following question...
Do you agree that communicators should increasingly make reference to HIV instead of AIDS or HIV/AIDS in their work?
As of March 28, 2003:
Agree: 61.06 %
Disagree: 34.51 %
Unsure: 4.42 %
Total number of participants = 113
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12. Reproductive choice and women living with HIV/AIDS - by Maria de Bruyn
Based on an extensive reviews and interviews with key informants in Australia, India, Kenya, South Africa and Thailand, this report summarises the discrimination and barriers women living with HIV/AIDS face in exercising their full sexual and reproductive rights. The interviews aimed to elicit information and ideas about the difficulties that women living with HIV/AIDS may face in preventing and dealing with both planned and unwanted pregnancies.
13. Ni-Vanuatu Role Models; women in their own right
A collection of short biographies told by 20 women from major islands and Provinces of Vanuatu. Designed for use as an educational text for secondary school students, in each biography attention is paid to the educational training experiences and career choices of each role model.
14. A New Door Opened: A Tracer Study of the Teenage Mothers Project, Jamaica - by Roli Degazon-Johnson
Through the use of qualitative/ethnographic and quantitative research methodologies, including interviews, questionnaire administration and attitudinal scales developed at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, this study explored the quality of life, attitudes and experiences of 10 mothers and their children in 1999. The study compared the Teenage Mother's Project (TMP) participants to 10 ‘comparison group’ mothers and their children.
15. Abortion & Common Sense - by Ruth Dixon-Mueller & Paul K. B. Dagg
Aims to look at the facts of the abortion debate. According to the authors, 4 in 10 women in the United States will have at least one abortion in their lifetimes. Worldwide, they estimate 46 million women terminate their pregnancies every year, some safely, some dangerously. The authors feel that by placing restrictions on girls’ and women’s access to safe early abortion is illogical, unworkable, and unfair.
16. Women and Good Governance - by Grace Mera Molisa
Includes chapters on Gender Benchmarks of Democracy, Vanuatu Women in Politics 2002 Statistics, Critical Areas of Concern in Raising Awareness, Strategies for Closing the Gender Gap in Representative Institutions, and Strategies for Bringing more Women into Public and Political Life
EVENTS & COURSES
17. WENT Africa 2003 (Mar 29 - Apr 4 2003) Cape Town, South Africa
18. 4th Annual Sisters for Life Conference (Apr 22-26 2003) Paris, France
19. The 2nd South African Gender Based Violence & Health Conference (May 7-9 2003) Gauteng, South Africa
20. 5th Summer Course on International Women's Human Rights (May 26-31 2003) Quezon City, Philippines
21. Forum on ICTs & Gender: Optimizing Opportunities (May 27-30 2003) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
22. Empowering Women through Information & Knowledge: From Oral Traditions to ICT (Jun 10-13 2003) Paud, Pune, Maharastra, India
23. Promoting Gender in Reproductive Health & Rights Course (Sep 29 - Oct 17 2003) Nairobi, Kenya
OTHER RESOURCES
24. SOS Sexisme - a discussion forum on action for women’s rights against sexism, conducted in French.
Contact sexisme@sos-sexisme.org
25. Ngowomen - WSIS NGO Women's Gender Strategies Group - the WSIS NGO Gender Strategies Working Group (WN-GSWG) will use this discussion forum to share and discuss lobbying points and strategies for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) (Dec 10-12 2003).
Subscribe by sending a blank message to iwtc-womensglobalnet-subscribe@igc.topica.com
26. 1325 PeaceWomen E-News - a biweekly newsletter giving up-to-date information on Security Council Resolution 1325. Resolution 1325 includes the special needs of women and girls during repatriation and resettlement, rehabilitation, reintegration and post-conflict reconstruction.
To subscribe send an email with the subject "Subscribe" to 1325news@peacewomen.org
27. End Violence Against Women - regular updates on issues relating to violence against women.
Contact endvaw@jhuccp.org
28. Tertulia - a weekly newsletter of the latest news on women and women's rights from around the Spanish-speaking world. Available in English & Spanish.
Contact Laura Asturias leasturias@itelgua.com
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The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.
Please send material for The Drum Beat to the Editor - Deborah Heimann dheimann@comminit.com
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