Gender and Development e -Brief / Issue 44
9 June, 2006
IN THIS ISSUE

CONFERENCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Rethinking educational change, July 2-5, 2006 Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco
Gender and Trade Regional workshop – Beirut, June 22 – 24, 06

NEWS

ECONOMY & TRADE
IMF preaches urgent reform for Lebanon
World Economic Forum on Mideast concludes activities  

GENDER
Americans kill pregnant Iraqi woman on way to hospital
Treatment of Egyptian female political activists in El-Kanater prison (The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights)
Indonesia: The Queens of Islam
Iran blocks common declarations at women's empowerment conference
It is the right for every Muslim to interpret the Qur'an for themselves
Stadium ban on women in Iran to stay
Taking Action: "Bahrain: Take action in support of women demanding introduction of Bahrain's new Family Code"
Muslim Women Don't See Themselves as Oppressed, Survey Finds
Problems of lesbians, gays and bisexuals in Istanbul
Two Worlds under the Same Roof: A Brief on Gender Difference in Transitions to Adulthood
UAE national women gather to demand citizenship for their husbands and children
Vatican Denies Reports That It Plans To Release Document Easing Ban on Condom Use To Prevent Spread of HIV"
Women victims of honor killing  

HURRIYAT
Egyptian police confiscate copies of banned Da Vinci Code 

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Civil society and the state: the case of British voluntary sector
Disappointing ESF raises fundamental questions on the European social movement
Global anti-poverty plan must include native peoples
Poverty pushes some Egyptians to sell their organs to wealthy recipients

YOUTH & CHILDREN
Developing Youth Advocates for Employment - Egypt  

REPROTS, BOOKS & ARTICLES

DEVELOPMENT
Can Civil Society make a difference in Iraq? 

GENDER
Action for Girls
Beijing plus ten: an ambivalent record on gender justice
Gender and social policy in a global context: Uncovering the gendered structure of "the social"
Gender and Poverty
Promoting Gender Equality in New Aid Modalities and Partnerships
Women's empowerment: an annotated bibliography 

ECONOMY & TRADE
Wages and Human Capital in Exporting Firms in Morocco
 

YOUTH & CHILDREN
Investing in the Children of the Islamic World
The Poverty Trap: Leveling the Playing Field for Young People

RESOURCES   

DONORS PROFILES
Fund for Global Human Rights 

GENDER
Funding sources for gender-equality and women-focused projects 
Improving the Health Sector Response to Gender-Based Violence: A Resource Manual for Health Care Professionals in
Developing Countries
The Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
Women's fundraising handbook 

K4SD
Knowledge Management for Organizational Capacity
Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Member Countries and the Knowledge Economy: Opportunities and Challenges|
Iraqi Virtual Science Library - An Web Portal to Take Advantage of Online Resources.
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)
Voice of Arab Youth (VOAY) - Middle East and North Africa

CONFERENCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Rethinking educational change, July 2-5, 2006 Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco

This conference will be held on July 2-5, 2006 Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco, and It will focus on the question: how do our educational institutions need to change in order for learning to become genuinely transformational? For full details please visit the website. Available online at: http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC21829

Gender and Trade Regional workshop – Beirut, June 22 – 24, 06

Collective for Research and Training on Development – Action in collaboration with Heinrich Boell Foundation is organizing a regional workshop on Gender and Trade. This workshop will be held in Beirut between June 22 and 24 inclusive. The workshop will be attended by a selected group of active NGOs in the Machreq/Maghreb region. For more information please contact: info@crtd.org

NEWS

ECONOMY & TRADE

IMF preaches urgent reform for Lebanon
The Lebanese government should press ahead with fiscal reforms to control surging public debt if it wants to avoid an economic crisis, said a top official at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=72947  

World Economic Forum on Mideast concludes activities 
The World Economic Forum on the Middle East concluded its activities. More than 1,100 participants attended the forum themed "Promise of a New Generation". www.kuna.net.kw/home/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=868588 

GENDER
Americans kill pregnant Iraqi woman on way to hospital
US forces killed two Iraqi women - one of them pregnant - who were en route to hospital, as President George W. Bush threatened punishment if an investigation implicates the Marines in the killings of civilians last November. For more information:  http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060531/D8HV0MGG0.html

Treatment of Egyptian female political activists in El-Kanater prison (The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights)
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) & The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR) are deeply concerned and strongly object to the continued detainment of 3 female activists - Asma'a Ali, Nada El-Kasas and Rasha Azab. The three political activists were arrested on May 7, 2006 in front of South Cairo Court while they awaited the decision on the judges appeal (Hesam Pastawy & Mahmoud Meky) of the of the ruling to send them to a disciplinary court. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-537384

Indonesia: The Queens of Islam
Rahima is a Muslim organization that advocates women's equality based on modern and democratic ideas. Instead of traveling from conference to conference, Rahima members prefer to work at the grassroots level. "The queens of Islam used to be a symbol of women's strength. Today they are viewed as a harem, which is a symbol of the oppression and sexual exploitation of women. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-537381

Iran blocks common declarations at women's empowerment conference
The intergovernmental conference on women, "Empowering Women in Public Life," brought together participants from all over the world for two days to discuss concrete action for gender equality in the political, economic and social fields. The participants included an Iranian delegation, which participated in the conference organised by Turkey under the Greater Middle East Initiative (GME). For more information, see www.thenewanatolian.com/tna-7361.html 

It is the right for every Muslim to interpret the Qur'an for themselves
One of the scholars who try to offer a more emancipatory interpretation of the Quran is Asma Barlas. She closely examines the male-oriented interpretations of the Quran and offers an antipatriarchal alternative. http://www.qantara.de/webcom/show_article.php/_c-307/_nr-28/_p-1/i.html

Stadium ban on women in Iran to stay
12/05/2006 Iran's supreme leader has vetoed a decision by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to allow women into sports stadiums, a government official said Monday, after the move caused a furor in the clerical establishment. http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-537374

Taking Action: "Bahrain: Take action in support of women demanding introduction of Bahrain's new Family Code"
The group of 10 women have personally experienced injustices under Bahrain’s currently uncodified family laws, and hoped to raise international awareness and support for women’s struggle to gain social freedom and legal equality in Bahrain. (http://www.wluml.org/english/actionsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[156]=i-156-536872)

Muslim Women Don't See Themselves as Oppressed, Survey Finds
Muslim women do not think they are conditioned to accept second-class status or view themselves as oppressed, according to a survey released Tuesday by The Gallup Organization.
According to the poll, conducted in 2005, a strong majority of Muslim women believe they should have the right to vote without influence, work outside the home and serve in the highest levels of government. In more than 8,000 face-to-face interviews conducted in eight predominantly Muslim countries, the survey found that many women in the Muslim world did not see sex issues as a priority because other issues were more pressing.(For more information contact info@crtd.org) 

Problems of lesbians, gays and bisexuals in Istanbul
*Lambda Istanbul LGBT Initiative,* started some research, whose results were brought together in a book entitled *"Neither Wrong Nor Alone!"* in 2005. Lambda Istanbul LGBT Initiative organized this survey which was put to life through scientific methods, through face-to-face interviews with 393 gays, lesbians, and bisexuals in Istanbul.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-537156

Two Worlds under the Same Roof: A Brief on Gender Difference in Transitions to Adulthood
"There is a persistent asymmetry between young men and women's experience of growing up in Pakistan, especially in rural areas. Less than one-half of all young females ages 15-24 have ever enrolled in school and of those who are enrolled, females are more likely ...http://topics.developmentgateway.org/population/rc/ItemDetail.do~1063887?intcmp=700

UAE national women gather to demand citizenship for their husbands and children
Busloads of UAE national women gathered in Dubai at the weekend, asking the country's human rights organization to help them regularize the status of their husbands and children who do not have citizenship papers. About 40 women arrived from Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates at the UAE Human Rights Association office.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-537009

Vatican Denies Reports That It Plans To Release Document Easing Ban on Condom Use To Prevent Spread of HIV"
Vatican officials have denied reports that the Vatican plans to release a document easing its ban on condom use to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. For more information: (http://www.whrnet.org/fundamentalisms/docs/issue-vatican-0605.html)

Women victims of honor killing
It is estimated by the United Nations Population Fund that as many as 5000 women and girls are murdered by family members each year in so-called “honor killings” around the world. In Yemen, with an estimated population of 16 million, Mohammed Ba Obaid, who heads the department of Women’s Studies in Sana’a University, said his surveys found that more than 400 women were killed for reasons of “honor” in 1997.
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd[157]=x-157-532237

HURRIYAT
Egyptian police confiscate copies of banned Da Vinci Code
Egyptian police have confiscated 2,000 pirated CD copies of the controversial film, "The Da Vinci Code," and arrested the owner of a local film production company.http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=24962

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Civil society and the state: the case of British voluntary sector
The rapid growth of the role of the voluntary sector in the provision of social services in the last two decades of the twentieth century became a major social policy as well as political and ideological issue particularly in the United States and Britain, but also in Canada (Hardina, 1990), Israel (York and Zichlinski, 1990), Spain (Montserrat, 1990) and other Western countries (1). For more information, see www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=12500 

Disappointing ESF raises fundamental questions on the European social movement
Between 10.000-15.000 people participated in the fourth European Social Forum, 3-6 May 2006, in Athens, Greece. The programme of this year’s ESF was comparable to the ones of the previous three fora, with 278 workshops and seminars and 104 cultural activities organised. For more information: www.wide-network.org  

Global anti-poverty plan must include native peoples
At the close of a major United Nations meeting in New York, indigenous leaders urged the world's developed countries to take into account the concerns of native communities living within their borders while implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For more information, see www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=33387

Poverty pushes some Egyptians to sell their organs to wealthy recipients
In today's Egypt, a human kidney can be bought illegally for less than $5,000. A desperate donor sold his to Fawziya (not her real name) for as much. For more information: http://www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1767

YOUTH & CHILDREN
Developing Youth Advocates for Employment - Egypt
The Youth Employment Summit (YES) 2002 has implemented a pilot programme in Egypt to create a network of young leaders to advocate for and promote youth employment activities. As part of this initial effort to ascertain what is involved in developing youth advocates for employment, ten Youth Leaders were trained. http://www.comminit.com/africa/experiences/pds32003/experiences-2292.html

 

REPORTS & BOOKS & ARTICLES

DEVELOPMENT
Can Civil Society make a difference in Iraq?
As the loss of human life continues unabated in Iraq, civil society actors both within Iraq and around the world are searching for ways in which to contribute positively to the tragedy that has been unfolding in Iraq with ever growing intensity. To read more, log at www.civicus.org/new/content/deskofthesecretarygeneral33.htm

GENDER
Action for Girls
Includes articles and news related to promoting the rights of girls in all areas and stages of their lives, advancing the rights and status of girls and assisting them to develop their full potential as women http://www.comminit.com/e-zines/emagazines/enews-487.html

Beijing plus ten: an ambivalent record on gender justice
This Development and Change Journal (2005) paper gives an overview of the achievements (or lack of achievement) for the area of gender equality ten years after the Beijing Conference.
Available online at: http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC21653

Gender and social policy in a global context: Uncovering the gendered structure of "the social"
The failure of orthodox economic models to generate growth and eradicate poverty has led to a renewed interest in social policy and social institutions. While there is enormous debate on the scope and values of social policy, gender has been the silent term in these debates. This UNRISD, 2006 book illustrates why both academic research and policy thinking need to factor-in gender hierarchies and structures if they are to address some of the key challenges of contemporary societies: the widespread informality and insecurity of paid work and the crisis of care.
Download at: http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BF3C2/setLanguageCookie?OpenAgent&langcode=en&url=/80256B3C005BCCF9/search/10A7D5A7F009F974C125717E00488815?OpenDocument  

Gender and Poverty
Women’s advocates argue that women are poorer than men. The most common empirical expression of this idea is the concept of feminization of poverty. This idea has become popular both in shaping analyses of poverty and poverty alleviation strategies. For more information: http://topics.developmentgateway.org/poverty/rc/ItemDetail.do~1063731?intcmp=700

Promoting Gender Equality in New Aid Modalities and Partnerships
"This discussion paper identifies an initial set of considerations to ensure that gender equality is central to the aid effectiveness agenda. It is intended for policy-makers currently adjusting to the new aid modalities, such as officials and analysts in Ministries ...http://topics.developmentgateway.org/population/rc/ItemDetail.do~1063009?intcmp=700

Women's empowerment: an annotated bibliography
This BRIDGE bibliography gathers together a range of materials which discuss women's empowerment from varied perspectives in order to provide an accessible introduction to key concepts, approaches and debates.
Available online at: http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC21835

ECONOMY & TRADE
Wages and Human Capital in Exporting Firms in Morocco
This paper produced by (DIAL) 2006 studies the relationship between wages, human capital accumulation and work organization in Morocco using matched worker-firm data for Metallurgical-electrical and Textile-clothing firms.
Available online at: http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC21953

YOUTH & CHILDREN
Investing in the Children of the Islamic World
"This report reviews the situation of children in 57 Muslim countries, assesses progress in the areas of health, education, child protection and HIV/AIDS, and identifies necessary action. It served as a background document for the First Ministerial Conference on ...http://topics.developmentgateway.org/youth/rc/ItemDetail.do~1063033?intcmp=700

The Poverty Trap: Leveling the Playing Field for Young People
"This brief discusses the impact of family-level poverty on the educational attainment, economic activity, and marriage patterns of Pakistani youth. Poverty has meant that 36 percent of this group has never attended school, while nearly 50 percent of boys in the ...http://topics.developmentgateway.org/poverty/rc/ItemDetail.do~1063886?intcmp=700
 

RESOURCES

DONORS PROFILES
Fund for Global Human Rights
The Fund for Global Human Rights seeks to strengthen human rights movement globally through grant-making and technical support to on-the-ground human rights organisations throughout the world. Since 2002, the Fund has provided $2.5 million to groups in five regions: Central America, West Africa, South Asia, North Africa and Central Africa. For more information, please visit www.globalhumanrights.org

GENDER
Funding sources for gender-equality and women-focused projects 
This BRIDGE resource has been put together to meet the need of women's group to access information on funding opportunities. It is divided into five sections: Women's Funds (those dedicated to gender-equality and women- focused rights projects), Foundations, International Development Agencies, Prizes, AND On-line Directories. Available online at:
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC21821

Improving the Health Sector Response to Gender-Based Violence: A Resource Manual for Health Care Professionals in Developing Countries
"Based on the experiences of an IPPF/WHR regional initiative to integrate services for victims of gender-based violence into reproductive health programs, this manual provides tools and guidelines for program managers working in developing countries. Topics include http://topics.developmentgateway.org/gender/rc/ItemDetail.do~1063819?intcmp=700

The Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base
The Gender, Institutions, and Development Data Base (GID) represents a new tool for researchers and policy makers to determine and analyse obstacles to women’s economic development. It covers a total of 162 countries and comprises an array of 50 indicators on gender discrimination. The data base has been compiled from various sources and combines in a systematic and coherent fashion the current empirical evidence that exists on the socio-economic status of women. For more information: http://www.oecd.org/document/23/0,2340,en_2649_33947_36225815_1_1_1_1,00.html
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/28/36223936.xls

Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
As the only international women’s fund in the world designed to respond on short notice, UAF collaborates with women activists in three primary contexts: peace building in situations of armed conflict, escalating violence, or politically volatile environments; potentially precedent-setting legal and legislative actions; and protection of women human rights defenders. UAF exists to enable women to mobilise and act within these brief windows of opportunity by approving emergency funding of up to $5,000 USD within 72 hours of a request. For more information, please visit www.urgentactionfund.org.

Women's fundraising handbook
This (GFW) handbook draws on the expertise of Global Fund for Women staff and provides advice on raising money to fund women's rights work. It is especially designed for first-time fundraisers and for women's groups in developing countries. Available online at: http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC21830

K4SD
Knowledge Management for Organizational Capacity
This initiative is supported by the World Bank Institute’s Knowledge for Development (K4D) Program. It aims to enhance the capacity of development-oriented organizations in the client countries to achieve greater impact through the application of knowledge management ...http://topics.developmentgateway.org/knowledge/rc/ItemDetail.do~1064029?intcmp=700

Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Member Countries and the Knowledge Economy: Opportunities and Challenges
At the request of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Knowledge for Development Program (World Bank Institute) delivered a training course for IDB staff on the knowledge economy approach and its relevance to IDB member countries. The course introduced the knowledge http://topics.developmentgateway.org/knowledge/rc/ItemDetail.do~1064190?intcmp=700

Iraqi Virtual Science Library - An Web Portal to Take Advantage of Online Resources.
This site provides free, full-text access to thousands of scientific journals from major publishers as well as a large collection of on-line educational materials. The people with associated institutions listed in the website can take full advantage of online resources ...
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/elearning/rc/ItemDetail.do~1063656?intcmp=700

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)
The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. Through its work, the IDMC contributes to improving national ...http://topics.developmentgateway.org/ngo/rc/ItemDetail.do~1062941?intcmp=700

Voice of Arab Youth (VOAY) - Middle East and North Africa
Established by the Academy for Educational Development (AED), Voice of Arab Youth (VOAY) aims to give young Arabs the chance to document their experiences working on community development projects in the Middle East and North Africa. Selected participants receive training and funding to support projects to be carried out in their home countries. VOAY is designed to enable 18-25 year-old Arab leaders to implement community growth initiatives with self-designed projects in the fields of education, income generation, and job creation. For more information: http://www.comminit.com/africa/experiences/pds12005/experiences-2916.html
 

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