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Note from the Editors - No Crisis Can Afford to Forget Gender Equality
Kate McInturff and Peter Moore
When the financial crisis hijacked the agenda during the recent Canadian federal election in September and October, the policy prescriptions to heal the Canadian economy paid little attention to how to support women affected by the downturn. Rather, the election campaigns focused on whether or not to provide a fiscal stimulus to the economy and to ailing sectors such as auto manufacturing, whose jobs are primarily held by men. Healthcare, education, textiles, hospitality and tourism, all sectors with significant female workforces, were invisible.
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Building Export Markets for Peruvian Women
Heather Gibb
The rapid proliferation of regional trade agreements and free trade agreements has generated much discussion about whether and how they contribute to global trade liberalization and economic growth.Government agencies and international forums that monitor how trade and investment liberalization affect the status of women and prospects for inclusive growth are increasingly concerned that gender dimensions are not reflected in these trade discussions.
Uneven Progress Made in Closing the Gender Gap in the Americas
Kate McInturff
Latin America and the Caribbean are making progress in reducing the gender gap, according to The Global Gender Gap Report published in November by the World Economic Forum. The report, published each year since 2006, provides an overview of the gaps that exist between women and men across four categories: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Political Empowerment, and Health and Survival. It ranks each country overall and provides more detailed rankings across the four sectors.
Countering Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Latin America
Fernando D’Elio
The common factor that relates to violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Latin America is the enormous imbalance between all of the countries in the region, and within these countries, in their provinces, states and municipalities.Sadly, it is this imbalance that makes it difficult for states and Latin American civil society organizations to implement uniform strategies, to achieve the recognition of rights, and to fight against violence toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and transexual (LGBT) community. Whereas in some countries and cities this fight exists and has led to great achievements for equal rights with the rest of the community, in others work still needs to be done to repeal legislation, police regulations, and other rules that restrict the rights of, and promote violence toward, the LGBT community.
Estrategias para combatir la violencia basada en la orientación sexual e identidad de género en América Latina
Fernando D’Elio
Si se quisiera hablar de un factor común en toda Latinoamérica relacionado al tema de la violencia basada en la orientación sexual y la identidad de género, tanto a nivel social como desde las instituciones estatales, gubernamentales y legales, este factor sería el enorme desequilibrio que existe entre los diferentes países de la región, y dentro estos, en sus provincias, estados y municipios, en el ejercicio de los derechos humanos de las personas LGBT. Es este desequilibrio el que lamentablemente dificulta la uniformidad de estrategias, conquistas, reconocimiento de derechos y lucha contra la violencia hacia la comunidad LGTB, por los estados y las organizaciones de la sociedad civil que trabajan en este tema en Latinoamérica. Mientras en unos países y ciudades se han obtenido grandes conquistas hacia la igualdad de derechos de las personas LGBT con el resto de la comunidad, en otros aun se está trabajando por derogar legislaciones, reglamentos policiales y otras regulaciones que restringen los derechos y fomentan la violencia contra las personas LGTB.
Gender, Health and Mobility: Health Concerns of Women Migrant Farm Workers in Canada
Janet McLaughlin
The economic impacts of temporary labour migration, for both migrants and host countries, often overshadow and render invisible the social consequences. Based on three years of ethnographic research in Mexico, Jamaica and Canada, this article addresses issues of health and health care among women migrant workers in Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). This temporary labour migration program annually employs some 20,000 workers from Mexico and the Caribbean in the Canadian agricultural industry.
We Need Inclusive Communities for Women
Markus Gottsbacher
The multiple forms of violence against women and girls are a problem that falls within both the public and private spheres; it is essential that action be primarily directed toward both of these dimensions, which are inter-linked. Above all, we must fight against the invisibility of violence against women and girls. The collective creation of policies and programmes based on best practices and evidence is crucial. For that, we need a reliable data system that is constantly updated through varied and continuous data collection and statistical analysis. However, there is, still a long way to go before that data is appreciably used in real gender analysis.
Necesitamos Comunidades Inclusivas para las Mujeres
Markus Gottsbacher
Las múltiples formas de violencia contra mujeres y niñas es un problema que se presenta en lo privado y lo público. Es fundamental reconocer que las dos dimensiones, privada y pública, están vinculadas entre sí. Ante todo hay que luchar contra la invisibilización de la violencia contra las mujeres y niñas. La construcción colectiva de políticas y programas basados en buenas prácticas y evidencia es clave. Para eso precisamos de un sistema de datos confiables que se actualice continuamente, mediante múltiples prácticas de levantamiento de datos y estadísticas. Sin embargo, hace falta mucho para que éstos sean más sensibles a un verdadero análisis de género.
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