The history of psychiatry is replete with examples of poor outcomes for women in need, often women who sought medical help. Lobotomies are an extreme but illustrative example, as most lobotomized patients were women, although most institutionalized patients at the time were men. In 1937, Freeman and surgeon James Watts published on the surgery’s benefits, based on a case study of six patients with psychiatric symptoms. They credited the surgery for alleviating patients’ symptoms: “insomnia, … [Read more...]
Celebrating Women in Biotech
Biotechnology is the integration of natural science and organisms, cells, parts thereof, and molecular analogues for products and services, as per the European Federation of Biotechnology. At its simplest, biotechnology is technology based on biology - biotechnology harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives and the health of our planet. We have used the biological processes of microorganisms for more than 6,000 years to … [Read more...]
Advancing Gender Equality: UN Women at Davos 2023
The latest available Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 data shows that the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. It will take another 286 years to close the global gender gap. Almost 1 in 3 women have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. Eighty-five per cent of Fortune 500 CEOs are men. Shining a spotlight on these issues, UN Women will be at Davos, where the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum is taking place from 16 to 20 … [Read more...]
Surrounding Yourself with Strong Community Empowers Women
The cliche phrase says that it takes a village to raise a child. But the saying also implies the need for women to have a supportive community to empower them. From young women fresh out of college to working mothers to successful CEOs whose careers are taking off, having a community of strong women around you will help you achieve your goals. When you're constantly surrounded by people who are passionate about their work and life, it's contagious. Their energy and enthusiasm are palpable, … [Read more...]
Fighting Barriers in STEM Careers for Women
STEM careers offer premier growth and earnings, but there are some barriers that women face when pursuing STEM careers. One such example is the gender wage gap where women earn approximately 82 cents for every dollar earned by a man. With STEM careers specifically, men earn a 40% higher salary than women. Although women’s representation in STEM has increased dramatically since 1970, those strides have leveled off in recent years. In fact, the number of women working in computer fields — the … [Read more...]
How Gender Bias Affects the Work-Life Balance
A healthy work-life balance assumes greater significance for working women for the family and workplace balance still pose more challenges and time restraints for women as a norm. This current environment affects growth in both areas of life, and leaves little to zero selfcare time for every working woman. The dynamics of the work environment have exerted enormous pressure on working women as they need to cope with virtually 'two full time jobs' – one at the office and the other at home. … [Read more...]
UNICEF: Gender Action Plan, 2022-2025
Gender Action Plan, 2022-2025 A vision for lasting, transformative change Gender equality means that girls and boys enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections. In 2021, UNICEF ushered in a new gender policy (2021–2030) articulating our vision for gender equality in our programs, as well as our workplaces and practices, around the globe. The Gender Action Plan (2022–2025) charts UNICEF’s way forward with a series of time-bound results that deliver lasting, transformative … [Read more...]
WORLD DAY AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS – July 30, 2022 International
THEME 2022 “Use and Abuse of Technology” This year’s theme focuses on the role of technology as a tool that can both enable and impede human trafficking. With the global expansion in the use of technology - intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift of our everyday life to online platforms -- the crime of human trafficking has conquered cyber space. The internet and digital platforms offer traffickers numerous tools to recruit, exploit, and control victims; organize their … [Read more...]
Four Ways To Improve Gender Equality In Your Business
Today, it is the duty of business owners to ensure they are doing their part to further equality across all industries. They can do this by focusing on their own company and setting an example for others. Increasing the opportunities for women and trans employees to be more in line with male employees can set your business in better stead with your customers, potential employees, and clients too. Knowing where to start with this can be difficult, however. So to help, we’ve put together four … [Read more...]
Inspiring Business Women in the Entertainment Industry
The media and entertainment industry spans everything from film and TV to gaming and casino - and it’s growing by day too. Latest figures have revealed that the US Arts, Entertainment and Recreation industry has a current market size of over $307 billion. It can’t be denied that the sector is dominated by men, but, despite this, there are a whole host of inspiring business women who we can all take a lesson or two from. Here, we round up three of the most prominent and take a look at their … [Read more...]
Gender Parity – Almost a Century Away
Image Linked The SDG-index_report_FINAL_EN (1)2022 SDG Gender Index finds little progress on gender equality at the global level between 2015 and 2020. The global Index score for gender equality stands at just 67.8 in 2020: only a slight improvement of less than two points since 2015. If current trends continue, the global score will reach only 71 out of 100 by 2030, the deadline for the achievement of the SDGs. And even this projection could be seen as optimistic, given the impact the … [Read more...]
Gender Identities and Roles in Society
We live in a world where gender identity is considered a fluid concept. No longer are we restricted to the gender binaries of male and female. There are examples of genders include male, female, transgender, cisgender, and gender non-conforming. We live in a world where gender identity is considered a fluid concept. No longer are we restricted to the gender binaries of male and female. In fact, if we move beyond a euro-centric view of gender, diversity of genders has existed across cultures … [Read more...]
Handbook: How to Manage Gender-Responsive Evaluation (2022)
UN Women Handbook: How to Manage Gender-Responsive Evaluation (2022) Gender-responsive evaluation is a priority area for UN Women and serves three key purposes: To demonstrate accountability to stakeholders; To provide credible and reliable evidence for decision-making; and To contribute important lessons learned about normative, operational, and coordination work. With the aim of continuing to strengthen and support the evaluation function, the UN Women Independent Evaluation … [Read more...]
SDG 8: Pandemic Financial Affects on Women & Youth
Even before the pandemic hit, global economic growth had slowed. The COVID-19 crisis disrupted economic activities around the world and caused the worst recession since the Great Depression. In 2020, 8.8 per cent of global working hours were lost (relative to the fourth quarter of 2019), equivalent to 255 million full-time jobs – about four times the number lost during the global financial crisis in 2009. The pandemic has put workers in informal employment at risk, as they lack protection … [Read more...]
Gen Z are Creating Positive Gender and Social Change
Gen Z’s views on gender equity are different from previous generations, including Millennials. In fact, their posture toward gender equity could play a more powerful role in shaping the future workforce than that of Millennials, and not only because Gen Z comprises a greater percentage of the global population than the generation ahead of them (32% vs 31.5%, respectively). Gen Z are not ‘coddled.’ They are highly collaborative, self-reliant and pragmatic, according to new Stanford-affiliated … [Read more...]