International Women’s Day 2016 - 'Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality'

7/3/2016

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

This year’s theme considers how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals.

The theme highlights the following key gender equality targets of the 2030 Agenda, so here they are, with some examples of how we are currently working towards them in our projects:

'Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education'

In Lebanon, Bangladesh and India we are ensuring that some of the most marginalised boys and girls (Syrian refugee children, stateless Rohingya population and ‘untouchable’ Dalit children) are accessing free, equitable and quality primary education, which sets them up to integrate into secondary education.

Our work in new communities in Uganda will also be preparing children to enter mainstream primary schools.

In Bangladesh, we are on target to achieve complete gender parity in our projects educating 3,600 working children and Rohingya refugee children by the end of 2016.

'Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre- primary education so that they are ready for primary education'

Early years development is the key service we are providing for displaced boys and girls in Kachin State, Burma. We are providing a full Early Childhood Development programme for 1440 children in the hard-to-reach mountain camps.

Our pilot project in Uganda also provided Early Childhood Development and ensured an equal number of girls and boys were selected and then supported by teachers and social workers to stay engaged throughout the programme. They were then supported to enrol into local primary schools afterwards.

This work is now beginning to be replicated in three new areas in the wider district.

Eliminate all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.

The partners we work with in Bihar State, India have an excellent focus on the inclusion of girls. The work here strives to foster self expression and critical thinking with a particular focus on child rights.

Working with ‘untouchable’ Dalit children, girls are encouraged through gender equality training to pursue studying and to find their voices.

Kavya aged 10 describes the work saying ‘We had training on Gender Equality. They are very nice teachers. We learned to raise our voice and promised to help others in the training. I will fight for my right. My family is not very sensitive towards girl child. I want to study and for this I will fight’

Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation

All our projects provide safety and education for girls, decreasing their vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation and promoting safe environments throughout the communities in which they live in.

We have recently supported more specific anti trafficking work on the border of India and Nepal. Education centres here also serve as places of safety and security for children who would otherwise face the harsh realities of the sexual exploitation and abuse around them.

The aim of the programme is to not only to provide these children with security and support, but also to pave the way for them to find a life beyond the confines of the red light district.

Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

All of our programmes contribute towards the prevention of child marriage by providing girls with access to education. This increases their opportunities to make meaningful decisions about their own lives.

In Bangladesh and Uganda, our local partners specifically address harmful practices through monthly meetings with parents and the wider community which focus on harmful practices including child marriage, child abuse, child labour and child sacrifice.