Topic 4: Women

Womens Rights Facts

Women still make up 70 per cent of the worlds poorest people Two-thirds of those who cannot read and write o Women are married early so the families see no point in investing in their education

Women and Violence - Violence against women and girls takes many forms and shows no sign of abating. - 79 million girls who would otherwise be expected to be alive are missing from various populations, mostly in Asia, as a result of sex-selective abortions, infanticide or neglect. - Domestic violence is widespread in most societies and is a frequent cause of suicides among women (very common in white collar societies) - Rape and other forms of sexual violence are increasing. Estimates of the proportion of rapes reported to authorities vary from less than 3 per cent in South Africa to about 16 per cent in the US. Life Expectancy at Birth Women outlive men in almost every society. In more developed countries, the average life expectancy at birth is 79 years for women, 72 years for men. In less developed countries, where high maternal mortality reduces the difference in longevity, women can expect to live an average of 66 years, compared with 63 years for men. Wages and Work - Fewer women work for a regular paid salary than men. - They are more likely to work in the informal sector, on part-time contracts and in low-paid jobs. - Worldwide, women earn 80% of male wages. - There is no country where women earn the same as men

World Literacy Rates - 57 million young men and 96 million young women aged 15-24 in developing countries still cannot read or write - About 90 countries are on track to meet global goals for ending gender inequality in primary education by 2015 Government - Although there is still a long way to go to meet the goal of 50/50 representation - Rwanda* is now approaching that target - the Assembly in Wales has already reached it - In 1995, only 8.7 per cent of elected officials were women; by May 2004 it was 15.4 per cent - In 22 countries women make up more than 25 per cent of those in government. * Though there have been accusations that the elections in Rwanda were fixed along ethnic lines.

Maternal Deaths - Nearly half-a-million women a year still die from complications relating to pregnancy - Most of these are in the poorer countries for every woman who dies in the North, 99 will die in the South - Many millions more experience complications that can lead to permanent illhealth or disability - Nearly all of this is preventable

Womens Education
The 3rd UN Millennium Development Goal is to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005 and in al education by 2015 Primary School Enrolment for girls in developing regions o 91% primary enrolment o 89-95% secondary enrolment o 82-97% tertiary enrolment Regions with the worst comparative secondary enrolment rates o Sub-Saharan Africa o Western Asia o Southern Asia Regions with the worst comparative tertiary enrolment rates o Sub-Saharan Africa o Southern Asia o Oceania Areas of tertiary study with an underrepresentation of women o Science o Technology o Engineering Biggest cause of girls out of school is poverty o The poorest girls of primary school age are 3x more likely to be out of school than the wealthiest o Twice the amount of poor girls than wealthy ones in secondary school o Girls are often needed to care for younger brothers and sisters while the parents work o Their education is less prioritised because they would be married off early Women and Paid employment o Globally 41% of the people in paid employment outside agriculture are women o In Southern Asia, Northern Africa and Western Asia only 20% o In Sub-Saharan Africa only 1 in 3 paid jobs occupied by women o Women are typically paid less and have less secure jobs than men o Women are mostly employed in agriculture sector Subsistence farmers Unpaid family workers Own-account worker Little or no financial security or social benefits o Only 1 in 4 senior officials or managers are women o Only account for 30% or more high-level workers in 3 out of 10 regions Women in Parliament o 18% representation in developing regions

o 24% in developed regions o 19% worldwide o Electoral systems, quota arrangements and other affirmative action has been effective 27% in countries with such measures 14% in countries without

Child Marriage
Child marriage is a violation of human rights whether it happens to a girl or a boy, but it represents perhaps the most prevalent form of sexual abuse and exploitation of girls. The harmful consequences include: o Separation from family and friends o Lack of freedom to interact with peers o Unable to participate in community activities o Decreased opportunities for education. Child marriage can also result in: o Bonded labour or enslavement o Commercial sexual exploitation o Violence against the victims. Because they cannot abstain from sex or insist on condom use, child brides are often exposed to such serious health risks as o Premature pregnancy o Sexually transmitted infections o HIV/AID S. Parents may consent to child marriages for a variety of reasons: o Out of economic necessity o A way to provide male guardianship for their daughters o Protect them from sexual assault o Avoid pregnancy outside marriage o Extend their childbearing years o Ensure obedience to the husbands household Facts and figures: o Globally, 36 per cent of women aged 2024 were married or in union before they reached 18 years of age. o An estimated 14 million adolescents between 15 and 19 give birth each year. Girls in this age group are twice as likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth as women in their twenties. o Marriage of young girls is most common in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia In Niger, 77 per cent of 20- to 24-year-old women were married before the age of 18. In Bangladesh, this rate was 65 per cent.

Maternal Mortality and Access to Skilled Care

800 women died each day in 2010 due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth Less than 50% of deliveries were attended by a skilled attendant in low-income countries Having a child remains one of the biggest health risks for women worldwide. o Each year more than 358,000 women die in childbirth or from complications during pregnancy. There remains an enormous gap between the developed and developing world. o A woman in Niger has a one in 17 chance of dying during the course of her lifetime from complications during pregnancy or delivery o In Australia its one in 7,400

Why do these women die? 99%of maternal and newborn mortality occurs in the developing world o more than 50 per cent of women still deliver without the assistance of skilled health personnel The majority of maternal deaths are caused by direct obstetric causes such as o Haemorrhage o Infection o hypertensive disorders of pregnancy o complications of unsafe abortion. All pregnant women are at risk and can develop complications at any time during pregnancy, delivery and after delivery o Women and families can learn how to avoid unplanned pregnancies o If pregnant, they can learn the importance of receiving antenatal care, how to identify danger signs plan for emergency referrals choose safe birthing options

What does UNICEF do? Enhance the role of women Prevent child marriage Increase girls education, educate Abolish Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), Support the development of adolescent life skills. Improve access to safe, quality antenatal care Increasing womens access to HIV treatment to prevent Mother to Child Transmission of HIV

Supports training of skilled birth attendants, Emergency Obstetric Care programmes Improved newborn and post natal care initiatives.

Adolescent Pregnancy
Facts - About 16 million adolescent girls give birth every year most in low- and middle-income countries. - An estimated three million girls aged 15-19 undergo unsafe abortions every year. - In low- and middle-income countries, complications from pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 years. - Stillbirths and newborn deaths are 50% higher among infants of adolescent mothers than among infants of women aged 20-29 years. - Infants of adolescent mothers are more likely to have low birth weight. Overview - 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 years - 2 million girls under the age of 15 give birth every year - 1 in 5 girls has given birth by the age of 18 - In the poorest regions of the world, this figure rises to over 1 in 3 girls. - Almost all adolescent births about 95% occur in low- and middle-income countries - Within countries, adolescent births are more likely to occur among: o Poor populations o Less educated populations o Rural populations Causes - In many societies, girls may be under pressure to marry and bear children early - They may have limited educational and employment prospects. - In low- and middle-income countries o over 30% of girls marry before they are 18 years of age o around 14% before the age of 15 o Married adolescents are likely to become pregnant and give birth in accordance with social norms - Education is a major protective factor for early pregnancy: o The more years of schooling, the fewer early pregnancies o Birth rates among women with low education are higher than for those with secondary or tertiary education o Knowledge in how to prevent STIs - Some adolescents do not know how to avoid becoming pregnant, or are unable to obtain contraceptives

o Even where contraceptives are widely available, sexually active adolescents are less likely to use contraceptives than adults o In Latin America, Europe and Asia only 42-68% of adolescents who are married or in partnerships use contraceptives o In Africa the rate ranges from 3-49%. There is a lack of sexuality education in many countries. o Only 36% of young men and 24% of young women aged 15-24 in low- and middle-income countries have comprehensive and correct knowledge of how to prevent HIV Adolescent girls may be unable to refuse sex o Sexual violence is widespread and particularly affects adolescent girls. o More than one third of girls in some countries report that their first sexual encounter was coerced

Consequences - Pregnant adolescents are more likely than adults to have unsafe abortions o An estimated three million unsafe abortions occur globally every year among girls aged 15-19 years o Unsafe abortions contribute substantially to lasting health problems and maternal deaths. - Having babies during adolescence has serious consequences for the health of the girl and her infant o Especially in areas with weak health systems o Adolescents are less likely than adults to obtain skilled care before, during and after childbirth - Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 years in many low- and middle-income countries. o Stillbirths and newborn deaths are 50% higher among infants born to adolescent mothers than among those born to mothers aged 20-29 years o Infants of adolescent mothers are also more likely to have low birth weight long-term impact on their health and development Global context - Adolescent pregnancy is a major contributor to maternal and child mortality, and to the vicious cycle of ill-health and poverty - The Global strategy for womens and childrens health, launched by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2010, stresses the importance of addressing the health and welfare of adolescent girls in order to achieve the fifth Millennium Development Goal on maternal mortality reduction. WHO response

In May 2011, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution urging Member States to accelerate actions to improve the health of young people. It included these specific measures: o reviewing and revising policies to protect young people from early childbearing; o providing access to contraception and reproductive health care services; and o promoting access to accurate information on sexual and reproductive health. WHO published guidelines on how to prevent early pregnancies and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries with six objectives: o Reducing marriage before the age of 18; o Creating understanding and support to reduce pregnancy before the age of 20; o Increasing the use of contraception by adolescents at risk of unintended pregnancy; o Reducing coerced sex among adolescents; o Reducing unsafe abortion among adolescents; o Increasing the use of skilled antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care among adolescents.

Fistulas
An obstetric fistula of the kind that occurs in many developing countries is a hole between a woman's birth passage and one or more of her internal organs o Develops over many days of obstructed labour o The pressure of the baby's head against the mother's pelvis cuts off blood supply to delicate tissues in the region o Dead tissue falls away and the woman is left with a hole between her vagina and her bladder and sometimes between her vagina and rectum o Results in permanent incontinence of urine and/or faeces o Majority of women who develop fistulas are abandoned by their husbands and ostracized by their communities They are unable to have children and have a foul smell o Traumatic fistula is the result of sexual violence. can occur through rape or women being butchered from the inside with bayonets, wood or even rifles. The aim is to destroy the women and the community within which the sufferer lives o Once committed the survivor, her husband, children and extended family become traumatized and humiliated

The Panzi Hospital in Congo is a pioneer in treating victims of traumatic fistula. An obstetric fistula can be closed with intravaginal surgery o If performed by a skilled surgeon, a fistula patient has a good chance of returning to a normal life with full control of her bodily functions. $450 it is enough to provide one woman with o Surgery o Postoperative care o Physical rehabilitation. o Costs and hospitalization can be more for more complicated surgeries

Causes of Obstetric Fistula - Results from an obstructed labour that is left unrelieved and untreated - 5% of all pregnant women worldwide will experience obstructed labour - In affluent countries, emergency obstetric care is readily available - In many developing countries obstructed labour often results in death of the mother o Few hospitals o Few doctors o Poor transportation systems o Women are not highly valued, - When she survives, there is a great likelihood o Her child will die o She will develop a fistula. A - Three delays that contribute to the development of a fistula: o Seeking medical attention; o Reaching a medical facility; and o Receiving medical care once arriving at a health care facility Numbers of Fistula Suffers Globally - An accurate count is very hard to achieve. - Most common estimate is that 100,000 women worldwide develop fistulas every year o some estimates put the number closer to 500,000 o Most fistula sufferers are young womenmany still in their teensthey are likely to live with their condition for upwards of 25 years. - There are hundreds of thousands of women currently living with fistula throughout the developing world - World capacity to treat fistula is estimated at fewer than 20,000 fistula repair surgeries per year. - There is a high incidence of fistula in Africa and parts of Asia o Women are susceptible to developing fistulas wherever there are insufficient emergency obstetric care systems.

Any woman who can gain access to emergency obstetric care such as a caesarean section will not develop a fistula.

The Fistula Foundation - Dedicated to raising awareness of and funding for fistula repair, prevention, and educational programs worldwide to help eradicate fistula. - Funding Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa o Largest facility in the world dedicated exclusively to fistula care o Founded in 1974 by Dr. Catherine Hamlin and her now late husband Reginald o Universally recognized as a fistula treatment pioneer who has restored life to tens of thousands of fistula patients. o Their operations include a main facility in the capital city of Addis Ababa with five mini-fistula hospitals o Offer fistula treatment and short and long-term patient care, research and training for health care professionals, including a midwifery school. o Support helps fund the hospital's annual operating costs Allowing it to provide free, safe surgery to any woman who comes here in need of fistula treatment

WOW Day Presentations

Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund - 1974 started as a dedicated fistula hospital o Now spreading regionally o Provides free services to 2,500 women annually o Cares for 50 long-term patients - Has treated over 300, 000 women o Success/cure rate of over 90% o Patient spends approximately 3 weeks there - Started having patients as nurses o They are empathetic o Midwives are chosen from high schools - Fundraising to support the hospital o Provides new clothes and money for transport back home Women generally accepted back into their communities - Kitting donations for women - Documentaries telling the story of patients Female Genital Mutilation NSW Education Program Female genital mutilation is a violent procedure that involves partial or total removal of the female sexual organs Some communities do not see it as a violation and use the term circumcision

There are three different types o Clitoridectomy 5% o Excision 80% o Infibulation 15% Carried out by traditional birth attendents or another older woman o Procedure passed down through generations o Generally children aged 5-13 o Hermal mixtures rubbed into world o Equipment used includes broken glass, razors etc. Worldwide prevalance is 130 million+ Annual incidence is 2-3 million girls It has only been recently acknowledged as a widespread practise nationwide Mainly occurs in: o Egypt o Guinea o Somalia o Sudan o Mali o Sierra Leone Reasons include o Tradition o Religion o Social cohesion o Economise o Psychosexual reasons o Aesthetics and hygiene (thought to be better) Health effects include o Violent pain o Haemorrhaging from rupture of the blood vessels of the clitoris o Post operative shock leading to dealth o Damage to other organs o Difficulty in menstruation o Painful sex o Infertility o Fistula o Incontinence Psychological effects include o Severe depression o Post-traumatic stress disorder o Loss of sleep o Flashbacks o Nightmares o Feelings of being incomplete

In NSW it is criminalised in the Crimes (FGM) Act of 1995 o 7 year prison sentence o Illegal even if the girls consent FGM NSW provides the following services o facilitating access to the full range of health services in NSW for women, girls and their families affected by or at risk of the practice o preventing the occurrence of FGM through an emphasis on community education, information and support o assisting women, girls and their families living in NSW who have been affected by FGM to minimise the harmful effects o strengthening community ownership of the issues and appropriate approaches to prevention of FGM.

CARE Australia - People in Paupa New Guinea earn $1.25 a day o No training on how to handle natural delivers o 75% of women and girls have no education o Pregnancy is the leading cause of death - 125 million want to use contraception o Men control womens bodies - Australia is the 2nd safest place globally to be a mother - Niger is the worst o Food crisis means no crops, no jobs, no money o 7 babies per family - 6 out of 10 children not in school are girls o In high school its 8 out of 10 o Means poverty and lack of choices - Most refugees are women and children - Farms, markets, school, government and hospitals dont run without men o Women dont have experience/education - Help 1 woman out of poverty and she'll bring 4 others with her - Women and girls can create lasting change if they have the opportunity to gain o Education o Access health services o Generate an income o Take a lead in their community. - Educating girls has cascading benefits. Educated women are: o Less likely to die in childbirth o More likely to have healthy babies o More likely to send their children to school o Better able to protect their children from HIV, trafficking and sexual exploitation

In 2011, CARE assisted 122 million people across 84 countries through 1015 poverty-fighting projects o More than 97 per cent of CARE staff are citizens of the countries in which we operate. o CARE provides clean water, nutritious food, healthcare and advice to o Communities o Works to ensure that mothers have the tools and knowledge necessary to have a safe birth and keep their family healthy o CARE provides girls and boys with access to primary, secondary and vocational education and works to remove barriers preventing girls from attending school

Young United Nations Women Australia - Support UN Women through: o Membership programs o Raising public awareness of gender and development issues o Fundraising for UN Women projects around the world - UN Women Australia is an active participant in UN activities relating to gender and development o Sends an annual delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women o Supporting a youth delegate to attend each year. - Role is to: o Engage the support of Government in achieving gender equality in partnership with UN Women o Raise funds to support programs which achieve gender equality and empower women o Challenge attitudes which perpetuate gender inequality in Australia and globally o Ensure that UN Women Australia is a sustainable, national nongovernmental organisation