#CSW63 Reflections

Saturday 16th March 2019

So this week has been a rollercoaster, even for an experienced activist like me.

This week has given me an opportunity to have conversations with sisters who are fighting the struggle in their own ways.  Many of us feel alone in our struggles but this week has demonstrated that each little action we take in our own little corner of the world, we are all weaving in our part of the tapestry.  This week has helped me re-examine and shape my own feminist lens, but this hasn't been without it's challenges.

This week has been both exhausting and recharging at the same time, inspiring and frustrating in tandem and hope-building and despairing, all in one.

I leave this week feeling frustrated that at times we are still fighting the same issues, I am sad that our girls are still feeling vulnerable and unsafe in the very places they should feel safe and secure. I am disappointed that the same experiences I've had and spoken out in the past about are still being experienced in the present.

On the other hand, I am inspired that the next generation are increasingly not accepting the behaviours of the past, that our young sisters have got voices they refuse to allow to be silenced.  I am hopeful that our voices, united will never be defeated.  I feel recharged meeting sisters of all generations, at multiple levels of activism being in one space sharing the positives of their activism.

I am privileged to be an educator who has the space to help all young people find their voices to take our society in the next century.

We are involved in a struggle against a patriarchal system that has taken centuries to embed. It is a patriarchal system that doesn't even benefit all men, let alone women.  It is based on benefitting those with the resources and for those who don't, then they are also victims of it's success. The issue is that it sells a version of success based on a sense of ambition that is built on the degradation of others. Whether this is based on race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, sexual orientation, class, economic status the system is balanced on a hierarchy of haves versus have nots.

This system has mutated into many forms and takes diverse shapes in different communities and countries around the work.  Based on our own intersectional identities, we engage with these systems in different ways, meaning that out fight back adapts to fight it in different ways.

Over the week I have been a part of the Educational International delegation, sitting alongside sister educators from across the world and feeling that we are all on the same page.  I have heard that a lot of the work to educate about gender equality and safe spaces for all, starts in the classroom and we are there to facilitate it.

However teachers (and women teachers) are facing battles in our profession that are trying to push us out.  Women make up about 75% of the workforce yet we are underrepresented in senior leadership roles and curriculum development positions. The longer we stay in teaching, the more 'expensive' we are, so older women teachers are often targeted for capability or are bullied out of the profession.  Our subjects are being classed as 'soft' which means they are expendable from the curriculum and we are being set up to fail through teaching subjects outside of our training.
As women teachers we face pay suppression and lack of promotion opportunities.   We are fighting to stay in the classroom so we can continue to do the vital work that is needed outside of our classrooms.

During #CSW63, one message has stayed with me through out this experience, a half of our population are having their potential restricted and limited. Women and girls inspire the next generation as we are the mothers, aunties, grandmothers who directly influence the lives of babies and children.  We are the teachers, babysitters, educators, coaches for children as women are the majority of the domestic sector, this is undeniable.

Women's rights are Human Rights!

In the words of the Secretary-General of the UN, himself:

"The bottom line is simple: When we exclude women, we all pay the price. When we include women, the world wins. We all win."

This fight is one that we have all got a role to play and we all must continue to add our single threads to the tapestry of a more equal and just society, for all.  Thank you EI and NASUWT for allowing me to strengthen the thread that I am weaving through my own experiences.

#CSW63 Taking Action

Friday 15th March 2019

And so we are coming to the end of our time here at #CSW63 and what better way to bookend a week of empowerment and engagement than standing in solidarity with NY students taking action in the youth strike for climate change.  Students and young people across the world have called for a day of action to demand that our negative impact on our environment is prioritised by those with the power to make change.

For young people who are disenfranchised through the democratic process (not able to vote) and the legal process (age of legal responsibility), the only way they can amplify their voices is often through action. 

Unfortunately this is also the why those with political power undermine the voices of young people.  "Why should we listen to young people who are just shouting?", "These young people need to focus on going to school and learning", "This is not something for children to be involved in"... These are some of the comments that get trotted out anytime young people ask to be taken seriously. So is it any wonder why children start making demands?

As a citizenship teacher, I am proud of the next generation when children and young people find methods of co-ordinating and uniting their voices. Using technology, young people are finding new ways of organising, agitating and taking action. Increasingly, they are no longer waiting to be given permission to get involved.

On Thursday I attended a session called Teaching Consent and I was blown away.  This was a session led by a panel of articulate little sisters who are building their voices in their communities.  No longer being the lone feminist voice in the school (like Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You). These sisters are now united in the knowledge that they are part of a wider community, working together. Sharing ideas, organising and communicating across the US.

The emphasis on peer-peer education shows how when young people are given the tools, they can take the lead in their communities, and organisations like Girls International, The UK Council of Women, GLA and GLI are producing the tools.

We heard about sexually inappropriate behaviour in schools and in communities, our young women are vulnerable in so many spaces and they are expected to build an immunity to it.  Our sisters told us about how campuses are supposed to be safe spaces for everyone but when they aren't? it is the sisters who are using the rules and regulations to force administrations to see the problems for what they are.  They educated us on the importance of policy (especially Title 9s), education and culture when it comes to gender equality.  

Sisters are building a guide to universities based on the level of protection and safety for women and girls on campus, so women can choose a place of education based not just on location or academic reputation, but also on how serious the school takes reports of sexual assault and harassment.

Most importantly, our little sisters are understanding the importance of using language to define and empower.  By using the word 'survivor' instead 'victim' to describe sisters who have experience sexual assault or harassment, we are recognising the strength needed rather than the cowardice of the perpetrator.

The film 'The Hunting Ground' is another clear example of how when the media tells the right stories, it is able to inspire and unite. 

These young women are building their support networks and already understanding that fighting for gender equality and respect is a global campaign, a campaign that needs a multitude of voices and actions.

#CSW63 Listening to the next generation

Thursday 15th March 2019

The voices of 'little' sisters have continued to be amplified in this space over the week and they have well and truly claimed their space within the feminist space in the social and professional settings.  As a teacher, I can't help but see a glimpse of my own students in the powerful voices of these sisters.

Our day started with Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Youth organised by UN Girls Education Initiative.  We were introduced to how different parts of the world are embedding the principals of the UNESCO guidance.  


In the Caribbean we have the HFLE - Caribbean CSE which has a number of challenges on it's implementation including adaption due to the personal biases of the educators and parental pressure, who challenge based on what they believe children should or shouldn't hear at their age.  There is this belief that if these issues are talked about in school, then children and young people are given the 'permission' to go and become sexually active.  

However the UNESCO guidance is very clear about introducing the topics when age appropriate, using age appropriate language. So the issue comes down to instilling confidence in the educators to know what they teaching to the next generation.  

It was interesting hearing how important it is for subject specialists to be employed or upskilled to be able to teach CSE confidently and not to 'tag it on' to teachers who may be subject specialists of another curriculum area.  It was good to hear this stated in this global forum as it is one of the key issues we are challenging in the UK, with non-subject specialists being 'dropped' into new subjects without training or space to get familiar with the new subject area.  This is often due to the teacher supply crisis, but this is combined with devaluation of 'soft' subjects in favour of the English Baccalaureate subjects and adverse management practices by senior leaders.

As a trained PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education Teacher) I know how important it is to be able to address 'controversial' topics in a safe, trusting space with young people while balancing it with information and the ability to ask and answer questions.

The UK has recently concluded a review of our PSHE/Sex and Relationships Curriculum for both primary and secondary schools and it is believed that the new guidance will develop understanding of coercive behaviour, consent, same sex relationships and body image.  However the concern is also about parents choosing to opt their children out on religious or cultural reasons.  But what educators have found is that the children and young people themselves, want to be involved in the lessons, leading to a conflict between children's rights and parental rights.

Intersectional identities must be recognised, especially in the CSE/PSHE/SRE curriculum, we can't aim towards a "genderless" curriculum (as one speaker was calling for) because different identities have different needs and to ignore these to create a homogenous scheme of work can end up alienating the very students we need to reach. For example a lesbian girl has different sexual health needs than a heterosexual girl with mobility issues.

A sticking point appears to be the reference to same sex and gender identity visibility in CSE.  Fortunately in the UK we have an 'unusual' ally in the Church of England who have issued guidance to all church schools (the majority of UK state schools) to say that God created us all in his image and therefore it is the Christian mission to love ALL of God's children. The document called 'Valuing All God's Children' when combined with the Church of England response to SRE Review 2018 gives a strong steer from the national church, towards inclusivity.

One thing that became very clear, is that girls need to be taught how to own their sexuality and be taught that sex isn't just about providing pleasure for their partners.  That girls and women have agency over their own bodies and pleasure, and if this is not happening then they need to be taught how they can be empowered to make sure they have a recognised equal partnership in their future relationships.

#CSW63 Caucus - Women and Girls of African Descent Inaugural Meeting

Wednesday 13th March 2019

Tucked away on the schedule of hundreds of event this week, we spotted a Caucus for women of African descent.  As British Black women our 'membership' of the African Diaspora is one that is complex and multi-layered, so a caucus to welcome those of us with this heritage was welcome.

The term diaspora is used to describe people of African descent who live in other parts of the world.  This could be due to migration or choice, for a number of reasons including economic opportunities.  Then there are those who are the descendants of those who were taken from Africa by force, stolen to fuel the Transatlantic Slave trade.

In all the years of the CSW this is the first year that a caucus was called and we went along, not now what to expect.  Our experience as daughters and granddaughters of Africans taken to the Americas or the British colonies is one that hugely influences our lens on the world around us. For those of us who have an additional step (via the British Colonies in the Caribbean).

This space in the busy schedule, gave us the chance to connect with our sisters in the diaspora, from Geneva, America, the Caribbean and other countries.

We used the time to find our commonalities (including sharing recipes), sharing our experiences, listening to our sisters, singing together but most importantly we paid tribute to our ancestors. To those who went before us and paved the way for us to be in this space together.

The commune was welcomed by Rev. Dionne P. Boissiere, Chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations. The first woman of African descent to hold the post.  We were also joined by sisters in policy, education, artists and activism. We were an intergenerational family gathering which will be celebrated for being the first.

I feel truly honoured to have been at CSW63 for this inaugural moment, the power and sisterhood of the common was strong in that space and I hope we can strengthen the bonds that were founded on that night.

#CSW63 Intersectionality: Women and Girls with Disabilities

Wednesday 13th March 2019

Today I attended 2 sessions examining where gender intersects with disability. Access to Justice For Women with Disabilities which focused on women and girls in Africa (Disability Rights Fund Inc./Urgent Action Fund Africa)  and the second was More than a Footnote (DAWN Canada).

To see how organisations in two very different parts of the world are trying to achieve by raising the profile (and voices) of women with all forms of disabilities is powerful and thought provoking.  The place to start is how does our feminist movement give voice to ALL women?

DAWN presented that 15% of the population are people living with disabilities with 85% living in the global south. That is 1/2 billion people globally making up the largest minority group in the world (in this context). It is also believed that 70 million are people living with Hearing Impairment.  Of course these figures are estimates as this depends on data being collected, based on what is reported or identified, often by the person themselves.

For women and girls in Africa, the resources to enable women and girls to engage with the society around them that they are isolated and locked into their own experiences.  This is why national and international law is essential to try to provide a level playing field.

In Canada 1 in 7 of those who are 15y.o+ have a disability and live in poverty.  They are also 2 times more likely to be victims of violent crime or sexual abuse. And despite being on the other side of the world, the sisters in Africa are facing similar experiences, excluded from the social protections that are 'enjoyed' by the majority.  One group that were mentioned were sisters who developed disabilities as a result of violence towards them, for example the thousands of women who have head injuries which have developed into disabilities. Women who are escaping violent and abusive domestic situations, who depend on the justice system to keep them safe.

The seminar was told how that sisters with disabilities in Africa are easily discredited by the justice system.  The lack of trained interpreters who know sign language has an impact when it comes to reporting crime.  There is literally no way to have their voices heard, if these sisters are unable to communicate to the reporting police officer/station.

They can't give a statement or speak in court. In some cases where there is an interpreter, the women will often agree with what they are being asked or told as their voices are distilled through the court appointed interpreter who they haven't had a chance to develop a trusting relationship with, who are also often men.

In addition to this we see how the justice system is used to discredit and alienate the agency of our sisters with disabilities.  We have women with psychological-social disabilities being disenfranchised with the term 'of sound mind' where they are stripped of their voices.

One example given was of a young woman who was in care having an application for guardianship made against her because she was in what was seen as an 'inappropriate' sexual relationship.  Instead of talking to the woman and empowering her with some agency over her body and her life, the decision was to take away all of her individual rights.

The answer has to start with, how do we hear the voices of our sisters with disabilities so they can tell us their experiences and their needs. We can not let a homogenous feminist movement speak on behalf of 'all' women without listening to the voices of 'all' women at every step of the journey.

It's also important to remember that as well as being a woman or girl with a disability, they also may have additional cultural ideindities to recognise as well ie ethnicity/nationality/sexual orientation etc.  As a feminist movement it is crucial that women are given spaces where they can articulate their experiences and given the tools to add their demands to the feminist agenda too.

#CSW63 Big Oops!

Wednesday 13th March 2019

Beware - Confession ahead...

Today we arrived at the main session where countries were reporting back on their work in relation to the CSW agenda over the last year.

We entered the room and decided that we would like to sit closer to the action... little did I know how close.

In a previous session delegates were able to sit on the main floor, so we joined other delegates on the conference floor.  After much consideration of the empty seats we decided on two together Hungary and Honduras.

We settled in, took out our laptops and started taking notes.

Lots of people were coming and going around us, swapping of seats, chatting, taking of photographs. Everything was fine and we started to relax.

Then I started to notice that the people who were on the screens reporting back to the conference room were the country's delegates and ministers.  We were sitting with the diplomats!

How do we escape without appearing on the screen? or getting kicked out by security? There is no way to do this subtly….. But what if Hungary gets called to feed back and we end up on the screen?

We decided to sit and hope nobody notices us... and then the minister from Honduras arrives to take her seat!

Through some clever manoeuvring and rudimentary Spanish, we were able to escape back to the visitors seating with very few people noticing...

Except of course the rest of the EI delegation!!!

Another first to add to my first time at the UN 😉

#CSW63 - Teachers Love a Report Card

 Tuesday 12th March 2019

Education International co-ordinated an informative delegation seminar which helped to put #CSW63 into a wider context, in the global language of education.

We were presented with the Secretary General's 2nd year report card from the Feminist U.N, Campaign.  Compiled by the International Center for Research on Women (www.icrw.org) and presented by Teresa Casale.

We were told how the ICRW hold the Secretary General to account on issues of Gender Equality and Women's Rights.  When he was elected he made a statement that he is a feminist, and they are holding him to it.

They take into account his words via social media, speeches, articles, interviews but they also review his actions.  They look at appointments to his team, the balance of women on committees and official UN actions.

ICRW use the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set by the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)  to set their success criteria. These are assessed using 6 recommendations as a measure:

1. Implement a Feminist Leadership Agenda for the UN
2. Ensure Feminist Implementation and Accountability for the SDGs
3. Finance for Gender Equality
4. Utilize Feminist Leadership
5. Enable a Feminist Transformation for CSW and UN Women
6. Promote the Freedom of Information in the UN System

It was fascinating to hear how the office of the Sec-Gen are constantly sending them evidence to improve his grade, that they are fully engaging with the report card process and how the grading system work.

Overall the Sec-Gen got a B- which is an improvement compared to his grade of a C+ last year (2017).  His individual grades were as follows (2017 - 2018)

1. Implement a Feminist Leadership Agenda for the UN - B to a B+
2. Ensure Feminist Implementation and Accountability for the SDGs - D+ to C
3. Finance for Gender Equality - C+ (Stayed the same)
4. Utilize Feminist Leadership - B+ to A-
5. Enable a Feminist Transformation for CSW and UN Women - C (Stayed the same)
6. Promote the Freedom of Information in the UN System - D+ to C

So overall he has improved, however he still has areas of focus to improve.  There was a concern raised that as he was working too slow in some areas and faster in others. It's good to make declarations but without assigning people, time or funding then you are going to find resistance to change.

We discussed about the need to not just promote women to positions to say 'check' we've done that; actually organisations like the UN have to consider the power balance for that position and whether the new appointee can influence change.  There was also the very real issue of promoting women for promotion sake, and not necessarily putting the 'right' woman in the position.

On the other hand he is on schedule to hit his deadline for parity, this is an ambitious agenda and as a result he has also faced pushback from some of the UN staff trade unions.  The worry is that (as with other large organisations) the UN is essentially policing itself, so the scrutiny from civil societies is a strong measure of true impact.

The idea of a report card for a leader of an organisation led us to discuss whether this would be transferable as a method to other leaders, or organisations such as the EU or the Canadian Minister and we were able to start seeing where it could be a useful tool however it does need the co-operation of the institution/individual to an extent.

One of the very interesting discussions was about the use of the word 'Feminist' and how it is used, not just when talking to an audience of women but how this translates into action when that person is in a position of power or influence.  It's 'easy' to say you are a feminist in a room full of feminists, it's what you do when you are not.

Thank you EI for an insightful presentation, in the language of teachers!

Feminist UN Report Card - Read the report here