Last Tuesday morning I attended the first session of the OECD-MENA Women’s Business Forum conference on “Policies and Services to Support Women’s Entrepreneurship Development in the MENA Region – Government and Private Sector Responses in Times of Change”. In a nutshell, the event was organised to discuss how to best promote women’s entrepreneurship in the region.
The Middle East and North Africa region is currently seeing an unprecedented period of change both at the political and social levels, and in particular women’s involvement in the Arab Spring was noticeable at all levels. Such a context clearly represents an opportunity to strengthen both existing private sector development efforts and to allow young women to shape public policies and actively contribute to the economy in the region.
This first session on “adapting policy advocacy tools to respond to a changing political and economic context” gathered a very rich panel of speakers representing a variety of countries, such as Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. What I heard reinforced what we have been reading a lot lately in the press: US Ambassador Kornbluh highlighted that there are “two dusts of wind” – first with the Arab Spring, which is giving hope to other neighbouring regions and second with the growing recognition that women’s prosperity is key to economic growth. And while the OECD focuses on access to finance, markets and business services in the region, legal obstacles to women’s access to those areas must also be tackled, as in the case of discriminatory inheritance rights. How can we adapt policy advocacy tools to each country’s political environment?
Yes, the panelists agreed that there are still big hurdles to women’s active involvement in entrepreneurial activities. In Iraq, the results of a survey pointed out that 54 % of women would like to work but are unable to find a job. Sometimes the negative interpretation of Islam constrains women to stay at home and excludes them from participation in the economy. In other cases, women themselves refuse to take a job if they are not segregated from men in the working environment…
However, throughout this morning session, many positive examples were also given, reflecting that there is a process of change happening in many countries: for example, someone mentioned the recent announcement by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah that women will have the right to vote in the 2015 elections for the first time; it was highlighted that in Iraq, women today represent 25% of the Parliament, and they are also involved in decision-making at city council level; The extremely positive advances in Tunisia with regards to the status of women were also brought to the fore. Maybe the key, then, is simply to give women a voice and let them participate at all levels of governance?
The session ended by broadening the discussion on the links between institutional changes and development outcomes: it was stressed that we need to learn from past achievements in this regard, especially where women played an active role. Success stories in Liberia – with a woman president elected following the war, Rwanda – with its high number of female parliamentarians, or Chile – with the election of President Bachelet were mentioned. Those examples show that sometimes regime changes can bring about positive outcomes for women. But this is not always the case, and gender equality should be looked at as a policy advocacy tool that encapsulates broader notions such as creating an inclusive growth and fostering social cohesion, especially with the younger populations that are the most affected by unemployment.
This brings me back to the current context in the region and the Arab Spring movement: nothing should be done without ensuring that civil society plays an active role in the process of change – and this cannot be realised without the participation of women. The importance of using social media to participate, make voices heard and create networks is also crucial for women as well as to help them start businesses and work together, as was mentioned throughout the session. We need to exchange experiences, discuss policy lessons and focus on issues that are relevant to MENA economies in the current context. To promote women’s entrepreneurship in the region, women need to first have equality of voice and participation. I would go further by saying that if women are more involved in this process of change we will get a more representative view of how well a society is doing as a whole and achieve greater gains.
Wikiprogress has included a section on “Progress and the Arab Spring” in the following countries: Tunisia, Yemen, Libya and Syria. I invite you to edit the section in these countries to include a gender perspective, or to create your own article in Wikigender, and continue the discussion.
Estelle Loiseau
Wikigender
Friday, 30 September 2011
The week in review
Welcome to the Wikiprogress week in review, a round-up of media highlights from the busy and eventful week that was. Be sure to see the Wikiprogress Community Portal for all news items and blog posts from the progress community.
On human development
Kudos to the UNDP for Arab empowerment (Al Jazerra 26.09.2011)
The UNDP has been praised for their role in sowing some of the intellectual seeds of the Arab Spring. The UNDP’s Arab Human Development Report will celebrate its 10 th anniversary in 2012. Al Jazeera has hailed the report as helping lay the foundations of democratic civic society across the Arab World.
See more on the Human Development Index
On the environment
Global air pollution: what is the most polluted country and city in the world ? (The Guardian 26.09.2011)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a database of outdoor air pollution figures from 1100 cities in 91 countries. When grouped, the figures for cities show an interesting insight into the data samples used by the WHO.
See more and contribute to the article on pollution
On gender equality
Saudi Arabia and Its Women (NYtimes.com 26.09.2011)
While Saudi women now have the right to vote and run in municipal elections, the New York Times questions how much this will really empower women, as the right to vote will not be effective until 2015 (even though there is an election scheduled before then) and even then women will still need the approval of a male family member to exercise their right to vote.
See more and update the Wikigender special focus on Saudi women acquiring the right to vote
On child well-being
'No Pens' drive for pupils struggling with sentence (BBC 28.09.2011)
Over 100 schools across England are taking part in a day without pens to support children with speech deficits. More than 50% of children in socially deprived areas start school without the ability to speak long sentences, which can lead to problems later in life.
See more and update news items on child well-being
Wikiprogress interviews: an interview with the Measures of Australia's Progress team at the Australian Bureau of Statstics.
In the Spotlight: Gallup Well-Being Index finds the majority of Germans are ‘struggling’
That’s all from us this week, be sure to tune in the same time next week for another round of highlights from the week that was.
That's all from us this week. We hope you can tune in the same time next week for another round up of weekly highlights.
Yours in Progress,
Philippa Lysaght
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Time for GPS Enabled Post Codes
How many of us have ever had difficulty finding a location: houses in the
country; premises in industrial estates; a new restaurant! Even with GPS
navigation technology in vehicles and mobile phones, it is still a
challenge to tell someone where you live ... you see a park on your right,
go under a bridge, pass an old church don't take the next turn, keep going
up the hill until you see a large wall, if you see a yellow house you have
gone too far!
Imagine if every building had a unique short alphanumeric postcode that
could be used by GPS technology to arrive at the door first time, not just
even near it but right outside it!
Ireland is currently going through the process of introducing postcodes.
Being the last European country to do so gives us the chance to develop a
postcode that maximises the use of GPS technology. Because a postcode is
part of your address then everyone will readily know their postcode and be
able to provide it to service deliverers, couriers, emergency services etc.
No more struggling with streets with no names, houses with no numbers, and
lefts and rights.
Imagine the savings on time, fuel, and inefficient routing that will be
gained from the use of a technology-enabled humble postcode. Statisticians
can unlock administrative data. Transport planners can do commuter route
mapping. Deprivation can be more accurately mapped and service provision
more tuned. Innovation and competitive advantage at our fingertips. Is it
time for a European Regulation standardising the introduction of smart
postcodes across Europe?
Regards,
Gerry
By Gerry Brady, from Wikiprogress Correspondent, the Central Statistics Office Ireland.
country; premises in industrial estates; a new restaurant! Even with GPS
navigation technology in vehicles and mobile phones, it is still a
challenge to tell someone where you live ... you see a park on your right,
go under a bridge, pass an old church don't take the next turn, keep going
up the hill until you see a large wall, if you see a yellow house you have
gone too far!
Imagine if every building had a unique short alphanumeric postcode that
could be used by GPS technology to arrive at the door first time, not just
even near it but right outside it!
Ireland is currently going through the process of introducing postcodes.
Being the last European country to do so gives us the chance to develop a
postcode that maximises the use of GPS technology. Because a postcode is
part of your address then everyone will readily know their postcode and be
able to provide it to service deliverers, couriers, emergency services etc.
No more struggling with streets with no names, houses with no numbers, and
lefts and rights.
Imagine the savings on time, fuel, and inefficient routing that will be
gained from the use of a technology-enabled humble postcode. Statisticians
can unlock administrative data. Transport planners can do commuter route
mapping. Deprivation can be more accurately mapped and service provision
more tuned. Innovation and competitive advantage at our fingertips. Is it
time for a European Regulation standardising the introduction of smart
postcodes across Europe?
Regards,
Gerry
By Gerry Brady, from Wikiprogress Correspondent, the Central Statistics Office Ireland.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Correspondent "Editor's Choice" September 2011
Welcome to the latest selection of progress and well-being related articles from Dafydd Thomas of our Correspondents, the Wellbeing Wales Network
We’ve all been there, impossible deadlines, absurd workloads and no end in sight. In such a situation, the support or otherwise from your line manager is crucial. In an article for HR Magazine , Professor Cooper of Lancaster University reports on the number of high level reports on work and wellbeing that identify line management as a “key aspect of employee health and wellbeing.”
As the economy falters, the Coalition Government is looking to make savings through cuts and other austerity measures. Ironically this inevitably means that fewer people are doing more work and some people are left doing no work at all. Unemployment has a huge impact on individuals and communities, but according to the UK Government Foresight project, stress and poor mental wellbeing at work costs the UK £25.9 billion per annum in sickness absence, presenteeism and labour turnover. Tackling this issue could put a sizeable dent in the UK’s deficit and reduce the needs for the cuts in the first place.
So what’s the answer? Professor Cooper feels that people management skills should be given more attention in the UK’s Business Schools, where currently very little is done to train the future captains of industry about “the increasing importance of man-management skills.” He feels that managers should be selected on their social and interpersonal skills rather than on technical knowledge. This would go some way to fixing the “manager problem” (we all have one of those) and reduce what is a substantial financial burden for the British economy.
Andrew Simms’ piece in the Guardian highlighted the dominance that conventional economics has in the UK Government’s policies. Where Professor Cooper feels that the economic system needs decision makers with better people skills to increase individual and collective wellbeing, Simms explains how our economy needs a fundamental shift in focus. He would like to see an economy of “better, not more,” by rethinking what is meant by productivity and efficiency. He suggests that people want financial security based on greater equality and fairness – not continual, destructive growth. This approach would also ensure that the environment on which we all depend remains intact.
Finally, the headline “Fifteen minutes of exercise can help” deserves a mention. It is, according to my colleague, pretty obvious. It’s based on a piece of research that found “some exercise is better than none.” My colleague remained unimpressed by this revelation, but conceded that people had to start somewhere. Maybe that’s the take home message here. Some change is better than none, in order to create that “economy of better,” managed in a way that does its best for the people and the communities its supposed to serve.
We’ve all been there, impossible deadlines, absurd workloads and no end in sight. In such a situation, the support or otherwise from your line manager is crucial. In an article for HR Magazine , Professor Cooper of Lancaster University reports on the number of high level reports on work and wellbeing that identify line management as a “key aspect of employee health and wellbeing.”
As the economy falters, the Coalition Government is looking to make savings through cuts and other austerity measures. Ironically this inevitably means that fewer people are doing more work and some people are left doing no work at all. Unemployment has a huge impact on individuals and communities, but according to the UK Government Foresight project, stress and poor mental wellbeing at work costs the UK £25.9 billion per annum in sickness absence, presenteeism and labour turnover. Tackling this issue could put a sizeable dent in the UK’s deficit and reduce the needs for the cuts in the first place.
So what’s the answer? Professor Cooper feels that people management skills should be given more attention in the UK’s Business Schools, where currently very little is done to train the future captains of industry about “the increasing importance of man-management skills.” He feels that managers should be selected on their social and interpersonal skills rather than on technical knowledge. This would go some way to fixing the “manager problem” (we all have one of those) and reduce what is a substantial financial burden for the British economy.
Andrew Simms’ piece in the Guardian highlighted the dominance that conventional economics has in the UK Government’s policies. Where Professor Cooper feels that the economic system needs decision makers with better people skills to increase individual and collective wellbeing, Simms explains how our economy needs a fundamental shift in focus. He would like to see an economy of “better, not more,” by rethinking what is meant by productivity and efficiency. He suggests that people want financial security based on greater equality and fairness – not continual, destructive growth. This approach would also ensure that the environment on which we all depend remains intact.
Finally, the headline “Fifteen minutes of exercise can help” deserves a mention. It is, according to my colleague, pretty obvious. It’s based on a piece of research that found “some exercise is better than none.” My colleague remained unimpressed by this revelation, but conceded that people had to start somewhere. Maybe that’s the take home message here. Some change is better than none, in order to create that “economy of better,” managed in a way that does its best for the people and the communities its supposed to serve.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
The week in review
Welcome to the Wikiprogress week in review, a round-up of media highlights from the busy and eventful week that was. Be sure to see the Wikiprogress Community Portal for all news items and blog posts from the progress community.
On progress
China's green economist stirring a shift away from GDP (Guardian 16.09.2011)
An index proposed by senior economist and government advisor Niu Wenyuan, commonly referred to as the ‘quality index’, measures the economy by size, sustainability, social equality and ecological impact. Eight years ago Nui tried but failed to introduce ‘Green GDP’; he has since returned with an index that is gaining an increasing amount of support.
On development
Ban urges global leaders gathered at UN to 'shape the world of tomorrow' (UN News Centre 21.09.2011)
Addressing the General Assembly on Wednesday, United Nations Secretary General listed five generational opportunities world leaders have today to shape the world for tomorrow. The first and greatest issue to address is sustainable development, as it spans over issues of climate change, water scarcity, global health, women’s empowerment and more; “solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.”
On data
Science, technology and industry scoreboard: how do countries compare? (Guardian DataBlog 21.09.2011)
A scoreboard released by the OECD shows how science, technology and industry trends compare by country. The report finds that US universities are leading in terms of research worldwide; of the top 50 institutions in the world for research (in all areas) 40 are located in the US.
One gender equality
Women Are Vital in the Participation Age (Huffington Post 16.09.2011)
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an evidence-based case for the inclusion of women as a vital source of economic growth at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy. Women in developed economies over the past 10 years have added more to the global growth than China. A McKinsey study shows over the past 40 years women have gone from holding 37% of all jobs to 48%.
See more and contribute to the article on the Women’s Economic Opportunity Index
In the Spotlight: Global Women’s Progress Report
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. See you back here same time next week for another round-up of media highlights from the week that was.
Yours in progress,
Philippa Lysaght
Thursday, 22 September 2011
How much time do you have to understand progress?
I just returned from sunny and warm Portugal where I was attending a meeting on the accessibility of statistics. I know that might sound dry but there were some very interesting things that came up. The crowd was mainly made up of international organisations and bankers, but it is really interesting to see that, no matter how far along they are with the use of social media or other new communications tools, everyone is basically in the same boat. With the vast amounts of data an information alive today, how does an organisation ensure that their information will have the most impact?
The OECD is also looking into making their statistics more accessible via visualisation and there is a group of us who are looking into that. From what I gather from the group at the OECD so far, and several other meetings around the world, people are trying to communicate statistics in an easy, quick and reliable way. Sounds like it might be easy; you just put out a spreadsheet and let people know about it. However, the complexity lies in the fact that statistics need a context. You can’t just look at evidence without knowing the whowhatwherewhenandwhy it was created. But, is that even enough? Should we even be putting out Wikiprogress statistics in wiki.stat without the context or analysis? Yes, free and transparent data is a public good so we should do it. But, we put it out with good metadata.
Now, how and to whom do we communicate it?
Do we try to segment the market (i.e., a difference message for journalists, academics, interested public)? I’m not sure. I think I lean along the lines that we will never really be able to know what these segments really are or what they really want. That “general public” category has always eluded me as well. Also, I think that these groups are dynamic and change. Maybe we should look at these things in terms of time rather than occupation or role.
For example, when you come on the Wikiprogress site you would see:
Welcome to Wikiprogress! How much time do you have to look into/contribute to progress in societies?
1 minute? Click here
5 minutes? Click here
1 hour? Click here
1 day? Click here
A lifetime? Click here
I’m not sure I have ever seen that before in website design. I think it might take into account most of our people without trying to pigeonhole them. It is also a pretty neutral way of bringing people into the site meaning that we will hold no preconceived notions of who our visitors are. Of course, we have a very good idea in general but perhaps asking people to search by "time available for this" might give them a richer experience. I think we will try it and let you know how it goes.
More thoughts on this to come - such as what channels should statistics communicators use, and will any of this create more a trusting environment? Any ideas you have are also very welcome.
Angela
PS: If I was asked the question: How much time do you have to look into/contribute to Portugal, my answer would certainly be “a lifetime”! What a wonderful place. Thank you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)