Gender Inclusion Will Reduce Income Inequality- IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that gender inclusion will not only support economic growth, but can reduce income inequality as well.

The IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, said this in a speech titled: “The Business Case for Women’s Empowerment,” she delivered at a summit in Peru.

According to her, over the past few decades, women all over the world have pushed the boundaries on educational attainment, economic participation, and even political representation.

According to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Gender Gap Report, Latin America is the region with the largest absolute improvement over the last ten years, followed by Asia and the Pacific region. So in some respect, APEC is leading the way. And yet, this great progress has not been enough to close the gender gap.

Globally, only 55 percent of women have the opportunity to participate in the labor force, compared with 80 percent for men, the IMF boss stated.

Furthermore, she disclosed that women still earn about 50 per cent less than men for the same type of work, and they represent only 20 percent of parliamentarians across the world.

“Clearly, in many places, gender equality remains an elusive goal. The moral case for gender equity is clear. So is the economic case. As countries around the world struggle to grow their economies more quickly and to reduce inequality, tapping into the huge potential of women can be a game changer. I would even go further to say it is a no brainer.

“The work that we have done at the IMF clearly demonstrates that there is a compelling business case for women’s empowerment. And everyone – government, the private sector, and international financial institutions – has an important role to play,” Lagarde added.

While arguing that women empowerment remains a game changer, she said she had said repeatedly that world growth has been too low, for too long, and benefiting too few.
Some countries are facing transitions, such as adjusting to low oil prices; others are contending with the immutable force of population aging and its impact on the labor force and productivity growth, Lagarde said.

In addition, she said women’s empowerment can boost growth and reduce inequality, saying “if we want everyone to have a bigger piece of the pie, the pie has to grow.”
“Our research has shown that increasing women’s labor force participation can deliver significant macroeconomic gains. For example, if Latin American countries raised their female labor participation to the average of the Nordic countries (about 60 percent), GDP per capita could be up to 10 percent higher.

Read More: thisdaylive

Transgender Beauty Queen Set To Marry Multi-Millionaire Arab Boyfriend

A transgender beauty queen is set to marry her wealthy Arab property developer boyfriend who is splashing out £50,000 on her sex-change surgery.

Tiffany-Rose Davies, 23, was born a male called Niall, and considers herself female although she is yet to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
Her partner, who she only calls Yaser, wants to pa for her to have the surgery so he can marry her as a female.

They plan to tie the knot next year and set up a home together in Dubai after the surgery.

The businessman has been in a relationship with Miss Davies for two years after the pair met when he messaged her on Facebook.
He has spent £20,000 in that time on Miss Davies, showering her with lavish nights in hotels, champagne and clothes.
When Tiffany was still a boy
Davies says that she has found true love with her fiance. She said:

‘He’s my ideal man – tall, dark, handsome and extremely charming.

‘He has been over to see me eight times over the last two years. He has spent thousands of pounds on me and wants to marry me next year.

‘It’s a huge decision to marry him and go over there to live but I will do it.

‘I haven’t given him a definite answer yet but in my heart I know he is the one for me.’

She said:

‘I want cosmetic surgery including a boob job and work on my lips and nose.

‘I am on the waiting list for a full sex change operation on the NHS but he wants me to go private and is offering to pay the cost of the operation.

‘I didn’t ask him to pay. He offered because he sees me as a woman. I don’t think two years is too short. I think it is the norm these days actually.

‘It is fine. People get pregnant after one-night stands these days so I like to think what I am doing is old-fashioned.

‘I want to be old-fashioned. I am in love with him and see a good future with him.

‘He is doing it because he loves me and wants to do it.’

And now the pair are planning a future together and thinking about having a family.
Miss Davies explained:

‘I am smart. I am not a stupid little girl, I have thought about this a lot.

‘But he says he loves me and doesn’t want to lose me. I thought he might be a conman at first but it is the real thing, I’m sure of it.

‘We’ve never had sex – I am making him wait to prove he loves me. I want out first night together to be very special.

‘We have even been talking about having a family together in the future and adopting children.

‘He loves me for who I am but he has been funding my cosmetic treatment.

‘He has a lot of property and money from inheritance and told me he is worth £40million.’

Miss Davies, who has also worked as a model, says she was 13 when she first realised she wanted to become a girl after being bullied for having big ears.
She began experimenting with make-up and, at 16, enrolled at a college to study hairdressing.
When she was 17, she started calling herself Tiffany-Rose and has since had hormone treatment.
She added: ‘I finally feel comfortable in my own skin. I would be called a “freak” and “ugly” and names like “dumbo”. It was really upsetting. I didn’t have many friends and felt isolated.
‘I remember I chose the name Tiffany-Rose because, when I was I think 10-11, I had a doll with black hair I loved.
‘I said “I want to look like this when I am older”. Now I look just like her. It was a childish thing.
‘But then, when I hit puberty, I knew something was not right. I wanted to be a girl. I have known for all my life.
Mailonline

Kim’s Baby’s Gender Revealed?

Will it be a boy for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West?

According to Us Weekly, little North West will be getting a little brother. The mag claims that multiple sources say the 34-year-old star is expecting a boy for her second child. “Kim always wanted two kids,” a source said. “A girl and a boy.”

And the 38-year-old rapper is reportedly “overjoyed” that he’s getting a son. “Kanye loves Nori more than anything, but to make his world complete he wanted a little boy, an heir,” a second source said. “He’s overjoyed!”

Earlier this month, Kim revealed she was expecting on an episode of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” “I just got the blood test back, and I am pregnant!” Kim told sister Khloe on the E! show’s mid-season finale.

Kim and Kanye’s first child, daughter North West, was born in June 2013.

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt Support Shiloh’s Wish To Be Called “John”

Angelina Jolie’s entire family recently stepped out on the red carpet to support their mother’s new movie, Unbroken. The couple’s oldest biological child, who was assigned female at birth, joined brothers Maddox and Pax wearing sharp suits and short haircuts.

Pitt and Jolie have been fairly open over the years about Shiloh’s interest in all things considered masculine. In an interview with Oprah in 2008, Brad Pitt discussed how Shiloh wanted to be called John.

The eight-year-old’s family fully supports their decision to self-identify — from an affinity for suits and ties to shorter hair to the name change. (Editor’s Note: We have followed the Advocate‘s lead, and referred to John Jolie-Pitt as “they” as a gender-neutral pronoun to respect John’s decision, whatever gender they may end up being.)

Jolie told Vanity Fair in a 2010 interview that John has been exploring their identity since the age of three. “She wants to be a boy,” Jolie said. “So we had to cut her hair. She likes to wear boys’ everything. She thinks she’s one of the brothers.” The Telegraph used the Pitt-Jolie story as an opportunity to educate adults on how to handle a child’s cross-gender explorations. It’s easy to dismiss a child’s tendency to gravitate toward toys and clothing generally assigned to its opposite gender as a phase.

Credit: refinery29.com

#DGtrends: The Gender Pre-Forum to the 2014 High Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance in Africa

The Gender Pre-Forum to the 2014 High Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance in Africa

 

“Silencing the Guns: Women in Democratization and Peace Building in Africa”

Kigali, 6 October 2014 – The inaugural Gender Pre-Forum to the Annual High Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance in Africa under the theme “Silencing the Guns: Women in Democratization and Peace Building in Africa” has opened in Kigali, Rwanda. The forum was officially opened by Hon. Oda Gasinzigwa, Minister for Gender and Family Promotion of the Republic of Rwanda on 6th October and will close on 7th October, 2014.

In her welcome remarks, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr. Aisha Laraba Abdullahi noted the imperative of a more sustainable and meaningful response to violence through improvement of inclusive democratic governance systems on the Continent.  She stated that the AU, through the Africa Governance Architecture is committed to working with the various AU organs, institutions, RECs and non state actors to strengthen platforms that allow women and young girls to play pivotal roles in strengthening democratic governance.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Governance Board, Prof. Shyaka Anastase in his own remarks stated that the partnership with the African Union Commission and other international development partners on the forum is intended to support various national, regional, continental and inter-continental efforts to empower women, such as Agenda 2063, African Common Position on Post 2015 Development Plan, Beijing Declaration, the Millennium Declaration, MDG three, and other UN resolutions.

The Special Guest of Honour, Hon. Oda Gasinzigwa, Minister for Gender and Family Promotion of the Republic of Rwanda while welcoming participants to Kigali argued that a continent at peace with itself requires more than absence of war but also a continent that embraces good governance values of respect for human rights, rule of law, transparency, effective, inclusive as well as accountable governance and citizen-centred development. She posited that with committed and visionary leadership as well as determined citizens, Rwanda has been able to rise from the ashes of the 1994 genocide to a beacon of reconciliation, hope and inclusive governance. She concluded that the issue of gender equality and women’s participation should be an integral part of our values as a continent and an obligation to empower men, women, girls and boys to a level they can play their rightful role in democratisation processes, peace building and development.

Participants at the Pre-Forum will be visiting Post Genocide Reconciliation Villages and the Gisozi Genocide Memorial as part of the experience sharing components of the pre-forum.

The gender pre-forum is convened under the auspices of the African Governance Architecture and Platform of the African Union. It is convened to provide a platform through which the vulnerabilities and challenges facing women in conflict situations can be examined and policy recommendations made on enhancing the roles of women in strengthening democratic governance and addressing violent conflicts in Africa.

The gender pre-forum is part of a series of participatory engagements with young people, women, civil society, Member States and indeed all stakeholders towards the Third High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance. The theme of this year’s High Level Dialogue is “Silencing the Guns: Strengthening Democratic Governance to Prevent, Manage and Resolve Conflicts in Africa. It is scheduled for 30 – 31 October, 2014 in Dakar, Senegal. The High Level Dialogue and pre-consultations are convened by the African Union in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and GIZ.

For more information, please contact George Mukundi Wachira: + 250 781293981; wachiraG@africa-union.orgor visit the website http://pa.au.int/en/ ,www.dgtrends.org and also follow live updates on @AUC_DPA and the hashtag #DGTrends

Chibok: Why are our female legislators M.I.A? – Ayisha Osori

 

What differentiates the 20 female senators of the United States Congress who signed a joint statement in support of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign and the 34 collectively silent women in Nigeria’s seventh Assembly?

According to the New York Times, within 2 weeks of the campaign for the Chibok girls going global, female US Senators had also met with Secretary of State Kerry to push for sanctions on Boko Haram and surveillance support for the search. Senator Susan Collins, who co-spearheaded the effort, marveled at how easy it was to get the women together, “There was no need to convince, or cajole, or persuade. These girls cry out for a voice”.

Unfortunately, the female legislators in the National Assembly do not collectively feel the same way and it is important to ask why.

One possible explanation is that regardless of party, female Nigerian legislators cannot empathize with the public. Increasingly benumbed by daily reports of deaths and abductions, the argument could be, that if nothing was done in February when 59 boys were murdered in school, this abduction does not warrant special reaction. Fair enough considering the body count of over 2000 Nigerians killed by Boko Haram since Jan 1 2014. But Chibok is different because there is a solution which is to get the girls back. If the stories of abductions since November 2013 were not alarming, then the impunity of moving into a school and carting off hundreds of girls in the care of a government that was under a State of Emergency should be considered a game changer.

The second theory for their silence has been that the women fear alienating their parties and sponsors. We are 10 months away from the general elections and for those in PDP and APC everything is about 2015. But this is why there is safety in numbers. Using the Violence Against Persons Bill, currently languishing in the Senate, the respective chairs of the Committee on Women Affairs – Senator Esuene and Hon. Alaaga or even by Hon. Khadi who represents Jere constituency in Borno, could have galvanized all the female legislators. They could have shown agency and taken the opportunity for bi-partisan, joint house showwomanship to push for a bill that has been in the system for over a decade.

The lack of reaction is symptomatic of a larger malaise that infects all arms of government: a disconnect from the public, an increasing unwillingness to identify with social issues and/or recognize tipping points and a lack of accountability to citizens which stems from the doubtful legitimacy of those elected into office. That is the heart of the matter concerning elected representatives who are not concerned with issues which impact over 70% of the population.

While there is a global campaign to increase the representation of women in government in the belief that more women translates to sustained development, under Nigeria’s current political system and structures, it is unrealistic to expect this result. If we run a political process which is based not on valid votes but on rigging, violence, vote buying, security agency manipulation and compromised electoral officers, then we cannot expect to have men and women in elected office who are accountable to us.

This explains the problem identified in a Washington Post article where the authors pointed out that ‘the growth of women in African governance has not necessarily translated into real influence’ (‘nor translated into gains for women and children’). It also explains the silence of our female executives.

Some think that one of the biggest flaws of any feminist movement is the belief that women have an innate bond. Perhaps. But there is undoubtedly an empathy line that lights up once in a while. Sometimes all humans get the tug but there are situations, which are especially poignant for women, and loosing a child is one of them. The individual statements of a few female legislators and any behind the scenes support for the campaign are not enough. ‘I think when women come together across party lines, it is very powerful and effective,’ US Senator Landrieu said explaining why they acted. ‘When women stand united on an issue like this, we can bring tremendous amount of moral authority to the issue.’ It is a shame that our female legislators are incapable of understanding this.

It will be an even greater shame if we cannot change our political system to ensure that going forward, only the most capable and caring Nigerians get elected into office to represent us.