Inside the news: challenges and aspirations of women journalists in Asia and the Pacific

There are more women media professionals than ever in many countries across Asia-Pacific, but they still represent only three out of 10 newsroom staff, often earn less than their male counterparts and are subject to sexual harassment, while struggling to reach decision-making positions. These are some of the findings in Inside the News: Challenges and Aspirations of Women Journalists in Asia and the Pacific. The report highlights how issues of gender impact the lives and work of journalists in the region, with case studies drawn from the personal accounts of media professionals in Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vanuatu. Nearly 700 journalists from the target countries participated in the study, which drew on surveys of journalists, focus group interviews with representatives of media outlets, as well as interviews with media organisation and national professional associations. Key findings include: - Jobs women in the media do: Reporters (30%), Feature writers (16%), Editors (11%), Sub/Copy Editors (10%), Columnists (8%), News Anchors (8%), Producers (7%), Photographers (5%), Design/Layout (2%), Media support (2%), Camera/Sound (1%) - Gender pay gap in Asia-Pacific Media: US$69 (Average monthly salary US$437 for women, US$506 for men). - How can we foster gender equality in media? Women journalists say ‘Having more women in decision making roles’ (25%) and ‘Affirmative employment strategies’ (20%). Male journalists say ’Having more women in the media at every level’ (28%) and ‘More family friendly work conditions’ (22%). - Women at work in the media: 3 out of 10 news staff are women. 23% of women are middle editorial decision makers; 20% are senior editorial decision makers; 18% are media executives. - 18% of women journalists have experienced sexual harassment at work, while 34% of them have witnessed it.   - Do Women have enough visibility in unions? 48% of the respondents say ‘No’, 23% say ‘Yes’, 25% ‘don’t know’

Multi-Country Analysis of Child Marriage Laws and Policy Instruments in Africa

This paper is informed by the findings and recommendations of the UN Women East and Southern Africa led Multi-Country Analytical Study of Legislation, Policies, Interventions and Cultural Practices on Child Marriage in Africa which undertaken in 2018. The study focused on Africa as a continent but synchronised into 10 study countries (Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC and Morocco). It is undoubtable that child marriage is not only a regional challenge but also a global nightmare that every treaty, convention, protocol or agreement condemn. Succinctly, the Convention on the Elimination on All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, and the International Conference on Population and Development of 1994 are among the leading policy instruments that advance the human rights of children and thus are critical for ending child marriage. In this analysis, the paper underscores the critical role that such legal and policy frameworks perform in transforming toxic norms across the continent and beyond to deliver the human rights of women and girls with a particular focus on country legal frameworks and policies.  In a snapshot, the paper focuses on relevant laws and regulations reported in the study including those that set the minimum age for marriage at 18 years for both/either girls and boys; requirements for birth and marriage registration; sexual violence and domestic violence laws; anti-corruption laws; and family status laws regulating marriage, divorce, custody, and inheritance. Keywords: Child marriage, Child bride, age of marriage, prevalence, CEDAW, survivors, Bejing Platform for Action, UN Women, policy instruments, women and girls, constitution, customary laws, children, laws, religion, society, family code, criminal code, penal code, legal system, Africa, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC and Morocco. DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/51-07 Publication date:September 30th 201

Background Paper-Safe Digital Spaces: Protection of Women and Girls from Technological Violence

The rapid advancement of information and communication technologies (ICTs) increased the opportunities for communication and use of ICTs in a number of innovative ways. However, ICTs are also harming and threatening women and girls in a number of ways. Technology-assisted Violence against Women and Girls is emerging as a global problem with serious implications for societies and economies around the world. Reports now suggest that an incredible 73 percent of women have been exposed to some form of violence online. The statistics pose risks to the peace and prosperity for all enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, and, in particular, to the goals of inclusive, sustainable development that puts gender equality and the empowerment of women as key to its achievement. As the use of information and communication technologies has become more omnipresent, the use of these technologies as a weapon against women has also become ubiquitous. In addition, the internet and social media have also become environments where women are often made to feel unsafe and are threatened. Violence against women is being committed through the use of media such as texting, email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and just about any other internet or social media platform you can think of. More so, data shows that cyber-violence against women is very prevalent among the youth. This is very well showcased by media stories of many young girls affected by aggravated sexual assault and sexting. This paper analyses the ways in which technology helps women and contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , examines the various forms of technology-assisted violence against women and their impact and consequences in the light of the global and Africa region frameworks, how this type of violence impacts women’s lives, where various African governments are in terms of policy provision to access justice for victims, and proposed recommendations to end the vice. The paper argues that making accessible ICTs and filling the gender divide is important in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also seeks to offer a collective understanding of what technology-assisted violence against women and girls constitutes. It further makes recommendations to address tech-violence against women and girls with an emphasis on the transformative change in making the digital world accessible and safe for women and girls. Keywords: Tech Violence, VAW, UN Women, youth, student leaders, SDGs, gender equality, women’s empowerment, cyber bullying, ICT, TVAW DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/56-08 Publication date: February 29th 202

Leveraging Administrative Data for Policy and Programmatic Interventions on Gender Specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The call for a data revolution expressed in the report of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons in the lead-up to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has generated specific attention on the role of data in driving and monitoring sustainable development. Indeed, the availability of and access to high-quality, timely, disaggregated, gender-responsive and reliable data, supplemented with contextual information for its interpretation and use, are fundamental to successful monitoring and reporting of the 2030 Agenda and the Leave No One Behind commitment. In 2016, UN Women launched its flagship initiative to stimulate sustained production and dissemination of quality gender statistics for monitoring the gender-specific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators. As part of this initiative, UN Women is vigorously pursuing practical, convenient, cost-effective ways to track these indicators. The Flagship Programme Initiative, Making Every Woman and Girl Count (MEWGC), which UN Women launched in September 2016, has stimulated the search for practical, convenient, cost-effective ways to monitor strategic goals aimed at achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. The initiative is directly linked to the targets set for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, achieve gender equality and empower women and girls, and other gender-specific SDGs. To assess the direct effect of the SDG commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment, 54 gender-specific indicators need to be regularly tracked globally. Better production and use of gender statistics for evidence-based localization of the SDGs is UN Women’s strategy to address the pressing need for better and more gender statistics. In general, the various UN Women regional teams are expected to adapt and implement the global initiatives between 2016 and 2021 by providing direct technical support to countries in their regions–including in pathfinder and selected non-pathfinder countries–(based on demand) and working closely with regional partners to help promote and support country-led plans to localize and monitor the SDGs. The outcome objectives of the MEWGC project are to strengthen the policy and financial environment to enable gender-responsive national adaptation and effective monitoring of the SDGs; improve production of gender statistics to enable monitoring of national policies and reporting commitments under the SDGs; improve the use of gender statistics by different players to inform advocacy, research, policies and programmes; and generate knowledge on cost-effective ways to provide statistical capacity-building in gender statistics in different contexts. Ensuring the availability, accessibility and use of gender statistics to monitor progress in delivering gender equality and women’s empowerment commitments in the SDGs and to inform policymaking, advocacy and accountability in any region requires well-coordinated, responsive, effective data systems.Traditionally, there are three approaches to data gathering: censuses, sample surveys and administrative data collection. These approaches have evolved with the data revolution, particularly in response to the complex needs and demands of the SDGs. Various factors inform the choice of a specific method, including quality, coverage, timeliness, cost and purpose. This is especially true for administrative data, which agencies and institutions primarily collect for non-statistical reasons – i.e. to provide overviews on registration, transactions and record keeping. For example, administrative records are maintained to regulate the flow of goods and people across borders, to respond to legal requirements of registering events such as births and deaths and to administer benefits such as pensions or obligations such as taxation. Given their importance in the data production process, this study focused solely on administrative data systems. The UN Women 2018 report, Turning Promises into Action: Gender Equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, uncovered a number of bottlenecks in the production and use of gender statistics, which invariably affect or are affected by data quality and timeliness. This study explored the potential of using administrative data to produce gender statistics for monitoring the SDGs. As such, UN Women regional Office for East and Southern Africa has documented six good and promising practices that are replicable and are feasible within the framework of leveraging use of administrative data for monitoring and reporting on gender specific Sustainable Development Goals. These are just but a few selected examples of how these governments in Africa have used administrative data and civil and vital statistics to accelerate progress towards realizing the gender specific SDGs. The compendium defines a good practice within the guideline provided for in the Guide-Documenting good practices on gender equality developed by UN Women in 2015. A good practice is “an intervention, business practice, process or methodology that is responsive to the needs of women and girls, replicable, scalable, and succeeds in achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. The essence of identifying and sharing a good practice is to learn from others and to encourage the application of knowledge and experience to new situations as they relate to GEWE. A good practice need not be viewed as prescriptive; it can be adapted to meet new challenges, becoming better as improvements are discovered.” Keywords: SDGs, Administrative data, research, UN Women, East and Southern Africa, good practices, gender equality. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-8-03 Publication date:August 31st 202

Multi-Country Analysis of Effects and Consequences of Child Marriage in Africa

This paper is drawn from the findings and recommendations of the UN Women East and Southern Africa led Multi-Country Analytical Study of Legislation, Policies, Interventions and Cultural Practices on Child Marriage in Africa undertaken in 2018. The study focused on Africa as a continent but with a deeper lens on 10 study countries (Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC and Morocco) that are among those with the highest prevalence of child marriage on the continent despite their high-level national commitments to end child marriage. This paper focuses on the findings of the study as they relate to the effects and consequences of child marriage in Africa and in the study countries in particular. Child marriage affects the involved children’s (mostly girls) quality of life in diverse, severe and lasting ways. These effects range from biological (health), to social and economic, all of which impact their lives permanently, especially their reproductive health, human rights and life chances as human beings. From a human rights perspective, child marriage is a violation of the rights of an individual, rooted in gender inequality and an impediment to girls’ social and economic development. In the study countries, the societies where this practice is common, exhibited a low value placed on girls and women, thereby perpetuating this as a norm and continually binding them in a vicious cycle affecting both present and subsequent generations. There is a strong correlation between child marriages, unequal opportunities for women, and low social economic development in those countries with countries that have a high prevalence of the practice. It follows therefore that developing countries have the highest levels of child marriages and that child marriages are most common among the proportion of the population living below the poverty line. The study noted that besides the inherent health risks associated with the practice, child marriages also put the girls at risks of maternal mortality, infection with venereal diseases and HIV as well as affecting their education and wellbeing. Child marriages also subject girls to rape throughout their marriage and increase other forms of gender-based violence such as domestic violence, child labour, loss of freedom isolation for the victims, school drop-out and illiteracy. Keywords: Child marriage, Child bride, prevalence, survivors, hotspots, UN Women, effects and consequences, women and girls, children, culture, religion, society, families, Africa, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC and Morocco DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/50-05 Publication date:July 31st 201

Multi-Country Analysis of Causes and Drivers of Child Marriage in Africa

The research is funded and led by UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office. UN Women is the UN Agency dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. As a global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.  With a vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality, and in all deliberations and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda. The entity works to position gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a more inclusive world. It supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life. It has invested in its commitment to end all forms of violence including child marriage, Female Genital Mutilation and other harmful practices against women and girls across the globe. UN Women envisions a world where societies are free of gender-based discrimination, where women and men have equal opportunities, where the comprehensive economic and social development of women and girls is ensured so that they can lead the change that they want to see, where gender equality and women’s empowerment are achieved, and where women’s rights are upheld in all efforts to further development, human rights, peace and security.   Abstract This paper is drawn from the findings and recommendations of the UN Women East and Southern Africa led Multi-Country Analytical Study of Legislation, Policies, Interventions and Cultural Practices on Child Marriage in Africa undertaken in 2018. The study focused on Africa as a continent but with a deeper lens on 10 study countries (Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC and Morocco) that are among those with the highest prevalence of child marriage on the continent despite their high-level national commitments to end child marriage. This paper focuses on the findings of the study, provides analysis, and draws some conclusions about the underlying causes and drivers of child marriage in Africa and in the study countries in particular. The underlying causes of child marriage are common across Africa, and they are anchored in patriarchal societies adhering to discriminatory gender norms that perpetuate gender inequality. This leads to discrimination against women and girls in all spheres of life, including social, cultural, and economic. It forms part of the structural and systemic determinants of the children’s, girls’ and women’s ecology and how they are treated and valued in the society, both in the public and private sphere. Keywords: Child marriage, UN Women, causes and drivers, women and girls, children, culture, religion, society, families, Africa, Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, DRC and Morocco DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/49-06 Publication date:June 30th 201

The Melting Pot: Trends About Youth Leadership and Political Participation in Africa

This paper is an effort to highlight trends in Africa that are focusing on including youth in leadership and political participation. It banks on the premise that Africa has had its share of good leaders. In fact, leaders in the corporate and non-governmental sectors in Africa have been recognized across the region for exemplary performance and sound governance. Some numerous women and men continue to exercise outstanding leadership in various fields from board chairpersons to community-mobilizers, these Kenyans show and cherish shared values, a common vision, and principles for their country. The departure manifests when it comes to elected leaders and by extension some appointed and nominated leaders. This has further been displayed in the level at which the young leaders are engaged in influencing decisions in their countries. Over the decades Africa has maintained a leadership system that continues to strangle the very energy, initiative, and creativity among young people in the public sector. Accordingly, many young people have been locked on the grounds of their insufficient political networks, inexperience despite their massive skills and acquired knowledge. Regrettably, looking youthful has further been confused with being youth by age especially in the public sector with those between 35 and 45 years old still being considered youth. Whereas at the regional level young people have been offered platforms to influence certain policies and directions such as Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals including some countries having made some notable feat in youth inclusion, much is yet to be done in securing meaningful engagements in political, social, cultural and economic spheres of life. The paper discusses the good, the bad and sometimes ugly trends about youth inclusion in leadership and their political participation. This is discussed in the context of young women political participation, youth affirmative action normative frameworks and constitutional provisions protecting youth participation in Africa, youth representation in public offices and clarion calls from the youth regionally. The paper then proposes key recommendations by youth, governments and other stakeholders on critical actions that must be taken while appreciating the existence of other recommendations made by other contributors. The author argues that no level of youth development or engagement is effective without African commitment to investing in its youth and that generating disaggregated data necessary to inform decisions moving forward. It concludes that the eventual change expected in Africa by harnessing the potential of youth is, without doubt, the spark needed to brighten the prospects of Africa towards achieving her vision Agenda 2063 and the global Sustainable Development Goals. Keywords: Youth, Gender, Women, Empowerment, Sustainable Development Goals, Africa, UN Women, Policy. DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/57-04 Publication date:March 31st 202

Engaging women into STEM in Latin America: W-STEM project

[EN]Significant progress has been made during the last decades to achieve gender equality, but there is still much work to do. In particular, the gender gap is pronounced in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at all levels of education and labour market. In those areas, the women participation remains low, although there are differences from country to country. In the Latin American context, there is a need for carrying out studies to collect quality data about the actual situation of women in STEM. Although some available data show a high proportion of women in Latin American university education, they are a minority in STEM programs. Moreover, this problem is particularly severe in Latin America because of the biases or cultural norms that influence female behaviour. In this context, the W-STEM project seeks to improve strategies and mechanisms for attracting, accessing, and guiding women in Latin America in STEM higher education programs. This work aims to describe the main results to prepare a set of attraction campaigns in secondary schools in the Latin American countries involved in the project (Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico). In particular, a self-assessment tool about gender equality in higher education institutions in Latin America, an interview protocol for female role models, and a mobile application to show those role models

Introduction: Beijing+20 – Where now for Gender Equality?

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) is 20 years old. This introduction revisits the promises of the Beijing conference and reflects on how these have materialised amidst broader changes in the political economy of development. Most significant is the shift in the role of the state, with the entry of new development actors into the development policy and practice arena and growing private sector engagement. One consequence of this is that in the enthusiasm of corporate campaigns promoting women and girls as self?actualising individuals who can lift their communities out of poverty, effective implementation of progressive policies is getting lost. An important legacy of Beijing is the buzz it created within women's organising and the opportunities offered for the creation of transnational and local alliances. In conclusion we underline the hugely important part the energy of women's organisations continues to play in achieving positive and sustainable change

Smokes and mirrors at the United Nations’ universal periodic review process

Purpose: In 2006, the United Nations’ Human Rights Council was tasked to establish a new human rights monitoring mechanism: the Universal Periodic Review Process. The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of discussions held in the process, over the two cycles of review in relation to women’s rights to access health care services. Design and Methodology: This investigation is a documentary analysis of the reports of 193 United Nations’ state reports, over two cycles of review. Findings: The primary findings of this investigation reveal that despite an apparent consensus on the issue, a deeper analysis of the discussions suggest the dialogue between states is superficial in nature, with limited commitments made by states under review in furthering the protection of women’s right to access health care services in the domestic context. Practical Implications: Considering the optimism surrounding the UPR process, the findings reveal that the nature of discussions held on women’s rights to health care services is at best a missed opportunity to make a significant impact to initiate, and inform, changes to practices on the issue in the domestic context; and at worst, raises doubts as to whether the core aim of the process, to improve the protection and promotion of all human rights on the ground, is being fulfilled. Originality/Value: Deviating from the solely technocratic analysis of the review process in the existing literature, this investigation has considered the UPR process as a phenomenon of exploration in itself, and will provide a unique insight as to how this innovative monitoring mechanism operates in practice, with a particular focus on women’s right to access health care services