International Women’s Day 8 th March 2013

2. International Women’s Day 8th March 2013

3. Celebrating… the economic, political and socialachievements of women - past, present and future.

4. Why do we need a special focus on Women?

5. “Women’s dignity has often been unacknowledged and their prerogatives misrepresented; they have often been relegated to the margins of society and even reduced to servitude. This has prevented women from truly being themselves and it has resulted in a spiritual impoverishment of humanity …” Letter of Pope John Paul II to Women, 1995, #1, 3

6. Nearly 70% of the world's poorest people are female.

7. Two-thirdsof people unable to read and write in the world are female.

8. Every hour,32women die from childbirth or pregnancy related causes.

9. Globally, 1 in 3 women and girls experience physical and sexual violence. Anti-Violence Campaign in PNG Highlands

10. 11.4 million women and girls are in forced labour.

11. More than 80% of the world’s refugees and displaced people are women and children.

12. And yet…

13. Women are more likely to spend their earnings on their household’s needs.

14. Increasing women’s education level greatly improves mothers’ and children’s health.

15. Celebrating

16. Maternal mortality has decreased by 47% since 1990.

17. In 1911, only two countries in the world allowed women to vote. Today, that right is almost universal.

18. In almost all countries, girls now have the same chance as boys to complete primary school.

19. In Australia… Australia ranks 25th out of 135 countriesin the most recent (2012) Global Gender Gap Index. (Mozambique, Lesotho and the Philippines all ranked higher than Australia)

20. In Australia… In 2009, violence against women and their children cost the Australian economy $13.6 billion. • Life expectancy at birth for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females is estimated to be 72.9 years, 9.7 years less than non-Indigenous females (82.6 years).

21. “Respect [for women] must first and foremost be won through an effective and intelligent campaign for the promotion of women, concentrating on all areas of women’s life and beginning with a universal recognition of the dignity of women.” Letter of Pope John Paul II to Women, 1995

22. Caritas Australia’s response

23. 1. Women’s Empowerment and Rehabilitation Project, Samoa • The Project helps women earn an income by training them in skills such as sewing, • handicrafts and budgeting.

24. This helps them to provide better for their family’s health, nutrition and education. • The project also gives women the opportunity to have discussions with their peers on issues such as physical abuse, violence and education of children.

25. 2. CONTRASIDA, El Salvador • CONTRASIDA facilitated a forum on violence against women and women with HIV/AIDS. • 35 female leaders from the community were trained in human rights as part of their role at the local Mayor’s office.

26. 3. Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Australia • TjanpiDesert Weavers supports more than • 300 women from 28 communities with culturally appropriate employment opportunities.

27. In 2010/11, 98 female artists from four remote areas undertook organised weaving and training in governance and business practices. • 20 workshops were also held in Alice Springs with 100 artists receiving casual employment.

28. Celebrating Remarkable Women

29. SrGaudentia (Papua New Guinea)

30. Sr Gaudentia  is a Swiss-born nurse working in the Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. With an inadequate rural health system in PNG, Sr Gaudentia provides health care, education and counselling with limited resources for a population that experiences high levels of poverty, violence against women, maternal mortality and drug use.

31. She is an advocate for the dignity of all and an amazing woman of the church.

32. Mama Cacilda, Mozambique Mama Cacilda is the Director of Caritas Regional Chokwe, Mozambique and has been working for Caritas for over 30 years. During this time she has experienced many hardships of her own including the war beginning in 1997, severe flooding in the year 2000 and now the recent floods in 2013.

33. Mama Cacildais a woman with integrity who has given her whole life to the poor. She works for the Church and refuses to accept a salary. She says that it is God’s work and that she doesn’t believe in “taking money” for doing the work of the Lord.

34. During the recent flooding where over 169,000 people were displaced, Mama Cacilda’s family were pleading with her to go to Maputo to find refuge with them. She refused to go but sent her husband with them instead. She decided to stay in the camp, unwilling to leave the people.  She truly is an amazing woman.

35. Sr Paola Terroni (Manilla) (Coordinator of the FCJ Learning and Development Centre in BagongSilangan, Manilla).

36. The centre is located adjacent to the Payatas rubbish dump in an area of high unemployment and poverty. Sr Paola works with over 500 families, many of whom survive by scavenging what they can from the dumpsite and selling it.

37. Under Sr Paola's guidance, the FCJ Centre offers a variety of services including a weekly clinic, educational programs, leadership training, a cooperative with nearly 200 members, a variety of income generation projects and programs to enable women to grow in confidence and to develop their talents.

38. "I love the earthiness of the work I do, I love the daily ordinary interactions with people, and I am moved by their openness and trust.” Sr Paola

39. Video Gallery (Note: you will need an internet connection to watch the following videos) Safe Motherhood Program Girls’ access to education Agriculture Project Integrated Rural Development

40. Teaching resources PrimarySecondary

41. Prayer for International Women’s Day All:- Today we honour the women of all times and all places: Women of courage. Women of hope. Women suffering Women mourning. Women living fully. Women experiencing joy. Women delighting in life. Women giving life. Women knowing the interconnectedness of the human family. Women promoting human flourishing. Women boldly leading the transformation of unjust global structures. Women seeking and sharing Wisdom. Women receiving and giving Love. Loving God, we celebrate your faithfulness and love. On this day we commit ourselves to the promotion of the full humanity of all women everywhere. We know that whatever denies, diminishes, or distorts the full humanity of women is not of God. Help us to be faithful to your call to love. Amen. Adapted from: Education for Justice

42. Photo Credits Peter Solness Caritas Australia Marden Dean CAFOD Sean Sprague Mercy Works PNG P. Jeffrey ACT-Caritas Micah Challenge AusAID Erin Johnson Fr Philip Gibbs Rob Maccoll

43. References Slide 6 - http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/women_poverty_economics/ Slide 7 - http://www.uis.unesco.org/literacy/Documents/fs20-literacy-day-2012-en-v3.pdf Slide 8 - http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/publications/mdg-report-2012.html Slide 9 - http://www.un.org/en/women/endviolence/pdf/VAW.pdf Slide 10 - http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_181953.pdf Slide 11 - http://www.swslhd.nsw.gov.au/refugee/pdf/Resource/FactSheet/FactSheet_05.pdf Slide 13 & 14 - http://www.wfp.org/our-work/preventing-hunger/focus-women/women-hunger-facts Slide 16 - http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/publications/mdg-report-2012.html Slide 17 - http://progress.unwomen.org/ Slide 18 - http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/publications/mdg-report-2012.htmlSlide 19 - http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GGGR12/MainChapter_GGGR12.pdf Slide 20 - Fact 1- http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/our-responsibilities/women/publications-articles/reducing-violence/national-plan-to-reduce-violence-against-women-and-their-children/economic-cost-of-violence-against-women-and-their-children?HTML Slide 20 - Fact 2- http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/lookup/4704.0Chapter218Oct+2010 Slide 41 – https://educationforjustice.org/