Feminist movements and organizations challenging globalization

Feminist Movement or Organization Challenging Globalization

What are the circumstances / background that gave rise to the movement or organization?

UN Women (UNW) was created in 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly, which also created the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNEGEEW). Creation of these two bodies was intended to increase the rate at which the UN and its Member States were working towards empowerment of women and addressing gender equality, making this an historic step. The UN itself was undergoing change, with a reform agenda directed to unify mandates and resources in order to achieve a greater impact. The overall UN organization combined four separate older organizations to create UN Women. These were the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI), and (INSTRAW) International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (About UN Women, n.d.).

Feminism in the United States of America can be traced back to 1848, and the Seneca Falls Convention (New York). This was the nation's initial convention on women's rights, and had over 300 attendees. Elizabeth Cady Stanton outlined the natural equality of women that became The Seneca Falls Declaration, which has been called the origin of the suffrage movement (Krolokke, 2006). Many dedicated women worked very hard to win the vote for women, including Anna Howard Shaw, Alice Paul, and Carrie Chapman Catt, but this did not occur in the United States until 1920. In the United States, Feminism's first wave utilized a variety of approaches to resistance and societal intervention, providing inspiration to the present date.

Ideas concerning gender equality, and the means to achieve it, also known as Feminism, belong to a broad social and political movement that was first emergent in Western society. The foundation of this movement was the growing recognition that economic, cultural, political, and social contexts in many (if not all) countries devalued women relative to men and placed them in a secondary category, at best. Huang (2005) states that western feminist societies worked through at least three of the thresholds, described below, in their efforts to transform society and bring about gender equality.

Political Movements

A political movement can be relatively placid or extreme, varying from sit-in protest and conventional petitioning to violent blockade and revolutionary activities. Organizations often develop in stages through several 'thresholds': (1) signing petitions (conventional politics) becomes unconventional politics; (2) level of action shifts towards action such as boycotts or marches ('direct action'); (3) unofficial (not legally authorized) strikes are an example of the 3rd threshold, in which political action shifts to non-violent yet illegal activity; (4) once political activity shifts to direct and violent actions, against property or persons, it is said to have reached the fourth threshold. When social movements are focused towards political system change, they may use confrontation or negotiation, perhaps even in a form that is more extreme and counter-cultural. In contrast when social movements are focused towards value system change, the strategy is more likely to be expressed in a more moderate sub-cultural form (Huang, 2005).

What kinds of strategies of resistance has the movement or organization developed?

The United Nations has developed a 'system-wide common understanding', which has as its foundation the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drafted in 1948, as well as other documents addressing human rights on a global basis. This approach focuses so as to direct technical assistance, policies, and developmental cooperation work towards human rights. One statement stipulates that developmental efforts should assist 'rights holders' to achieve these rights, and 'duty bearers' to achieve their full capacity (UNW, 2011).

A gender perspective in the affairs of all its member states is a part of the efforts of UN Women, to assure that national evaluation, planning, monitoring, and budgeting focus on, and include women's access to services. The Gender Budget programs of the UN Women organization are presently working towards practices that address and increase gender equality accountability as well as improvement of service access for women. These programs, working at the country, regional, cross-regional, and local levels address gender equality through development of capacity and resources for technical growth as well as political support. The Gender Budget programs garner increasing support through their work with development partners and UN agencies. The OECD, European Commission, Commonwealth Secretariat, and UN agencies are just some of the Gender Budget stakeholders with whom the UN Women organization has built supporting relationships; as well, the organization is now recognized at top-level forums for global policy (UNW, 2012).

Budgetary processes in Member Nations and UN programs have been the focus of sustainable and strategic changes in operations by the Gender Budget Committee of UN Women. The budgeting process has been strengthened through inclusion of parliamentarians, advocates for gender equality and key individuals who are invested in gender equality (UN Women, 2012). The Gender Budget committee has been able to work with Member Nations to educate and assist budgeting and planning officers in application of gender-responsive policies that will have gender-appropriate outcomes, as well as aiding governments to evaluate management systems for public finance so that gender is considered and included.

UN Women utilizes several strategies: (1) Leveraging and mobilization of increased resources for women's empowerment and gender equality; (2) Formulating global norms, policies, and standards by the Commission on the Status of Women, an inter-governmental organization, is wholly supported; (3) Action as a knowledge resource for women's empowerment and gender equality as well as directing efficient and effective partnerships and coordination of United Nations systems; (4) System-wide monitoring of progress within the United Nations itself in terms of gender equality commitments and accountability; (5) Corporate, country, and regional effectiveness for organizations at optimal potential; (6) Evaluation, reporting, knowledge management, and results-based action directed towards institution of a robust culture for education; and (7) assistance to Member States in their efforts to implement gender equality and empowerment of women, creating societal partnerships and support at both financial and technical levels where requested (UNW, 2013)

For UN Women, a major priority is to achieve results in coordination of its programs with the United Nations concomitantly with intergovernmental support of top quality. Achievement of priorities in the UN Women programs requires coordination at a fundamental level in order to achieve full participation and leadership of women in global sectors such as the humanitarian, as well as security and peace. While many of the UN Women programs are ongoing, others are likely to require a longer-term commitment, and groundwork for these is in progress. Example of proposed and significant future goals include: (a) The highest priority task for UN Women is to examine, upgrade, and restructure its local, regional, and national availability and effectiveness. (b) Information concerning gender equality in crucial areas, gained through analysis, data, evidence, and statistics collection and generation must be gleaned through work with partner countries and Member States. (c) Addressing gender stereotypes, often entrenched, will be accomplished through mobilization and enhancement of partnerships with faith-based organizations, boys and men, community and religious leaders. As well, this task must enlist the cooperation of communications partners, including social and conventional media, to direct, encourage, and support behaviors and attitudes that may awaken an understanding of gender equality. UN Women is presently making considerable forward progress in each of these areas, but further effort is required, particularly in terms of addressing the needs of the United Nations Member States, regional organizations and UN teams in-country (UNW, 2013)

Two key frameworks for the direction of UN Women efforts to address major issues such as those described above include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), established in 1979, and the Beijing Platform for Action, established in 1995. The CEDAW Convention, which includes 186 countries (but unfortunately not the United States) provides an action plan by which countries may work towards guarantees of gender equality (Elmendorf, 2010). Global recognition of the necessity to work towards gender equality and improvement of societal roles, capabilities, and potentials for action by women has been increasing gradually. Indeed, developments along these lines were cited in the Winter 2007-2008 issue of PEACE in Action, which published an article by the UN Commission, on the topic of Status of Women (Elmendorf, 2010)

The founding principles of the United Nations and its development system have become fundamental motivating principles for UN Women. The principles are: (1) Affirmation of justice and equality. (2) Inclusiveness - dedication of appropriate efforts towards women who are excluded and/or in poverty, marginalized groups, women with HIV / AIDS, rural women, women from ethnic and racial minorities, women with disabilities, and indigenous women. Such inclusiveness includes addressing male partnership roles in assisting the development of gender equality and women's rights. (3) United Nations system coherence: measurable outcomes and results for Member Nations in terms of performance, accountability, transparency, and effectiveness, that contribute and promote the core advantages and support national ownership. (4) Advocacy: to provide a voice of support and strength for girls and women to encourage their progress in shaping their lives decisions, as well as to advocate and promote women's empowerment and gender equality. (5) Knowledge generation: provision of normative counsel so that active expression of women's empowerment and gender equality can be shared, through experience sharing and knowledge, on a global basis. (6) National ownership: working to assist in national development strategies and plans in such a manner that individual national goals are enhanced with simultaneously developing empowerment for women and gender equality (UNW, 2013).

Global expression and achievement of women's rights, gender equality, and women's empowerment are the intended long-term goals. This statement includes actualization of the dedication and involvement of Member States in applicable United Nations resolutions, regional agreements, and commitments by the Commission on the Status of Women, the Beijing Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and relevant outcomes of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and the Millennium Declaration (UNW, 2011).

Results by which the UN Women organizational outcomes may be measured include: electoral management that is gender-responsive; programs to increase leadership roles for women in fields of service delivery (e.g., national HIV / AIDS councils and law enforcement positions) through institutional change as necessary; legal and policy changes supporting gender equality through temporary special measures, as well as implementation and adoption of constitutional reforms. In terms of an increase in women's leadership participation, the coordination and inter-governmental results are intended to focus on monitoring and reinforcement of gender-equality achievement. In terms of inter-agency results, within the United Nations itself, the UN Women organization is focused on coherent policy advice to Member States and Governments such that empowerment of women and gender equality are expanded and women's leadership is a focus for all spheres of activity including the political.

The manner in which this goal area will be tracked includes grants provided by the Fund for Gender Equality, as well as technical support to civil society and Governments, and inter-agency partnerships, as activities directed by UN Women to improve and expand the participation of women in the political arena (Executive Board of UN Entity, 2011).

What are some of the obstacles the movement or organization faces?

The UN Women organization faces a variety of obstacles, particularly as a global organization representing an immense diversity of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, as well as economic and material status. To some extent, the privileged role of feminists who have been white, middle-class, educated, bourgeois, and liberal has affected the perspective with which the movement is viewed, and led in many cases to marginalization by other activists. Both working class women, blacks, and other minorities have resisted feminism stating that it both sidelined and silenced their strategies, experiences and voices. Thus, feminism has seemed irrelevant to many groups who are either ethnically or racially disadvantaged, as well as to political movements that are non-mainstream (Motta, Fominaya, Eschle & Cox, 2011). Political aspects of the feminist movement in the United States have been at odds with a change towards a post-patriarchal and altered political system, as some sectors of feminism have taken on a professional and institutional standing at odds with the mass of lesser educated and less-financially sound women who are struggling against daily inequities. While aspects of feminism are rising, others are facing defeat, and/or de-politicization.

Resistance remains a part of the daily activity of women, although means and approaches vary from what has been traditional. The nature and essence of Feminism are being redefined, as women's political roles are altered and remnants of patriarchy are challenged. Indeed the very 'relevance' of Feminism is being challenged by many. Some see Feminism as solely an issue of 'Women's bodies' and reproductive rights, while others see the tremendous social inequities faced by women. The lessons of the past are ignored, and goals for the future can seem unfocused. Even discussion of the horrors of genital mutilation, still rampant and yet traditional in some countries, can be trivialized by some neo-liberals as being 'just like circumcision for men'.

The formation of UN Women in 2010, an historic act by UN Member States, was an affirmation that empowerment of women and gender equality should be more than a pipe-dream for the future but a serious goal for an equitable global future. UN Women was created to champion the process of gender equality and empowerment of women throughout the globe (UNW, 2010). Thus the achievement of women's rights, women's empowerment, and gender equality should not only be a global agenda but also a focus for every country to address.

Within the family as well as in public life, many countries have laws and customs that establish dominance for men. These situations are a part of deeply embedded cultural preconceptions, particularly with respect to abilities, or lack thereof, for women. Suffrage, or a vote for women, was perceived as a direct challenge to male supremacy and 'innate superiority'. While property rights for women or giving women access to education, could be accepted as useful social changes, giving women the right to vote was a challenge to the existing social (and psycho-social) milieu. This was viewed as a direct threat to societal good, particularly in that it altered the typically subordinate position of women. Suffrage was, and continues to be, a radical change.

Consider many historical aspects of suffrage and arguments raised against its implementation (which may still be active in non-Western counties):

National Needs Come First: The most classic example of this may be the words of Gandhi, who, in the midst of India's struggle against Great Britain and colonialism, asked women to help 'their men against the common foe'. Although he indicated he wanted women to have equality, he felt it was not then the appropriate time for a campaign for women's votes. In contradiction however, even suffrage supporters used a nationalistic argument that women who had the vote could better instill nationalism as an ideal for their children (Women's Suffrage Obstacles to Overcome, n.d.).

Fear of a Loss of Female rights: A lack of understanding concerning the actual significance of suffrage (and of gender equality) let many individuals to worry that political independence for women might result in destruction of the family structure, particularly if women were to lose their 'protection' by men. Fears of women having to serve in the military or take on inappropriate marketplace competition were also concerns.

Many Women didn't Want it: In the United States, it is a fact that a counter to the suffrage-movement was led by women. Indeed, often even educated women supported arguments against extending the vote to other women. In some cases, the lack of education among women was used as an argument against suffrage, and unfortunately supported even by well-educated women. There are actually women today who will state that 'women shouldn't vote'.