Powerful Ways of YUVA to Re-Invent Education in India

Education and empowerment are vital cogs in a society’s quality of life. The status of a nation’s education and how it empowers its citizens aids poverty alleviation. Improving education and empowerment programmes serves the greater good and is sustainable. YUVA has adopted powerful ways to re-invent education in India. In this article, we will show you how.

Continue reading “Powerful Ways of YUVA to Re-Invent Education in India”

Addressing Gender Inequality in Africa Post-COVID-19

Gender Inequality has many intersections. Most societal structures, from the government to families, are patriarchal. At the core of any society are the economy and jobs. Roles and work assigned to men perpetuate the belief that men can only do specific jobs. This is not sustainable.

The pandemic worsened employment levels across all genders, disproportionately so for women. This article looks at how Kenya and Ghana address gender disparities and challenge workplace stereotypes.

Continue reading “Addressing Gender Inequality in Africa Post-COVID-19”

Closing the Gender Pay Gap in Africa, Explained

International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8 to commemorate women’s cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements. On the day this year, an anonymous Twitter ‘bot’ emerged; @PayGapApp.

The account called out the salary discrimination between men and women from leading companies in the United Kingdom. It not only pointed out the “discrepancies”, but it also posted verified data of the gaps. In this article, we looked at how this disparity is closing and not in Africa through various intersecting factors.

Continue reading “Closing the Gender Pay Gap in Africa, Explained”

The Multiple Reasons Unemployment Affect Women in Africa

Understanding unemployment is unpacking the many factors that influence it. The gendered impact of joblessness goes beyond the lack of jobs. The many factors that affect women disproportionately have to be evaluated to find solutions.

While the pandemic worsened employment figures worldwide, African women are the most disadvantaged. This article will look at those variables and their connections to women’s employment.

Continue reading “The Multiple Reasons Unemployment Affect Women in Africa”

The Unemployment Crisis of Women in Africa, Explained

The average unemployment rate for women in Africa is 9.94%. This is according to the 2019 study by the World Bank. It was based on 52 countries, with South Africa having the largest rate and Niger the lowest.

YUVA Intern Ling Sheperd took a closer look at the various challenges influencing women’s unemployment.

Continue reading “The Unemployment Crisis of Women in Africa, Explained”

Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow: International Women’s Day 2022

Together, the world gathers for International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March to applaud women’s achievements and reaffirm a dedication to women’s rights and equality. It offers a chance to ponder on advances made, push for reform, and honour acts of courage by women who played a significant role in the evolution and shaping of their country.

“Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” is the theme of IWD, 2022. The IWD logo is a coiled, arrowed ring with the feminine gender sign at the centre. 

Continue reading “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow: International Women’s Day 2022”

Pulses to Empower Youth in Achieving Sustainable Agrifood Systems: World Pulses Day 2022

An annual global United Nations event, the World Pulses Day is observed on 10 February to recognise the importance of pulses as a worldwide food source. World Pulses Day is an occasion to increase awareness of the nutritional advantages of pulses and their commitment to food production and a world without starvation.

In recognising pulses for their crucial role in achieving the detailed set of shared and transcendent goals and objectives in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this celebration of pulses acknowledges their importance in pursuing peace.

Continue reading “Pulses to Empower Youth in Achieving Sustainable Agrifood Systems: World Pulses Day 2022”

11 February: International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2022

Every year, numerous events occur on February 11 to commemorate International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Each possibility is distinct, as diverse, and inventive as the individuals and organisations engaged. The 7th International Assembly of Women and Girls in Science will be conducted virtually this year at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. But what are the importance and history of this day?

Gender equality has long been a priority for the United Nations. Along with science and the empowerment of women and girls, they are all critical to global economic development and progress toward achieving internationally agreed-upon development goals, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the last 15 years, the international community has worked hard to inspire and engage women and girls in science. Nonetheless, they continue to face challenges that prevent them from actively engaging in science.

Continue reading “11 February: International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2022”

10 Fascinating Reasons People Like How YUVA Helped Tackle COVID-19 in Mauritius

YUVA adapted its existing programmes to operate remotely or with physical distancing in the wake of the pandemic. Since we were already intimately connected with our beneficiaries and constituents, we did our best to respond to immediate needs in new ways.

Firstly, YUVA secured a special license called the “Work Access Permit” from the Government of Mauritius to be able to execute the following:

Continue reading “10 Fascinating Reasons People Like How YUVA Helped Tackle COVID-19 in Mauritius”

Mauritius celebrates of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2020

Despite the adoption of the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by the UN General Assembly in 1979, violence against women and girls remains a pervasive problem worldwide.

To that end, the General Assembly issued resolution 48/104, laying the foundation for the road towards a world free of gender-based violence. Another bold step in the right direction was embodied by an initiative launched in 2008 and known as the UNiTE to End Violence against Women. It aims to raise public awareness around the issue as well as increase both policymaking and resources dedicated to ending violence against women and girls worldwide.

Continue reading “Mauritius celebrates of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2020”

World Tourism Day 2020: Rebuilding tourism in a safe, equitable, climate-friendly way

Tourism has been among the hardest hit of all sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. No country has been unaffected. Restrictions on travel and a sudden drop in consumer demand have led to an unprecedented fall in international tourism numbers, which in turn have led to economic loss and the loss of jobs.

Women, youth, and workers in the informal economy are the most at risk from tourism sector job losses and business closures due to the pandemic. At the same time, the destinations most reliant on tourism for jobs and economic growth are likely to be the hardest hit.

Continue reading “World Tourism Day 2020: Rebuilding tourism in a safe, equitable, climate-friendly way”

25 November 2019: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.

In general terms, it manifests itself in physical, sexual and psychological forms, encompassing:

  • intimate partner violence (battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide);
  • sexual violence and harassment (rape, forced sexual acts, unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, street harassment, stalking, cyber-harassment);
  • human trafficking (slavery, sexual exploitation);
  • female genital mutilation; and
  • child marriage.
Continue reading “25 November 2019: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women”

YUVA at African Women in Dialogue, Johannesburg

The air was filled with excitement at OR Tambo International Airport as women from across the continent streamed in to attend the African Women in Dialogue (AWiD) conference that took place in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

YUVA, represented by Soveeta Chengappa Naidu, participated in a 5-day forum held by Zanele Mbeki Development Trust in Johannesburg last week. Delegates from all walks of life entered the forum campus wide-eyed and filled with joy. Continue reading “YUVA at African Women in Dialogue, Johannesburg”

Jana Huwyler: YUVA Sustainable Development Goals

My name is Jana Huwyler, I am 21 years old and I am from Switzerland. I study law in the second year at the University of Berne. For my internship abroad, I wanted to do something with rights, to gain an insight into an other law system. In Switzerland the equality of woman and men is pretty much given. So I found it important to help improving the woman rights in a country where the equality isn’t very advanced so far.

Feminism has been considered a “dirty” word the past 10-15 years. But as I learned lately at a lecture of the lions club: To be a feminist means just the radical notion that women are people – the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. I find it very wrong and frightening that this is not the normality. The sad truth of the matter is that we start off with men as the standard, as the norm. We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible.

I belief that, among other things, the women empowerment starts in the social empowerment. Within the Goal 5: ”Gender Equality” of YUVA Sustainable Development Goals and the Target 2: ”Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation”, I hope to make a positive contribution. In my opinion the source of inequality is at home by raising the boys and girls differently. We do a great disservice to boys in how we raise them. We define masculinity in a very narrow way. We teach boys to be afraid of fear, of weakness, of vulnerability. We teach them to be a hard man. We say to girls: You can’t have too much ambition and shouldn’t be too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man. If you are the breadwinner in your relationship with a man, pretend that you are not, especially in public, otherwise you will emasculate him. Because of our wrong education, girls are not being of equal worth as men.

Changing the status quo is always uncomfortable. Therefore it is even more important to make a change within the framework of our provided possibilities. But for now, I want to contribute my part. Like Emma Watson said at her speech back in september 2014 at an event for the HeForShe campaign: ”If not me, who? If not now when?”.