First week at UNEP HQ in Nairobi Kenya

I started working at the beautiful and sustainable UNEP HQ in Nairobi on Monday July 25^th. I have the privilege of working in a zero energy balance building. That means that, over the course of a year, all of the building's energy needs are met by the solar panels mounted on the roof tiles. Not only does this building have a zero energy balance, but the builders were very careful to use local supplies (including local architects, construction firms, building materials, etc.) as much as possible. Also, rainwater is harvested to feed the beautiful fish ponds and both this rainwater and graywater (from the bathrooms and utility rooms) are used to irrigate the beautiful themed internal atrium flora, as well as the nearby lawn. With such gorgeous, tranquil surroundings, my work space is very inviting.

Less relaxing is the pace at which Quality Assurance Section (QAS) moves. QAS operates under the Executive Office of the UNEP and helps measure the impact of UNEP projects and programs. Within QAS, I am working with the senior gender adviser to the UNEP, Ms. Janet Kabeberi-Macharia to identify projects in the Resource Efficiency & Sustainable Consumption and Production priority area that might benefit from: (1) my expertise in theories of contextually appropriate innovation; (2) my expertise in theories of knowledge circulation; (3) policy suggestions for further gender mainstreaming.

Originally, at the request of Ms. Kabeberi-Macharia, I identified two (out of 6) UNEP priority areas that best fit my interests: Resource Efficiency and Sustainable Consumption (RE&SCP) and, Harmful Substances and Hazardous Waste. At the time, both Ms. Kabeberi-Macharia and I were considering how my project at the UN could best fit the topic of my dissertation research which is avoidable blindness. Its theoretical premise actually fits quite well with the UNEP priority area of Resource Efficiency –Sustainable Consumption and Production (RE&SCP), in particular the following areas: a model of sustainable financing; working with international institutions; facilitating S-S cooperation; emphasizing national ownership.

Together, Ms. Kabeberi-Macharia and I have started to identify some specific projects in the area of S-S Cooperation, that I might work with. In each, I will try to identify and advocate for specific policy measures to inculcate gender responsiveness (where women are encouraged to participate as decision makers in policy) and gender mainstreaming (where I advocate the incorporation of sex-disaggregated statistics and consideration of women's equality and women's empowerment into policy decisions).

While, as a Ph.D. Candidate, I have read a lot of feminist science studies and feminist technology studies literature, how such literature translates into policy practice was previously unknown to me. From Ms. Kabeberi-Macharia’s website on Gender Issues in UNEP, I accessed the glossary where I learned about the terminology used by policy professionals to discuss some of the same goals that feminist scholars have. If any of the other CWWL fellows have some other resources to share on the policy practices of gender mainstreaming, and gender responsiveness, I would very much appreciate them.

Greetings from Kiribati!

Or, as one might say it here, Kam na mauri ni Kabane!

I have been here on Tarawa, the teeny tiny atoll that constitutes the capital of the Republic of Kiribati (pop. 100,000-ish), for almost two months now and have been terribly remiss in posting to this blog. My excuse is that I was busy learning as much as I could, as fast as I could, about this country and its health system, so that I could actually be of use to the Ministry of Health during my brief stay. I have so loved reading what each of you post-ers has had to say about your placements, though, and now want to offer at least a few thoughts on the not-very-well-known part of the world where I have been living.

In short, as I have (maybe unsuccessfully) tried to depict in the photos above (of exactly the same view, but at different tides/times of day) Kiribati can be either "the BEST!" or "the WORST!" depending how you look at it.

Here in Tarawa, you may at all times be within 100 meters of what I reckon is the most beautifully-aqua lagoon in the world, but you are also, no doubt, aware that this gorgeous body of water lays claim to the highest concentrations of E-coli in the world (understandably, given the limited access to water and sanitation with which most of the population struggles).

The temperature may never rise above 86 F or fall below 79 F, but combined with the humidity and salty sea air, one soon learns, this means that the smallest and most insignificant cut you ever had will turn into a festering, infected wound with high sepsis potential if not attended to immediately and consistently for the next month (difficult in a place where band-aids or similar products are unavailable)… your shoes will grow mold… and any and all electronic devices will develop a series of unexplained malfunctions of varying severity and annoying-ness.

A camping trip to a nearby island may take you to the most idyllic beach, with straight-out-of-finding-nemo-quality snorkeling, and the most generous picnickers with whom to share a lunch of coconuts and fresh fish, but it may also entail a night spent fearing for your life while gale-force winds blow your tent over (think splintering poles and wet nylon plastered to your face) and down the beach with you in it, torrential rains all the while filling it with just enough water to thoroughly soak everything you own… and you might at first be thankful that at least the wind also blew the mosquitoes away…for a minute.

Perhaps more importantly, a visit to the doctor might be quick and free, and (if you’re lucky and you have sought health care early and for a relatively common and easy-to-treat condition) result in prescriptions for exactly what you need at no charge. Whatever it is you need, though, might be out of stock at the one-and-only pharmacy and not be expected back in until the next ship comes... in a month.

Thanks to the hospitality of many i-Kiribati and some wonderful new friends, I’ve been able to maintain an outlook of the "BEST!” variety in almost every area of my Kiribati life, and I have learned a ton from my experiences inside and outside the Ministry of Health.

The majority of my working life thus far has revolved around research into how pain treatment and palliative care are provided in Kiribati, how delivery of these services could be improved, and what a national policy to support increased access might look like. This research has given me an excuse to visit a range of health centers, clinics and hospitals in the capital and on more remote outer islands, and to speak at length with a wide range of health care providers and administrators. I have been able to explore issues of drug supply and distribution in a fantastically complicated and remote setting (Kiribati is made up of 32 different islands spread over 3.5 million kilometers of the pacific ocean); issues of education and training of health care providers in a country with no medical schools; the transition in health care delivery strategies and public health priorities demanded here, as in many developing countries, by a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs); and, finally, health care seeking behavior, particularly among women, who, as in many other places, tend to prioritize the needs—health and otherwise—of their children and other family members above their own.

One of the most memorable and eye-opening experiences I have had in Kiribati took place on a small boat in rough seas off the coast of Abaiang, one of the atolls just north of the capital, Tarawa. I was on my way, with the Abaiang Medical Assistant (thanks to a recent E.U.-funded program, each of the outer islands has a health center staffed by a Medical Assistant, who, as a nurse who’s been given a bit of additional training and salary, essentially runs the entire health system of the island—from disease surveillance and vaccination programs to health promotion/NCD prevention/anti-smoking campaigns; from emergency medicine to food safety and palliative care—on his or her own and in communication with doctors at the main hospital primarily through CB radio) from the main island to one of the even smaller and more remote is-lets that is also part of his catchment area. Huge waves broke over the bow as he drove, soaking everything in the boat that wasn’t very securely wrapped and fastened inside a waterproof tarp, and salt-ily splashing into our eyes so often I was unsure how he could continue to steer the boat. There was only one seat, so I was using one of the tarp-wrapped bundles to cushion the impact of wave after wave of into-the-wind, tailbone crushing, impossible-to-predict-the-exact-direction-or-intensity-of blows to the hull.

After something like two hours of this, it occurred to me that we were taking this boat because it was the best one available—much more comfortable, everyone said, than the canoes that were once the only means of travel between islands. A couple of other things also occurred to me: 1) If I were suffering from appendicitis, or even a tooth-ache, this trip might just qualify as torture. It might also be my only hope of getting to a hospital. Under such circumstances, unless I was in very dire straights, I most likely wouldn’t choose to see a doctor unless he came to me. 2) This is the trip the Medical Assistant has to take at the drop of a hat, every time a shipment of vaccines comes in—not to mention any time a patient on the islet needs any kind of specialized care or medication—sometimes with little notice. The fact that the Medical Assistant does not, himself, own a boat and must borrow one for every trip, just adds to his burden. 3) This might amount to what one would call a difficult link in the cold chain supply system.

It is not so much that I didn’t previously know about a whole range of difficulties in reaching remote populations—here and everywhere else—with health care. It just hadn’t ever been made so totally, absolutely, and (literally) painfully clear to me how some of those difficulties manifest themselves.

Of course, consistent with the theme of Kiribati’s being simultaneously “the BEST!” and “the WORST!” we were also at that very moment, driving into the most vibrant sunset I’ve ever witnessed, reflected off of the deepest-blue ocean I’ve ever seen, and headed towards the palm-tree-studded silhouette of that quintessential paradise island I once thought only existed in travel brochures.

Farewell to Lithuania - for now

A view of Vilnius from my recent hot-air balloon ride!

My time in Lithuania is coming to a close (I really can’t believe it’s been ten weeks already!), and instead of writing about gender and policy this time, I’m going to focus on some of the smaller details of my experience here.

One of the questions I’m asked the most lately is, “What will you miss about Lithuania?”  So here are a few answers:

- The food! How very outdated it is to think that post-Soviet countries lack access to fresh or diverse cuisine. The food here is excellent, and even without eating meat, I’ve still done quite well for myself. Some of the dishes I’ll miss the most (but not necessarily Lithuania’s healthiest ones) are tinginys (“lazy man’s cake,” a delicious, unbaked cake of chocolate, butter and biscuits); kepta duona (fried Lithuanian black bread with garlic); and Lithuanian hot chocolate (pretty much melted chocolate in a mug).  I’ll miss Cukatos, my favorite café in town, and the friendly staff there who memorized everything I liked and didn’t like. I won‘t miss worrying about bacon hiding in my food, though.

- Vilnius, or at least the Vilnius I saw. What I mean is that ten weeks has given me an introduction to Vilnius, but I haven’t finished the book  In the same way that you don‘t really know NYC if you never leave Manhattan, I can‘t claim that I truly know Vilnius without having spent much time in the suburbs or outside of the center and the Old Town.  But I have done my best to explore, learn, and grow in this place, thanks especially to the wonderful people who have helped show me the way.  I will miss taking winding roads to work, the quaint and colorful shops and streets, and the offbeat, funky details in the graffiti, window sills and and decorations of this town.

- And most of all, the people. I have so much love and gratitude for the people I’ve met here; they have been generous, open, and amazingly, they’ve been willing to befriend someone who was only in town for a few short months.  I will miss my friends in Vilnius, our conversations and adventures together.  I feel very fortunate to live in NYC, a city where so many people pass through, and so I’m confident that I will see many of my friends here again.

Soon I’m leaving for new lands, namely Latvia and Estonia, where I’m traveling with a friend before returning to the U.S..  I’m excited to come back to my life in New York, but it’s bittersweet, since I’ve had such a positive experience living in Lithuania.  For now, I will say not “viso gero” (Lithuanian for ‘goodbye’) but rather “iki” ( ‘see you later’), and hope that it won’t be too long before I can say “labas!” (‘hello’) again! 

Hello,

Things are going well here at the Ministerial Leadership Initative (MLI) in DC. It has been an entirely different and interesting experience for me to work with MLI, and I have been encouraged by the extent of their involvement with the ministries they work with. I think what is most unique about the program is that they do truly provide demand-driven support. All their activities have been tailored around gaps identified by the ministries themselves and have not been donor driven. It has been encouraging to see the extent of MLI's reach thus far. Given the program is in its last year of funding from Gates, we have been actively involved in the compiling documentation of the program's activities and impact. I thought I would highlight one of the Ministry-led activities MLI supported in this blog. I have cross-posted an event write up I recently did for the MLI blog on Ethiopia's Balancescore Card roll out. I hope you enjoy it!

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) epitomizes strengthening health systems through strengthening governance. Rahel Gizaw, MLI Country Lead for Ethiopia, told the audience at the Global Health Council’s annual conference that the BSC strengthens Ethiopia’s Federal Ministry of Health through capturing performance measures, targets and initiatives. With more clarity, more can be accomplished. Read the rest at http://www.ministerial-leadership.org/events/rahel-gizaw-featured-panelist-ghc

-Swetha

Placement at the World Economic Forum

My third week at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland has begun, and I am settled into my work and my team. I am interning within the Special Constituents group, which focuses on engaging Civil Society Organizations (CSO), faith leaders (FL), as well as women leaders in the Forum's work.

My team is truly representative of the multinational nature of Geneva. Each of them speaks at least 3 languages, and come from a variety of countries. They all welcomed me warmly, and I feel as though I have been part of this group for years.

Regarding my role here at the Forum, I am currently assisting the managers of the CSO and FL constituents with a variety of tasks. First, I compiled a list of the top 50 most influential faith leaders, paying particular attention to women faith leaders given their under-representation in this area. More specifically, the Forum will be holding a Summit in India in November, and a number of faith leaders will be invited, including women faith leaders stemming from my and my supervisor's research.

I have also begun a mapping project for my CSO manager, which aims to identify gaps in relationships between the Forum and current CSO partners. The Forum is constantly searching for new NGOs to work with, and this summer I will be assisting in identifying these potential partners.

Toward the end of my internship, I am excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, under the supervision of the Director of the Special Constituents Group, Ms. Saadia Zahidi. The Global Gender Gap Report is an Index that ranks countries based on a variety of variables (such as the proportion of women in parliament, wage parity, etc), and acts as a benchmark for states to monitor and improve the status of women.

For more information about the report, and to find out how your country ranks in terms of gender parity, I encourage you to click on the cover below:

For the upcoming 2011 Report, the Gender team has sent out surveys to Ministries of Women's Affairs to provide additional value to the report. I will update this blog as we continue to receive completed surveys, and with any interesting developments at the Forum.


Take care!


Alexandra

"Women Enhancing Democracy" Conference at the Office of the President (Lithuania)

This past week was our big week!  The Office of the President hosted the “Women Enhancing Democracy: Best Practices” conference, a high-level, high-profile summit on women’s leadership.  It was hosted by Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaite, and featured many female leaders from around the world, including Hillary Clinton, Tarja Halonen (President of Finland), Atifete Jahjaga (President of Kosovo), Solvita Aboltina (Speaker of the Parliament of Latvia), and others—as well as two CWWL staff members, Patricia Deyton and Heather McAuliffe, who were in town for the conference (CWWL was a sponsor of the event). 

I have been working on this conference since I arrived in Lithuania, and to see it finally come together was very rewarding.  When you’re spending hours late at the office printing badges or editing programs, it can feel quite mundane; it’s hard to feel like you’re working towards something bigger.  But to hear Hillary Clinton speak in person, to meet President Grybauskaite, and to hear from women from around the world who represent NGOs, academia and the UN, was an incredible opportunity.

“Women Enhancing Democracy” was one piece of a three-day conference of the Community of Democracies, an intergovernmental organization of the world’s democracies. For the past two years, Lithuania has been the Chair of CoD. It was interesting and also a little disturbing to see that although the attendance at “Women Enhancing Democracy” was about 80% women and 20% men, the inverse was true for the rest of the Community of Democracy forums.  Why were women present in so few numbers in the overall conference?  Our event was a clear indicator that women in leadership most certainly do exist.  But do they only show up if gender is an explicit component?  Or are they not being included in the other conversations?

An interesting observation that I heard at the conference was: “We can’t fully achieve gender equality unless men are speaking to men about these issues.  And not just any men – men who have power.  Without their advocacy, we can only get halfway.”  I noticed that Ria also wrote about this in one of her blog postings, “Men as Allies.”  To me, this rings quite true. Without men as allies, how far can gender issues progress?  I think this conference was an important step in the right direction, but there's still a long journey ahead.

The feminization of poverty

(Written Last Week)

I’m half way into week two here in Guyana and the laundry is adding up. The pile is getting higher and the mosquitoes have a thing for anything smelly. Not to mention almost two weeks, that’s just gross. Time to do some wash.

I took a trip across the street to ask my landlady about getting some laundry done. When I signed a rental agreement, I accepted the apartment without a washer or dryer. The landlady explained she’ll try to get a machine in the space, but until then my options are limited. She does, however, have a house keeper who takes care of her cleaning and laundry.

“If she just puts it in the washer and dryer I can handle that myself.”
“Washer?”
“Yeah, washer.” Wait, is washer some kinda slang here?
“ I don’t have a washer! She washes everything by hand”.
“Oh…Ohhh.”

“Well, how much does she charge to wash clothes”
“I’ll have to ask her. It’s $1500 a day to clean my house and do the washing”

$1500. That’s about $7.50 in USD. $7.50 to clean an entire house (and it’s a reasonably sized house) and wash the laundry by hand. I can barely purchase a salad for $7.50 in the US. Another perspective- A two piece meal at KFC is $1100.

When was the last time I washed bath towels, t-shirts, or blazers by hand in one sitting? Let’s try never. The thought of so much work was overwhelming and really makes me realize how hard this woman works on a daily basis.

The next morning I placed my dirty clothes in a trash bag on the front porch as I was leaving for work. I met my landlady’s housekeeper. She introduced herself from a far, and when I locked the door, I walked over to shake her hand. She thanked me graciously for the work and explained it was her pleasure to help out.

Let’s go back to Women’s Studies 101. The feminization of poverty is a term used to describe the disproportionate rates at which women live in poverty compared to their male counterparts. Let’s apply that to a global perspective. Some women in Guyana marry at earlier ages than their American and European counter-parts, usually in their mid teens early twenties. Marrying earlier may mean less formal education and less earning potential. Less formal education means filling the need for service and labour based jobs such as housekeeping or nannies.

The topics we learn in school aren't just about politics. They are very much real and present in the lives of women everyday.

No one needs to see my dirty dirties. But for $7.50, I’d much rather invest in a local woman’s business than pay taxi fare and washing/drying machine fees at a laundry mat.

Taxi!

I usually take a taxi cab to and from my internship. The cost, round trip is about four US dollars. Hey, that’s cheaper than round trip on the bus in NYC!

My internship, the Ministry of Human Services, is located in the heart of (midtown) Georgetown. It’s a fifteen minute drive. In the final stretch, I pass through about half a mile of outdoor markets (produce, clothing, toiletries, and their vendors) to get to my office. Yesterday, I walked outside in search of a taxi home. They line the streets opposite side of the vendors and wait for customers- or call to them.

All the drivers (I saw) are men. They usually twirl umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun. Some men make cat calls, more specifically, noises that mimic sucking your teeth or a kissing sound. “Hey pretty gal, come in my car. And you can pay me”. I shake my head no. I’ve made it a habit not to speak unless necessary in the attempt to not give away the fact that I’m foreign. “Mama, where can I drive you?”. Another head shake. One gentleman yells “hey” and when I turn my head, he gives me a crude gesture that cannot be politely re-illustrated via this blog. Lovely. Now, had I been in the US, I would not have hesitated to share a middle finger or swear word. But, the reality is that I’m not in US. So, I suck it up and mimic the behavior of other local women: I ignore it.

I meticulously look for a yellow car marked taxi and walk pass the men who are drivers of unmarked vehicles (which later learn really means nothing in terms of safety).
After walking the strip, and turning onto another block, I find a “yellow taxi”. Although the guy next to him shades me with his umbrella and reaches for the door, I shake my head no and point to the “yellow taxi”. The owner gets off the hood, opens both of our doors, and begins to drive. “John Smith Street” I say in my obviously American accent. He repeats the street and begins to drive.

After about ten minutes he says “John Smith Street. You can direct me?” Oh. No. My internal monologue goes nuts: Why didn’t this man say he didn’t know where we were going? Why didn’t he ask me this ten minutes ago? This can’t be safe. Fortunately, I was able to give him directions. I’m very aware of my surroundings (thank you sincerely years of Girl Scouts navigation training) and pay close attention to make sure the driver follows my directions.

When we arrive to my gate he says “That will be $1,000”. No, it’s not. I’ve been here long enough to know it’s only $500. I want to say “Are you ripping me off because I’m a woman, because I’m foreign, or because I’m alone?” I’m suspicious it’s a little bit of everything. But, I don’t argue. I pay him.

“What’s this street named again?”
“John Smith Street” I say as I get out and slam the door.

Men as Allies

When I consider that my fellowship incorporates gender and public policy, it is only appropriate that I take some time to reflect on my experiences as a young woman in another country.

I had an opportunity to meet the Director of Public Policy at my internship, and soon learn that we’ll be sharing an office space. He introduced himself and explained that he’s been anticipating my arrival for some time. I explain that I recently graduated from Columbia while we are shaking hands and he begins to shake my hand even harder. “Wow, Columbia! We’re very lucky to have you with us.” I smile and say thanks (Go, Lions!).

My department (and future project) focuses on the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault. While talking to the Director, we casually run through our CV’s. He asks himself out loud “What else is there to say? Well, why did I go into this work?” and I reply “Probably the same reason I did”. We laugh and agree there is satisfaction in work when it helps others.

Later during an afternoon meeting, the topic of discussion is Guyana’s new public policy regarding sexual assault. One member explains why he believes the new legislation is “bad policy” and “doesn’t reflect the culture of Guyana”. He further explains that on the ground, this policy would put every other man in jail. I take time to realize the conversation has been dominated by men. The Director explains why he disagrees. His words echoed with me all day: “We always treat sexual assault as a women’s issue. But if the majority of abuse is committed by men, then it’s our issue too. It’s up to us, men, to end it.”

I wanted to yell “Amen, brethren!” I wanted to hug him for acknowledging his power and privilege; hi-five him for his commitment to being an ally to the women of his homeland…
I sat in my seat and nodded my head.

I want to take you home Mr. Director. I want you to use your dedication to rally men in the USA for this cause. But, there’s work to be done here- and by my impressions, you’re mighty good at it.