Amika is a British activist who campaigns against period poverty. Aged just 17 she launched the #FreePeriods campaign to raise awareness of the issue and destigmatize menstruation. Now aged 22 her non-profit Free Periods had enacted policy change in the UK and last year she was the youngest MBE recipient for her services to education.
Key takeaway: In this digital world enacting change from your bedroom is possible.
Mpho is a Senior Trainer at Sonke Gender Justice, a human rights-based organisation working throughout Africa to further social justice and advocacy for gender equality, prevent gender-based violence and reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS. Sonke have been a partner of Concern Worldwide’s for many years. In Mpho’s words this has been focused on “strengthening Concern’s capacity to carry out gender-transformative programming, which really started by assessing the attitude of Concern staff in Malawi.”
Key takeaway: International agencies need to take note and follow Mpho’s example by changing staff attitudes through training, particularly using the ‘Engaging Men and Women on Gender Equality’ methodology. Mpho states “we need to engage men and boys because they have their own gendered vulnerabilities and their own specific health and social needs. It is also essential in fostering positive views in relationships and behaviours among men from an early age.”
Although these inspiring women are accelerating change and igniting hope, there is still much to be done to ‘break the bias’.
In addition to what we can learn from the above stories, agencies play a key role and need to change how they communicate. Women of Concern celebrate women across the globe as agents of change. This is through the narratives we propagate and the images we use to showcase women and girls and it is only through widespread uptake that this approach will begin to reframe society.
Diversity and inclusion must also play a part in breaking the bias worldwide in 2022. From employers adopting unconscious bias training in the workplace, which has been proven successful by Harvard Business School, to international non-governmental organisations becoming more diverse. Concern Worldwide is currently working with brap, an equalities charity, to devise an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) plan. Danny Harvey, Concern UK’s Executive Director said, “We want to be more diverse and more inclusive and we have reflected this in our new strategic plan where we aim to ‘Increase diversity at all levels and commit to inclusive leadership that models, represents and nourishes a culture where all identities are accepted, valued and belong.’” Only by fostering partnerships to enable information and best practice sharing, will we be able to reach our common goal together.
As to what we can all do day to day, the UN’s list of 12 small ways you can push for gender equality is a good start, but most importantly we must continue to come together to amplify our voices.
Stand with us in joining the IWD campaign and be a part of #breakthebias.