GROWTH in Empowerment means Economic Growth for Developing Countries

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This coming Monday is Women's International Day which is being celebrated by two BloggerUnite events International Women's Day with BlogCatalog and International Women's Day with AmnestyISOnline. There is a natural connection with this blog through the United Nations' Millennium Campaign Goal 3. Gender Equity.

I am finally getting around to writing the posts and there has been a tremendous amount of information available on the web. Somethings shouldn't wait until Monday.

Change.org and Accion International are Fighting poverty by supporting the economic empowerment of women worldwide by drumming up support for the Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive (GROWTH) Act (S. 1425) through encouraging co-sponsorships in the United States Senate. I just wrote my to two Senators becoming one of 1,807 people who signed so far. They are looking for 2,500 but considering what day Monday is you would think that they could go far beyond that. What everyone participating is telling their Senators is:

This innovative, bi-partisan piece of legislation would improve the effectiveness of U.S. international assistance and trade policy by focusing on economic opportunities for marginalized women in developing countries. The GROWTH Act would help millions of women lift themselves and their families out of poverty through access to microfinance. It would also empower women in poor countries in the following areas: small business ownership, land and property rights, equal wages and working conditions, and global trade opportunities.

Microfinance efforts have shown again and again that economically empowered women invest in the nutritional, health and educational needs of their children, helping to lift their families and communities out of poverty.

Unfortunately, women face unequal barriers and hardships in many underdeveloped regions. The GROWTH Act would work to address those obstacles.

I urge you to make moving the GROWTH Act (S. 1425) forward one of your top priorities this year.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your response on this important issue.

My two cents were: This coming Monday, March 8, 2010 is International Women's Day. There would be no better recognition of the importance of women to the betterment of the world than passing the Growth Act. It will also be an important milestone in addressing the 3rd Millennium Development Goal Gender Equity.

This is the second time I have supported the GROWTH Act. Back in January Women Thrive Worldwide saw my profile on Change.org and sought my support for their organization which I am more than happy to give.

We advocate on behalf of women and girls living in poverty around the world.

As you may know, we develop bills aimed at ensuring that international development projects and programs take into account the needs of vulnerable populations. One bill, the GROWTH Act, is currently in the Senate and, if passed, would give women in poor countries access to land and property rights, small loans to start their own businesses, and improve wage and working conditions. We need your help in reaching out to US Senators to urge the to pass this bill. I hope that you get a chance to sign our petition and join our community! Thanks for your support!

Others supporting GROWTH

• Growth Act | ONE
• Support the GROWTH Act! | Women's Funding Network
• GROWTH Act Introduction Is a Positive Step for Women's Economic Empowerment and Self-Sufficiency|Care
• History of the Bill
  

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Women make a difference in Haiti and will make a difference in the new millennium

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Bloggers Unite for Haiti is still actively sharing information about this disaster and how people around the world can provide aid to ongoing relief efforts. Today is their next date for a joint effort from bloggers across the globe.

Next week is another Bloggers Unite Event and that is International Women's Day, so I decided to examine the role of women in the crisis in Haiti and how they are being incorporated into the relief efforts.

Robin Marty from Care2 writing on Women's Rights provided an UPDATE: Disaster Aid in Haiti Focuses on Women

One of the hardest aspects of dealing with a disaster is always the dispersement of aid, especially trying to get it to those who need it most. To help faciliate this in post-earthquake Haiti, relief workers are beginning to hand out women-only aid coupons. Those providing aid see it as the easiest way to be certain food will make it to those who are the most vulnerable.

Aid agencies have launched a new food distribution program focusing primarily on women.

"Our experience around the world is that food is more likely to be equitably shared in the household if it is given to women," Marcus Prior, a spokesman for the United Nations' World Food Program, told The Associated Press.

This was accomplished through a major Haiti food distribution plan launched by the UN a new UN food coupons, which has become as good as money in Haiti

The United Nations launched a large-scale distribution program to provide food aid to 2 million Haitians. Under the program, only women will be able to collect food by trading in vouchers at distribution centers in a bid to prevent the repeat of recent incidents of violence and looting. The New York Times (1/30)

With hunger still a mounting problem for many in Haiti, the UN has introduced a new food-distribution program to replace the haphazard and Darwinian giveaways that have until now marked aid efforts. A coupon redeemable for 55 pounds of rice has become more valuable than money -- the effective currency of a country whose capital and government were destroyed in the earthquake. By emphasizing women as the recipients and installing the coupons in 16 stable locations, food distribution has improved, though disorientation remains a significant obstacle to providing aid. More at The New York Times (2/2)

As I said before, Progress in Haiti are Lessons for the Millennium Development Goals that can be applied to the Millennium Development Goals. This should demonstrate the importance of Millennium Development Goal No. 3. Gender Equity, because addressing this goal actually helps to address all 8 of the Millennium Development Goals and the 15 Millennium Challenges that make them up.

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You Told Your Senator Now Tell President Obama Support Malaria Vaccination Research

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This is still in line with the post I did earlier today. It has been in drafts for over a month but it is an ongoing effort so I decided to put it up.

The Millennium Development Goal No. 6 calls for us to Combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases especially malaria and reverse its trend across the globe, but that has to happen one child at a time. Care2 reminds us that the biggest battle against this disease is for the lives of our children. It's time we stop these needless deaths and develop a vaccine against malaria. »

Children are especially susceptible to malaria because of their fledgling immune systems. But scientists are developing a vaccine that could save millions around the world.

The vaccine reproduces the natural immunity against malaria that usually takes years to develop -- so it is especially beneficial to young children. It was extremely successful in tests in Mali, and studies are set to expand.

Tell President Obama to support studies of the malaria vaccine. »

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