BIC New York: A new look at the role of institutions in building societies basedon gender equality
NEW YORK – Organizations and institutions whose activities are guided by fundamental moral and ethical beliefs and which recognize that the well-being of each part of humanity is inextricably linked to the well-being of the whole prove to be more effective agents of social change.
This view is the focus of a new statement from the Bahá’í International Community (BIC), which is part of its contribution to the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), to be held in March.
Entitled “Rethinking the Role of Institutions in Building Equal Societies,” the statement describes how institutions that seek to support equal societies should ensure flexibility in their structures and activities and strive for a deep sense of collaboration for equality to promote the genders.
BIC examines some steps and implications for institutions pursuing this transformative path and contributing to broader societal progress, for example by helping to implement global programs or national policies to better respond to the context-specific realities facing women and girls faced in different places. .
Liliane Nkunzimana, representative of the BIC: “We want to know the path of this institution, for example by studying the joint efforts of women and men to promote a more equitable organizational culture,” she notes.“These changes,” Nkunzimana continues, “
will distance institutions characterized by characteristics such as flexibility, responsiveness and collaboration from traditional patriarchal norms of authoritarianism and competitiveness.”
TheBIC declaration for the upcoming CSW can be viewed here
Reimagining the Role of Institutions in Building Gender-Equal Societies
A statement of the Baha’i International Community to the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
In the Katuyola village of Zambia, the governing institution of a local faith community, elected by its members, organized a two-day gathering of some 120 local women of various faith backgrounds to explore questions related to the role of women in society. Male members of the institution handled logistical arrangements such as cooking and serving food, so that female members could more fully participate in the gathering—a level of support described by many as a remarkable shift within the historical context of their society.
Part of an ongoing process of consultation and collaboration among traditional leaders, faith actors, parents, youth, and children, this gathering resulted in literacy classes for women in the village, assistance with gardens and a local savings backyard bank to help them generate income, and the establishment of a local center of learning. Just as importantly, the gathering explored what adjustments to the functioning of the village, including its institutional structures and norms, would be required to more fully embody the principle of gender equality, and remove barriers to women’s full engagement in community life.
What does it look like for institutions to prioritize gender equality and its many requirements, instead of women being relegated to the sidelines? What does it look like for gender equality to advance competitively across a variety of institutions, as opposed to progress in one arena being hampered by continued obstacles in others? What does it look like for institutions to be characterized by qualities such as flexibility, responsiveness, and collaboration, rather than traits traditionally associated with norms of patriarchy, such as behavior that is authoritarian or competitive?
Experiences like those in Katuyola begin to address such questions and give a glimpse of the influence that institutions have on the roles, circumstances, and opportunities open to women and girls. Societies characterized by robust patterns of gender equality will become possible only as institutions—perhaps especially related to education, governance, and commerce—are increasingly recast according to principles of equality and justice, and the members within them strive to apply such principles in their work and service.
Sadly, without the necessary institutional vision, ethical commitment, and operational capabilities, various forms of corruption or simply a lack of effective functioning have led to the erosion of public trust in institutions and, in many places, a growing crisis of authority and governance. The Bahá’í International Community therefore welcomes, as both relevant and timely, the focus of this year’s Commission on the Status of Women, on strengthening institutions as a means of advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
*
It is an unfortunate reality that many institutions and their members today are committed to the status quo, with some actively working to maintain biased or inequitable patterns of gender relations. Yet many others, from those formally affiliated with the women’s movement to those undertaking broad efforts that nevertheless benefit women and girls, are daily advancing the cause of gender equality. Assisting all such institutions to become more effective in the good work they do—for example, by organizing regular spaces where different organizations can share and draw from one another’s experiences in a common process of learning—is a key means of ensuring that policies and decisions become increasingly gender responsive. Agencies and organizations related to the women’s movement would therefore do well to give attention to the functioning of relevant institutions, just as institutions of all kinds need to be giving attention to the advancement of women.
To promote progress toward gender-equal societies, institutional structures need to embrace a mode of continual adaptation in response to evolving social realities. The need for institutional flexibility—in structure, operational norms, organizational refinement, and similar elements—is clear enough to those familiar with international processes. Yet such flexibility is often resisted in practice, whether through fear of change or simply the inertia of the status quo. Such tendencies will need to be overcome if institutions are to effectively pursue their aims. In particular, a deep sense of shared endeavor around the common cause of gender equality must transcend loyalty to any one department, program, agency, or funding source.
As institutions strive to refine their functioning, they can assist the implementation of global agendas or national policies to be more responsive to the context-specific realities facing women and girls in different localities. Helpful i….More
.
Popular topics:
Women’s education is a catalyst for social progress
bahá’í international community,bahá’í international community brussels office,bahá’í international community,The statement of the Bahá’í International Community