International Women’s Day is celebrated each year on March 8. This day serves as an occasion to celebrate the progress made towards achieving gender equality and women's empowerment but also to critically reflect on those accomplishments and strive for a greater momentum towards gender equality worldwide. It is a day to recognize the extraordinary acts of women and to stand together, as a united force, to advance gender equality around the world. Under the theme, “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in COVID-19 World”, in 2021 UNESCO joins its voice to that of the entire UN family by celebrating this International Women’s Day.
This past year women have been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, as Heads of States, health-care workers, caregivers in the home, heads of households and scientists along many other roles. Although women have played a key role in responding to the crisis, gender inequalities have widened across the board.
Saadia Sanchez-Vegas, Ph.D., Director and Representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean has joined female leaders of the United Nations Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Sub-regional Team in sharing their perspectives on why we need female leadership for sustainable development.
Countries must have frameworks in place to continuously guarantee gender equality.
What role do you currently play within UNESCO?
Saadia Sanchez-Vegas, Ph.D., Director and Representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean:
"I am responsible for serving twenty Caribbean Small Island Developing States in the pursuit of eradicating poverty, mitigating the effects of climate change, empowering youth in the region and building lasting peace – above all gender equality is a priority."
What are the gender disparities that the Caribbean yet has to overcome?
"Multiple barriers including stereotypical attitudes about gender roles, gender-based violence, lack of resources, geographic isolation, minority status, disability, prevent girls and women from fully access their rights. This is for instance reflected in the inability of girls and young women to complete and benefit from education to achieve equal access to employment opportunities, as well as in lower representation of women in decision-making levels.
How does UNESCO advocate for a more equal future for Caribbean women and girls?
"Today, on International Women's Day, I would like to highlight that UNESCO has placed gender equality as one of our two global priorities. Within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda and its Goal 5 which aims to "achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls", UNESCO fosters gender equality in all of its areas of competence in Education, the Sciences, Culture, and Communication and Information.
UNESCO’s goal is to ensure that everyone has fair, inclusive and equal access to opportunities, resources and tools that enable them to reach their full potential, whether they are pursuing a career as a mechanical engineer, a doctor, an artist or a director of an international development organization.
In the Caribbean, UNESCO advocates for example, for the greater inclusion of girls and women in STEM and science education programmes in the Caribbean Education system. It is crucial that education systems provide girls and young women with the support, capacities and skills to fully participate in the Caribbean technology sector. Furthermore, their inclusion in these fields will also contribute to eradicate stereotypical biases that are found in these new technologies.
UNESCO is also leading the Caribbean debate on gender equality in Artificial Intelligence as part of the Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Initiative, launched in 2019. Within this framework, UNESCO advocates for the design, development and deployment of AI-based technologies that incorporate gender equality considerations and principles that promote diversity and inclusion."
Only an inclusive society that gives everyone, regardless of gender, the opportunity to achieve their goals and develop their full potential will help build sustainable and peaceful communities, leaving no one behind.
Do you think that it is important to have more female leaders in the Caribbean and within society at large?
"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that rapid technological changes are necessary to enable greater access to open data and services and the need for medical innovation. There is a global shortage of skilled workers in technological fields and scientific professions. Women account for only 33% of all scientific researchers worldwide and only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of computer science and information technology graduates, according to the UNESCO Science Report, whose chapter on gender in science is entitled "To be Smart the Digital Revolution will Need to be Inclusive".
To fill these gaps, most definitely, we need more women in these fields and in leadership roles.”
Which female leader in your life has empowered you to set on your personal path of leadership?
“On this International Women's Day, I honoured my mother, a strong, independent, wise woman who taught me from my early childhood years that you must believe in yourself beyond the stereotypical gender roles, to be resilient and fight -no matter what- for your rights and values.”
This interview took place in the framework of the International Women's Day 2021 celebration of the United Nations Barbados and the Easter Caribbean sub-regional Team.
Read the full article here: https://easterncaribbean.un.org/en/115216-celebrating-women-...