Young people working in human rights and social justice advocacy had the opportunity to network with other young advocates from youth-led organizations during the Caribbean Sheroes Summer School for Gender Equality, Advocacy and Development, from October 4 to 12.
Through five intensive virtual evening classes spanning two weeks, 30 young people from 13 countries and territories in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean learned basic concepts and tools for project planning in human rights and sustainable development, focusing on gender equality. Specifically, the training provided knowledge about gender, gender mainstreaming, femininities and masculinities, and advocacy to ground youth participants in both the scholarship and practicum of advocacy. The summer school was facilitated by the Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS) at the University of the West Indies.
Saadia Sanchez-Vegas, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean, pointed to the high levels of gender-based violence in the Caribbean that "affects at least one in every three women, making this one of the most widespread human rights violations in the region." She identified “culturally sanctioned behaviours and preconceived notions of traditional gender norms” as leading root causes of exclusion and discrimination against women in the Caribbean.
Professor Paula Morgan, University Director of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS) Regional Coordinating Unit (RCO) at the University of the West Indies (UWI), stressed that "the best way to foster progress is to ensure that the baton is passed on fast to the next generation.”
Culturally sanctioned behaviors, preconceived notions of traditional gender norms and stereotypical gender roles are often openly or subtly manifested, leading to exclusion and unequal opportunities for women.
The Sheroes Summer School is conducted within the framework of the Caribbean Sheroes Initiative, a sub-regional Initiative that aims to produce knowledge and strengthen capacities to advance gender equality and social justice, led by UNESCO and the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies.
The Summer School curriculum was designed to engage participants through diverse methods such as interactive group sessions, educational videos, and the development of their advocacy ideas. In the five sessions, the 30 young participants were familiar with concepts about advocacy, gender equality, and gender identities.
Furthermore, through a sub-regional approach, the young participants were given the opportunity to expand their network and meet peers, eminent scholars, activists, and experts from other Caribbean countries working on gender equality, human rights and social justice.
In the first session, participants learned about the concept of advocacy and its different forms, in addition to delving into Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality. Professor Morgan pointed out sensitivities in advocacy and explained the importance of the "do no harm" principle. "When you intervene to help someone or speak on behalf of another person, you can understand and relate to the experiences of the target groups, but you can never own their experiences."
In the second session, the spotlight was placed on leadership approaches to help the participants identify their leadership style and understand the power of communication and public speaking.
The third session focused on understanding and applying the concepts of sex, gender, gender inequality, gender-based violence, and the approach of gender mainstreaming. In her presentation, Renuka Anandjit, Research Assistant and Coordinator of the Undergraduate student group Ignite, which includes the project "CatCalls of UWI", explained the importance of addressing "catcalling" and street harassment and how this is a form of gender-based violence.
Varsha Gopaulchan, a participant from Trinidad and Tobago, pointed out, "we need to talk about it because however harmless a catcall may seem they all potentially contribute to rape culture. If society thinks that those sexual advances are okay to do and it is the norm, what's to stop them from actually turning their words into action?" Furthermore, the role of addressing gender stereotypes and engaging men in this issue was also highlighted.
Especially as a male it is important to raise our voices and play a key role in ending gender-based violence.
Guest speakers throughout the evenings included Joan French, a gender equality advocate from Jamaica and a leading member of the Sistren Theatre Collective; Joy Crawford, co-founder of Eve for Life, an NGO that serves adolescent mothers living with HIV; Shelly-Ann Weeks, founder of HerFlow, an organization that aims to tackle period poverty, and Linette Vassel, Chairperson of the 21-year-old Women's Resource and Outreach Centre. All of them were recognized as "Champions for Gender Equality" by the Caribbean Sheroes Initiative in April 2021. They shared their journey and success stories in advocating for gender equality in Jamaica. The advocates also shared practical advice and elements to consider when undertaking advocacy actions. Crawford stressed the importance of partnerships, especially connecting with like-minded people to strengthen one's cause.
Gender advocate Linette Vassell explained the importance of thinking critically and reflecting on the purpose of one's engagement,
My goal of advocacy was to speak for the people who didn't have the opportunity to speak. If we think about it, we can't empower people. What we can do is create the conditions for them to empower themselves.
Paula Istúriz Cavero, UNESCO Programme Specialist for Social and Human Sciences, presented the UNESCO Project Planner, an online tool aimed to help youth formulate and plan projects to promote gender equality in their community, organization, or country, and advance social change. The free tool is accessible at https://en.unesco.org/youth/toptips.
In the final session, the young advocates presented their own advocacy project plan to promote gender equality in the Caribbean sub-region. Project ideas ranged from advancing women's entrepreneurship, raising awareness about sexual and reproductive health and rights, promoting policy change, using Caribbean history as a tool for understanding gender inequalities and challenging different perceptions of gender identities.
Youth have taken the baton and must get other people to run with them to the finish line. You, young people, have the opportunity to help correct some of what is going wrong.
Further Actions and Resources of the Caribbean Sheroes Initiative
- In the effort to reach more young change-makers in the region, within the framework of the Caribbean Sheroes Initiative, UNESCO, in collaboration with IGDS-RCO, also organized regional training on gender equality, advocacy and development based on the content developed for the Sheroes Summer School. More than 30 young advocates from across the Caribbean attended the three pieces of training from October 19-21, 2021, to expand their knowledge around gender equality and project planning.
- A Training Manual on Gender Equality, Advocacy and Development by UNESCO and IGDS-RCO is also planned. The manual will consist of a five-session interactive mentorship and training curriculum that aims to develop critical competencies to support and promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5, "Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls,” grounded on research on gender equality in the region.
- A Toolkit that documents the best practices and lessons learned of the twelve Champions for Gender Equality was published in July. It aims to serve as a knowledge-building block for inspiring younger generations and further driving the work of other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to advance Gender Equality in the Caribbean sub-region.
About UNESCO’s work for Gender Equality
Gender Equality is one of UNESCO's global priorities. In all its fields of competence – Education, Culture, Social and Human Sciences and Natural sciences, Communication and Information – UNESCO is committed to removing barriers that hinder women's personal and professional development and to ensuring that everyone has fair, inclusive and equal access to opportunities, resources and tools that enable them to reach their full potential. UNESCO also encourages men's engagement in the cause.
Learn more about the Caribbean Sheroes Initiative: https://en.unesco.org/caribbean-sheroes-initiative
Learn more about what UNESCO does to advance Gender Equality: https://en.unesco.org/genderequality/actions