International Women’s Day is March 8
March 8 is International Women’s Day. On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women globally. International Women’s Day reminds us to address gender inequalities and advocate for women’s rights.
This year, we highlight the important work of three students from the UMass Boston School for Global Inclusion and Social Development who are working to promote a more inclusive and equitable world for women and people of all genders around the world.
The following blog posts were written by Shymaa Bedaiwy Allam, Odgerel Dashzeveg, Shahrzad Sajadi, and Joy Chrysyl L. Solon.
“A Women, Helping Women Help Women”: Women’s Financial Inclusion in Egypt
By: Shymaa Bedaiwy Allam
I focus my research on the impact of financial inclusion and microfinance on women’s empowerment. Microfinance came into the spotlight worldwide as one of the most debated development tools right after Muhammed Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Most of the debate around microfinance focuses on the impact of extending these financial services to people who experience poverty and whether microfinance services have helped people out of poverty.
My research highlights the uniqueness of microfinance staffing and the critical role microfinance staff play in extending microfinance services to those who experience poverty. I seek to answer questions like, what is the impact of loan officers on microfinance’s mission? With microfinance being first introduced to women, it is meaningful to focus on the role of women loan officers on helping their women clients. Women loan officers also must navigate the assumption that women are better lenders than men. I also address the impact of microfinance regulations on empowering women in Egypt. I aim to map the challenges and opportunities for women within the microfinance market to prevent over-indebtedness and other potential harm to women entrepreneurs.
I was the first woman microfinance regulator in Egypt. I have previously worked as the financial inclusion programme manager with UN Women, and as a policy development specialist at a US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded activity on Micro-Enterprise Finance (EMF). I have also coordinated many of Sanabel’s regional projects (the Microfinance Network for Arab countries). I am now pursuing Doctorate studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston in the field of Global Inclusion and Social Development.
I hope to continue working as an expert in poverty alleviation issues for women. I want to continue analyzing the impact of economic policies on the welfare of women. I wish to do this as a university staff member, so that I also have the opportunity to teach the next generation. In my words, I am “a woman, helping women help women.”
Contact Shymaa by email for more information about her work: Shymaa.Allam001@umb.edu
Celebration of International Women’s Day in Mongolia
By: Oge Dashzeveg
Mongolia is one of the many countries that celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 as an official public holiday. This tradition dates back to the socialist era when women’s suffrage as working mothers was celebrated and rewarded. Socialism promoted working mothers through education, work, and care. In return, women were committed to contributing to the communist production of the economy equally to men and the reproduction of the workforce within their full ability as mothers. This holiday is celebrated as Mother’s Day in both public and private spheres.
In post-socialist Mongolia, this public holiday still holds the legacy of Mother’s Day but is celebrated more as a Women’s Day. Since transitioning from a planned economy communist system to a democratized market capitalism, the contact between the state and women has changed. The state still provides limited care for women, but education and work shifted to the invisible hands of market regulation. The state continues to celebrate women’s motherhood by holding mass public events and awarding women who have given birth to four or more children.
On the flip side, women are fighting for their de-facto rights, urging the state to understand the reality women have been dealing with since the transition. The unintended consequences of failing economies have trapped many women in extended unemployment, underemployment, and poverty. This exacerbates their socioeconomic vulnerability, making them more susceptible to social and domestic abuse and discrimination.
Today, the younger generation of women is becoming the voice for all, advocating for generational gender equality in politics, inclusive access to economic opportunities, reducing the motherhood penalty, and promoting welfare mothers’ transition to decent and flexible work.
Contact Oge by email for more information about her work: Odgerel.Dashzeveg@umb.edu
Memoir Writing Workshops with Syrian Refugee Women and Girls
By: Shahrzad Sajadi
After conducting a series of workshops with Syrian refugee youth and needs assessment studies with other experts in the field around the rise in the rates of child marriages in the region, my colleague Dr. Valerie Karr and I ran a series of empathy-focused memoir writing workshops with seven Syrian refugee women and girls in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. The stories that emerged from these workshops tell the tale of loss and pain as well as empowerment and tremendous strength. These workshops were facilitated by our local partner, Nahida Nusair who met with the women on a weekly basis and kept in contact with them even after the workshops were over.
Here is an excerpt from one of the stories of the young women:
I am one of the women who decided their fate with their own hands. I decided to be one of the married young girls. I thought marriage was a white dress, pretty jewelry, a big party, dancing, and singing. And I thought that every day would be better than the one before. And I used to think that my husband would love me so much and would take care of me and give me everything I asked for, whatever I wanted would be ready in front of me and that he would take me every day to a place, and we would be very happy. Do you think this is what marriage is? I did.”
Contact Shahrzad by email for more information about her work:
shahrzad.sajadi001@umb.edu
The Impact of Typhoon Yolanda and Climate Change on Women in Philippines
By: Joy Chrysyl Llido Solon
The changing climate has caused an increase in extreme natural disasters. Typhoon Yolanda, one of the most destructive typhoons ever, made landfall through central and southern Philippines on November 8, 2013. Over 150,000 families were evacuated, and 6,300 lives were lost[1]. As a PhD student in the School of Global Inclusion and Social Development, my primary research project centers on the climate justice movement for the loss of life and damages caused by Typhoon Yolanda.
Climate change has a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities of the global majority. In the aftermath of natural disasters, women and young girls living in poverty become vulnerable and are placed in harmful situations, including early marriage, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation[2]. Women are harshly affected by climate change and natural disasters because of the inequities brought forth by gendered social roles, cultural norms, social marginalization, discrimination, and poverty[3],[4]. Additionally, the masculinity of climate change discourse results in masculinist ideologies, policies, and solutions. This leaves the vulnerabilities of women behind and out of the decision-making process3,[5]. Therefore, the climate justice social movement must establish a women’s rights framework and include a focus on gender inequalities.
I hope to include women-led grassroots networks, climate justice activists, and members and leaders of the community affected by the typhoon as participants in my research. I intend to offer a feminist critique of climate justice that will promote authentic advocacy of women and girls.
Contact Joy by email for more information about her work: Joy.Solon@umb.edu
Joy Solon’s Citations:
[1] Del Rosario, E. D. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (2015). Final Report: Effects of Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan).
[2] Elago, S. (2021, March 17). Let’s talk about the state of Filipino women amid a climate emergency. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights. https://aseanmp.org/2021/03/17/lets-talk-about-the-state-of-filipino-women-amid-a-climate-emergency/
[3] Gaard, G. (2015). Ecofeminism and climate change. Women’s Studies International Forum, 49, 20–33. DOI: 10.1016/j.wsif.2015.02.004
[4] Seck, S. L. (2017). Revisiting transnational corporations and extractive industries: climate justice, feminism, and state sovereignty. Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems, 26(2), 383–414.
[5] Feng, J. L. (2022). Toward queer climate justice (Publication №29254739) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California Santa Barbara]. ProQuest Dissertation or Thesis.
Additional Resources to Explore:
Publications by Shymaa Bedaiwy Allam
· “An evaluation of Egyptian Microfinance Laws and Regulations preventing client overindebtedness of women”, The Journal of International Development.
· “Regulating Microfinance for Socioeconomic Security”, Book Chapter: Regulating Human Rights, Social Security, and Socio-Economic Structures in a Global Perspective. IGI Global
· “Proceed with caution — Protecting the economic well-being of women using Microfinance”, Book Chapter: “Transforming Economies Through Microfinance in Developing Nations”. IGI Global
