#and despite how education is often used to discriminate (against those without resources or with disabilities)

[the-oracle-of-the-lost]

thinking about the effects of Kira being raised in a refugee camp and never (as far as we know) having a formal education never being addressed on the show properly. she's obviously not a scientist or an engineer but her position as first officer still means that she has to supervise all of the engineers and scientists on ds9 to some degree. and as much as the Starfleet characters are uncomfortable with roughing it and the terrorist tactics Kira still needs to use every once in awhile, i think it's a really underrated idea for Kira to be just as uncomfortable with a lot of the high-concept science thrown around between the Starfleet people. she knows all of the practical stuff she needs to – how to repair essential technology, how to fly ships, how to use weaponry – but i could imagine her being really insecure about not fully understanding the underlying concepts the way everyone in Starfleet does.

anyways, i think Jadzia would pick up on Kira's insecurity eventually and would start giving her secret math lessons to get her up to speed so she can join in on all the Science Talk.

[kemifatoba]

C/O Berlin Magazine | It’s a space for everyone, and everyone can come in — Thoughts for the future

“I cringe when I hear words like ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion.” To quote the civil rights activist, philosopher, and writer Angela Davis, “diversity” and “inclusion” are terms that you, dear reader, might have also stumbled across in recent months, whether you wanted to or not. Inspired by global Black Lives Matter protests, mainstream media, corporations, and other institutions finally realized – in some cases as it seems overnight – that racism is also an intractable problem in Germany. Unfortunately, we need more than just hollow words and empty promises to solve this problem. You might be thinking to yourself: “But didn’t people take to the streets or write opinion pieces in newspapers to protest structural racism? And didn’t major institutions promise to offer diversity and inclusion workshops in discussion after discussion on television?” Perhaps, but don’t be fooled. Instead of critically questioning the role that white decision-makers play in perpetuating systemic racism, “society” was blamed. Over and over again, Black* people were asked to answer if they had really experienced racism through scrutiny of their real-life stories, while predominantly white “experts” were invited onto talk shows to discuss the so-called “racism debate”. Profound, structural changes are still lacking, at least as of the time this text goes to print. 

Presence equals power. This brings us to the current moment where you are reading these words about British photographer Nadine Ijewere’s solo show at C/O Berlin. Nadine Ijewere is the first Black woman to be given a space that has previously been occupied almost exclusively by white men. As such, this exhibition is significant not only for Black photographers, but for everyone more used to being treated as the object than the artist or curator in spaces like this where many people don’t feel welcome or simply don’t exist. As trivial as it may sound, visibility comes from being able to hang pictures on a wall—or write these lines.

Joy as an act of resistance. Nadine Ijewere belongs to a generation of artists and creatives who have realized that there are more options than simply following the traditional path. Knowing that society has long since changed—even if many gatekeepers in fashion, art, and the media still cling to the status quo—this DIY generation is creating its own platforms to elevate their own role models with an army of loyal followers. In their work, representatives of this generation create worlds that rarely center Eurocentric beauty norms. The same goes for this young British artist, whose work shows people in all their beauty and uniqueness. Her photographs regularly appear on the pages of British, American and Italian Vogue, i-D, or Garage, and she has collaborated with brands such as Nina Ricci and Stella McCartney. Ijewere proves that beauty is multifaceted and that fashion is fun and for everyone. 

More than a seat at the table. When artists like Ijewere make it to the top, it’s not because of nepotism, tokenism, or diversity as a trend, but despite all the obstacles that have been put in their way. And instead of assimilating after being accepted by the old guard, they continue to write their own rules. In Ijewere’s case, this means not only working with diverse models and teams, but also passing her knowledge on as a mentor to keep the proverbial door open. She’s less driven by the desire to stand out from the mainstream than she is to give back by inspiring younger generations, who are able to see themselves in magazines. “Within the time I have, I’ll use every opportunity I get and every space I can get into to expand the horizon of others.”

Representation matters. Celebrating Black people and people of color in a traditionally white space was also the goal of “Visibility is key – #RepresentationMatters,” a watershed moment for the German lifestyle magazine industry when it launched on vogue.de in spring 2019. The goal was to take first steps toward a forward-thinking future where inclusion and diversity would no longer be mere buzzwords, but lived practices. Part of that effort meant ensuring representation in front of as well as behind the camera. The results weren’t perfect and they might not have led to social change, but we proved that there isn’t a lack of creative talent among Black and Brown people in Germany. If anything, we proved that these talents are often denied the space to develop their full potential. 

Ideas for the future. As you see, dear reader, it takes teamwork to bring about long-term change, and for the first time the doors are open a bit. Nadine Ijewere's exhibition shows this, as does being able to write these very words in the C/O Berlin Newspaper. In the statements below, we asked German and international artists and creatives to envision a future where representation and inclusion are lived practices instead of rare exceptions. The results are ideas for a future that is reachable—as long as we all keep working towards it every day. Together.

Nadine Ijewere, artist Art is about art. It’s not about you personally. That’s why artists need to be seen as artists. We all get stereotyped and put into the same box—but we have our own identity. We are put into the same space just because we are Black, but we are all very different people.

Edward Enninful, OBE, Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue Nadine is one of the leading fashion photographers of her generation. She’s not only inherently British in her work, she’s also Black British. She really understands the complex mix of culture, fashion, beauty, and the inner working of a woman, so when you see her images, it’s never just a photograph. There’s also a story and a narrative behind it.

Benjamin Alexander Huseby & Serhat Işık, designers for the label GmbH Our work has always been about wanting to show our community and culture to tell our stories as authentically as we can. It was never about “diversity”, but about being seen. We want to create a world where not only exceptional Black and Brown talents no longer have to be truly exceptional to get recognition for their work, a world where we no longer are the only non-white person in the room because we built the motherfucking house ourselves.

Mohamed Amjahid, freelance journalist and author, whose book Der weiße Fleck will be published by Piper Verlag on March 1, 2021. It's time that Black women become bosses. Gay Arabs should get to call the shots. Refugees belong on the executive boards of big corporations. Children of so-called “guest workers” should move into management positions too. People with disabilities should not just have a say, they should make the decisions. Vulnerable groups deserve to put their talents and ideas to work in the service of the whole society. Not every person of color is automatically a good leader by virtue of their background, but all-white, cis-male executive boards are certainly incapable of making decisions that are right for everyone. That’s why we need more representation at the very top, where the decisions are made.

Melisa Karakuş, founder of renk., the first German-Turkish magazine For a better future, I demand that we educate our children to be anti-racist and to resist when others or when they themselves are subjected to racism. I demand that discrimination is understood through the lens of intersectionality and solidarity! I demand that even those who are not affected by racism stand up against it! This fight is not one that we as Black people and people of color fight alone—for a better future, we all have to work together. 

Tarik Tesfu, host of shows including the NDR talk show deep und deutlich When I look in the mirror, I see someone who grew up in the Ruhr region and loves currywurst with French fries as much as Whitney Houston. I see a person who has his pros and cons and who is so much more than his skin color. I see a subject. But the German media and cultural system seem to see it differently because far too often, Black people are degraded and made into objects for the reproduction of racist bullshit. I'm tired of explaining racism to Annette and Thomas because I really have better things to do (for example, my job). So get out of my light and let me shine.

Ronan Mckenzie, photographer The future of our industry needs to be one with more consideration for those that are within it. One that isn’t shrouded in burnout and the stresses of late payments, and one that doesn’t make anyone question whether they have been booked for the quality of their work or to be tokenized for the color of their skin. The future of our industry needs to go beyond the performative Instagram posts and mean-nothing awards, to truly sharing resources and lifting up one another. Our industry needs to put its money where its mouth is when words like “support”, “community” or “diversity” slip out, instead of using buzzwords that create an illusion of championing us. How there can be so much money in this industry yet so many struggle to keep up with their rent, feed themselves, or just rest without worrying about money is truly a travesty. If this industry is to survive then we who make it what it is need to be able to thrive.

Ferda Ataman, journalist and chair of Neue deutsche Medienmacher*innen A recent survey of the country's most important editors-in-chief revealed that many of them think diversity is good, but they don't want to do anything about it. This is based on the assumption that everyone good will succeed. Unfortunately, that’s not true. It’s not just a person’s qualifications that are decisive, but other criteria as well, such as similarity and habit (“XY fits in with us”). It's high time that all of us—everywhere—demand a serious commitment to openness and diversity. Something is seriously wrong in pure white spaces that can’t be explained by people’s professional qualifications alone. Or to put it differently: a good diversity strategy always has an anti-racist effect.

Nana Addison, founder of CURL CON and CURL Agency Being sustainable and inclusive means thinking about all skin tones, all hair textures, and all body shapes—in the beauty industry, in marketing communications, as well as in the media landscape. These three industries work hand in hand in shaping people’s perceptions of themselves and others. It’s important to take responsibility and be proactive and progressive to ensure inclusivity.

Dogukan Nesanir, stylist  The current system is not designed to help minorities. By giving advantages to certain people and groups, it automatically deprives others of the chance to attain certain positions in the first place. That's why I don't even ask myself the question "What if?" anymore. My work is not about advancing a fake worldview, but about highlighting all the real in the good and the bad. I strongly believe that if some powerful gatekeepers gave in, if representation and diversity happened behind the scenes and we had the chance to show what the world REALLY looks like, we wouldn't be having these discussions at all. I don't just want an invitation to the table, I want to own the table and change things.

Arpana Aischa Berndt & Raquel Dukpa, editors of the catalog I See You – Thoughts on the Film “Futur drei” In the German film and television industry, production teams and casting directors are increasingly looking for a “diverse” cast. Casting calls are almost exclusively formulated by white people who profit from telling stories of people of color and Black people by using them, but without changing their own structures in the process. Application requirements and selection processes in film schools even shut out marginalized people by denying them the opportunities that come with being in these institutions. People of color and migrants as well as Black, indigenous, Jewish, queer, and disabled people can all tell stories, too. Production companies need to understand that expertise doesn’t necessarily come with a film degree.

Vanessa Vu & Minh Thu Tran, hosts of the podcast Rice and Shine  It may be convenient to ignore entire groups, but we are and have been so much more for a very long time. We contribute to culture by making films or plays and bring new perspectives to science, politics, and journalism. We’re Olympic athletes, curators, artists, singers, dancers, and inventors. We dazzle and shine despite not always being seen. Because we have each other and we’ve created opportunities to do the things we love. We’ve created platforms for each other and built communities. Slowly but surely we are finally getting applause and recognition for the fact that we exist. That's nice. But what we really need is not just the opportunity to exist, but the opportunity to continue to grow and to stop basing our work primarily on self-exploitation. We need security, reliability, and money. That's the hard currency of recognition. That would mean being truly seen.

*Black is a political self-designation and is capitalized to indicate that being Black is about connectedness due to shared experiences of racism.

Written by: Alexandra Bondi de Antoni & Kemi Fatoba C/O Berlin Magazine April 2021

[jbauer21ahsgov]

Political Interest Groups and PACs Assessment

Interest Group

Name: Center for Reproductive Rights

Mission: The Center of Reproductive Rights mission is to use law to make reproductive rights equal to fundamental human rights across the world.

 Advocacies: 

Their goal is to expand access to reproductive healthcare resources such as birth control, prenatal and obstetric care, safe abortion, and unbiased information and education about their reproductive rights and resources.

The center documents abuses, work with policymakers in order to promote reproductive freedom, and foster legal scholarships to teach people about reproductive health and human rights.

The center initiated “El Golpe” in Ecuador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua at the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The goals of this launch in 2019 were to reform abortion laws in the area, especially young teenagers experiencing young and unplanned pregnancies being denied abortion.

The center supports Kansas Governor Laura Kelly in her ruling for the right to personal autonomy, including the right to abortion, being strengthened apart from what is mentioned in the Constitution.

The center has assisted the High Court in Kenya’s decision making surrounding abortion laws, making availability to education and processes more accessible, unbiased, and supportive of women seeking safe abortion.

Endorsed Legislation: In August 2020, the Center worked with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the Paola Guzmán Albarracín v. Ecuador case. This case was the Court’s first sexual abuse in a school setting case. The Center of Reproductive Rights partnered and brought this case to the Court and clarified her right to equality, non-discrimination, education, and right to live without gender violence. The Center was successful in this case and additionally raised awareness about how often cases such as these occur, but are left unaddressed. 

Location/Opportunities: The Center for Reproductive Rights headquarter is in New York City, but is available in media across the US and world. I was not able to find any local opportunities or dates for future meetings to join.

Volunteer Opportunities: The website is somewhat unclear of where or when they meet together locally, although they have frequent marches globally, made up of smaller gatherings off the larger interest group. These marches and protests are often in San Francisco and bordering cities.

Additional Development: The Center helped to expand access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in Maryland around June 2020. This allows unmarried individuals and couples to have insurance coverage for IVF, which helps them carry out a safe transfer between the sperm sample and transferred embryos.

Super PAC

Name: Women Vote!

Goal: This PAC’s goal is to persuade and enable women to vote more women into power, specifically those who are pro-choice and Democratic. 

Money Raised: They have raised $36,262,453 total and $31,985,958 in independent expenditures.

Money Raised For/Against Democrats/Republicans: $10,649,774 have been spent for Democrats. $2,436,841 have been spent against Democrats. $0 have been spent for Republicans. $18,889,343 have been spent against Republicans. This is generally what I expected to see, although I am a bit confused as to why there are so many Republicans who support and donate to this program despite zero dollars from this PAC being for them. From what I have read so far, Democrats are much more progressive when it comes to women’s rights and their place in office and power, so seeing how much money is in support of Democrats makes sense.

Donors: Thomas Secunda (Bloomberg), Laura Ricketts (business woman), Laurie Michaels (psychologist), Michelle Mercer (leadership consultant), Jeffrey Walker (philanthropist). Most of the people listed are not well known, but are very generous to the cause of letting more women into power. Ricketts, for example, is a business woman herself, which makes sense why she would want more women in the corporate world. Mercer is a leadership consultant, likely making her trustworthy to know what kind of people should be in power (women in this case). This shows that this PAC has a lot of generous donors who actually work in this area and are dedicated to the women’s movement and advancement of diversity in government, which is really cool! The majority of the donors’ jobs are focused around other’s well-beings and business, which shows a lot about the values of the Women Vote! PAC.

[princejaron]

It’s Not Easy For Gen Z

"They are perhaps the most brand-critical, bullshit-repellent, questioning group around and will call out any behavior they dislike on social media.” 

- Lucie Greene

     Born between the years 1997 and 2012, Generation Z is described as being more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation. Moreover, it is said that they are on track to be the most well-educated generation yet. I believe that this is proven true with the following statistics:

77% of registered U.S voters ages 18-23 do not approve of Donald Trump’s presidency. Gen Z is not afraid to speak up about a corrupt government that does selfish political acts. Similarly here in the Philippines, a huge percentage of the Gen Z population do not approve of Duterte’s presidency, especially with how he handles the present pandemic. I’m proud to be a part of that huge percentage as I do not like to be politically ignorant with how the Philippine government is acting despite the drastic increase in COVID19 cases quotidian. Implementing the Anti-Terrorism Bill, shutting down ABS-CBN, allowing foreign nationals to enter the country starting August 1, and not implementing mass testing still are only few of the actions that prove his incompetency as president. #OustDuterte

Gen Z are less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to enroll in college. Despite the implementation of the K-12 program, Gen Z are still pursuant of their education. Even presently, despite the pandemic, they are doing online learning (if they have the resources they need to be able to do so) just so they can continue attaining their education. I am among the students who are currently doing online learning despite its newfangledness.

Gen Z are more likely to say blacks are treated less fairly than whites. Police brutality and racially-motivated violence was and is happening in the U.S. Racial discrimination is an issue that we still face up to this day, and many members of Gen Z are fighting in support of black lives. I personally am an advocate of #BlackLivesMatter as well, so I’m included in this fight against racism. ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

Roughly half of Gen Z approve of same-sex marriage. Moreover, they think that society is not accepting enough of those who do not identify as a man or a woman. Gen Z fights for the equal rights of members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and does not tolerate the injustices that the community face quotidian. I’m included in this fight for #LGBTQrights as well, especially that I am a member of the community itself. 🌈

     These are only a few, but you can deduce from these statistics that Generation Z is not just smart, but truly a “woke” generation as well.

     For myself, I’ve observed that the aforementioned characteristics of Gen Z are all applicable to me. By knowing the social issues that I stand for, it helps me to understand my strengths and weaknesses. What are relevant social issues that I’m unaware of or simply ignorant about? This allows me to be more socially aware of my surroundings and of the world, because I believe that today, we have this sort of innate responsibility to help others and fight for equality and justice. 

     However, despite all of this, Generation Z is facing a lot of challenges in today’s world. In fact, they have it hard and truly, it is not easy for Gen Z. 

The COVID-19 caused a huge decline in employment rate among Gen Zers. It is said that the group’s eldest members are graduating into a labor market that has been devastated by the global pandemic; there are fewer jobs and internships available for them. Resolution Foundation suggested that the pandemic could affect young people’s pay and job prospects in the long-term. Moreover, from another research, they also said that those who leave education for work during recessions suffer from lower employment rate and pay for years even after the event. All of this could mean that Gen Zers are highly prone to experiencing financial instability today and in the future. If this is the case, Gen Z will have to take alternative courses of action in order to survive in the expensive real world. They may resort to freelancing, or even doing business themselves. Nowadays, there are businesses that require little to no capital to operate, thus it is an option that members of Gen Z can take into consideration as their livelihood. 

Resources, especially housing, are only growing more limited and scarcer everyday. Economics says that resources are scarce, thus it should be used optimally. In our case, we can’t even truly optimally use those resources because they are hard to obtain. This fact is made a laughingstock by Monopoly when they made the “Monopoly for Millennials” with a tagline that says “Forget real estate. You can’t afford it anyway.” If millennials are experiencing this problem, what more for the younger generation, and the other generations to come? Our population is only growing every second, and cost of living is following suit. This is our reality now, but nevertheless we have to make do with what we have been given. Measly as though it may be, Gen Z will just have to be very resourceful.

Generation Z has to live on Earth in its current state - warm, polluted, and destructed by human activity. Did you know that in 2016, the World Health Organization said that 92% of the world’s population is breathing contaminated air? This is a scary situation to be in for the younger generation. It makes you wonder: what kind of Earth is in store for them? Will there even be an Earth for them and the next generations in the future? It is alarming, truly, that the younger generation is peering into an uncertain future because of how we are sucking the life out of Mother Earth for our own selfish gains. 🥀All of us should work together to conserve the planet that we live in. Even simple things will have a snowball effect, such as reducing our plastic usage and maintaining the cleanliness of our surroundings. Heck, not using plastic straws is still essentially a big help. #SaveTheTurtles 🐢

Generation Z receives a lot of discrimination from older generations because of the differences in opinions. Generation Z are often told that they are still too young to be vocal about rampant and prevailing social issues, and that they are still inexperienced to say and feel certain things.  Despite having already proven ourselves to others, our potential and capabilities are still being limited and underestimated by the older generations just because of our young age. But age is just a number, and it mostly does not prove anything at all. Moreover, Gen Z shouldn’t be trifled with. We have the passion to ameliorate the world, and to make a better life for everyone in the future. We are going to continue proving others wrong. We will show that we are a generation of hope. 

Lastly, because of their very technology-based lifestyle, it is mostly Generation Z that has to face the negative effects that social media brings. It is indubitable that social media is practically a part of their life; it is an important platform for them. However, social media can also be used as a medium for spreading misinformation, cyberbullying, harassing, etc. And these can cause damages to the life of a person that may even be permanent. That is why we have to be very careful with the things we say online, and never encourage and tolerate nefarious acts like those aforementioned. Let us try to make social media a safe online platform for everyone. 

     So what are my five key takeaways from these challenges? It is that the call to action is imperative; the time to act is now, and we need to take responsibility for effecting changes in the things that need to be changed. We have to make a better world materialize, and it is up to us to actualize it. 

1. Consider diving into the world of entrepreneurship. If we cannot find a job, let us be the one to provide jobs through operating a business. More businesses means more workforce needed. 

2. Be resourceful, and look for substitute goods if possible. Moreover, never forget to use the resources that we have optimally and not wastefully. We are a very innovative generation. Let us use our brilliant minds to come up with ways to reduce the scarcity of resources. 

3. Participate in environmental advocacies, and help take care of Mother Earth even if it is just through simple things. Mother Earth can survive without us, but we cannot survive without her. That is why it is important that we do not take her for granted before things are too late. Let us preserve the place that we call home for the future generations to come.

4. Do not mind the discrimination that we receive from older generations, and focus on what we can bring to the table instead. We are on track to be the most well-educated generation yet, and the older generations can’t ever dispute that fact. We have a lot to offer to the world, and we can be a beacon of hope for the future. We don’t have to keep living up to their standards, because sooner or later, we will be the standard. 

5. Social media will never not be a part of our lives. It is pretty much a need now because of its versatility and functionality in helping us with almost anything and everything. So we can use social media unsparingly, but let us never forget that we also have to use it wisely. 

    But ultimately, I think that the most important takeaway from this is that although life is not easy for us Gen Z, we have to embrace the hardships of it all and use it as a weapon of hope to fight against inequality, injustice, and hatred. As Lucie Greene described us, let us be “the most brand-critical, bullshit-repellent, questioning group” the world has ever seen. 

[thesimplyluxuriouslife]

254: 26 Ways to Ensure Happy Singledom at Any Stage of Our Life's Journey

"Across the world, despite all prejudices and beliefs against it, singlehood is the growing trend." —Elyakim Kislev , author of Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living

It is highly beneficial to understand the construction of our beliefs regarding singledom, so that after discarding the myths and acknowledging the realities, we can "freely choose whatever lifestyle fits [us] best".

With the life expectancy in most developed countries rising to just under 80 years, it is a statistical probability that all of us will be living single or solo at some point in our lives whether by choice or circumstances, and consequently, knowing how to enjoy being single is a skill that would be most beneficial to acquire.

Depending upon our innate temperaments, which is different than our personalities, each of us is more predisposed to be comfortable or prefer more or less social engagement. And depending upon what we most enjoy doing in our careers and in our free time, we will be more or less inclined to seek out companionship for long or short durations.

Elyakim Kislev's new book, which was released in February, includes extensive research and an abundance of studies that demonstrate the reality of our modern world that no matter what you prefer, will enable each of us to live more consciously and thus more fully, as well as support others in our lives who choose to live in a manner we may not prefer or choose.

The first powerful finding that spoke to me was the acknowledgement of an unspoken truth regarding marriage (these studies involves a large majority of the industrialized world, not just the United States) - why do people step more easily into marriage even with modernizations of the world we live in today.

Studies have actually proven that the 51% of individuals entering into marriage acknowledge that it is "a fear of aging alone or dying without anyone at our bedside that drives us into marriage".

"Marriage may not be such a good way to escape loneliness in old age. Not only do married people feel lonely in surprisingly high numbers, but also long-term singles are often better equipped to deal with loneliness later in life".

Yes, that does then mean 49% of people did not report this as a reason, but that alone should give us pause, especially when we know that the divorce rate is nearly as proportionate and the percentage of a second divorce is higher still. While each couple's situation is uniquely alone, to not address this fear is to place an undeserved burden on individual we are marrying. In fact, studies have proven, when we do address this fear, as those who have never married do, earlier in our lives, the individual is more likely to make the best decision for themselves and thus improve their overall happiness no matter what the decision may be.

Many TSLL readers/listeners know I am single and have been for the majority of my life. Don't worry, this is not a post/episode advocating for being single if you are either already in a happy marriage, happy relationship or wish to be coupled. Rather today's posting will hopefully broaden our understanding of the realities of societal norms, motivations, pressures, expectations, unconscious biases and realities so that whatever your life's journey is and will be, it is one made with a clear mind that has discarded the myths and is then able to make the best decisions for you and the life you wish to lead. True contentment, in other words, is the goal of today's posting.

26 Ways to Ensure Happy Singledom

~Each of these points are discussed in detail in the audio version of this podcast episode. I encourage you to tune in for further clarification of each point or pick up the book Happy Singlehood from which each of these points were inspired.

1.Assess honestly your self-perception of how you define loneliness and where that definition was constucted.

2. Build and continually nurture a strong social well-being

Having a strong social well-being helps eradicate or reduce social loneliness and emotional loneliness as you will have people in your life in which you feel close to and may turn to (emotional), as well as have both intimate and peripheral acquaintances that give you a sense of belonging (social).

~Listen to Episode #92 - Elements of a Strong Social Well-Being - for further discussion on the construction.

3. Conduct a life review: Self-reflect and find peace with your journey thus far

"Happy older singles [have] the ability to look back and gain control over the circumstances that led to being single".

4. Celebrate and exercise the ability to make your own decisions

5. Revel in your solitude - produce your own "show" so to speak

6. Take responsibility for your own contentment

~View a long list of archived posts and episodes on cultivating true contentment or pick up my 2nd book - Living The Simply Luxurious Life

7. Distinguish between the myths regarding marriage and singlehood and reality

Myth versus reality:

"Young people fear being physically vulnerable in old age more than elders [actually] do".

"Fifty-seven percent of the eighteen-to-sixty-four-year old population anticipate memory loss in old age, while only 25 percent of those aged sixty-five and above actually experience it. Furthermore, while 42 percent expect serious illness in old age, only 21 percent of those aged sixty-five and above experience the same."

"While an expectation of loneliness arises among 29 percent of young people, only 17 percent experience loneliness in old age."

8. Foresee and prepare for potential emergencies

In other words, financial planning - engage with it early, often and regularly, craft a living will, construct your own "family" - .

9. Engage with your community for resources, connection and engagement

10. Learn how to socially engage as a singleton in a manner that makes you feel safe and fulfilled

11. Refrain from seeing marriage as a form of "self-validation".

In other words, seek validation from within, as society's values are limiting, dynamic and generalized.

~A post you might enjoy on this topic: First, Seek Self-Approval

12. Use your time being single as a time for self-growth and development - find the road to your truest self

~A post you might enjoy on this topic: Why Not . . . Live Alone for a While?

13. Maintain and strengthen your overall health - physical and mental

~An episode you might enjoy on this topic: The Six Pillars of Good Health, episode #212

14. If you are a pet person, welcome a pet into your life.

15. Confront the fears that are causing you to assume marriage is the answer to assuage them before you get married for the wrong reasons.

16. Simply be aware of the social stigmas, discrimination and pressures placed on singles.

Doing so will enable you to confront and effectively deal with situations when they arise in a productive way to potentially bring more awareness to the realities and discrimination that exists.

17. Have a positive self-image and self-perception of your life as someone who is single

Present yourself to the world, whether at work or in your personal life as the confident and happy person that you are - some who happens to be single - knowing that is not all that defines you. Gradually, images change when we put a face to the reality.

18. Build your self-confidence

Find work and hobbies in which you feel valued and accomplished - this could be in your career, in your hobbies or in your social network. Be willing to try new things, and as you see that you can learn, change, improve and grow, you begin to realize you hold more power to cultivate the life you love than you may have realized - thus your confidence grows.

~An episode you might enjoy on the topic: Confidence: How to Gain It & Why It's Invaluable, episode #5

19. Consciously avoid the social pressure and discrimination

In other words, your attention gives validation. And if you choose not speak up, what is said or done is deemed as acceptable. Whether it is the conversations you listen to or engage in, the people you spend time with, the films you pay to see, the music you listen to, etc., your time, money and attention are powerful - give it consciously.

20. Speak up and confront discrimination when it occurs

Often people aren't even aware of their bias regarding marriage being the "best" option. Construct a parallel question to those who ask "Why are you still single?" or "I'm still keeping an eye out for you." There are some great ones in the book. Make sure to keep the comment or question equal to what was received so that the speaker can see the error of their words and assumptions.

21. Seek a career or a calling that gives you purpose, in which you feel you are contributing something of value to the world.

22. Find a balance with work and leisure

23. Let your curiosities guide you to seek out educational opportunities for growth

24. Strengthen your three pillars of good health - physical, mental and financial

25. Acknowledge and cultivate manageable household responsibilites

26. Recognize that choosing and embracing being single is not out of weakness or selfishness, but of strength and awareness to connect often more consciously.

"As singles, we know more than anybody else that true independence is actually interdependence."

We liberate ourselves when we recognize there are many different ways to live well in our modern world. And even for those who do not fully or will never accept that there is more than one traditional way to live contentedly and contribute to society positively, as well as giving ourselves the opportunity to be self-actualized, when we model the reality rather than the myth, we encourage others to explore and reach their full potential as well. A more content world is a peaceful world.

If anyone is so fortunate to find a partner to enjoy life with should they wish to and be able to reach their fullest potential without feeling they are limited, confined or lonely in something they "should" be doing, what a magnificent awesome union. Losing such a person, no matter what our age would be heartbreaking, but we can only control and strengthen ourselves, and when we strengthen the muscle of self-reflection, acknowlegement of fears rather than a suppression, we set ourselves free to live well throughout the entirity of our life's journey.

The responsibility each of us has is to not place upon someone else's shoulders that which we are capable of doing ourselves. When we take on this responsibility of cultivating our own happiness and contentment, we will see more clearly what path we truly wish to travel, we will strengthen all of our relationships as we recognize we are interconnected in large and small ways, and we will give ourselves a deep breath of relief and excitement for the next step in our journey forward.

~SIMILAR POSTS/EPISODES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~Why Not . . . Be A Confident Single Woman?

~Single or Married: 20 Things To Do

~The Truths & Myths of the Independent, Single Woman, episode #94

Petit Plaisir:

~Daily Rituals: Women at Work by Mason Curry

Tune in to the latest episode of The Simple Sophisticate podcast

[sarabutwithoutanh-blog]

Is Literature VIP-Only?

     A disability may be physical, neurological, emotional or otherwise inhibitive, impacting people’s access towards literacy. Despite millions of people all over the globe living with disabilities, those people are neglected in conversations regarding literature and literacy because authors often pretend they do not exist or don’t acknowledge their existence. This paints a picture of able bodied existence as being “normal” and “ordinary” and tells a single story of what the journey towards literacy should look like.

 In her article “Sponsors of Literacy” Brandt talks about how literacy is available to ‘ordinary’ people through sponsors, which are a person or institution that allow someone the opportunity to become literate. She never returns to address who the “unordinary” people are, what those folks looks like, or how those individuals obtain literacy. She also uses the term ‘general population’ without definition, still never mentioning handicapped people, or who the not-so-general-population includes.

     Not only does she address able-bodied and healthy people as ‘ordinary’ but Brandt also provides readers with strictly able-bodied examples of sponsorship. The prime example in Brandt’s article discussed Dora and Raymond, two people of different socioeconomic statuses and their different opportunities and sponsors. Dora and Raymond fit neatly into Brandt’s ‘ordinary’ box - no noted physical disabilities, mental health issues or other conditions that could inhibit their access to sponsorship. Along with Dora and Raymond, Dwayne is another person highlighted by Brandt with the intention of depicting different ways that sponsors may exist and operate. What do they all have in common? No disabilities. No debilitating conditions. Sure, readers are presented with Dora’s language barrier and financial struggle, but are still never shown a person with lack of access due to mental illness affecting their ability to attend school, work or church, or an individual with chronic pain and lack of resources at their school to sustain them comfortably, or a person with severe anxiety that impacts which environments someone has access to. Readers see none of that, and therefore are not exposed to an entire, complete view of what sponsorship and access look like.

     Brandt is not alone in her lack of inclusivity. Upon looking at the literary journey of Victor Villanueva, we see a common theme; people with disabilities are left out of most literature and discussions about literacy. Victor’s example about a military man (himself) going to get his college education highlights yet another able-bodied person with accessibility issues that have nothing to do with one’s physical or mental abilities or lack thereof. Through the excerpt we are exposed to racial struggles and financial woes, but still...no ‘unordinary’ people.

     In my personal experience, seeing someone ‘like me’ in books, poems and other written works has always been a rarity. Growing up with severe scoliosis that developed into chronic pain in adolescence and adulthood, there was no one ‘like me’ mentioned in textbooks or fictional works, there was no representation. Popular books that my age group showed interest in during the early 2000’s such as Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, or Twilight were free of disabled people, not even as supporting characters. If a book did happen to mention a disabled person, it was in a negative or exaggerated light. For example, books or plays that include mentally ill people often use the “asylum setting” paired with depicting people struggling with mental health as insane or scary. A more specific example one could observe would be the character Jack Torrance from Stephen King’s horror novel The Shining, a stereotypically dad-gone-neurotic tale about Jack’s deteriorating mental state that results in the brutal attempted murder of his wife and child.   Disabled people are rarely mentioned, but if they are? It’s in the exact opposite way as they deserve to be; disrespectfully and for entertainment.

     Of course all struggles are equally as important as one another; just because Brandt didn’t mention disability does not mean that she shouldn’t mention the socioeconomic struggle in regards to access to literacy. She didn’t even dust over the fact that people have uncontrollable, institutionally discriminated against disabilities and conditions, that is a problem, and it’s a massive one. Mentioning disability does not discredit her argument that race, gender and income impact one’s access to sponsorship, but includes people who are deserving of recognition and acknowledgement. Either Brandt didn’t include these people because she did not think to, or because it is so commonplace to ignore people with physical or mental impairments that it did not strike her as exclusive. Either way; this is a big issue that alienates an entire group of people from the discussion about literacy.

     Brandt and thousands of other authors neglect to mention disabled people in their work and discussions about literacy. It is very clear that the able-bodied party is by invite-only, and mentally or physically affected people  are not on the guest list. This has an impact on everyone,because not only do able-bodied people miss a chunk of truth when it comes to discussions of literacy, but the disabled folks are also left in the dirt, feeling disrespected, or devalued as Brandt’s use of “ordinary” allows them to so easily be.  Even as a somewhat able-bodied person reading about strictly healthy and able people, I lose sight of the fact that not everyone is in the same situation and has the same access to sponsorship. Until writers begin recognizing the people who deserve to be acknowledged, literature in popular media will continue to be VIP-only, that being the Very Important Privilege of being able bodied in order to be recognized in literature and discussions about access to literacy.

First disability image credit: https://tinyurl.com/y69rkfx4

Stephen King The Shining image credit: https://tinyurl.com/y93mrych

[robert-c]

Big Business vs Small Business

I admit to having a love/hate relationship with both sides of this title. 

The Big Business can accomplish things through economies of scale that are completely unthinkable to the small business. Its command of capital makes virtually all significant research and discovery possible because investing in the unknown is both risky and costly, even if the payoff (admittedly most often a long shot) can be huge.

However, Big Businesses tend to be overly conservative, as in risk avoidance. The momentum of what has worked for them in the past tends to blind management from thinking of something new. The people who rise to the top in such a business tend to be unimaginative, status quo keepers. Right up until bankruptcy, the argument that following what we know has been true in the past always seems to make more sense, because it appears to be less risky and in some minds “more prudent”.

While Big Businesses often do get away with treating their employees unfairly, they are the easier to force into compliance with regulations and laws due to their public profile as long as others are willing to make a concerted effort at exposing their illegal behavior. (And as long as the mindless, blind faith believers in the goodness of big business don’t make too much of an impact.)

Small Businesses are the soul of invention and creation. They are often captained by people whose vision was ignored by their former big business employers. Their close contact with their employees, who make their business successful, gives them a chance to ensure their vision is implemented correctly. This contact usually (but alas not always) makes them willing to treat their employees as well as the business can afford. Unfortunately without the resources of the big business, wages and benefits typically suffer by comparison to the larger organization.

At the same time, by virtue of their size, they are often exempt from many regulations put in place to protect applicants and employees from discrimination and to provide minimal employee benefits. Because the Small Business is typically totally owned by a single individual, or family, there are little to no checks and balances to protect against the failings of the owner. The confidence to strike out on one’s own is a rare and special quality; which sometimes can lead to arrogant and egotistical behavior that ignores or discounts the contributions of others, and blocks consideration of any idea or advice that doesn’t originate in their own head. Worse still is the thought that their employees should feel honored and consider it a privilege to help the owner achieve their dreams. All too often they treat the personal lives of employees as if they were somehow under the control of the business because of the presumption that they might reflect poorly on the owner.

I’ve seen some Big Businesses try to act like the small ones. A charismatic CEO seeks to impose his vision on the whole organization and talks the talk of all employees having a stake in the business and the authority to do their jobs as if they “owned the business”. But in practice, the ideas flow only from the top down, others never make it up the chain, and employees soon realize that they can act as if they owned the business only so long as they can successfully act like the CEO would in each case. Not surprisingly, few employees choose to risk their jobs on their ability to “read the mind” of the boss.

While I doubt any Big Business has really managed to capture the nimbleness and commitment of the best of the small businesses, I’m willing to admit to the possibility. At the same time I would be more suspicious the more the business tries to advertise itself that way. Because committing resources to image making is exactly the sort of thing a Big Business can afford to do much more easily than actually becoming that sort of entity.

In my consulting career I had hoped to help Small Businesses by giving them the tools and expertise of the large businesses at rates they could afford. It was my hope and belief that the innovation and enthusiasm of the Small Business coupled with the techniques of the big business could make them even more successful. It was to be the validation of the free enterprise system’s competition mythos beating the power of moneyed big business. Though I had some successes, I discovered that there were a lot more of the Small Businesses that were just the tiny fiefdoms of petty tyrants than there were those who understood the value of consistent policies and procedures.

So here I am, at the end of a long career of trying to be professional and fair and encourage better practices for businesses of all sizes. The harshest lesson I have learned is that egotistical and greedy people out for power and/or money seem to dominate too many of the roles in businesses (big and small) and that it is only law, regulation and vigilance that keeps them from even more disastrous cutting of corners on safety, quality and basic human decency. It isn’t just the decision makers and their cheerleaders who are to blame. It’s also all of the rest of us who fail to realize that “capitalism” can be the incentive for this sort of anti-social behavior, and that even at its very best, it is biased in favor of short term results.

When touting the successes of capitalism let’s not overlook the role public incentive played in some of our greatest and most important developments.

A transcontinental railway, that knitted together a diverse and far flung country, bringing goods from one coast to the other much more rapidly, and spurring all sorts of businesses. Who knows when such an effort would have been completed without land grants to the railroads. In a purely “free market” the payoff would have seemed far off and hard to control especially since so many other businesses (and the people) could potentially benefit from the effort.

The Federal promotion of the Interstate highway system (as a grander follow up to establishment of “US” highways) certainly gave the automotive industry quite a boost; as well as trucking companies, providing viable competition to rail.

The space program and the race to the moon may have been born of a cold war rivalry and image grandstanding, but the innovations engendered by that program kicked computers, satellites and a whole host of technologies into high gear and rapid development. Even beyond the electronics, materials science benefited from the seeds planted in the early research to achieve these goals.

I’m happy when businesses, large or small, can make improvements in the cost or range of options (while keeping the quality) of any good or service. But I’m also mindful that in addition to sometimes needing a boost to move in the right direction, they also sometimes need a brick wall to stop them from moving in another.

Call me whatever name makes you feel comfortable (socialist, communist, etc.); it will only underline your ignorance of their definitions. I am not now, and never will be again, a devotee of laissez faire capitalism. I believe it works best when it is regulated to enforce some consideration for the general welfare and safety of the consumers and employees who actually make a business a success. It succeeds in its promise of a better life and opportunity for all where there are legal disincentives to counter the very real financial incentives to “do it on the cheap”, to play fast and loose with the truth, etc. The excuse of profit cannot be an unimpeachable defense for every decision. As much as we all like to imagine ourselves as powerful individuals, free to act as we wish, perhaps to one day be a “billionaire”, I think it’s time to temper that image with one that is a bit more realistic; one where we acknowledge that almost nothing is accomplished by someone truly on their own and alone, unconnected to others.

Even the “pulp fiction” of the nineteenth century that glorified the possibility of rising to success from humble beginnings recognized “luck” as a factor, (e.g. Horatio Alger’s “Luck and Pluck” among others). So even the myth-makers of this rags to riches version of capitalism acknowledged that other factors had to be in play, beyond hard work and good ideas.

So big business or small there are challenges to do it right.

If you are a Big Business, instead of seeking to be seen as an “employer of choice”, BE that employer. Walk the talk of employees being able to do the right thing for customers on their own decision. Respect the ideas of the professionals who work for the company when they have ideas or reservations about managements’ ideas. Instead of meetings where all we hear about are the grand plans of the executive council, how about basic education about the business and solicitation of ideas about strategies going forward? WHEN these ideas are gathered and evaluated management can come back with a meeting about executive plans with clear answers to why this path was selected over others. NOW with everyone understanding the plan they will be in a better position to support it with their own decisions. And since none of these decisions can be made perfectly, perhaps (humbling as it may seem) management should establish and communicate the criteria which will mean the current strategy has failed and open the discussion up to a new approach. Despite the apparent awkwardness of such an idea, it is a whole lot better than the pretense that nothing has gone wrong, which fools no one you would really want working for you.

If you are a Small Business you may already enjoy the benefit of everyone understanding what the business is about and what needs to be done to succeed. What you need to be mindful of is the lack of attentiveness to ideas from any level of the staff as well as inconsistencies in policies and pay that reflect personal biases.

It truly is my fervent hope that all businesses will be successful by doing the right things by their employees and customers. When they don’t, I consider it a failing of our cultural morality as well as a failure of regulation and law.

[jzluck]

“Educational Poverty Hinders Youngster’s Growth”

BY: ZXYV S. LISONDRA

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” as the famous Nelson Mandela, the first black head of state of South America, was his message for the aspiring children who are willing to learn beyond their prior knowledge. Lacking the access to education had been one of the major issues of poverty. Educational Poverty—In accordance to the ASSITEJ (International Association of Theater for Children and Young People), it is define as a process of limitation of children’s right to education and deprivation of their opportunities to learn and develop the skills they will need to succeed in a rapidly changing society. This means that it compromise or peril such emotional growth and learning of youngsters around the world and its building connection beyond their socio-cultural environment. Those who receive benefits such substantial access to education will be acquired enough knowledge and guidance on how to deal with the harshness from the depriving consequences such as exploitation, discrimination, and poor health. This can be achievable if such coordination and cooperation from the authorities will comply with the ongoing prevalent issue. Educational Poverty is one of the contemporary issue that deters the goal of serving as an impetus to bring up the communities from their poverty; without the crucial knowledge to be learned, it will deprive children and adolescents to know how things beyond their prior knowledge works, thus it is essential to have a discussion of the said issue that hinders the growing process.

First, we must know why education had been a great way to assess oneself in improving the quality of life. Education serves as an impetus to bring up the communities from their poverty; thus, known for honing such skills and abilities since in accordance to United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization (UNESCO) children who receive quality primary education are more likely to develop these assets at a higher level than those who don’t. They can then use these abilities and skills to earn higher incomes or further develop other basic assets. Even if it is just a vocational type of education or also called as life skills—activities like critical thinking, creative art & craft work, decision-making, problem-solving, an ability to collaborate & communicate along with a sense of responsibility towards personal as well as society at large, to contribute good citizenship comes under it. By recognizing cultural awareness and citizenship, the more these benefit the world in which we live making international cooperation easier with people of other societies and by respecting diversity to allow creativity and imagination to flourish a more developed society. Through this, several positive outcomes would be in the process of eradicating such factors that deteriorate the purpose of learning: Ending discrimination; this was tackled before back then the year 1960, where the UNESCO said that the Declaration of Human Rights asserts the principle of non-discrimination and proclaims that every person has the right to education. In addition, it is the respecting the diversity of the national educational systems has the duty not only to proscribe any form of discrimination in education but also to promote equality of opportunity and treatment for all in education (UNESCO). Like with the issue on patriarchal tradition amongst countries, education in general had provided enough knowledge that rose up the feminist movement that serves as the voice for women who are been exploited such as child- and force marriage, gender-based violence, and sexist policies. By achieving human equity globally is crucial to meeting development goals, reducing human suffering and solving our biggest environmental problems. Furthermore, it also helps decreases the risk and vulnerability of one’s welfare. Health is a crucial factor in one’s chance of survivability since it allows one to be aware at the importance taking care of good hygiene, pregnancy and prenatal care; and sexual health. This can reflect back where a case study in Ebola, major regions such The Republic of Congo had there was a huge amount of misinformation about how the disease was spreading. Many people used old wives’ tales and folklore to understand the disease rather than scientific knowledge. One of the major things to do was teach people how to bury the dead appropriately to prevent the spread of the disease. Aside from that, having the knowledge of mitigation—actions taken to prevent or reduce the risk to life, property, social and economic activities, and natural resources from natural hazards—is central to the Decade initiative. Awareness, education, preparedness, and prediction and warning systems can reduce the disruptive impacts of a natural disaster on communities. Borgen Project, widely known as an innovative, national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of US Policy, reported that violent conflict contributes to poverty in a number of ways, including causing: damage to infrastructure, institutions and production; the destruction of assets; the breakup of communities and social networks; forced displacement and increased unemployment and inflation. Conflict and security are the leading emerging conflicts of all time since it is inextricable to poverty.

Without education, it will deprive children and adolescents to know how things beyond their prior knowledge work that could lead them to: acquiring poor health—as this was already stated earlier, Neil Pakenham-Walsh, founder of the Healthcare Information for all by 2015 campaign said that, “Of the approximately 50 million people who were dying each year in the late 1980s, fully two thirds could have been saved through the application of that knowledge.” Education can counter this with giving a proper income/resources, socio-psychological benefits, healthy behaviors, and healthier neighborhoods to one’s welfare according to the Center on Society and Health Organization. Also, it not uncommon that the poor will experience exploitation since people who have not been educated may have to resort to terrible types of work just to survive. In a world of limited jobs, those with an education get first pickings of the safer and more secure work. For example, woman in third world countries are more likely to be prone to: Prostitution, Sweatshop Labor, Domestic Labor, Being married off as child brides. Moreover, a case study from UNICEF—Syrian Civil War; many Syrian children are lured into fighting for the government in the civil war. These children – rather than going to school – need to work to feed their families. The US$400 per month soldier salary is often their only option due to their lack of skills. Similarly, Syrian children who flee to Turkey end up working in sweatshops earning $10 a day to feed their families. According to The Guardian, sexual and physical abuse takes place in these sweatshops regularly. A further factor is the increase in unemployment rate due to automotive revolution—we have already seen many millions of jobs disappear over the past few decades due to the introduction of robots. Think of factory lines or – closer to home – automated cashiers at the supermarket. These are just the beginning. As artificial intelligence comes closer to reality, chances are that more and more low-skilled jobs will come off the market.

This was further supported from the statistical report from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which said that that across all OECD nations:  83% of people with a university degree are employed; 74% of people with an upper secondary or non-university postsecondary education (e.g. a trade qualification) are employed; 56% of people without an upper secondary education are employed. Thus, results to “economic brake growth”—nations are competing against each other for economic dominance. If a nation is more educated, the nation’s productivity is higher and its workers are more innovative. The nation attracts higher-paying jobs in growth industries.

Gender Inequality has been a noticeable aftermath of the issue; Over 130 million young women around the world are not currently enrolled in school. One in 3 girls in the developing world marries before the age of 18, and usually leaves school if they do. Girls often miss out due to belief that there’s less value in educating a girl than a boy. Instead, they are sent to work, forced into marriage, or made to stay at home to look after siblings and work on household chores. Equal representation in leadership and community decision-making is more likely to build better resilience, improve risk management and advance environmental preservation. Basic education can also help women access their social and legal rights, and enable them to participate in politics. Summing it all up, if these major factors prolong, they will experience only a short lifespan as expected.

With the said negative outcomes, this is followed by which various factors that causes to occur like the Lack of funding—only 20% of aid for education goes to low-income countries, according to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). But it costs an average of $1.25 a day per child in developing countries to provide 13 years of education; Having no teacher or having untrained teacher, No classroom, Lack of learning materials. Next, is the exclusion of children with disabilities—a combination of discrimination, lack of training in inclusive teaching methods among teachers, and a lack of accessible schools leave this group uniquely vulnerable to being denied their right to education. Despite the fact that education is a universal human right, being denied access to school is common for the world’s 93 to 150 million children with disabilities. In some of the world’s poorest countries, up to 95% of children with disabilities are out of school. Aside from that, it is also the expense of education. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes clear that every child has the right to a free basic education, so that poverty and lack of money should not be a barrier to schooling. In many developing countries, over the last several, decades, governments have announced the abolition of school fees and as a result, they have seen impressive increases in the number of children going to school.

In countering these issues, the Environmental Awareness Organization sets a various guidelines to follow: Better educational infrastructure—governments and municipalities should try to provide better educational infrastructure so that it is easier for the local population to attend school. Simply saying, the authorities should create facilities that are only a walking distance which means that these facilities should be just only near town or villages. Another solution would be a financial support. By supporting poor families, educational inequality could be fought to a certain extent since it is crucial to support poor families with financial subsidies so that their kids are able to attend school. Last but not the least is the raising awareness for the importance of education. Parents may believe that a basic education taught at home is sufficient to succeed in life since they do not know better thus might not even be aware what a lack of education really means for their children. However, with our technological progress, it is likely that education will be more important than ever to succeed in our nowadays job market.

Education is nonetheless crucial in survivability as it will guide an individual on its life long journey and if not been carefully informed, disarray of consequences must be mitigated immediately as this could only lead more to getting risk of exploitation from the abusers and vulnerability to such unknown dangers of not knowing of what he or she is dealing to. As one of the occurring issue that is still being tackled nowadays, Educational Poverty had change the course of each youngster’s will to learn of what is beyond of what they only know. Without it, the chance of exploring such undiscovered knowledge is a huge hindrance for the growth progress of the families and the communities.

[kellycrawford93]

EQUALITY IN FASHION

So what do we mean by human equality? that all people are to be treated with equal dignity and respect, a principle now accepted as a minimum standard across mainstream Western culture. It is however not always realized in people’s day-to-day experiences.

It is a principle that draws attention to our common humanity, without meaning that everyone is the same.

This can be expressed in different ways. Equality involves giving an equal amount of attention to the interests of every individual who is affected by a particular action. It means ensuring that no individual or group is treated less favourably on the basis of such characteristics as gender, ethnicity, age, ability, sexual orientation or religion. We are all aware that some people are more discriminated against than others.

Or the ideal of equality can be expressed in terms of human rights. In the midst of the twentieth century, in a world marked by two brutal world wars, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights was drawn up to ensure that the human rights of everyone would be protected, recognizing that historically various groups across the world had experienced discrimination, violence and oppression in varying degrees of severity and visibility.

Today193 countries in the world are member states of the United Nations, which exists to promote cooperation, peace and security as well as human rights throughout the world.

These rights cover economic, social, political, cultural and civic life. They include a right to life, to education, to a family life, to freedom of religion, to freedom of speech, a right to work, to fair pay and to rest from work. All these issues are directly relevant to the fashion industry in all parts of the world.

In short, the garment worker has the same rights as the luxury fashion consumer. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like or where you’re from: human rights apply to everyone. So why are so many still not?

So what do ideals of human equality, or inequality, have to do, practically, with fashion and sustainability?

Sustainable fashion has both to conserve natural resources and protect those involved in the production of fashion items. It acknowledges the materials used in fashion and the various problems associated with their production, supply, use and disposal. It also considers the cultural power and symbolism of clothing. And seeks to give voice to all those involved in its production, as well as challenge current patterns of consumption.

Despite the principle of equality, inequality can be seen in the production of fashion throughout the supply chain. The skills involved in making fashion are not always valued equally. In fact, they are often not even acknowledged, leaving those doing the cutting and sewing without access to education, fair pay or union representation.

Without such representation, workers are vulnerable to all sorts of exploitation including the risk of forced labour or slavery. The International Labour Organisation estimates around twenty-one million people around the world are trapped in some form of modern slavery. Whilst it is impossible to say how many of these work in the fashion industry, there are cases that have been identified which indicate the fashion industry cannot claim to be exempt from these issues and why inequality needs to be addressed.

Various approaches to ensuring greater equality have been explored by fashion brands and retailers including Corporate Social Responsibility policies and implementation of auditing in the supply chain. But these can often be ignored or be exploited through PR messaging if not backed up by suitably robust legislation. Likewise the emphasis on individual consumer demands for ethically sourced and produced items is not enough to bring about the necessary change that can affect deep-rooted inequalities.

Fashion is predominately marketed to and consumed by women but it’s also women who – for the most part – make it. Women with skills and knowledge that too often remains invisible, women who are not paid fairly. This reflects the value placed culturally and in real terms on women’s work. According to the UN, in most countries in the world, women only earn between sixty and seventy-five% of men’s wages - for the same work. Women’s employment in the mass production of fashion dates back to the factories of the Industrial Revolution. This history suggests reasons why elements of fashion production are considered ‘women’s work’ and therefore we start to build up a picture as to why low pay and low status continue to this day.

It is not just in the production of fashion that inequality needs to be addressed. Inequality is evident across the complex web of messages that fashion creates and influences – such as in retail, the media, marketing, advertising, art, and culture. The

current prevailing model of fashion can be accused of excluding various groups of people; it targets certain groups in an explicitly hierarchical way, excluding and marginalizing others. If fashion was truly sustainable, how could it overcome such inequalities?

Equalitythenisaninherentpartofwhatsustainabilityneedstobe. Sustainabilityis about sustaining things – most obviously our planet. But when we talk about sustaining something, let us say fashion, we need to be clear about what it is we want to sustain and what is problematic. Current forms of inequality are not what need sustaining. We need to think about resources (such as land or water) about workforces (and therefore pay and conditions), and how we influence media and culture (through the communication of fashion) and about those who consume the products of fashion (and therefore their unequal access to them).

It matters that all humans can find space to flourish. Society works better when people work together, and are valued equally regardless of their differences. It is not about erasing these differences, and making them disappear but about acknowledging and celebrating them, understanding and valuing them and truly thinking about ways to create structures and values where everyone matters.

[tcifiscal]

Racial Equity Impact of Proposed House and Senate Budgets

Despite the uncertainty and hurt caused by the unearthing of racist photos and sexual assault claims, the work to determine how the state uses our shared resources from now through July 2020 must go on. These are not separate conversations, however, particularly as state leaders are echoing what many impacted communities and advocates have long called for: a productive conversation on racial equity.

Right now, legislators are moving forward with proposals on how to raise resources and how those resources will be invested in our communities -- decisions that have real impacts on the lives of Virginians. Legislators have the opportunity to contribute to the conversation about racial equity by taking action and using available resources to work toward dismantling barriers facing Virginia’s communities of color or to instead maintain the status quo.

On Friday, TCI released a blog post on the ways lawmakers’ seek to provide tax breaks that leave out many Black families. In order to make room for those tax breaks, the House and Senate propose a number of cuts to public services that would otherwise mitigate or help dismantle barriers facing communities of color. On Saturday, TCI released a blog post on how budgets proposed by the House and Senate slash proposed K-12 funding that is focused on high-need communities, thereby harming Virginia’s schools that are home to the most students of color. And there’s more to the story.

On Monday, lawmakers agreed to look for ways to fund priorities for low-income communities and communities of color. As we move towards a compromise budget, there is still much work to be done to turn these agreements into action. Below is an assessment of major investments in the three proposed budgets and the significant impacts each could have on communities of color. The choices lawmakers choose will determine whether we are making progress towards racial equity or not.

Housing

Racial discrimination in housing was official public policy for much of the 20th century – white families were provided subsidized mortgages and publicly-built highways to move to white flight suburbs and build wealth, while many Black families were displaced from historic neighborhoods and moved to public housing or other rental housing, with no opportunity to build wealth. Families of color in Virginia continue to be less likely than white families to own their homes. Sixty-nine percent of white Virginia households own their homes, compared to only 44 percent of Black households. This is due to both historical causes – Black families are less likely to inherit a home – and continuing barriers facing communities of color, such as mortgage discrimination. And lower homeownership rates combine with barriers to well-paying employment to result in Black families being more likely to be paying more than they can really afford for housing. Research shows that 3 in 10 Black households pay more than 30 percent of their income toward housing costs, compared to less than 2 in 10 white households. The numbers are almost identical for Latinx communities, who also face discrimination and are less likely to have inherited homes. Meanwhile, Virginia’s lack of protections for tenants has led to the state being in the national news for having one of the highest rates of eviction, an epidemic that has particularly targeted communities of color even after controlling for household income.

The introduced budget proposal included some modest investments to address the lack of affordable housing and high rates of evictions for Virginia’s communities of color. Unfortunately, the House and the Senate gutted that new investment. The House cut $19 million of support that was intended for the Housing Trust Fund, which is primarily used to increase access to affordable homeownership and rental housing. The Senate’s cut was nearly as deep – $16 million. On addressing the eviction epidemic, the House and Senate both stripped $2.6 million of funding that was provided for eviction defense. The Senate did approve an eviction diversion pilot and provide $1.3 million in additional general funding for legal aid services.

Health Care

Funding solutions to remedy racial disparities in health care access and quality should be a priority for Virginia’s legislators. Unfortunately, there are several budget items that have been defunded that could have led to health improvements for communities of color.

Over 55 percent of uninsured children in Virginia are children of color. And families that can’t easily access health care, such as families without health coverage, may have more trouble vaccinating their children. Despite efforts to address this barrier, the House and Senate budgets struck the proposal of nearly $1.5 million of funding for vaccines for children administered at local health departments. Immigrant families who have limited options for health insurance, and even less opportunities to access affordable health coverage, may be particularly impacted.

Mental health disparities exist throughout our health and criminal justice systems. We know that Latinx and Black individuals are less likely to receive adequate mental health care leaving them at particular risk of entering one of the state-run mental health facilities or the criminal justice system.

Black individuals are treated at state mental health facilities at a higher rate than any other racial group. The Senate budget proposal decreases funding for additional staff in state-run mental health facilities by $1.5 million. As one of our vital supports of treating mental health crises, this could leave more people of color at risk of inadequate care during their time of need.

Untreated mental health issues can sometimes lead to difficult interactions with the public and law enforcement. Black individuals are less likely than white peers to receive psychiatric evaluations when accused of a crime and less likely to receive mental health services when incarcerated. The House budget strips the $2.5 million to continue and expand a pilot program for inmates with mental health concerns, which will leave many Black and Latinx inmates behind.

One noteworthy investment in the Senate and House budgets was the addition of $3 million for implementation of electronic health records in women’s correctional facilities beyond the administration’s budget (Legal Aid Justice Center recently won a lawsuit against the state to force improvements in health care at Fluvanna women’s correctional center.) Accurate health records provide important information for health providers which can lead to better health outcomes. We know that Black adults represent 37 percent of the population in female prisons in Virginia, yet Black individuals in the state only represent 19 percent of the state’s population. Improved health services in the justice system will help all inmates, but particularly Black individuals who are overrepresented in our prisons.

The Senate budget also includes an additional $6.8 million to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for certain physicians and mental health professionals – in turn leveraging an additional $15.6 million federal match. Increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rates will likely increase the number of providers willing to accept Medicaid patients. We know that a large share of people on Medicaid in Virginia are people of color, and improving access to these vital services provides more equitable access to health care.

Higher Education

The House slashed more than $15 million from December’s proposed budget amendments for need-based financial aid. Virginia’s inadequate investment in public colleges and universities over the last decade has contributed to rising tuition prices, often leaving students with little choice but to take on more debt or give up on their dreams of going to college. The problem is especially serious for Black, Latinx, and low-income students.

State cuts to higher education have helped drive up the cost of attending public colleges and universities. And slow income growth has worsened the situation. The average tuition bill grew by nearly 55 percent between 2008 and 2018 after adjusting for inflation, while real median incomes for Virginia families only grew about 2.4 percent between 2008 and 2017 (2018 data is not available at this time).This leads to tuition being a much larger burden for students and families.

In 2017, the average tuition and fees at a public four-year university accounted for 17 percent of the median household income for all Virginia families. For white families, tuition and fees accounted for about 16 percent of income, and 12 percent for Asian families, both below the state average. Meanwhile, it accounted for 25 percent of median household income for Black families and 19 percent for Latinx families.

The House budget proposal does include $45.7 million distributed to colleges and universities if they keep tuition and fees at 2018-2019 levels for the next school year. This is an important step to address the growing challenges of college affordability for Black, Latinx, and low-income students. However, investing in need-based financial aid and reducing or freezing tuition cost simultaneously, is a better approach to make higher education more affordable and accessible for Black, Latinx, and low-income students in the commonwealth.

Census

Both the Senate and House eliminated the modest $1.5 million that was included in the introduced budget for Census outreach. The federal government isn’t doing their part in terms of Census outreach this time around, and an undercount would have major implications for equal representation and federal funding that helps boost low-income communities, particularly communities of color. The problem is so acute that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is suing the federal government over the lack of Census funding. Many states are stepping up to fill this gap by providing their own funding for Census outreach, and it is vital for Virginia to do so to in order to get a fair count of our community members, particularly in communities of color and rural areas that are hard to reach.

Democracy

Access to the ballot box has been central to so many civil rights struggles in the United States because it is fundamental to accessing and protecting all other rights. During the 2018 elections, Virginia had long lines and other problems at a number of polling places, while our neighbors in North Carolina and Georgia had far more egregious problems. The introduced budget included a modest $607,500 boost to training for local election registrars. The Senate cuts about one-third of that funding.

Making Choices

State budgets are always a reflection of priorities. Every addition, cut, and language change between the introduced, House, and Senate budgets represent the values of each entity. Choices made in the final compromise version of the budget will have profound impacts on all of our communities, and targeted cuts or investments for low-wealth communities of color may be felt the most. Lawmakers have an opportunity in their final negotiations to select the key investments from all of their budgets that break down barriers and provide real opportunities for Virginia families of color.

--TCI Staff

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[khalilhumam]

Part I: Health care information access for women during COVID-19 in East Africa

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Part I: Health care information access for women during COVID-19 in East Africa

Continuous, guaranteed access to health care information is essential

A woman stands in front of a health care clinic advertising a variety of insurance options and services, March 19, 2018, Nairobi, Kenya. Photo by International Telecommunications Union via Flickr CC BY 2.0.

Editor's note: This story is part of a two-part series on women and health care during COVID-19 in East Africa. Read Part II here. 

Maternal health is a crucial part of sexual and reproductive health and an indivisible component of health care rights. However, maternal mortality continues to threaten the health of women and girls globally — especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

In recent years, states have instituted priority measures to reduce unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, and enhance access to skilled health care providers — in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

But to ensure the effectiveness of these measures, guaranteed access to information for girls and women is key.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the critical obligation of states to ensure the accurate provision of information as a fundamental component of health care rights. This demands proactive communication by states in a timely and effective manner.

During the pandemic, some governments have struggled to ensure that women and girls have uninterrupted access to sexual and reproductive health-related information and education, on and offline. 

In Kenya, the public has not always received regular, clear and accessible information regarding exemptions to curfew and lockdown restrictions. While exemptions unreservedly allow pregnant women facing obstetric emergencies to leave their homes to travel to health care facilities, a lack of clear information on these exemptions and how they are implemented can cause undue stress and confusion.

Kenyans were also not fully aware of the duty and roles of security agents and public transport providers to facilitate and ensure the safe passage of pregnant women and girls to health care facilities. Access to this information enables women and girls to vindicate their rights.

A new family visits a health clinic with their infant, March 19, 2018, Nairobi, Kenya. Photo by International Telecommunications Union via Flickr CC BY 2.0.

Excluded from online resources

Primarily disseminating information online — especially through social media — is potentially dangerous because it excludes and discriminates against many women and girls who have limited or no access to smartphones, internet services, or digital literacy skills necessary to access this information. Some have limited or no economic means to meet internet data costs.

According to the World Wide Web Foundation, despite massive global growth in internet usage, there are still more men online than women due to existing gender disparities. In sub-Saharan Africa, only 28 percent of women have access to the internet. This means that sharing information online or requiring consumers to access the internet to gain access to health care services often excludes women.

In Kenya, 86 percent of women have access to mobile phones, but only 32 percent have access to and use internet services. Out of this latter group, it is unclear if they enjoy regular and uninterrupted access to internet services which requires the economic means to pay for internet bundles and electricity to charge smartphones.

Telemedicine for all?

The Ministry of Health in Kenya issued guidelines for continuity of reproductive, maternal, newborn and family planning care during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the use of telemedicine – an innovative model encouraged by numerous countries to ensure health service provision during COVID-19.

Telemedicine is critical to ensure access to health-related information, including how to access emergency services during labor, as well as to facilitate contact between health care providers and patients.

However, telemedicine guidelines are mainly disseminated online — which is not accessible to everyone. This means that many communities may not be aware of the telephone numbers to call to access these services.

Further, telemedicine is not accessible to women who do not have mobile phones, and for those with limited funds required to make phone calls, if hotlines are not toll-free.

Standards under the right to health

States are bound by ratified human rights treaties and conventions. Consequently, human rights treaty monitoring bodies at the regional level and the global United Nations level have developed standards universally accepted by states to measure and facilitate the realization of health care rights — including maternal health.

The United Nations Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights and Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women developed General Comment 14 and General Comment 22, and General Recommendation 24 respectively, outlining state obligations and standards toward realizing health rights. 

At the regional level, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights developed in 2014 the General Comment 2 on the right to health, including reproductive health, provided for in Article 14 of the ground-breaking 2003 Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa – popularly referred to as the Maputo Protocol.

Collectively, these human rights instruments outline African states’ obligations to ensure that high-quality health care is available, acceptable and accessible to all, including access to health-related information and education.

Information must be available to all people on an equal basis and without discrimination — especially to vulnerable and marginalized populations such as those living in poverty, in rural and remote areas, and persons with disabilities.

Direct, public engagement

The use of diverse forms of information dissemination and communication ensures that all women — young and old, living in rural, peri-urban or urban areas, all income levels — have access to relevant health information.

Overall, states could do more to ensure the provision of accurate information to the public, including the use of conventional media such as TV, radio and newspapers and free mass texting through the Short Message Service (SMS) and USSD services.

Engagement with community leaders, activists, groups, community health workers and volunteers, also supports the open and transparent flow of information in communities with limited access to mobile phones, TVs,  radios, newspapers, et cetera.

Regular access to health-related information — especially for women and girls — will undoubtedly improve access to maternal health care services. This will likely mitigate a projected increase in maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lydia Muthiani and Nelly Warega are human rights lawyers living and working in Kenya. They have specialized on the advancement of women’s and girls’ rights, and are part of Utu Wetu, a collective of human rights experts particularly working on women’s rights. 

Written by Nelly Warega, Lydia Muthiani · comments (0) Donate · Share this: twitter facebook reddit

[marymosley]

Gender Pay Gap : An Unconscious Discrimination

Britannica defines Discrimination as “the intended or accomplished differential treatment of persons or social groups for reasons of certain generalized traits. The targets of discrimination are often minorities, but they may also be majorities, as black people were under apartheid in South Africa.” 

A number of terms have been coined as the society progressed, so are its methods to discriminate. Terms such as racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, transphobia, or cissexism (discrimination against transgender persons), classism (discrimination based on social class), lookism (discrimination based on physical appearance), and ableism (discrimination based on disability) have found its very existence among us.

One of the Socio-psychological reason behind Discrimination finds its genesis in Social Identity Theory where an individuals belonging to a more prestigious and powerful group than others finds greater boost in morale and confidence that the rest of the others belonging to less powerful group. Further,  Discrimination that allows debasing and resultant deprivation of individuals belonging to less popular groups, of wealth and other resources by those belonging to powerful and prestigious groups gives them a sense of strengthening their group and indirectly serves as boost to the self-esteem and self-worth of the individuals of the powerful group. 

Although Discrimination contributes only a small part towards the gender pay gaps in India and the World. 

According to latest report of World Economic Forum on Global Gender Pay Gap 2020,  the Global Gender Pay Gap score (based on the population-weighted average) stands at 68.6%. This means that, on average, the gap is narrower, and the remaining gap to close is now 31.4%. While no country has yet managed to achieve full gender pay parity, the top 5 countries managed to close the gender pay gap by 80% with Iceland being the best performer for consecutive 11 years with gender pay gap closing by a score of 82%, while India stands at 112th Rank with an index score of 35.4%.

Among the 10 best performers on this subindex, four are from Sub-Saharan African (Benin has closed so far 84.7% of its Economic Participation and Opportunity gap; Burundi 83.7%; Zambia, 83.1% and Guinea, 80.3%); one is from Western Europe (Iceland, 83.9%); one is from East Asia and the Pacific region (Lao PDR, 83.9%); two are from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Belarus, 83.7%, and Latvia, 81.0%); and two are from the Latin America and the Caribbean region (the Bahamas, 83.8%, and Barbados 80.8%). At the other end of the spectrum, economic opportunities for women are extremely limited in India (35.4%), Pakistan (32.7%), Yemen (27.3%), Syria (24.9%), and Iraq (22.7%).

In 1950s, the women, whether living in Asia or Europe or the United States, we’re often not educated and had not finished their college degree and not even been in one. Resultantly they come down to employed in menial jobs and grouping in Feminine Industries. 

Many factors responsible for the Gender Pay Gap were: Lower female Education Rate, Lower workforce participation of Women, Grouping in Traditionally Feminine Industries, the practice of Discrimination being completely Legal, and such other cultural norms like Women are less intelligent, Women cant hold power, Women should be HOMEMAKER, Women should raise children. Over the decades, things changed through various liberation and revolutionary movements. Many factors and cultural discrimination factors shrunk except for ONE: Women should raise children and is supposed to be a homemaker. This idea was prevalent in U.S., U.K., and even in progressive European countries. While when it comes to men, the majority of the population, even today, believes that newly become father should work full time. This is the Heart of the Pay Gap: unconscious discrimination.  

It seems Gender Pay Gap isn’t so much for being a woman but for being a ‘Mother’. It is therefore essential to change how we as a society look or perceive of women. The unconscious discrimination directly hits a sharp blow at the participation rates of women in the employment field. As a result, lesser participation due to maternity breaks, sabbatical required for family care, sick parents, etc. decreases leading to lesser promotions and a rise in an average gender pay gap.

According to the ‘Progress of the World’s Women 2019-2020’ report by United Nations Women, there are an estimated 13 million households run by single mothers while single fathers are far less constituting only to a small percentage. There is a lack of any cogent data on single fathers in India as the concept itself is rare.

In the US the number of single mothers is 3 times the number of single fathers, thus the majority of the children of single mother grows up learning that women are the caregivers. The roots of this issue go deep on how we understand FAMILY and mothers and fathers and that’s why the gap is so difficult to close.

While, Women in U.S. who do not wish to have children earns 96% to the men.

TALE OF TWO COUNTRIES: Iceland and Rwanda

Rwanda: 

The two countries almost closed their wage gaps in just a few decades. Rwanda is a poorest country on the globe and few decades ago, women were denied of their basic rights such as Right to vote or even to speak in public or to open a bank account without the authorization of her husband. In 1994, everything changed in Rwanda. The days of carnage and bloodshed in this central African country swept more than half of the male population. In just the span of 3 months 800,000 of people were  dead leaving the country with 70 to 80 percent of female population. Thus in order to rebuilt Rwanda, the participation of women became crucial. What started as a survival technique post genocide became the sole reason for bringing the equality of men and women in society and thus closing of the gender pay gaps. This had not only torned apart the traditional social fabric in totality but changed the very mindsets of the masses to combat the plague of ‘Female are Homemakers’ mentality. Women are later elected and allowed seats in parliament, in Naval and armed forces, in professions like Doctors, Engineers, lawyers, etc. which were earlier traditionally captured by males. Today, Rwanda has almost closed the Gender Pay Gap as each woman in the country makes 96% on a dollar a man makes. A host of new aggressive policies were introduced post genocide, including Monitoring mechanism to ensure gender equality. The new Preamble to the Constitution of Rwanda included commitment to Equal rights for both men and women making atleast a 30% participation of women at all levels of Government. Today, women in Rwanda holds 61% of the total seats in the Parliament, being the highest in the world.

Iceland:

In 1975, Iceland faced a major revolution from women across the country against the existing pay gap despite an adequate participation rate. The entire wave of revolution lead to dire scarcity of workforce in both organised and unorganised sector. This came as a turning point where women made themselves as a visible section of the society putting across demands and objecting to gender disparity. Resultantly, in 1980, Iceland welcomed its first democratically elected female President Ms. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. In years to follow, a host of policies were introduced to boost both female participation in workforce as well as to establish pay parity. In 1981, Iceland for the first time, introduced to the world and made it mandatory for its corporate sector to provide Maternity Leave of 3 months, which was extended to 6 months in 1988. But this progressive law was rather reversing at its grassroot level as it encouraged more mothers to stay at home, strengthening the stereotypes of women being homemakers and responsible for childcare. To combat this, the country introduced mandatory Paternity Leave for newly become father which made the image of both men and women as caregivers and breadwinners. Today Iceland stands at first rank on Global Gender Pay Gap Index by with pay gap shrunk to 82% between men and women.

However the battle is far from being won worldwide and the fight somehow starts with men willing to share the burden of family equally as any gender pay gap holistically diminish the total family income. Thus it is a slap other way around on men as well. Food for thought.

About Author:

Pallavi Chauhan

A Legal Professional with over 6 years of experience in Corporate Laws and Environment Law. Presently working with National Commission for Protection of Child Rights under Ministry of Women and Child Development as a Legal Consultant.

(Views are Personal)

The post Gender Pay Gap : An Unconscious Discrimination appeared first on Legal Desire.

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[rightsinexile]

Reclaiming refugee status: The arduous journey of Chin refugees in India

This blog post was written by Ishita Kumar and Nayantara Raja. Both work as Senior Legal Consultants for the Migration & Asylum Project (MAP), India’s only centre for refugee law and forced migration studies. Both Ishita and Nayantara worked closely with the Chin refugee community in India to provide legal representation to Chins during the cessation process.*

This post was originally published on 12 April 2019 by the Refugee Law Initiative and appears here with their permission.

When I see pictures of the Burmese army on Facebook posts or news reports, I get palpitations. I was forced to do porter service for the army; once, I saw them shoot one of my friends because he could not carry the heavy bags. That same night, when we stopped at a village to rest, I was raped by a soldier with a knife held to my throat. I cannot go back and risk facing them again.

Nun Lem’s[*] fear of returning to Myanmar is echoed by the entire community of 3,000 Chin refugees residing[†] in India, most of whom fled their home country due to the severe oppression and persecution inflicted upon them by the Tatmadaw, the Burmese military that ruled the country until 2010. Between 1988 and 2014, ethnic Chins fled Myanmar to seek refuge in other countries, including India and Malaysia. While the vast majority have been resettled since then to third countries including Australia, the United States and Canada, there remain around 35,000 Chin refugees on the official record of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency mandated to offer protection to this population in India and Malaysia.

In the absence of any domestic or applicable international legal framework to protect them, refugees recognized by UNHCR in the two countries mentioned above are offered some protection against deportation. However, in the last ten months, the fear of returning to Myanmar had gripped them again. In June 2018, the UNHCR sent a message to the Chin communities in Malaysia and India, stating that, based on an analysis of the security and political conditions in Chin State and Sagaing Division, the Agency had deemed that the situation was stable for the ethnic Chins to return and that their refugee status was to end on December 31, 2019. To this effect, UNHCR had commenced legal procedures to reassess refugee status for individual refugees.

With sustained advocacy by the Chin community and civil society organizations on the fact that the so-called changes in Chin State were too recent and had not been proved durable or sustainable, as well as the recent deterioration of security conditions in Chin State, the policy was finally rolled back on March 14, 2019.

Looking at the manner in which this policy was executed and retracted, it is important to reflect on the legal grounds that allowed for it to be challenged and more broadly, to understand the need to hold UN agencies to account in case of premature repatriation policies, given the seriousness of the ramifications involved in such scenarios – not to mention the costs and human resource it takes for implementing such a decision.

The Chins who are widely repressed and persecuted by the Buddhist ruling majority in Myanmar, reside with severely limited rights in India. The UNHCR-issued refugee card does not grant the Chin refugees the right to work, access higher education or open bank accounts, which has relegated them to the margins and forced them to take daily-wage jobs in the informal sector as factory-workers or cleaners. Despite living against all odds, returning to Myanmar is inconceivable to the Chins given the trauma associated with their past experience and the lack of safe conditions guaranteed; against this background, the policy decision to end refugee status for ethnic Chins put the community in fear of being displaced and deprived of an identity yet again. The policy caused panic and outrage amongst the community, given that there is no positive news on the security situation.

As Francis (56) says,

“There is an election scheduled for 2020, what if the military come to power? Right now, they control 25% of the Parliament..Where is the letter or invitation from the Military or the Government welcoming us to return and guaranteeing our safety? I asked UNHCR this during my Option interview, and they did not have an answer.”

Moreover, recent reports consistently indicate continuing discrimination against Chins on various fronts, including discriminatory land laws and lack of access to basic public services.

As part of the policy, each Chin family was called upon by UNHCR for a notification interview and asked to choose between two options – either challenge the UNHCR’s decision, which would mean they would then undergo an interview to prove exceptional circumstances to be able to retain their status; or accept the decision and retain their status until the end of 2019, but return to Myanmar thereafter. Refugees were informed that the threshold to establish a need for continued protection is extremely high and that their claim would likely not be successful, thereby leading to the end of their refugee status even prior to the end of 2019 deadline. Despite such risk of losing their status sooner, the vast majority – more than 99% of the families in India – chose to challenge the policy.

Even technically, on legal grounds, the policy did not hold much water. Though its language was that of a repatriation policy, it envisaged circumstances under Article 1 C (5) of the 1951 Refugee Convention, thereby amounting to cessation of refugee status. According to the UNHCR’s own Cessation Guidelines, it is necessary to determine whether the change in circumstances in the country of origin is ‘of a fundamental nature’. Thus, transition of states from conflict or refugee-inducing situations to a stable government should be given time to crystallize before a policy of cessation is implemented. The Guidelines also state that a situation of partial cessation should not arise, where it is safe for refugees to return only to a certain part of the country. While Myanmar has transitioned towards a State with a democratically elected government, the country continues to be riddled with ethnic conflicts – it is impossible to disregard the genocide that has been perpetrated against the Rohingyas in Rakhine State, which shares a border with Chin State. Closer home, recent clashes between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army have resulted in casualties and displacement in the southern Chin State town of Paletwa. The Guidelines state that where the particular circumstances leading to flight have changed, only to be replaced by different circumstances which may also give rise to refugee-related fear, this cessation clause can clearly not be invoked.

Further, the announcement for end of refugee status also came as a surprise. The Guidelines state that refugees and civil society need to be actively consulted in arriving at such a decision, and that UNHCR should facilitate “Go-and-See” visits so that refugees themselves can evaluate if the situation in the home country is safe for return. While UNHCR announced a Go-and-See visit subsequent to the announcement of the policy, this visit never materialised.  Additionally, there are several other considerations when it comes to repatriation, such as, whether refugees have the necessary skills and know-how to assimilate upon return, the situation of elderly refugees with no support system in the home country, persons with disabilities and their ability to access facilities, those who have faced extreme and severe trauma, and many more. Thus, the potential consequences of withdrawing international protection prematurely can be harmful and in violation of the right to a safe and dignified life.

While the policy has now been rolled back and Chins in Malaysia and India have retained their refugee status in these countries, this short-lived change in policy has already had repercussions on the community.

Community leader Sung Kim Daw (33) states,

“I have seen the effect this policy has had on the people. A lot of them started falling into depression and having suicidal thoughts. In fact, in Malaysia there were instances of people dying by suicide. You have seen us over the last 10 months, you know what it has been like for us to go through this process. Now that it’s over,  you can see the difference on our faces!”

Going forward, this aborted attempt at hastening to divest a vulnerable community of its already-tenuous legal protections holds many lessons for those of us who work with refugee communities. For one, it is imperative that the UNHCR and the international community as a whole insists on the development of genuine respect for human rights and democracy in a country of origin before repatriations offered for the Chins or any other refugee group; otherwise, repatriation will merely be an euphemism for refoulement. Even in past situations where cessation has been invoked, the UNHCR engaged with host country governments and facilitated “go-and-see visits” to ensure safe and dignified return. Despite this, refugees have often refused to return as they continue to fear what may happen to them; thus, room has to be allowed for these refugees to remain in their adopted countries without being penalised for having made that choice. Voluntary repatriation as a durable solution must work in tandem with mechanisms of transitional justice. The nuances and complexities of refugee repatriation should therefore be carefully considered in order to ensure that UNHCR-led end of refugee status proceedings are harmonized with its Guidelines for Voluntary Repatriation, and situations of statelessness or refoulement are avoided.

___

[*] All names have been changed to protect the refugees’ identity.

[†] This number reflects the Chin population registered with UNHCR India.

* Ishita provides specialized assistance to clients who have faced gender-based violence. She also conducts outreach activities with refugee women and assists in strategic litigation. Nayantara provides legal assistance to clients who are survivors of torture and other forms of persecution and works on strategic litigation efforts.

[chocolate-brownies]

The strong, Black woman. The Asian “model minority.” “¡No soy loco!” These tropes, expressions, and labels are often used to demonstrate (and even celebrate) the “resiliency” of people of color. But it’s a trap. These stereotypes may seem empowering, but beneath the surface, they are damaging. By denying our humanity, we downplay the mental-health effects of racial trauma. We perpetuate the stigma of mental illness in our communities. And we ignore our own pain and suffering.

Mental illness does not discriminate on the basis of identity or background. Why, then, are people of color often silenced, ignored, and excluded from the discussion? White-centricism not only takes over the narrative of mental health, it consumes media representation, access to services/resources, and even community support. People of color aren’t visible in this conversation, and that alone impacts our mental health by making it harder for us to believe and identify our struggles.

People of color aren’t visible in this conversation, and that alone impacts our mental health by making it harder for us to believe and identify our struggles.

And people of color not only feel left out, we get left out.

Racial minorities in the U.S. are less likely overall to access mental health services for reasons including cultural and socioeconomic barriers. When we do receive care, it is often poorer quality. Access to culturally competent care is also an obstacle for communities of color. For example, only 5% of psychologists are African Americans. The history of racism in mental health care is well-documented, and even today, there is still clear bias against people of color.

From diagnostic disparities to pathologizing and gaslighting those suffering from racial trauma, white mental health practitioners have little sense of cultural competency in serving people of color and can reinforce stigma and induce more harm. When confronted by their lack of knowledge, white therapists often retraumatize us with their own white fragility and rage.

Meanwhile, the social impact is devastating. Our communities are in crisis. People of color are disproportionately more likely to experience race-based trauma and PTSD, with Native Americans experiencing significantly higher rates. Asian-American women have the second highest suicide rate in the country. Islamophobia has taken a mental and physical toll on Muslim Americans with nearly one-fourth suffering from depression. Both Black and Latinx people face higher rates of depression than white people.

But despite the obstacles we face, we can heal and our communities can thrive. Our survival and continued existence is a tribute to our strength and resilience. Loving ourselves in the process is radical resistance. But we do not have to give from an empty cup or suffer in silence. Here are four important ways people of color can foster mental health and practice restorative healing.

Four Ways People of Color Can Foster Mental Health and Practice Restorative Healing

1. De-stigmatize mental health.

Normalize mental health as a social justice issue by breaking down barriers to seeking help. Share your narrative as an act of “self-love, liberation and reclamation,” an inspiration to others that can potentially save lives. Use the following resources to open awareness and dialogue:

Take the Stigma Free Pledge and be conscious of words and language that stigmatize mental illness.

Watch this 3-minute video by writer and activist Imade Nibokun, about depression, the intersection of mental health and social justice, and how the suicide of MarShawn McCarrel was a catalyst for addressing activist self-care.

Visit the People of Color & Mental Illness Photo Project created by Dior Vargas, a Latina feminist mental health care activist. Consider submitting your photo to be included in the project.

Read this series that addresses the stigma of mental health in young Asian Americans, “model minority” expectations, and how practitioners, parents, peers, and schools can help break down barriers.

Read the educational fact sheets from Brother, You’re on My Mind Toolkit and use their tips and resources for advocacy, community outreach, events, and partnerships for African-American communities.

Keep in mind that the seemingly strongest among us are sometimes the most at risk. Especially those in activist spaces can use uplifting and room for just being and being vulnerable. Reach out, check in, share the load.

2. Seek culturally competent mental health services.

Follow these 3 tips to finding mental health care from My Brown Box. Look at recommendations from the National Alliance on Mental Illness on how to find a culturally competent therapist for the specific needs of African American and Latinx people. Check out these resources and directories of practitioners of color:

Click on your state in the Therapy for Black Girls directory, which lists therapists who have been identified as doing great work with Black women.

Find Black therapists at AfricanAmericanTherapists.com and The Association of Black Psychologists.

Read this guide, Going To Therapy As A QTPOC, Without Being Harmed, Erased Or Baffled, and find queer and trans therapists of color through the National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network.

Find outpatient services tailored for Asian Americans using Hyphen Magazine’s resource guide.

Find a therapist or psychiatrist of color near you through the Tessera Collective or choose the specific race/ethnic parameters you’re looking for using Psychology Today’s clinician directory.

Islamic Counseling is based in the UK, but their helpful links page has some counselors available for Skype sessions. Watch their 4-minute video about Islamic Counselling.

Try out one of these 12 mental health apps, each designed for a specific purpose (to ease insomnia; improve mood; stop self-harm; etc.).

Text 741741 from anywhere in the U.S. to chat with a trained crisis counselor through Crisis Text Online.

3. Practice self-care

Rejuvenate using these resources specifically tailored for people of color. Self-care and self-love are crucial and radical acts of resistance.

Listen to these 5 mental health podcasts by therapists of color.

Read these 5 mental health blogs created for people of color.

Bookmark this Black Lives Matter Meditation for healing racial trauma.

Visit Activist Trauma Support to get tips on handling panic attacks, PTSD, and burnout.

Find resources and tips specifically for Black girls and women at the Black Girl + Mental Health blog.

Learn how 11 Black Queer and Trans Women practice self-care.

Follow daily coping tips throughout the month of July from The Steve Fund, which promotes the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color.

Just say “No” — use these survival tips for strong Black womens’ depletion prevention.

Read the Young People of Color Self Help Guide, which provides insight on the specific mental health issues affecting young people of color.

4. Endorse multicultural and social justice counseling competencies.

De-center white models of mental health and treatment. Seek out, research, and listen to sources of knowledge from marginalized, underserved, and neglected communities about mental health beliefs, healing, and community needs.

Read this document from the presentation Culturally-Responsive Counseling in the Era of Community-Wide Racial Stress, review and select racially based stress assessment tools found on page 20, and read additional resources for interventions on page 25.

If you are a white mental health professional, work to make your practice anti-racist. This issue from Mental Health News on “The Impact of Race and Racism on Mental Health Clients, Practitioners, Organizations, and Delivery Systems” offers insights and tips. Take this Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Questionnaire found in Appendix A and evaluate what areas in your practice can use some remediation. Explore the abundance of resources from the National Center for Cultural Competence for mental health care providers and programs to deliver culturally and linguistically competent services. Get familiar with these endorsed competencies.

The post Four Ways People of Color Can Foster Mental Health and Practice Restorative Healing appeared first on Mindful.

[ashleydpalmerusa]

Female KPMG Employees Seek Class Status in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit, Detail Alleged Sexual Misconduct at the Firm

There was a new development yesterday in the long-running gender bias lawsuit against KPMG, in which a group of female advisory and tax employees have accused the firm of gender, pay, and promotion discrimination, as well as condoning sexual harassment.

Attorneys representing the plaintiffs filed a motion on Nov. 27 that asked a New York federal court to certify their class and collective action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act.

“Today’s filings demonstrate pervasive gender discrimination against women at KPMG, where women are underpaid and underpromoted,” Kate Mueting, a partner and co-chair of the Title VII practice in Sanford Heisler Sharp’s Washington, DC, office and lead attorney for KPMG’s female plaintiffs, said in a statement.

KPMG also filed a motion in opposition of the plaintiffs’ request for class and collective action certification.

Back in 2011, Donna Kassman, a former KPMG senior manager, filed a $350 million lawsuit against the firm alleging “relentless gender discrimination and harassment.” In addition, she claimed that despite speaking up, the firm had “no interest in remedying the situation.”

Since then, five other women—Tina Butler, Cheryl Charity, Heather Inman, Nancy Jones, and Carol Murray—were added to the class-action lawsuit as named plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs allege that KPMG’s pay and promotion practices violate the disparate impact provisions of Title VII and the New York Human Rights Law, New York City Human Rights Law, and the New York Equal Pay Law. The female KPMG workers also claim that “KPMG engages in a pattern or practice of intentional discrimination against women (disparate treatment) in violation of Title VII and New York law,” the motion states.

[The plaintiffs] seek to certify a class of female Associates, Senior Associates, Managers, Senior Managers/Directors, and Managing Directors employed within KPMG’s Tax and Advisory functions between October 30, 2009 through the date of judgment. In addition, Plaintiff Kassman seeks to certify a class of the same group of employees employed by KPMG in the state of New York from June 2, 2008 through the date of judgment.

The motion seeks certification of the plaintiffs’ Title VII claims. The proposed Title VII class is projected to include more than 10,000 women, according to the motion.

The other piece to the motion is the final certification of the Equal Pay Act collective. In October 2014, 9,000 women—both past and present Klynveldians—were sent a court-ordered notice that welcomed them to join the collective action challenging pay discrimination at KPMG. Of those 9,000, 1,112 responded to the notice, allowing them to join the Equal Pay Act collective.

The motion states:

[A] small cadre of senior leaders at KPMG ultimately control all pay decisions. According to its written policies, KPMG purports to base compensation on performance, as well as on an employee’s job level, work experience in the field, time in job, education, and geography. As Plaintiffs will demonstrate, there is another, unstated factor: gender.

In a statement, KPMG spokesperson Manuel Goncalves said the plantiffs’ accusations are “without merit.”

“We will not comment on pending litigation other than to note that plaintiffs’ claims are without merit, and KPMG will continue to vigorously defend itself. As we have noted previously, KPMG is committed to the advancement of women throughout the organization, and is recognized as a leader for its strong record of supporting women in the workplace. Diversity and inclusion have long been priorities for the firm, and are woven into our culture and everything we do. We continue to believe that the allegations are not at all representative of the overwhelmingly vast majority of women’s experiences at KPMG. Instead, plaintiffs’ counsel refer to the complaints lodged while ignoring the robust investigations of those complaints and sanctions addressing any misbehavior.”

But the plaintiffs paint a different picture of how women are slower to move up the ranks at KPMG than men. They allege that, although women are hired as associates at nearly the same rate as men, females represent only about one-fourth of the managing directors and less than one-fifth of the partners at KPMG. Based on 2016 KPMG data, the motion included the percentage of women who held six positions within the firm:

Partners: 19.4%

Managing directors: 27.43%

Senior managers/directors: 35.79%

Managers: 37.53%

Senior associates: 44.51%

Associates: 45.12%

According to the plaintiffs, a committee of KPMG’s Woman’s Advisory Board acknowledged the flaws in the firm’s promotion process, noting that women face “unclear promotion paths” and “career paths for managers is unclear.”

Kathy Hannon, the National Managing Partner of Diversity and Corporate Responsibility, acknowledged in 2011 that “[w]omen at KPMG are beginning to say that KPMG is not serious about diversity” and that “what we don’t have are sponsors – advocates for women when an opportunity arises and their name is put up for consideration.” She has also acknowledged that “even though nearly half our professionals are women, only 11.6% hold leadership roles” and that “female senior managers feel stagnated.” Despite admitting in 2011 that the firm had received a “wake-up call” to improve gender representation “in every practice and office, in the partnership and in leadership roles,” KPMG has elected not to wake up.

The plaintiffs also claim that women’s total compensation is 2.7% less than men’s in KPMG’s tax practice and 2.8% less in the firm’s advisory practice.

The motion states that KPMG acknowledged as early as 2009 that “compensation disparities still exist for women.”

A presentation by the firm-wide Women’s Inclusion Initiative in 2011 noted that “KPMG’s current record of retaining, promoting, and providing meaningful representation of females in leadership is insufficient to meet our clients’ and our own expectations,” and “our failure to provide succession planning that includes female partners is expected to create a long term competitive disadvantage.” The same presentation acknowledged that female employees often express frustration with pay equity.

The motion also details alleged sexual harassment by men at KPMG toward women employees.

The evidence … includes testimony from Named and Opt-In Plaintiffs; internal complaints by female employees of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and hostile work environment submitted to KPMG’s centralized Human Resources and Ethics & Compliance departments during the discovery period; concerns articulated by women in annual employee surveys and exit interviews; and other firm emails and records reflecting persistent biases and systemic problems for women.

This constellation of evidence shows that KPMG tolerates, condones, and facilitates a hostile “boys’ club” culture that is rife with gender bias and sexual harassment, that KPMG fails to respond appropriately to complaints by female employees, and that complaining does not lead to remedies, but rather to retaliation.

Some of the examples contained in the motion are pretty icky and are pretty similar to other sexual harassment allegations from former female employees at other Big 4 firms (not once but twice at EY and at Deloitte).

One female employee testified that her male supervisor “suggested she wear a particular skirt to work and that he could ‘put his dick between my tits and rub.’”

A female senior tax manager alleged that a male tax partner sexually harassed her on four occasions, “asking her to come to his hotel room to review work but then touching her below the waist and inviting her to sit on his lap.”

Another woman employee testified that KPMG partners “did body shots off female employees.”

A female advisory associate reported that a male advisory director who sat next to her at work “stroked her hand, stared at her chest, and called her ‘baby.’”

A male tax senior associate sexually harassed a female tax associate “by grabbing her buttocks and kissing her at a firm-sponsored party.”

And it gets worse:

Even more disturbingly, Class members have reported criminal sexual assault, including rape and attempted rape by male KPMG co-workers at work events. … (during a Tax Skills Seminar a male Tax Senior Associate made unwanted sexual advances towards two female Tax Associates; and grabbed one of the female Tax Associates by the neck, pushed her into the corner, tried to kiss her, and refused to leave her hotel room until she screamed). …

(after a KPMG training seminar, a male Associate groped two female Associates’ breasts beneath their blouses while sitting in between them in a car; another male associate told the police that the way the victims were dressed made it easy for accidents to happen). …

(a female Advisory Associate was raped by a male Associate who had previously barged in on her using the restroom and said, “when are we going to fu*k?”). This widespread evidence that women are routinely mistreated, and even assaulted, at work events provides further proof that women are working within a culture of permissive harassment and intentional discrimination.

The plaintiffs contend that KPMG often allows sexual harassment to go unpunished, enabling the behavior to continue, often by the same individuals.

Common evidence produced from KPMG’s centralized complaint database establishes that there have been numerous complaints of sexual harassment, often characterized as simply a “lack of professionalism” rather than harassment and at least three reported complaints of criminal sexual assault and rape against women in Class positions.

KPMG acknowledges that it does not apply standardized sanctions in response to substantiated complaints. Instead, KPMG routinely takes action that is woefully inadequate. The widespread pattern at KPMG is to protect the men who engage in these behaviors and merely give them a slap on the wrist (if that). As a result, the sexual harassment remains wholly unaddressed and continues. For instance, even though a male KPMG Advisory Manager had previously been reprimanded for “similar issues,” KPMG merely issued a written warning instructing him to take a one-hour online course after his repeated misconduct, including determining that on multiple occasions at work the Manager shared with his coworkers photos of young women he was “checking out,” explicit personal emails, and videos of scantily clothed women dancing.

“Despite the many gains women have made in the workplace, the record in this case shows that the deck continues to be stacked against them,” said Kelly Dermody, chair of the Employment Practice Group at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP, and co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs. “Change will only be possible through the collective resistance of the brave women who have come forward.”

The post Female KPMG Employees Seek Class Status in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit, Detail Alleged Sexual Misconduct at the Firm appeared first on Going Concern.

from Accounting News https://goingconcern.com/female-kpmg-employees-seek-class-status-in-gender-discrimination-lawsuit-detail-alleged-sexual-misconduct-at-the-firm/