Jenny Lawson’s Post

Connecting more women with the supports they need to achieve economic security and stability is a priority for Ontario. To learn about programs that help women build entrepreneurial and other in-demand skills, visit: https://lnkd.in/e53Bbcvi

October is Women's History Month! October is a time to celebrate the contributions of the women and girls from our past and our present who are contributing to a better, more inclusive Canada. This year’s theme, Women at Work: Economic Growth Past, Present and Future, highlights the significant contributions women have made to the workforce throughout history, and the critical role they continue to play in driving economic innovation and progress that has benefited Canada as a whole. It is also a time to reflect on the work that still needs to be done to empower women and girls and create supportive and equitable systems for them. Together, we can work to build a province that supports and empowers women of all ages and backgrounds. Learn more about Women's History Month: https://lnkd.in/eP_-ijhY Explore these CORE Resources to Support Older Women: [Report] Women at the Forefront of Aging in Canada | Women's College Hospital https://lnkd.in/gXU7F4Jw [Podcast] Women Confronting Ageism | BBC The Conversation https://lnkd.in/gJQ-JGhz [Financial Support] Housing Supports for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence | Government of Alberta https://lnkd.in/gCajNA_g [Article] Women Leading Philanthropy | Global Philanthropic Canada https://lnkd.in/gQm4bPRX [Article] MMIWG2S+ and Red Dress Campaign | BC CRNS https://lnkd.in/gdCxESP4 [Study] "Sandwiched" Between Unpaid Caregiving Responsibilities | Statistics Canada https://lnkd.in/gPqC4iiB [Resource] Ten Ways to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls | UN Women https://lnkd.in/eGnu9ZeY #womensrights #albertaseniors #MMIW #Healthyagingalberta

It was a great honor and privilege to be invited and represent WIMA by Hon. Dorothy Gwajima, Minister of Gender, Community Development, and Special Groups, to attend the budgetary session at the parliament past few weeks. This was an eye-opening experience to learn about and hear debates on issues affecting this ministry. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬: The budget allocated for this ministry was approximately 74 billion TZS but only about 35 billion TZS was received, which is about 47.24% of the total budget. Out of this budget, 18% was raised internally, and a shocking 1.76% came from external sources (donor funded). Other issues raised during the budget presentation included gender violence and violence against children have reached alarming levels. Some members of parliament expressed concerns that gender discussions have predominantly focused on women, neglecting men, who should also be included. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: To effectively address the challenges facing women in Tanzania and achieve the country's broader development strategy, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model can be instrumental. A PPP model leverages the strengths and resources of both the public and private sectors, fostering collaboration to drive social and economic progress. The Government, through the Ministry of Finance and Planning and donor funded programs (external funds) should increase the overall budget for this ministry to effectively address some of the challenges raised such as End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC) and violence against women (VAW), which have reached alarming levels. For more information on the budget presented, you can find it here:https://lnkd.in/gkZ3Nen8 For a recorded budget video session , click here: https://lnkd.in/gsWQ4Xhi WIMA is deeply committed to addressing a range of challenges affecting women in Tanzania. Despite significant progress in recent years, Tanzanian women continue to face numerous obstacles that hinder their full participation in society. We aim to ensure that women are well represented in leadership roles and are economically empowered. We believe that by working together, we can make significant strides in addressing these critical issues and fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for all. Women in Management Africa

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐅𝐌 With the South African National Women’s Day upon us next week on 9 August 2024, it is an opportune time for CABRI to recognise and celebrate #women in Public Financial Management (#PFM) – those within our constituency as government officials and all of its partners and stakeholders. Over the past decade, CABRI has witnessed an exponential increase in the role of women in PFM. This has not only been in the form of #leadership positions occupied by women in #government and organisations but also at grassroots level, where women continue to bring awareness and inspire action to issues affecting women in all areas of life - and to the attention required to put actions in place to address them. Through CABRI’s work, we have noted the transitional move from traditional PFM topics, with more emphasis made in PFM agendas and #budget #reform initiatives on issues such as #climatechange, #socialservices for #children, #health, #education, #gender responsive budgeting, amongst others. Read more 🔗 ⬇

Another great guest blog during our month's focus on Gender Equality; from our member Landesa: To Invest in Women’s Economic Empowerment, Finance Solutions From the Ground Up Excerpt: Around the world, land is identity, heritage, a source of pride, and of course, a sustainable economic resource. Land is crucial in sustaining livelihoods, ensuring stability and security, and alleviating poverty. However, today, less than one in five landholders worldwide are women, despite comprising nearly half of the world’s agricultural workforce and producing up to 80 percent of food in developing countries. https://lnkd.in/eXuNrht7 #womeninbusiness #genderequity #genderequality #smallholderfarmers #landrights #empoweringwomen #empoweringcommunities #GlobalWAmember

UN Women and the European Commission have developed the ACT program, in collaboration with the UN Trust Fund. Through direct investments in feminist movements, strengthening intersectional alliances, and coordinating a shared advocacy agenda, ACT will expand women's rights movements as they coordinate their pursuit of justice. According to the ACT document, only 0.2% of total aid and development spending was directed towards preventing gender-based violence in 2022. Furthermore, only 5% of official development assistance dedicated to violence against women is allocated to civil society organizations in developing countries. To address this, the ACT program aims to achieve its goals by directly investing in feminist women’s rights organizations, strengthening institutional capacities, resilience, coalition-building, networking, and leadership. ACT will initially be implemented in two regions: Africa and Latin America. This UN initiative is vital for bolstering gender equity efforts in developing countries. However, the systemic change needed to end violence against women requires both political and social effort. The implementation of prevention policies is carried out by governments, which is why I believe it's crucial to create a fund to finance public policies aimed at combating violence against women. Funding feminist organizations and developing advocacy strategies is an important step and will help strengthen policies that prevent violence against women. Nevertheless, involving those responsible for implementing these policies is essential. #GenderResponsiveBudgeting #FinanceGenderEquality #GenderEquality

📣 Empowering Women, Shaping Futures: DART Institute Australia Inc Awarded 2023-24 Women's Grant   We are thrilled to announce that DART Institute Australia Inc has been selected as the recipient of the Women’s Grant for a Stronger Future Program 2023-24. This grant will be utilised for our Stronger Together Boronia Women’s Resiliency Initiative, which aims to provide educational and informative sessions to support women reintegrating into the community. 💜   Our main objective is to reduce the risk of reoffending while raising awareness of domestic and family violence and promoting help-seeking behaviours. The program has undergone enhancements, expanding from a 6-week to an 8-week voluntary course. It is designed to empower women to break the cycle of violence, equip them with safety measures and support systems, connect them with essential services for their health and wellbeing, and impart practical skills to foster their economic independence.   We are immensely proud to receive this grant for another year, enabling us to continue this vital work in our community. 🙏 #EmpoweringWomen #ShapingFutures #DARTInstituteAustralia #WomensGrant2023 #StrongerTogetherInitiative #CommunityEmpowerment #BreakTheCycle #SupportSurvivors #WomenEmpowerment #CommunityImpact #BoroniaPrison  

👋In case you missed it, yesterday we officially launched the French version of our National Shelter Standards! 💡Learn how shelters across Canada can implement human rights-based, gender-sensitive frameworks to better uphold the rights of women & gender-diverse people: https://loom.ly/E41THj8

🚨 The Countdown Continues: 2 Weeks and 3 Days to Transforming the Property Sector! 🚨 In just 2 weeks and 3 days, we will make history with the @Women Women Economic Assembly WECONA Property Sector Research Project findings launch and the official sector launch! 🌟 This isn’t just an event—it’s a revolution in the property industry! We’re diving deep into the very core of business dynamics to identify the challenges, gaps, and game-changing opportunities for women-owned businesses, women professionals, and women property practitioners. Why does this matter? Because empowering women in the property sector isn’t just about equity—it’s about unleashing untapped potential, driving innovation, and shaping the future of our economy. This launch will lay the foundation for a more inclusive, dynamic, and prosperous property sector, where women don’t just participate—they lead. 🗓 Mark your calendars for Wednesday, 28th August. This is more than a date—it’s a defining moment for women’s economic empowerment in South Africa. Let’s break barriers, build legacies, and redefine what’s possible in the property sector! The future is female. Are you ready to be part of this transformation? #WECONA #WomenInProperty #EconomicEmpowerment #RevolutionizingTheSector #WomenLead #BreakingBarriers #RBPropertyGroup #TheFutureIsFemale #CountdownToTransformation Government ZA The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa @Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, UN Women @Department of Human Settlements, Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Department of Public Works and Infrastructure Council for the Built Environment @Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, @Department of Small Business Development, Small Enterprise Development Agency_gov @National Youth Development Agency, @Banking Association of SA, National Empowerment Fund, @Stats SA, SAPOA (South African Property Owners Association) EndGBVF 100-Day Challenges @GBVFCollective RB Property Group @BUSA

I can't wait to be at the #InvestinWomen event in London tomorrow as a UN Women UK Delegate! #InvestinWomen - the UN Women UK CSW68 Event, will take place in the St.Paul's Area, London- 2pm - 5pm. There’s an opportunity to join us in person or online to work alongside us to #InvestInWomen in an Ideas Hackathon designed to build solutions for a more a future where the economic empowerment of women & girls and eradication of poverty is centred, ensuring the impact of IWD and CSW goes beyond the day and weeks themselves, and is grounded in principles of intersectional feminism, ensuring no one is left behind. We're bringing together business leaders, activists and policymakers to build ideas in 5 key focus areas. 1. Redefining Safety Nets: Government & Business How a lack of safety nets is pushing the most vulnerable women into poverty and economic uncertainty. 2. From the Margins to the Centre How addressing poverty in the most marginalised groups, migrant women, disabled women etc., is the key to lifting all women out of poverty. 3. Who Cares Anyway? Analysing women's poverty as a process of deprivation and depletion shaped by structural inequalities in the household, labour market, and state institutions, and exacerbated by intersectional discrimination. 4. Close the Gap When more women work, economies grow. Women's economic empowerment boosts productivity, increases economic diversification and income equality in addition to other positive development outcomes. 5. Breaking the Stalemate Examining why women are overrepresented in low paid roles and how this prevents them from building up savings, wealth etc. Looking forward to meet some diverse people of UN Women UK and network! Let me know in the comments below if you'll be joining us in person.