The reform of the United Nations (UN) has become a passionate debate in the field of International Relations. Having been created in the mid-1940s, it high time this organisation makes changes to reflect the world in which we now live.

As Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the UN points out, "Today's United Nations is vastly different from the Organisation that emerged from the San Francisco conference more than 60 years ago".

He goes on to say, "In the past decade in particular, it has undergone a dramatic operational expansion in a wide range of fields, from human rights to development."

The official report that looks at the UN, 'Investing in the UN', is about to be released and has an implementation deadline of September 2006.

The proposed changes cover both the structural (for example, who is answerable to whom and is responsible for what areas) and practical aspects (for example, outsourcing of internal services such as payroll and translation).

Apart from outsourcing some vital services to reduce costs, there are also structural changes that Annan believes need to be made.

He is quoted as having said, "The present top management structure of the Secretariat is not well equipped to manage large and complex operations; and the Secretary-General, as Chief Administrative Officer, has too many people reporting to him directly."

This highlights the increasingly complex nature of global political climate, and the UN's role in balancing multiple needs, interests and agendas.

He criticises his role by pointing out, "I am expected to be the world's chief diplomat, and to run a large and complex organisation, as it were, in my spare time".

To address this, Annan wants to increase the power of the Deputy Secretary-General so that the position can efficiently manage the day-to-day running of the organisation. He also wants to create several organisational clusters (which would be headed up by a Senior Under-Secretary- General) into which all current 25 UN Departments would fit.

These changes represent the need to modernise an out-of-date institution. Kofi Annan is taking a brave step to mobilise often-reluctant member states in creating an institution that reflects the current global environment.

Finally, it is important to remember that the UN as a whole, is not completely full of corruption and waste, but does lots of positive things. Departments such as UNICEF, WHO and UNHCR do great work at the grass roots level and positively affect the lives of millions. Often, they work in areas that have been forgotten and/or neglected by the international community.

Annan has a challenging task ahead. Having seen the work one with the Millennium Development Goals, I know that he really wants to help the poorest people of the globe, but I hope that he is able to reform the institution to ensure they have an adequate voice and the MDGs are followed up on.

Gabrielle Trenbath
gabrielletrenbath@iypf.org

World Water Day 2006

Water Awareness in Australia: The Watermark Australia Project

Of a maximum Level 5, our community of Castlemaine, rural Victoria is currently on Stage 4A Water Restrictions. Our inland location brings long, dry summers and low rainfall, and our local water supply has fallen to 15.4 per cent of capacity. So in 2005, out of concern for our water situation, I joined a local discussion group for the Watermark Australia project.

Launched in March 2005, Watermark Australia is a nation-wide, community-based initiative facilitated by the Victorian Women's Trust. The project was established to encourage like-minded people to meet in their communities to think about water, and talk about water-related issues. The aim is to establish community-led water reform, and encourage 'bottom-up' change in Australians' relationship with water.

While clean water is vital to our survival, it's barely discussed in Australia. Like healthy soil or air, the topic is rarely addressed in the average broadsheet newspaper or suburban conversation. But then, most urban Australians have never had to worry about clean drinking water or, until recently, water restrictions. Most of us have simply turned on the tap at our convenience and used as much of it as we like. Our sewage systems are still set up to use fresh water to flush our waste down the toilet. Some people still hose down their driveways with it.

And yet, Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Three-quarters of it is arid, and our interior receives one of the lowest rainfalls in the world. Drought is a natural occurrence, and our low rainfall along with very high evaporation rates mean low river flows.

Even more concerning, climate change will most likely bring increased annual temperatures and decreased annual rainfall: approximately 15 per cent less rainfall is predicted for southern Australia.

Despite this, Australians have among the highest water consumption rates in the world. While the estimated minimum amount of water required per person per day is 40 litres, the average Melburnian uses 350. In Melbourne homes, 10 times more water arrives in our food than our taps, but we waste $5.3 billion worth of it every year. Large regions of our country are now seriously drought affected, yet our total water use increased by 65 per cent in the few short years between 1985 and 1997. And if Melburnians continue to use water at current rates, the city may approach its supply limits in just 15 years.

While many countries routinely recycle waste water (Israel uses 70 per cent of its treated waste water in agriculture and Denmark treats around 87 per cent of its waste water), Australia allows 97 per cent of our city run-off and 86 per cent of effluent water to be unproductive. In Sydney, 450 billion litres of barely-treated sewage is pumped into the ocean annually; in Melbourne, around 289 billion litres is piped into Bass Strait and Port Phillip Bay after treatment.

These figures should make all Australians pause for reflection.
Indeed, Malcolm Turnbull MP, Federal Member for Wentworth, recently disclosed his embarrassment over Australia's pitiful water recycling efforts after a visit to Israel: "The Israelis assume that nobody in their right mind would ever dispose of raw sewage. I had to bite my tongue at that point," he said.

Yet surprisingly, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2004), young Australians' stated level of concern for the natural environment dropped from 75 per cent in 1992 to 57 per cent today. Statistics like this rarely make the headlines. It seems the less responsible we are for collecting it, the less responsibility we take for water and its management.

While my participation with Watermark Australia was inspiring, the number crunching led me to an inevitable conclusion: Australian public awareness of water issues is dangerously limited. Taking shorter showers and using buckets to wash our car is a start: but so much more needs to be done. There's no doubt our national (and global) water supply is under unsustainable pressure, and the easy availability of water has most Australians lulled into false sense of security.

So projects like Watermark are vital to us all. The problem we're inheriting is very real. All Australians must take responsibility for changing attitudes towards water. We urgently need to open our eyes to the problem, support one another to change our own behaviour - and above all, talk about it.

The future of Australia's water supply depends it.

March 22 was World Water Day.

Tania Andrusiak is a freelance writer and editor, and the Content Producer of this Newsletter. The second stage of Watermark Australia is now nearing completion, with the Discussion Paper scheduled for release by the end of 2006. For more information, see: http://www.watermarkaustralia.org.au

http://www.iypf.org

Barefoot Power is aiming to improve living standards within
developing countries by delivering essential services to low-income households. We are developing sustainable business models that deliver services more efficiently. The first market we are aiming to transform is the kerosene lighting market, improving households´ access to electricity, using nothing more than households´ current expenditure on kerosene. Work has already begun in Papua New Guinea, and we have a target of 1 million people gaining electricity within five years.

Kerosene is used for lighting by 1.5 billion people around the world, who spend an estimated US$38 billion/year for a very poor lighting service. Kerosene delivers around 0.2 per cent of the light enjoyed by people with electric lighting, for each dollar spent. Recent innovations in low wattage (W) lighting include low-cost fluorescent lighting (>3W), and white light-emitting diodes (<3W). Mass production of these lamps, mostly based in China, is driving costs down to levels highly affordable to the world´s low-income households.

In one year, a household may spend US$1-3/week on kerosene and batteries, or US$50-150/year. Barefoot aims to efficiently deliver efficient lighting products to villages, as a first step towards full electrification. US$75 is sufficient for households to pay for 10-15m of house-wiring, several lamps and a battery for recharging, which would cost an additional $25/year. With one year of micro-finance, this household lighting kit will dramatically improve lighting levels and safety in the household, at a weekly cost of only $2, the same as current kerosene expenditure. In the second year, $100 may be invested in a solar panel, or more electrical services, and within five years, we believe we can deliver full grid-level electricity access based on renewable energy, with sufficient power for income- generating cottage industry.

Barefoot wishes to partner with for and non-profit organisations that are helping improve living standards in communities of developing countries. The partnerships will help deliver improved lighting services to communities in rural and urban areas, as a step towards full electrification. If you are part of an organisation interested in our aims of bringing electricity to those who can afford and desire its useful service, please contact us at info@barefootpower.com, or visit the website at http://www.barefootpower.com.

[ Newsletter available from http://www.iypf.org/news.htm#latest ]

[ To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to IYPFoundation_Announce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or go to our website and use the sign up box on the front page ]

Greetings friends and colleagues. Welcome to another information and inspiration-packed edition of the IYPF monthly newsletter. Please pass this on to your colleagues and networks and invite them to subscribe to receive the newsletter directly each month. They can do so from the front page of our website.

So this month, we feature many stories from you in our network: about Global Youth Service Day (April 21-23) and International Women´s Day (March 8). We also have articles about Earth Day (April 22) and World Water Day (March 22). Tania, our Content Producer, has also issued calls to all in our network for articles on Fair Trade for our May newsletter, and World Environment Day for June. Send us details and reports on your events and stories and opinions on these issues. We want to hear from you and inspire others! Send to newsletter@iypf.org.


Internally to the IYPF, there is also a lot going on. We are well and truly into 2006 now: only two months until the end of the Financial Year and the half-way point through the calendar year. The Board Working Groups are taking shape, many of our new team members are getting into their tasks, and we have developed a Work Plan for the year. We are also recruiting more personnel, an ongoing task as we continue to expand our programs and consolidate our work. So if you are interested in joining our team, make sure you check out the
Opportunities page on our website and get in contact with our HR person, Britt, and let us know about you and your skills and interests! www.iypf.org/employment.htm.

We are also looking for your input and participation in the
development of a Strategic Plan for IYPF for the next five years.
Melanie Ashton, who is chairing the Strategy Working Group, has written her first column in this edition of the newsletter. This will continue each month, to update you on what is happening and also call for your ideas and comments. We want to make this an organisation that delivers what you need and want as young professionals, to help you make the world a better place. So please, get involved and send Melanie your thoughts!

Some other things to look out for in the coming months: launch of our Local Events Services, announcement of new IYPF Member Projects, and the release of the final IYPF Annual Report for 2005 and the final IYPS 2004 report.

As always, I wish you the best for the month ahead in your personal and professional journeys. Be courageous and instill hope for a better world in those around you.

Lastly, I want to share this quote with you. Those of you who read my blog (http://cjneil.tigblog.org) will be familiar.

"Nothing in the world is the way it aught to be. It's harsh. And cruel. That's why there's us. Champions. Doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done, suffered, or even if we make a difference, we live as though the world were as it should be. To show it what it can be."

Cameron Neil
CEO, IYPF
cameronneil@iypf.org

A Story from Trinidad & Tobago

Greetings from warm and sunny Trinidad & Tobago!

I'm writing to share with you a unique means by which a women's organisation has attempted to raise public awareness of a controversial gender policy soon to be introduced.

First drafted about seven years ago, the Gender Policy for Trinidad & Tobago has been through the wringer of redrafts and edits, until a sound position was reached and the document was submitted to the Cabinet for approval through the Minister responsible for Gender Affairs.

Unfortunately the Prime Minister, who professes to be a born-again Christian, as well as right-wing, mainly Catholic lobby groups, publicly denounced the Policy, saying it was something he could never support because of one item that spoke about the need to upgrade women's reproductive health care. In short, these groups are afraid that giving a woman the right to choose how many children she has and how frequently would permanently erode the moral fabric of the country.

In response to this and other blatantly sexist remarks made by the Prime Minister (including encouraging rural women to stay at home and watch TV as a means of entertainment), the Network of NGOs of Trinidad & Tobago for the Advancement of Women decided to make a statement about the policy by entering traditional mas competitions during the Carnival season.

There are several traditional mas characters that walk the streets during the season. One of these is the Midnight Robber: a fearsome character with a large hat, whistle and menacing speech. He is known as a man to be feared and revered for his eloquence in delivering bone-chilling testaments of his bravery, cunning and apathy.

Using the Midnight Robber character, the Network created its own 'Robber' character complete with a large-brimmed hat lined with condoms, a balisier (local flower and official emblem of the ruling party), tie and flowing red cape. He was supposed to be representing the Prime Minister himself. His speech was attacking people who neglect their own sense of self-preservation to pander to the wishes of politicians who have no regard for them.

In one image from the celebrations, we see the Robber holding up a sign saying 'My government is Pro Life'. What we don't see is the other side of that sign, which says 'And Pro Death Penalty', highlighting the double standard.

Another character portrayed was that of the Baby Doll, a woman dressed in an ostensibly frilly dress, carrying a baby in her arms or pushing one in a stroller and searching for the child's father. She's not usually happy about the father's absence and interacts with men in the crowd, demanding they own up to their responsibility. The Network's Baby Doll was much the same, except her search was for Pa Treek (aka Patrick Manning, Prime Minister) whom she claimed was not accepting responsibility for his offspring. For her portrayal, the Baby Doll was accompanied on stage by a Patrick Manning look alike who, of course, absconded.

This portrayal also spoke to Manning's withdrawal of the Gender Policy and made fun of it by highlighting the Baby Doll's plight as a result. One image from the celebrations shows the Baby Doll with a sign saying 'I took the PM's advice' (about staying home and watching TV). The other side reads, "Now I have my own band" (read here stingband of children). Pa Treek is also in this shot showing the gender policy on his 'drawers'.

All the characters were very informative and well received by the crowd, I must say. Although they didn't win, they certainly made a statement in a very unique way.

Just wanted to share a bit of our activist work and our beautiful culture from Trinidad & Tobago! Happy International Women's Day!
Natasha Nunez


Celebration In Sri Lanka

Lauren Patmore, Volunteer for Foundation of Goodness, wrote to us to tell us about the International Women's Day celebrations in a village in the South West of Sri Lanka, called Seenigama, that was badly affected by the Asian Tsunami in 2004. This village was the location where around 1500 people were trapped and drowned in three derailed train carriages. The following article refers to the celebrations Ms Patmore attended, and is from www.unconditionalcompassion.com/sub/InternationalWomensDay2006.htm

Women have an extremely vital role to play in today's society and on 8th March, the world came together to celebrate, respect, discuss and advance the role of women on International Women's Day. Similarly, in Seenigama, villagers from the region gathered at the recently opened
AVIVA Community Centre to celebrate the role of women within their community and to discuss ways to utilise their skills and qualities in order to move the region forward.

The day commenced with the traditional lighting of the oil lamp, followed by a Welcome Speech from the guest speaker, thanking all those present for their interest and attendance. The first speaker for the day was Professor Manouri Senanayake (the immediate past President of the Sri Lankan College of Paediatrics) who stated that through education, mental and child health has improved in Sri Lanka. She also commended the medical services provided by the Foundation, adding that the reasonably high level of immunisation in the region must be maintained. (The Sri Lankan College of Paediatrics has long been supporting the Foundation's Rainbow Clinic ever since the tsunami and we are so privileged to receive their continual assistance.)
Following this, a Sister from the Medical Office for Health (MOH) discussed medical health in general and stressed the benefits of breastfeeding.


Famous Sri Lankan actress, Harshini, gave the village women some useful tips in natural beauty care, encouraging a healthy lifestyle through a nutritious diet and home-made beauty products. After some encouragement from the audience, Harshini concluded her presentation with a few lines from a recent performance, the villagers cheering in applause.

Priyadharshini De Soysa later showed the village women how simple it can be to make a delicious Chocolate Biscuit Pudding and Bread Pudding, providing them with some inspiration and creative ideas for the kitchen. A similar session for the day was conducted by Nelika De Silva who provided the village women with some tips in table decor and
arrangement.

The presentation on Women's Entrepreneurship Skills by Chamari Maelge, a successful young entrepreneur, was a very inspiring one. During her presentation, Chamari stressed the importance of women in the Sri Lankan economy. The vast majority of Sri Lankan women greatly contribute to economic growth through their work, both in and outside of the home. It is only a small proportion of the female population that rely on male 'breadwinners' and the majority of women control the family finances from home. Hence, Chamari encouraged the village women, if not already doing so, to commence a small business of some sort, even from home. Following this, Volga Subashini, Seenigama's well-known sewing teacher, gave a handicrafts and sewing presentation
and provided the village women with some useful sewing techniques for the home and for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Throughout the day, guests and residents were entertained by a variety of skilled village dancers as well as a popular all-female band, "Bhagya" from Galle. We are very proud that, in fact, one of our own Foundation staff members from the village, Rashika, occasionally sings with the band and did so in the afternoon for the occasion. We are continually amazed by the talent that is emerging in the region.The day concluded with a traditional village gathering in the Community Hall, where villagers, both male and female, gathered and danced to live traditional music.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the special female guests and inspirational presenters who attended the day (some of whom kindly fit Seenigama into their tight schedule for International Women's Day), including Professor Manouri, Priyadharshini De Soysa, Harshini, Nelika De Silva, Chamari Meepe, Volga Subashini and all the talented members of Bhagya. Most importantly, we would like to thank all of the village women who participated in the activities and discussions for making this day a truly special one.

By promoting the role of village women in the community, together we can ensure a better tomorrow for our region.


Education Is A Gift And A Weapon In A Girl's Life
Why is the face of famine almost always female? Why doesn't Aid work? How can Africans best deal with political obstacles that resist (gender) justice? What will it take to mainstream African women in politics and public administration? How can concerned sections of African civil society best address instances of inadequacy in the existing law to ensure its implementation? These questions inspired my anthropological quest, a quest that led me to Mandera, a place where the countries Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya merge.

Every year on the International Women's Day, I help organise a workshop, a conference or debate that discusses the plight of marginalised ethnic women. This year, I was not doing that routine. Where was I on the important historic day of the 8th of March? I was doing my MA fieldwork in the Somali-inhabited northeastern district of Kenya, an area well known for its harsh climatic conditions, never-ending ethnic violence, drought and famine. The area is marginalised and completely isolated from the rest of Kenya. The people are either just recovering from a drought, in one already, or preparing for one. That is how it has been for decades and the people of northeastern Kenya are used to this lifestyle.

I was there to assist the few NGOs present that invested in enhancing social empowerment of women and youth, highlighting civic, political, and social rights as the desired criteria for any progress and social change. Whether they succeeded in that endeavour is a totally different question.

As you know, the society in which we live plays an enormous role in shaping the different attitudes and behaviour of all those who are a part of it. These differences are reflected most strongly perhaps in the development of certain gender-related social roles and behaviour traits. Within every society, gender is socially constructed, and the development of gender roles often begins as early as infancy.

Young girls in north-eastern Kenya are discouraged from going to school. "What is the use, she will get married anyway and end up in the kitchen", mothers argue. Boys can further their schooling. Girls are systematically made to leave school, whether they like it or not and put into arranged marriages. I was shocked at the reasoning and revelations.


The most difficult part, though, was how to convince these parents, who themselves are illiterate, about the importance of education in girls' lives.

In almost all of our African countries, the near-exclusion of young girls and women from schools, centres of power, whether at the national, community or household level, has entrenched the wide disparities between men and women in economic, social, and political spheres in Africa.

Education is a gift and a weapon in a girl's life and I am a living proof of that. As a child, I was brought up by different pastoralist relatives. I did all their dirty chores and I always knew that that was not what God intended for me on Earth. I became rebellious and was often beaten. I left, but years later, my father died in the war and I was forced to go back. From the time I was eight until now (I am 25), I made it a point that I would study and make my dreams come true.

One of my favourite pastimes was daydreaming. I mastered the art of daydreaming. Often I'd be awakened by a hard slap on my face, because I didn't hear the adults calling me. Years later, I confided in a female friend on why I was such a daydreamer and how I could stop it. To which she replied, "Oh child, it is only when we dream, that dreams become goals and goals on their turn become realities."

I am happy to tell you that I am today living that dream.

Sincerely, Sahro M Ahmed
Graduate student
Anthropology/Development Studies
Leiden University, The Netherlands

-Member Editorial Board, Dutch Association of African Studies Periodical, Leiden
-Special Reporter & Editorial Board Member, Afro Euro Hi-lite Magazine; The premier magazine of the African-European community
-Board member & Consultant, United Network of Young Peace builders (www.unoy.org), The Hague;
-Trainer Intercultural Communication, European Youth Forum, Brussels

A Story from Trinidad & Tobago

Greetings from warm and sunny Trinidad & Tobago!

I'm writing to share with you a unique means by which a women's organisation has attempted to raise public awareness of a controversial gender policy soon to be introduced.

First drafted about seven years ago, the Gender Policy for Trinidad & Tobago has been through the wringer of redrafts and edits, until a sound position was reached and the document was submitted to the Cabinet for approval through the Minister responsible for Gender Affairs.

Unfortunately the Prime Minister, who professes to be a born-again Christian, as well as right-wing, mainly Catholic lobby groups, publicly denounced the Policy, saying it was something he could never support because of one item that spoke about the need to upgrade women's reproductive health care. In short, these groups are afraid that giving a woman the right to choose how many children she has and how frequently would permanently erode the moral fabric of the
country.

In response to this and other blatantly sexist remarks made by the Prime Minister (including encouraging rural women to stay at home and watch TV as a means of entertainment), the Network of NGOs of Trinidad & Tobago for the Advancement of Women decided to make a statement about the policy by entering traditional mas competitions during the Carnival season.

There are several traditional mas characters that walk the streets during the season. One of these is the Midnight Robber: a fearsome character with a large hat, whistle and menacing speech. He is known as a man to be feared and revered for his eloquence in delivering bone-chilling testaments of his bravery, cunning and apathy.

Using the Midnight Robber character, the Network created its own 'Robber' character complete with a large-brimmed hat lined with condoms, a balisier (local flower and official emblem of the ruling party), tie and flowing red cape. He was supposed to be representing the Prime Minister himself. His speech was attacking people who neglect their own sense of self-preservation to pander to the wishes of politicians who have no regard for them.

In one image from the celebrations, we see the Robber holding up a sign saying 'My government is Pro Life'. What we don't see is the other side of that sign, which says 'And Pro Death Penalty', highlighting the double standard.

Another character portrayed was that of the Baby Doll, a woman dressed in an ostensibly frilly dress, carrying a baby in her arms or pushing one in a stroller and searching for the child's father. She's not usually happy about the father's absence and interacts with men in the crowd, demanding they own up to their responsibility. The Network's Baby Doll was much the same, except her search was for Pa Treek (aka Patrick Manning, Prime Minister) whom she claimed was not accepting responsibility for his offspring. For her portrayal, the Baby Doll was accompanied on stage by a Patrick Manning look alike who, of course, absconded.

This portrayal also spoke to Manning's withdrawal of the Gender Policy and made fun of it by highlighting the Baby Doll's plight as a result. One image from the celebrations shows the Baby Doll with a sign saying 'I took the PM's advice' (about staying home and watching TV). The other side reads, "Now I have my own band" (read here stingband of children). Pa Treek is also in this shot showing the gender policy on his 'drawers'.

All the characters were very informative and well received by the crowd, I must say. Although they didn't win, they certainly made a statement in a very unique way.

Just wanted to share a bit of our activist work and our beautiful culture from Trinidad & Tobago! Happy International Women's Day!

Natasha Nunez


Celebration In Sri Lanka

Lauren Patmore, Volunteer for Foundation of Goodness, wrote to us to tell us about the International Women's Day celebrations in a village in the South West of Sri Lanka, called Seenigama, that was badly affected by the Asian Tsunami in 2004. This village was the location where around 1500 people were trapped and drowned in three derailed train carriages. The following article refers to the celebrations Ms Patmore attended, and is from www.unconditionalcompassion.com/sub/InternationalWomensDay2006.htm

Women have an extremely vital role to play in today's society and on 8th March, the world came together to celebrate, respect, discuss and advance the role of women on International Women's Day. Similarly, in Seenigama, villagers from the region gathered at the recently opened AVIVA Community Centre to celebrate the role of women within their community and to discuss ways to utilise their skills and qualities in order to move the region forward.

The day commenced with the traditional lighting of the oil lamp, followed by a Welcome Speech from the guest speaker, thanking all those present for their interest and attendance. The first speaker for the day was Professor Manouri Senanayake (the immediate past President of the Sri Lankan College of Paediatrics) who stated that through education, mental and child health has improved in Sri Lanka. She also commended the medical services provided by the Foundation, adding that the reasonably high level of immunisation in the region must be maintained. (The Sri Lankan College of Paediatrics has long been supporting the Foundation's Rainbow Clinic ever since the tsunami and we are so privileged to receive their continual assistance.)
Following this, a Sister from the Medical Office for Health (MOH) discussed medical health in general and stressed the benefits of breastfeeding.


Famous Sri Lankan actress, Harshini, gave the village women some useful tips in natural beauty care, encouraging a healthy lifestyle through a nutritious diet and home-made beauty products. After some encouragement from the audience, Harshini concluded her presentation with a few lines from a recent performance, the villagers cheering in applause.

Priyadharshini De Soysa later showed the village women how simple it can be to make a delicious Chocolate Biscuit Pudding and Bread Pudding, providing them with some inspiration and creative ideas for the kitchen. A similar session for the day was conducted by Nelika De Silva who provided the village women with some tips in table decor and
arrangement.

The presentation on Women's Entrepreneurship Skills by Chamari Maelge, a successful young entrepreneur, was a very inspiring one. During her presentation, Chamari stressed the importance of women in the Sri Lankan economy. The vast majority of Sri Lankan women greatly contribute to economic growth through their work, both in and outside of the home. It is only a small proportion of the female population that rely on male 'breadwinners' and the majority of women control the family finances from home. Hence, Chamari encouraged the village women, if not already doing so, to commence a small business of some sort, even from home. Following this, Volga Subashini, Seenigama's well-known sewing teacher, gave a handicrafts and sewing presentation
and provided the village women with some useful sewing techniques for the home and for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Throughout the day, guests and residents were entertained by a variety of skilled village dancers as well as a popular all-female band, "Bhagya" from Galle. We are very proud that, in fact, one of our own Foundation staff members from the village, Rashika, occasionally sings with the band and did so in the afternoon for the occasion. We are continually amazed by the talent that is emerging in the region. The day concluded with a traditional village gathering in the Community Hall, where villagers, both male and female, gathered and danced to live traditional music.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the special female guests and inspirational presenters who attended the day (some of whom kindly fit Seenigama into their tight schedule for International Women's Day), including Professor Manouri, Priyadharshini De Soysa, Harshini, Nelika De Silva, Chamari Meepe, Volga Subashini and all the talented members of Bhagya. Most importantly, we would like to thank all of the village women who participated in the activities and discussions for making this day a truly special one.

By promoting the role of village women in the community, together we can ensure a better tomorrow for our region.


Education Is A Gift And A Weapon In A Girl's Life

Why is the face of famine almost always female? Why doesn't Aid work? How can Africans best deal with political obstacles that resist (gender) justice? What will it take to mainstream African women in politics and public administration? How can concerned sections of African civil society best address instances of inadequacy in the existing law to ensure its implementation? These questions inspired my anthropological quest, a quest that led me to Mandera, a place where the countries Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya merge.

Every year on the International Women's Day, I help organise a workshop, a conference or debate that discusses the plight of marginalised ethnic women. This year, I was not doing that routine. Where was I on the important historic day of the 8th of March? I was doing my MA fieldwork in the Somali-inhabited northeastern district of Kenya, an area well known for its harsh climatic conditions, never-ending ethnic violence, drought and famine. The area is marginalised and completely isolated from the rest of Kenya. The people are either just recovering from a drought, in one already, or preparing for one. That is how it has been for decades and the people of northeastern Kenya are used to this lifestyle.

I was there to assist the few NGOs present that invested in enhancing social empowerment of women and youth, highlighting civic, political, and social rights as the desired criteria for any progress and social change. Whether they succeeded in that endeavour is a totally different question.

As you know, the society in which we live plays an enormous role in shaping the different attitudes and behaviour of all those who are a part of it. These differences are reflected most strongly perhaps in the development of certain gender-related social roles and behaviour traits. Within every society, gender is socially constructed, and the development of gender roles often begins as early as infancy.

Young girls in north-eastern Kenya are discouraged from going to school. "What is the use, she will get married anyway and end up in the kitchen", mothers argue. Boys can further their schooling. Girls are systematically made to leave school, whether they like it or not and put into arranged marriages. I was shocked at the reasoning and revelations.

The most difficult part, though, was how to convince these parents, who themselves are illiterate, about the importance of education in girls' lives.

In almost all of our African countries, the near-exclusion of young girls and women from schools, centres of power, whether at the national, community or household level, has entrenched the wide disparities between men and women in economic, social, and political spheres in Africa.

Education is a gift and a weapon in a girl's life and I am a living proof of that. As a child, I was brought up by different pastoralist relatives. I did all their dirty chores and I always knew that that was not what God intended for me on Earth. I became rebellious and was often beaten. I left, but years later, my father died in the war and I was forced to go back. From the time I was eight until now (I am 25), I made it a point that I would study and make my dreams come true.

One of my favourite pastimes was daydreaming. I mastered the art of daydreaming. Often I'd be awakened by a hard slap on my face, because I didn't hear the adults calling me. Years later, I confided in a female friend on why I was such a daydreamer and how I could stop it. To which she replied, "Oh child, it is only when we dream, that dreams become goals and goals on their turn become realities."

I am happy to tell you that I am today living that dream.

Sincerely, Sahro M Ahmed
Graduate student
Anthropology/Development Studies
Leiden University, The Netherlands

-Member Editorial Board, Dutch Association of African Studies Periodical, Leiden
-Special Reporter & Editorial Board Member, Afro Euro Hi-lite Magazine; The premier magazine of the African-European community
-Board member & Consultant, United Network of Young Peace builders (www.unoy.org), The Hague;
-Trainer Intercultural Communication, European Youth Forum, Brussels