WOMEN, POVERTY, CRISES, RIGHTS - Rural Women - CSW 56 Panel - Isis International

Isis International - Over the 38 years of our existence, we at Isis International have participated in a number of CSW meetings and countless other UN sponsored events. In this time so much has changed and yet so much has not. The existence and work of the CSW has served to surface human rights violations often hidden, has given a human face to the harsh statistics of mal-development, has created and implemented a structure to address the multi-dimensional aspects of human development. Indeed, the status of women is now put on the political, social and economic agendas of governments, it is allotted resources for the actualization of such agendas, and the process is increasingly consultative, participatory, and inclusive of women.

And yet, here we all are again confronted with addressing not just the new forms of discrimination, exclusions and violations women suffer, but also to talk about the old, longstanding issues that continue to subordinate, marginalize, and exclude women all over the world.

One of these long standing issues is that of information and communication.

What, one may ask, does information and communication have to do with the root causes of poverty and the economic, environmental and other crises affecting rural women in today’s globalized world? How important is this issue in view of the pressing problems of survival facing so many poor rural women today?

We believe that without the voices and input of rural grassroots women, the root causes of poverty and crises cannot be overcome in a way that will ensure that the rights of rural women are respected and upheld. Let us be clear, this is not just a question of external agents – whether academic researchers or development agents -- culling information from rural poor women and bringing it to the table. It is a question of how poor rural women can become participants and protagonists in creating the information and communicating it, first among themselves to strengthen their own efforts and, second, to pressure decision and policy makers.

Information and communication as a source and exercise of power and rights

Today we want to share with you how women experience information and communication in the developing south as a source of power and rights, as well as the exercise of power and rights. We want to share with you how this exists at multiple levels and varying degrees and, like most of the organizations here, we want to offer an input in the hope of contributing to a diverse and comprehensive understanding of how we can best address the hindrances to women’s empowerment and gender equality.

“Information is power” – it is said. But what information? Produced and delivered by whom? Isis International believes that in order for information to be powerful for women, women cannot be mere recipients of information. They must also be creators of information and be able to communicate this to others, including having some power and control over the means of communication.