tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744114065733119575.post947674815300807673..comments2024-03-13T11:14:26.768-04:00Comments on A Radical Profeminist: Haiti: One Year After The White-Man-Made DisasterUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6744114065733119575.post-90096882700537813212011-01-12T08:37:43.559-05:002011-01-12T08:37:43.559-05:00I note the charitable organisation Article 24 righ...I note the charitable organisation Article 24 rightly emphasises working with communities in order to ensure that those individuals who are directly affected by white men's created disasters are not once again ignored. <br /><br />However, the word 'community' is often a euphemism for male-centric interests rather than women's needs being taken into account. I have checked Article 24's website and I see no mention of ensuring a gendered analysis is always included when working with 'communities.' I mean not an analysis wherein the assumption is 'women's and men's needs are symmetrical or indeed equal, because women do not commence their lives from an equal playing field. Neither is it a case of 'add women' and claim we've ensured gender is included. Rather charities need to ensure their field staff are well-trained in the complexities of how male domination and male power operates which ensures women's socio-economic needs continue not to be marginalised/invisibilised.<br /><br />Here in the UK the latest buzz word used by male-dominant government and many voluntary organisations alike is 'community' wherein it is presumed taking into account differing communities needs is the answer.<br /><br />But this neatly ignores the fact all communities continue to experience male domination and male power because as always it is men's voices and men's experiences which are seen as the default human experience. Women living in differing communities continue to be subjected to silencing and invisibility because women do not commence their lives from the so-called 'equal playing field.' A woman-centric view must be taken when charitable organisations work with 'communities' in order to ensure women's experiences/needs are not marginalised but given equal if not greater importance.<br /><br />It is not a question of equality wherein the presumption is women need to 'fit into a male-centric view' of re-construction/re-building etc. rather it is understanding how social and economic constraints affect women far more than men as a group.<br /><br />The fact male sexual violence against women and girls living in Haiti continues unabated continues to be ignored by malestream media because this issue is unimportant (sic) and instead we read/hear claims that Haiti is recovering and the reconstruction process is making good progress. For whom one has to ask? Who benefits when only certain Haitain inhabitants benefit and of course not forgetting the west's primary interest in profit which overrules women's rights not to be subjected to male sexual violence and continued male domination.JENNIFER DREWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02112807166372869685noreply@blogger.com