Keep the focus where it needs to be

This article was written by Victoria Owens and Cinthya Rubio

Approved by a 5-4 vote of the Scroll Editorial Board.

#MeToo.

What seems like a simple hashtag was seen all throughout social media platforms the afternoon of Oct. 15 and into the morning of Oct. 16.

The origin of this hashtag began with activist Tarana Burke back in 1996, but actress Alyssa Milano began this movement on social media by asking all of those who had been sexually assaulted or harassed to post #MeToo after allegations of sexual assault had been made against Harvey Weinstein.

According to Twitter, #MeToo has been used 825,000 times since Sunday. Facebook said in less than 24 hours, about 5 million people had taken part in the conversation.

The point of the #MeToo is to bring awareness to the number of people, female or male, who have been sexually assaulted or harassed

We at Scroll believe now is the time to stand behind the women and men who have been sexually assaulted or harassed and keep the focus on them.

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 91 percent of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and 9 percent are male.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, there were about 13,000 charges of alleged sexual harassment in 2016. This report only included harassment allegations “if they are also alleged in a charge.”

In an article from The Washington Post, the author Lisa Bonos voiced that it seems as if everyone she knows has experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment.

“This doesn’t surprise the women reading this. It shouldn’t surprise men, either,” Bonos said. “While men have published supportive and well-meaning #IWill posts, in which they’ve promised to call out other men’s demeaning or predatory behavior, many clearly weren’t aware of the prevalence of the problem.”

Countering the #MeToo with, “but not all men have sexually abused or harassed someone” is equivalent to saying that we shouldn’t be concerned with Breast Cancer Awareness Month because not all people have breast cancer or there are other types of cancer out there.

We also saw this when the #BlackLivesMatter movement was created.

People were much more concerned in making sure everyone felt included and began to use #AllLivesMatter, removing the focus from the main point of #BlackLivesMatter.

Each of us is responsible to raise awareness of sexual violence in today’s society. It isn’t solely up to women, and it isn’t solely up to men.

This hashtag isn’t about pointing a finger at every single man in the entire world. This hashtag isn’t about accusing those who haven’t sexually assaulted or harassed someone.

This hashtag is about giving a wake-up call to thousands of men and women. This hashtag is about uniting those who have been sexually assaulted or harassed, so they know they are not alone. This hashtag is about taking a stand. This hashtag is about showing that sexual violence is all too common.

Women have just as much power in their voices as men do. And with this power women are standing up and sharing their own #MeToo.

 

The published article can be found at byuiscroll.org

March 13, 2019March 13, 2019 by Victoria Fowler Categories: BYU-I Scroll, Personal WorkTags: focus, Me Too, power, sexual assault, voices, woman, women Leave a comment

An inside look at child poverty around the world

Half of the world’s children live in poverty and face the constant risk of conflict, discrimination and abuse. Here are five countries with the highest levels of child poverty around the world and the current state of these countries.

Five Countries With the Highest Levels of Child Poverty

1. Romania – Roughly half of Romania’s children are at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Romania’s child poverty rate increased from 50 to 51 percent after Romania entered the European Union. Child labor in Romania is at one percent; although this is encouraging, it is still an issue in the case of child development. Along with a poor economy, healthcare in Romania is minimal for children. It is estimated that 12 percent of children in Romania die before the age of five.
2. Israel – The child poverty rate in Israel showed a decrease from 2006 to 2015, but from 2015 to 2016 there was a slight rise in the poverty levels from 30 percent to 31.2 percent. The poverty levels for ultra-Orthodox families and single-parent families in Israel increased in 2016. One out of three children in Israel live in poor conditions and suffer from malnutrition. One cause to the poor state of children in Israel is due to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. This conflict has injured and killed many children in Israel, and Israeli school buses have been the target of many attacks.
3. Turkey – 17 percent of Turkey’s population lives in poverty, and the gap between rich and poor is becoming wider and wider. Babies born in Turkey are suffering as soon as they are born; 11 percent of babies are born with dietary deficiencies and 20 percent of children die before the age of five. Education in Turkey is progressing, but five percent of children still do not attend school. The majority of those children are girls.
4. Bulgaria – Children under the age of 18 in Bulgaria have reached the highest risk of poverty and social exclusion. It is estimated that 52 percent of these children are at risk. Disabled people, ethnic minority groups and children are some of the most vulnerable groups in Bulgaria and are ill-equipped to be deprived of their basic rights of clean water, food and security.
5. Mexico – The majority of the poor in Mexico are children. It is estimated that 53.8 percent of children in Mexico live in poverty. In addition, 14 percent of children in Mexico have suffered from slow development and are malnourished. Many of the problems regarding child poverty in Mexico can be linked to the lack of trust in the government and decreases in income; this often prohibits children from attending school, forcing them instead into the workforce to help provide for their family.

There are many ways to help the millions of children living in poverty around the world. Here are five ways that one person can change the future of child poverty.

Five Ways to Make an Impact on Child Poverty

1. Contact your representatives in Congress – One of the easiest ways to make a difference is by simply sending an email or making a quick phone call to support bills that can greatly affect the lives of those suffering in extreme poverty. If support is shown for a bill, members of Congress are more likely to push the bill forward.
2. Support The Hunger Project – The Hunger Project is a non-governmental organization that is fighting to end global hunger. The Hunger Project builds confidence in those who are suffering from social suppression and hunger and helps them find a voice to take charge of their own development. As an example, an outcome evaluation in Ghana and Malawi showed significant improvements in gender equality after The Hunger Project stepped in to help.
3. Promote proper water quality – Women and girls spend roughly six hours a day going out and collecting water. This keeps young girls from educational opportunities and emphasizes the limited access to clean water for children in developing countries. Access to clean water can unlock significant potential for millions of children. Reduced time spent collecting water has shown an increase in school attendance for children.
4. Empower Women – By empowering women, closing gender gaps and eliminating gender discrimination, the wellbeing and progress of children will increase. When girls are discriminated against, they are less likely to attend school. There is a correlation between educated women and child survival and development; a lack of proper education decreases the child survival rate. One study suggested that if men and women had the same influence in decision-making, it could allow 13.4 million fewer children in South Asia to be undernourished.
5. Sponsor a child – Sponsoring a child can provide the child with opportunities for success that they might never have. It also shows the child that there is someone who cares enough to encourage them and provide them with the basic necessities. When children know that they are supported, it pushes them to try their hardest and reach their full potential.

Children are the future, and each person around the world has the responsibility to help the future grow. It is important to be aware of child poverty around the world and take steps to reduce it.

The published article can be found here. 

October 8, 2018March 13, 2019 by Victoria Fowler Categories: The Borgen ProjectTags: bulgaria, children, developing countries, facts, israel, mexico, poverty, romania, third world, turkey, women, world Leave a comment

10 empowering facts about girl’s education in Egypt

Education can do wonders for anyone around the world. In many nations, however, there are young girls who are never given the opportunity to learn how to read, write and communicate.

In Egypt, women are on the lower end of the literacy scale — 65 percent of women are literate compared to 82 percent of men. Interestingly, though, Egypt on the world scale ranks 78 in the “best country for women” and 44 for “best country for education.” Although, Egypt isn’t immune to progress, here are 10 facts about girls’ education in Egypt and how far the nation has come.

10 Facts About Girls’ Education in Egypt

1. More girls in Egypt are going to school. Education is becoming more and more accessible to girls in Egypt. In 1996, 66.9 percent of girls in Egypt were literate; this number has increased to 90.3 percent in 2013.
2. Educating girls is better for the economy. When girls and women are educated there are more jobs for everyone. Low and middle-income countries can add $92 billion a year to their economies if girls went to school for 12 years.
3. World Education’s integrated literacy initiative is changing lives. The World Education’s integrated literacy initiative brings health education to girls in Egypt, which for many, is a first-time exposure. This initiative encourages girls to become more educated and also promotes them to better take care of themselves.
4. USAID brings education opportunities to Egypt. USAID carries out U.S. foreign policy to reduce poverty and help with international development. In Egypt, USAID works to reduce the gender enrollment gap at each level of education, and also offers improved access for girls to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
5. The number of out-of-school girls has decreased. In 2014, 153,405 girls were out of school. This number dropped significantly in 2016 to 45,132, which demonstrates that more children — especially girls — are attending school.
6. Education empowers girls in Egypt. Educated women in Egypt are standing up for what they believe and taking a stand against gender prejudice. There are many in Egypt who believe that women shouldn’t receive an education because they will just end up married. In protest of this view, educated women in Egypt state that “education is the key to development” and every girl needs this key.
7. Egypt plans to end illiteracy in three years. The Ministry of Local Development in Egypt announced in June that they plan to end illiteracy in Egypt within the next three years. Some of the steps to reach this goal is to require each student to teach up to eight illiterate people, provide a reward system so students teach others and organize training courses for teachers.
8. Poverty affects girls’ education in Egypt. Roughly 45 percent of the Egyptian population lives in poverty and on an income of less than $2 a day. Due to this fiscal poverty, proper education gets put on the back burner for many families.
9. Egypt’s literacy rate has grown in the last 10 years. In 2005, the literacy rate in Egypt for girls from 15 to 24 was 78.95 percent, and in 2013 it rose to 90.33 percent.
10. More girls are in primary and tertiary education than boys. The school system in Egypt divides the level of education by age. Pre-primary is four to five years old, primary is six to eleven-year-olds, secondary is 12 to 17-year-olds and tertiary is 18 to 22-year-olds. Currently in Egypt, girls make up 103.67 percent of primary level education where boys make up 103.59 percent. In tertiary education, girls make up 34.85 percent of those enrolled and boys make up 34.04 percent.

Increasing Access to Education

These facts about girls’ education in Egypt demonstrate how the fight for equality is still progressing. Girls crave knowledge just as much as boys do, and thankfully there are many ways other boys, girls, men and women can get involved in helping support girls in developing countries receive the proper education.

One easy way to support access to education to girls in Egypt and those in other developing countries is supporting the Protecting Girls’ Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act and getting government officials to support this act as well.

The published article can be found here. 

October 8, 2018March 13, 2019 by Victoria Fowler Categories: The Borgen ProjectTags: education, egypt, empower, facts, girls, improvement, third world, women Leave a comment