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On Thursday November 17th, the EnvironFocus team hosted our monthly webinar series on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The focus this month was on SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, with the webinar title “Reducing Inequalities Globally: Today’s Growing Feelings of Divide”.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
In order to address the need for decent work and sustainable economic growth, the United Nations General Assembly established the Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG 10): Reduced Inequalities, which is intended to be achieved by 2030. The aim of SDG 10 is to reduce inequalities within and among countries. The Goal consists of several targets which provide a framework for the necessary actions to enhance the opportunities for decent work and sustainable economic growth.
For more information on SDG 10 and its targets, click here.
The Webinar
This webinar, hosted by the CEO and Founder of EnvironFocus, Obie Agusiegbe, featured presentations by guest panelists, Yvonne Nchanji and Karen Navamani.
Yvonne Nchanji
Yvonne Nchanji discussed the role of gender in forestry, and agricultural research in Sub Saharan Africa. As she discussed, we live in a gendered world, where several societies, especially in global south countries continue to follow a more traditional mindset of the roles men and women have in society. As mentioned by Yvonne, in agriculture in Sub Saharan Africa men are increasingly involved in roles considered for women (such as food processing and harvesting), but there are still instances where women are not allowed to be involved in men’s roles (such as logging).
On the other hand, women often take on multiple “invisible” roles at a time, considered to be the responsibilities of women, in the agricultural sector which may not be appreciated. These include collecting water and firewood, processing food but also being a homemaker and caregiver for the children and community. Even with the valuable role women play in agriculture they are not given the same respect and benefits men are given. They still face discrimination in ownership of land and livestock but also in decision making, equal pay and access to financial services.
How do we combat this? Yvonne suggests following the Gender Framework, used by CGSpace. This framework works in 4 steps: Reach, Benefit, Empower and Transform. Other ways forward include involving women in the processes of decision making and leadership. They have just as much traditional knowledge as men if not more in terms of specific agricultural processes and reserve the right to have an opinion on agriculture and its future in their community. Another important factor is increasing access to more information but also technology.
Some memorable quotes from Yvonne’s presentation:
- “ The roles of men and women are changing, as a result of an increase in demand and the monetary value of certain crops and non timber forest products.”
- “We need to increase women’s participation in decision-making processes, and also move beyond just participation, to appointing women in leadership positions where their voices can be heard.”
You can visit her ResearchGate profile and read more about her research HERE.
Karen Navamani
Karen Navamani discussed fostering disability inclusion in workspaces. Disability, whether it is a condition of the body or the mind, is often overlooked especially in workplaces. According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people live with some form of disability, and this is increasing due to increases in chronic health conditions along with other causes. Companies while boasting about their diversity may not be inclusive and therefore may not have adjustments, accessibility or assistive technology, or the 3 W’s of Disability Management, as Karen discussed.
Interestingly with the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an increase in employment as people are able to work from home, allowing those with disabilities who might find it difficult to commute now able to work easily. However, it will be interesting to see if this persists as time goes on and people return back to the office.
What are some steps we can take in our daily lives as well as our workplaces to be inclusive and understanding of those with disabilities? Be kind and understand how people with disabilities would like to be addressed. Avoid assumptions and always ask before assisting. Other ideas Karen suggests are being patient, empathizing but not showing pity, seeking to understand more and actually listen, and lastly unlearning built up stereotypes.
Some memorable quotes from Karen’s presentation:
- “The first thing that needs to happen is a mindset shift, we have to go from diversity and inclusion, to inclusion over diversity. Inclusion is when you make the individuals with disabilities a part of your organization. The shift has to occur at all levels.”
- “Always emphasize on them being a person. I am a human first before my diagnoses.”
Thank you!
We want to say a big thank you to our speakers for sharing their time and knowledge with us.
We also want to thank all of our attendees. We hope you found the webinar insightful and inspiring.
Webinar Preview
To access the full video, visit our webinar recordings page on our website.
Upcoming SDG Webinars
Missed out on this webinar? Don’t worry we host these sustainability webinars focused on SDGs on the third Thursday of every month. Currently we have 3 upcoming SDG webinars:
On Thursday 19th January 2023, we will be looking at SDG 2: Zero Hunger.
On Thursday 16th February 2023, we will be looking at SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.
On Thursday 16th March 2023, we will be looking at SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Get Involved!
Are you interested in being a speaker or sponsoring these webinars? Please reach out to us!
We welcome all promotional or financial partnerships, and welcome speakers or organizations that want to showcase their sustainability knowledge.
For more information contact: project@environfocus.com
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