Written by Grace Brennan
The past year has worsened existing cracks in society for women – the sudden onset of a global pandemic has seen women disproportionately affected by unemployment, poverty, and violence.
And still, women continue to do extraordinary things. From designing the COVID-19 vaccine and protecting 500,000 acres of rainforest from oil extraction, to creating a tool to detect malnutrition in crisis-hit children, and staging a national strike in protest of brutality against women. There’s even data suggesting that female-led countries have lower COVID-19 death rates and better economic performance. These achievements are only a small representation of women’s potential around the world – much of which goes unreported.
To better celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, the UN’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science is set to take place February 11th. Equally as important, World Day of Social Justice – which promotes the need for gender equality and rights for all people – is scheduled the following week on February 20th. These aren’t merely dates in a calendar, they’re reminders of the strides that have been taken to empower women, and the local-level initiatives that present women from every background with fairer, better opportunities.
At Proyecto Florecer, our workshops and community kitchens are helping young women in Latin America become confident, socially-conscious leaders. As we enter a new year, and approach the UN’s two landmark days, here’s how we’re contributing to the wider picture of female success, starting in the sunny streets of Medellín.
Workshops to engage, educate, and evoke change
Women have been underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) for years. Under 30% of the world’s researchers are women, and those that do work in the field tend to publish less and receive lower pay than their male counterparts. The problem can be traced to biases and stereotypes in education, as only 35% of STEM students in higher education are female, and fewer than 20% of doctorates have been awarded to women in the past.
To change the narrative, gateway, and visibility for women in STEM, there need to be more conscious efforts to inspire and engage women in the subjects from a young age.
Proyecto Florecer has manifested these efforts into workshops for young women in Medellín. Our sessions are a place for practical and technical learning, delving in STEM-focused hard skills that women develop in small, measurable steps. Workshops combine independent, pair, and group tasks, plus discussions and games for a fun and interactive educational experience.
Our workshop framework is designed alongside international educators, social workers, and psychologists, and is broken down into four models: self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication and interpersonal relationships, and leadership. Each model facilitates women in understanding their values and purpose, and how to take ownership of their future. We work with women building their confidence and employability through personal and professional development.
We also help women build soft skills that can be applied across multiple industries and disciplines. From public speaking to giving constructive feedback and negotiating conflict, we orient women towards long-term personal and professional growth. Not only do these skills provide women with a much-needed competitive advantage in their careers, they also empower women to be their own agents of change in their immediate community and beyond.
Community kitchens feeding families and a new status quo
Social injustices take place every day for women, who are denied the chance to earn, learn, and lead throughout the world. Figures from Oxfam show that the majority of people living in poverty are female; 153 countries have laws that discriminate against women economically; and one in three women experience abuse in their lifetime.
In the current pandemic, these injustices have been exacerbated. Women’s job losses are 1.8 times greater than men’s, and estimates show that an additional 11 million girls could leave school due to COVID-19. In Latin America alone, predictions state that 118 million women will be forced into poverty, while reports of violence against women have surged by as much as 90%.
The UN Secretary General has since warned “COVID-19 could reverse the limited progress that has been made on gender equality and women’s rights.”
In response, Proyecto Florecer is offering Latin American women a route to break cycles of poverty, under-employment, under-education, and abuse. In the pandemic, and subsequent food crisis in the region, we‘ve launched community kitchens throughout Medellín to serve some of the most impoverished women and families in the city. These kitchens are managed by local women from the areas, who are given leadership, logistical, and financial training to complete their work.
Two days a week, when the kitchens are open, we run an hour-long workshop to help volunteers learn new skills as they prepare hot, healthy meals for 400 people (many single mothers or refugees from Venezuela). Additionally, each woman gets to be assigned as the ‘Kitchen Boss’ to practice leading and mentoring others. All the work takes place under the guidance of Proyecto Florecer, and all participants are supplied with fully-compliant PPE and follow COVID-19 biosafety rules.
These kitchens are a necessary step to empower women at a particularly vulnerable time. We’ve curated a space that combines employment, education, and visibility for women – where they can serve both themselves and their communities, and collectively bring about greater justice for women.
Norma, one of the single mothers who has worked with Proyecto Florecer since the first kitchen in Barrio Antioquia, notes that “the group of women who work together in the kitchen are really close, we’re a team”. Evenlin, one of the more recent volunteers from Venezuela, shares the sense of community. “It’s been a really beautiful experience” she says, “the first day I heard about the project in our neighborhood, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I love to help other people.”
World Day of Social Justice and International Day of Women and Girls in Science should be seized as moments to recognize and uplift women everywhere. At the same time, they are a stark reminder that women continue to have to battle for an equal, safe place in society. And while it’s no simple undertaking to dismantle systems that repress women, local organizations like Proyecto Florecer are planting the seeds of change and nurturing a world where women are healthy, happy, and heard.