Ivanka Trump says developing countries must do more to empower women to get US aid

WASHINGTON - Developing countries that want to do business with the United States must do more to empower women and give them better access to the workforce, education and legal protections, White House adviser Ivanka Trump said on Friday.

Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump, outlined initiatives to bolster the economic status of women at a panel during the IMF/World Bank annual meetings. She appeared to tie future US development aid and trading relations to improvements on these issues by developing countries.

"We in the United States think about our development assistance through the lens of achieving the goal for countries of self-reliance," she told an audience of hundreds.

"And you cannot achieve self-reliance and the ability of a country to become a trading partner if you are not fully realizing the potential of 50 percent of your population, and in fact have barriers against them to realizing that potential."

Trump in 2017 launched a women's entrepreneurship fund with the World Bank and 13 other countries, followed this year by a $50 million project that aims to reach 50 million women by 2025. It is urging countries to change laws that bar women from owning property, using transportation, accessing legal structures and gaining access to credit.

These efforts come amid criticism by civil rights groups that the Trump administration is disempowering women at home and abroad. The administration has backed curtailing abortion rights for women in the United States and limiting contraception requirements in health insurance, and it refuses to fund agencies globally that even mention abortion.

Trump, the highest ranking US administration official to speak publicly at the annual IMF/World Bank meetings, was joined on stage by Goldman Sachs Chief Executive David Solomon, whose bank has also launched a women's initiative called "10,000 Women" and Ana Botin, executive chairman of Banco Santander.

World Bank President David Malpass, appointed by Trump, and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, have pledged to focus more intensely on women's issues as they structure the future work of the two large multilateral institutions, citing the huge potential for economic gains for all countries.

Georgieva on Tuesday vowed to fight for greater gender equality at the IMF and around the world, telling a packed audience: "Buckle up. It's going to come." 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Japanese MP makes waves by linking same-sex marriage to revising constitution

TOKYO - A conservative ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for discussion on revising Japan's constitution to allow same-sex marriage, annoying colleagues in the ruling party who are against it and also opposition parliamentarians who say enacting a simple law would clear the way.

Japan's laws on LGBT rights are relatively liberal compared with those in many Asian countries, although many LGBT people still conceal their sexuality.

But couples seeking to register same-sex marriages have been rejected by local authorities because there is no law specifically recognizing it.

The constitution, never amended since it was adopted after Japan's defeat in World War 2, says: "Marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes and it shall be maintained through mutual cooperation with the equal rights of husband and wife as a basis."

Amending the constitution's pacifist Article 9 to clarify the status of Japan's military is a long-held goal of Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Revising the article is highly controversial, although it has already been stretched to allow armed forces for self-defense.

Former Education Minister Hakubun Shimomura last month floated the idea of adding same-sex marriage to a list of other potential constitutional changes.

"It is important to proceed with debate without any taboo, including of the idea that a man can marry a man and a woman can marry a woman," NHK public TV quoted him as saying at a meeting of local LDP members last month.

The LDP has said same-sex marriage was "incompatible" with the constitution and Shimomura's remark caused concern at a meeting of the party's general affairs committee this week, media reported.

"One should not lightly make comments such as revising the constitution to recognize same-sex marriage," the Asahi newspaper quoted former cabinet minister Keiji Furuya as saying.

LGBT activists including Kanako Otsuji of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) - the country's first openly LGBT lawmaker - say no amendment is needed to allow same-sex marriage because the constitution does not explicitly ban it.

They have submitted a marriage equality bill to parliament in June, but the ruling coalition has declined to debate it.

"I think the goal is to shake up the opposition," Otsuji told Reuters, referring to Shimomura's suggestion. "If they agree with same-sex marriage, they should agree with our bill."

Shimomura's office declined a request for an interview due to his tight schedule.

A survey last year showed nearly 80 percent of Japanese in their 20s to 50s favored legalizing same-sex marriage.

"The constitution did not envision same-sex marriage when it was written... but it was not prohibited," said Gon Matsunaka, head of Pride House Consortium, which promotes LGBT awareness.

"Society and the world have changed and it is the responsibility of the legislature to pass a law in line with that."

Constitutional amendments must be approved by two-thirds of the members of both houses of parliament and a majority in a public referendum. The ruling bloc has a two-thirds majority in the lower house but lacks one in the upper chamber.

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Philippines is world's 8th best in gender equality, top in Asia: report

MANILA- The Philippines remains as one of the most gender equal countries worldwide with equal opportunities on political and economic leadership for men and women, a World Economic Forum (WEF) report showed.

Manila ranked 8th in this year's Global Gender Gap report, higher by 2 notches from last year's ranking. It was the only Asian country in the top 10.

Iceland was hailed as the most gender-equal country this year, followed by Norway, Sweden, Finland and Nicaragua, respectively.

Other countries that made it to the top 10 are Rwanda at 6th, New Zealand at 7th, Ireland at 9th, and Namibia at 10th.

Since the report was launched in 2006, the Philippines has consistently been in the top 10, with the WEF attributing this year's rise to "full parity" on political and economic leadership.

The WEF also noted that the Philippines was near to closing 80 percent of its overall gender gap, the "highest value" for the country ever recorded by the index.

The Philippines also recorded a closer gender gap in terms of economic participation and opportunity due to an increase in wage equality for similar work, the WEF said.

In terms of educational attainment, the Philippines ranked first, meaning it has fully closed the gender gap, along with Canada, France, and New Zealand among others.

The report, however, noted that Manila needs to improve in closing the gender gap in its health and survival category.

Worldwide, the report noted that the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years. The gender gap in the workplace meanwhile will take over 2 centuries more to close.

Released on Tuesday, the 2018 Global Gender Gap Report benchmarked 149 countries on their progress towards gender parity based on political empowerment, labor force participation, educational attainment, and health and survival.

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With books and jewels, drag queens teach children tolerance

LONDON - Dressed in a yellow gown and rainbow cape, drag queen Topsie Redfern reads a story to a group of young British children about a little girl who likes herself - even when she develops "stinky toes" and "purple polka-dotted lips".

"It is really important to remember we are all different and it is good to like ourselves for what makes us different from each other," Redfern told about 20 children aged one to five at a central London pre-school.

Redfern is one 30 cross-dressing male performers touring British schools as part of Drag Queen Story Time, telling stories that spread a message of self-acceptance to promote diversity in early education.

The idea originated in the United States in 2015 when writer and LGBT+ parent Michelle Tea was looking for ways to introduce her young son to "queer culture".

"Drag queens are a no-brainer for kids' events," Tea told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Los Angeles.

"They are larger than life, fantastical, beautiful and take everything kids like about princess culture out of the box (and) make it kind of radical, feminist and more fun."

Used to the limelight of nightclubs and bars, they also know how to handle a raucous crowd, she added.

In a few years the format has spread all over the world.

Also known as Drag Queen Story Hour, the group has opened more than 25 chapters worldwide, holding readings at hundreds of nurseries, schools, libraries and other venues across the Americas, Asia and Europe, Tea said.

KIDS AND ADULTS

Tea said the reception had been overwhelmingly positive, particularly in big cities.

But story hours have also drawn controversy in some corners of America, where conservative groups have criticized the initiative as amoral and inappropriate for children.

A US group named Common Sense Campaign Tea Party organized a small protest outside a library in Mobile, Alabama, where a story time was held earlier in September - but it was outnumbered by a counter-demonstration, local media reported.

In Lafayette, Louisiana, plans to hold a reading at a public library have sparked controversy. The city's Republican mayor has said he would look to cancel or move the October event.

Tea said drag queens, like any artists, were capable of adapting their act and making it appropriate for young audiences. "Drag isn't by definition adult entertainment," she said.

Teaching children about diversity made them better citizens, she added - a view echoed by LGBT+ activists in Britain.

Young LGBT+ people are less likely to experience bullying in schools that create inclusive environments and celebrate difference, said Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton, head of education at British rights group Stonewall.

"Bringing in LGBT role models like drag queens and teaching about diversity means children from all families feel welcome and helps every young person understand that LGBT people are part of everyday life," she said.

Almost half all British teenagers who are LGBT+ or questioning their sexuality have self-harmed, according to a study released in August that found homophobic bullying and "highly gendered" environments were partially to blame.

ROLE MODELS

At the London nursery, Redfern's gender appeared of little concern to the children, who were much more interested in the flashy jewellery worn by the performer.

At one point, a heavily made-up Redfern acted out an adapted version of the "The Three Little Pigs" - replacing the pigs of the fairytale with "little misses", who outsmart the wolf.

"Generally in fiction and children's fiction, the boy is the hero. The boy saves the girl, (while) the girls are submissive characters, whereas that story is empowering," said the cabaret artist and actor trained in musical theater.

Nursery manager Gregory Lane said there were educational benefits to Drag Queen Story Time.

"Drag queens happen to be very good at telling a story and making that story come alive for young children so that it's not just words on the page and it's a story that they can stretch their imagination," he said.

For Redfern, who spoke of the difficulty of not being allowed to wear girls' clothes outside home when growing up, the focus was on showing children it is okay to be different.

Almost a third of those aged between 18 and 21 in the United States and 17 percent of 16- to 18-year-olds in Britain identify as LGBT, according to separate surveys.

"In every class there's going to be a girl who's a tomboy (or) a boy who likes running about in a Princess Elsa dress," Redfern said, referring to the Disney movie "Frozen".

"It is about giving them different role models and showing that's fine. Not everyone has to fit into a black and white mold."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Saudi to lift driving ban on women June 24

RIYADH- Saudi women will be allowed to start driving in the kingdom from June 24, the General Department of Traffic Director General Mohammed al-Bassami said on Tuesday. 

"All the requirements for women in the kingdom to start driving have been established," Bassami was quoted as saying in a statement released by the government.

In September 2017, a royal decree announced the end of a decades-long ban on women driving -- the only one of its kind in the world.

Women 18 years of age and older will be allowed to apply for a driver's license, Bassami said.

Driving schools for women have been set up across five cities in the conservative kingdom, and teachers will include Saudi women who obtained their licenses abroad.

Women with foreign driving licenses will be able to apply for a local one through a separate process, which will also assess their driving skills. 

"It is no secret that many women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hold driving licenses from abroad," the statement added. 

Saudi women have previously petitioned the government for the lifting of the ban, and even taken to the wheel in protest. 

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32, is seen as the force behind the lifting of the ban, part of a series of reforms being pushed by the powerful royal in the conservative kingdom.

His Vision 2030 reform plan for a post-oil era seeks to elevate women to nearly one-third of the workforce, up from about 22 percent now.

The decision to allow women to drive could give them the much-needed mobility to join the workforce.

Saudi women now no longer need male permission to start business. 

But Saudi activists say social change will only be cosmetic without dismantling the kingdom's rigid guardianship system, which requires women to seek permission from a male relative to study, travel and other activities.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Google employee's anti-diversity memo prompts company rebuke

Two Google executives criticized a memo that circulated late last week at the company from an unnamed engineer suggesting that there were "biological causes" for underrepresentation of women in technology and leadership.

Among the views in the employee's roughly 3,000-word memo was that "distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don’t see equal representation of women in tech and leadership."

Technology news site Motherboard, which first reported the employee's memo, also reported that a Google employee said the memo had gone "internally viral." Gizmodo published a copy of the memo.

The memo stoked a heated debate over treatment of women in the male-dominated Silicon Valley that has boiled for months following sexual harassment scandals at Uber Technologies Inc and several venture capital firms. Google, the world's largest search engine and a unit of Alphabet Inc, recently hired a new vice president of diversity, integrity and governance, Danielle Brown.

Brown sent a memo in response to the engineer's, saying that it "advanced incorrect assumptions about gender."

"Part of building an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions," Brown wrote.

"But that discourse needs to work alongside the principles of equal employment found in our Code of Conduct, policies, and anti-discrimination laws," she added.

Google vice president Aristotle Balogh also wrote an internal post criticizing the employee's memo, saying "stereotyping and harmful assumptions" could not be allowed to play any part in the company's culture.

A Google spokesperson told Reuters that the statements from Brown and Balogh were official responses from Google.

Reporting by Sam Forgione; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Mary Milliken

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P&G's Francisco: Walking the talk on gender equality

For Procter and Gamble's first woman and Asian global president for feminine care, "walking the talk" is the most effective way to simply get things done and inspire change, even more when one is in a position to do so.

In an email response to "The Boss" for her International Women's Day message, Fama Francisco shared how lucky she is to work for a company like P&G where all people are welcome, valued, and respected.

"When you’re a senior leader in a big international company, you have to hold yourself and your team accountable to make change happen and accelerate gender equality progress within the organization,"said Francisco.

She said P&G recently kicked off a new program in their global P&G Fem Care organization called "FemPowerment," which is designed to strengthen the metrics, policies, and practices across the organization to ensure women are getting the support they need to succeed.

"This includes reviewing and improving the pipeline of women for advancement and empowering them with a strong support system. Making this type of commitment to gender equality is essential. And we must walk the talk; putting specific policies and actions into practice is critical to remove barriers and ensure women are equipped to achieve their career goals," said Francisco.

The mother of two also shares her recollection meeting the former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, which Francisco described as a "truly unforgettable experience".

"She is very warm and genuine (and very tall!), so I immediately felt comfortable chatting with her," said Francisco.

"She’s a mother of two teenage daughters, and I have a teenage daughter so its always nice to have this in common. And hearing her talk, it quickly became obvious that Michelle has great sensitivity and heart for girls. She is very aware of the barriers that girls around the world face when it comes to things like education and equal opportunity. And when she gets behind a cause, she really puts her personal time in to champion that cause," she added.

Catch The Boss on Thursdays at 7:30pm on ANC, THE Filipino Channel, and iWantTV.

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WATCH: YouTube pays tribute to LGBT community

MANILA -- As the world rejoices over the US Supreme Court ruling to legalize same-sex marriage in the entire nation, video-sharing website YouTube posted a video to pay homage to all members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The two minute, 24-second long video was a compilation of moments of triumph for the LGBT community.

In the caption, YouTube reminisced how several people used the website to upload videos of support to the LGBT cause.

''Over the last 10 years, everyone from moms to presidents have uploaded videos in support of LGBT awareness, to stand up against bullying and discrimination, and to say together, as a community, that marriage equality matters.''

"That's why we are so excited by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to recognize the constitutional right of all couples to marry,'' it added.

YouTube also started a campaign encouraging everyone to join in their cause to inspire change. Everyone can join the cause by uploading or sharing videos using the hashtag #ProudToLove in the title.

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PH is Asia's top performer in gender equality in workplace

MANILA – The Philippines is still among the top 10 best performing countries in promoting gender equality in the workplace, according to the World Economic Forum's 2014 Global Gender Gap report.

The Philippines ranked ninth overall out of 142 economies assessed by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which aims to measure the relative gaps between women and men in health, education, economy and politics.

Compared to ASEAN countries, the Philippines is way ahead of its neighboring nations, with Singapore, Laos and Thailand lagging behind at 59th, 60th and 61st place, respectively.

WEF said the Philippines is also the only country from the Asia-Pacific region that has closed both the educational attainment and health and survival gender gaps.

However, the country dropped eight places to 24 in economic participation, and seven notches down to 17th place in politics.

WEF said the Philippines is part of the top 10 on wage equality for similar work and legislators, senior officials and managers indicators, noting that the country "was led by a female head of state for 16 of the last 50 years."

Cory Aquino was president from 1986 to 1992, while Gloria Macapagal Arroyo served as president from 2001 to 2010.

WEF also noted that since 2008, the Philippines has seen an improvement in its overall score, except in 2014, which was due "to a decrease in the Health and Survival and Political Empowerment subindex scores."

The Philippines is also the second best country after Norway on the ability of women to rise to positions of enterprise leadership indicator, and the country with the highest percentage of firms with female participation in ownership.

The Philippines ranked fifth in last year’s WEF index.

This year, the Nordic countries of Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark remained the world’s most gender equal nations.

WEF said that while women are rapidly closing the gender gap with men, inequality at work will likely remain until 2095, adding that in the past nine years, the global gender gap in the workplace barely narrowed.

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