2nd World Conference of Women's Shelters

Economic Justice Pre-Conference Institutes

The Economics of Our Movement

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Violence against women is a major obstacle to women attaining equality, development, peace, and lives free from oppression. This pre-conference institute will address methods for overcoming the economic barriers that prevent women from escaping abuse and building lives free from violence and poverty. This daylong session will showcase examples of innovative approaches and invite participants to share common economic barriers and develop strategies for success in their communities.

Across vastly differing cultures and economies, women continue to have limited access to assets, earn significantly lower wages than their male counterparts and have fewer opportunities for education and participation in formal economies. Despite these barriers, advocates from all corners of the world are working together to improve the economic status of women that is so critical to living a life free from violence. These innovative approaches are as rich and varied as the global community and yet the most successful approaches have common threads. These include: empowering women through financial education, the creation of income generating opportunities, reducing barriers that keep women from obtaining assets and participation in the local economy and the formations of strategic partnerships to ensure long-term safety and security for women.

Purpose and Philosophy

The purpose of this institute is to bring advocates from across the globe together to share examples of innovative approaches, promising practices and leave with concrete plans of action that may be implemented in their own community. The institute is structured to provide rich examples of key concepts and innovative approaches that highlight common threads of success. The showcase of these examples will provide foundation for small group discussion where participants will be facilitated to engage in meaningful discussion and planning sessions. The institute agenda also includes time in which participants may share insights and plans with the larger group. Following the institute, participants will be encouraged to stay engaged with each other around the successes and challenges faced when they return to their communities. Email and/or a special listserv will allow participants to be engaged in a virtual supportive community and think tank focused on increasing the economic status of women. The institute is rooted in the foundational philosophy that participants bring rich experiences, resources and knowledge and learning will be most successful when the structure of the agenda facilitates peer to peer learning and exchange of resources.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the role of economics and violence against women
• Possesses knowledge of key components of successful initiatives
• Gain understanding of the role economics from a global perspective
• Increase in their knowledge of resources
• Develop plans that may be implemented in their community
• Experience support for economic initiatives from a global community

Tentative Agenda