Who needs a larger piece of a poisoned pie? If international development comes at the cost of a toxic environment—corporate theft of indigenous peoples’ land, escalating violence against women and sexual minorities—isn’t the price too high? How can we have justice if the end is profit and the means are human beings?
Dr. Gita Sen, a pioneer in the field of gender and development and a Professor of Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalor and at Harvard’s School of Public Health, asked these questions at the opening plenary of the AWID 2012 Forum. Hosted by the Association for Women’s Rights in Development—a feminist organization committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and women’s human rights—this year’s Forum has brought together 2500 women from 150 countries who are committed to advancing women’s rights and achieving economic justice.
After the first day of four, the diversity, experience and sheer brilliance of so many participants—scholars, organizers, lesbian activists, women’s media professionals, and many of our grantees from Uganda, India and Burma—is totally energizing.
Over the next few days, women at the AWID Forum will wrestle with and attempt to answer Dr. Sen’s questions, along with many others. So stay tuned for more updates.
A better world is possible, and people here are making it so.
Susan Rosenberg is the director of communications at American Jewish World Service.
