It’s one of the Sustainable Development Goals that needs to be in place to accomplish all other goals: Number 16 — peace, justice, and strong institutions. It’s a mouthful.
Peaceful and inclusive societies are the foundation for sustainable development. They need to provide access and justice for all through effective and accountable institutions. Think about it: If a government agency responsible for creating greater access to resources is unaccountable, its leaders could, say, put their financial interests ahead of their responsibility (not that this would ever happen). While crimes like homicide, trafficking, and organized crime, threaten a peaceful society, discriminatory and unequal systems can create the conditions for people to become involved in what’s commonly labeled “violent crime.”
A tool that has turned out to be incredibly useful while working on this and previous issues of The Response is Our World in Data, and specifically their SDG Tracker. Only when people know the dimensions of a problem can they start exploring responses to it. And the issue of peace, justice, and strong institutions is one that impacts even the most fortified democracies.
It would be impossible to tackle this in one issue (we might do more!), but I want to share three stories about making the world just a bit more equitable for women because, well, we’re 49.5% of the planet. Violence and public safety are two of the issues tackled under this SDG, and while men are more likely to die in conflict, women are disproportionately affected by sexual violence. They’re also increasingly victims of homicides committed by an intimate partner or family member.
What’s being done for women
In New Guinea, women often face severe harassment. That’s why NGOs in the country have geared up — and created a women-only public transportation system, serving more than 170,000 female riders annually.
No Sex For Fish is a bold, revolutionary name the organization has chosen. But the message is right on point, exactly what women in Kenya are fighting for. The country’s fish industry is divided by gender, with men owning the boats and catching the fish, which women then sell on markets. But it’s all too common that the fishermen only trade fish for sexual favors. But No Sex for Fish is aiming to change that — by providing women with economic opportunities on their own.
Belarus still needs to establish rules to protect survivors of abuse. While country and culture are lagging behind, a nongovernmental organization is providing shelter, psychological support, legal assistance, and most importantly future prospects for survivors since 2004. Seven in 10 women served successfully start a new life, yet some of them end up returning to live with their abusers.
Get Lisa Urlbauer’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Lisa Urlbauer
Curator of The Response
“Papua New Guinea’s Meri Seif Bus Program Provides Safe Transport to Women and Girls”
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Alexandra Christy
Stanford Social Innovation Review
[1,800 words]
This program has already served more than 100,000 women girls — and it’s still on the rise.
“No Sex For Fish: How Women In A Fishing Village Are Fighting For Power”
Nduru Beach, Kenya
Rebeccs Davis
NPR
[8-minute listen]
How women are empowered to catch their own fish.
“In Minsk, A Hidden Refuge for Battered Women”
Minsk, Belarus
Hanna Liubakova
Transitions Online
[1,700 words]
Privacy and anonymity are the keys to keep women safe.
The Response is a weekly newsletter that reframes current news events, highlighting ways people are responding to crises and problems we see every day in the news. Why? Because we want to add perspectives to the conversations that go beyond the doom-and-gloom news cycle — giving you The Whole Story. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Then click here to sign up.
