Open Forum: Gender — Getting to Equal (20/09)

Join the conversation at the World Bank’s Open Forum: Gender – Getting to Equal. The event begins September 20 with a 24-hour global chat and concludes on September 21 with a two-hour webcast debate.

It’s 2011, and inequality is still a lifelong experience for girls and women. Women make up the majority of unpaid workers worldwide. Only 15% of landowners and one in five lawmakers globally are women.  One out of every 10 babies is born to mothers between the ages of 15 and 19 –almost all of them in developing countries. Violence against women is still widespread.

It’s time to increase women’s economic opportunity and their voice in decision making. But how do we get to equal?

Participate in 3 ways:

1) SUBMIT IDEAS about ways “to get to equal” and overcome gender inequality in your community.  Tell your friends to agree with your idea - the most popular ones will be debated during the Open Forum.

2) PARTICIPATE IN THE CHAT FORUM beginning Tuesday, September 20 at 12 pm Washington, DC, time. The ideas will feed into discussions during a 24-hour online global chat forum hosted by gender activists, entrepreneurs, and academics. Sign up for email reminders on the event page.

3) WATCH THE LIVE DEBATE on Wednesday, September 21 at 10 am Washington, DC, time.  Hosted by CNN International's Hala Gorani, a distinguished panel of experts including World Bank President Robert Zoellick and Nike Foundation's Maria Eitel of the Girl Effect campaign, among others, will continue the discussion about your ideas in a live webcast debate.

4) SPREAD THE WORD to your network:

• Write a blog post or news story about the gender equality and the Open Forum
• Send an email to your colleagues, community, network, and friends
• Post one of the images below on your website with a link to the Open Forum
• On  Twitter or  Facebook ? Tell the world “It’s time to #thinkEQUAL". Here are some sample posts:

It’s time to #thinkEQUAL for women and girls. Share your ideas, join the Open Forum Sept 20-21. http://thinkequal.worldbank.org via @worldbank

It’s 2011. Do men and women have equal rights? It's time to #thinkEQUAL - join the Open Forum! http://thinkequal.worldbank.org via @worldbank

What does EQUAL mean to you? Submit your ideas http://thinkequal.worldbank.org via @worldbank

Do you #thinkEQUAL for women and girls? Share your ideas! http://thinkequal.worldbank.org via @worldbank

Women make up the majority of unpaid workers in the world.  It’s time to #thinkEQUAL http://thinkequal.worldbank.org via @worldbank

It’s 2011. And only 15% of the world’s landowners are women. It’s time to #thinkEQUAL http://thinkequal.worldbank.org via @worldbank

Globally 358,000 women died during pregnancy and childbirth in 2008. It’s time to #thinkEQUAL http://thinkequal.worldbank.org via @worldbank

Only 19% of parliamentarians in the world are women. It’s time to #thinkEQUAL http://thinkequal.worldbank.org via @worldbank

http://live.worldbank.org/open-forum-gender

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