A Report from ICA Asia Pacific Presented by Savitri Singh, ICAAP, India

1. Co-operative Summit of the Americas-2009 ICA America VI Continental Meeting of Women Co-operatorsTopic: Global crises panorama and its impact on Women’s lives A Report from ICA Asia Pacific Presented by Savitri Singh, ICAAP, India

2. What is Global Crises ? • Crises is the plural of crisis. a. A crucial or decisive point or situation; a turning point. b. An unstable condition, as in political, social, or economic affairs, involving an impending abrupt or decisive change. c. A sudden change in the course of a disease or fever, toward either improvement or deterioration. d. An emotionally stressful event or traumatic change in a person's life. • A point in a story or drama when a conflict reaches its highest tension and must be resolved.

3. Ten of the most serious challenges facing the world today: • Climate Change, • Communicable Diseases • Conflicts • Education • Financial Instability • Corruption • Migration • Malnutrition and Hunger • Trade Barriers • Access to Water

4. Impact on women: Climate change • Drought & flood affect agriculture • De forestation • Lack of fire wood, cattle feed • Shortage of Water • Non availability of safe drinking water

5. Communicable Diseases • HIV/AIDS • Malaria and TB • Care giving to family members • Earning to support family • Innocent victim of HIV

6. Conflict • War in Kuwait, Afghanistan , Israel and several other places • UN: 70% war refugees/orphans are women and children • War Leeds women to single parenting, poverty, all forms violence including rape and trafficking

7. WTO & Free trade • Trade Barriers :women in traditional sectors-agriculture and textile ( weavers, artisans, fisheries,dairy) • Competition: case of women coop in Delhi • Faminisation of labour: low paid labour intensive jobs in export units-garment, food • First to lose jobs- Shrilanka, Bangladesh,Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines

8. Financial/Economic crisis • Financial crisis leads to all these crises: • Education • Corruption • Migration • Malnutrition and Hunger

9. The current Financial Crisis • The current global financial crisis began in July 2007 when a loss of confidence by investors in the value of securitized mortgages in the United States resulted in a liquidity crisis that prompted a substantial injection of capital into financial markets by the United States Federal Reserve, Bank of England and the European Central Bank. • In September 2008, the crisis deepened, as stock markets worldwide crashed and entered a period of high volatility, and a considerable number of banks, mortgage lenders and insurance companies failed in the following weeks.

10. Impact of financial crisis in Asia in general • So far the intensity of the impact is not clearly known • The periodical news from several countries –manufacturing and agricultural export and tourism are badly affected • The trend can be understood by looking at reports and studies on what happened in 1997 Asian crisis • The US and European economy was stable and Asians could export out-1997-98 • The US and European economy crashed, no export out resulting into major market (job and revenue) loss

11. Slowing down over all growth and sustainability • Economic slow down resulting into loss of employment to individuals and revenue to governments resulting into lessening or stopping public spending by governments • Lack of public spending by govt. affects badly to poor and women and children

12. Impact of Crises on Cooperative Institutions in particular • The cooperatives so far have not reported any significant impact of crisis in Asia Pacific region. • Hegen Henry, Chief of the ILO’S Cooperative Branch has said that there are few instances and ILO has commissioned a study for in depth information. • there are instances of slow down of business activities of coop banks and credit coops, consumer coops, low business turnover etc.

13. Some examples • Raj Lakshmi Women Bank in India experienced slow down in business turn over, low deposit and borrowing, increase in bank’s NPA • JCCU- a big consumer coop chain in Japan trading caution • NACF, South Korea: 20%cut on expansion plans

14. Impact of crises on various aspects of human life in general • Price rise of essential commodities such as food, medicine, housing, education etc. • Loss of income resulting into low self esteem, school drop out, malnutrition, health issues, drug addiction and economic crime, domestic violence, human trafficking

15. Impact of crises on gender and women in particular • Crises impact women and men differently ? • Any crisis put disproportionate burden on poor and women due to their vulnerable situation • The Asia Pacific Region has second highest ratio of employed women at 48.9% -UNIFEM • ILO report: 22 million women have lost jobs in manufacturing sector due to present economic crises. • Rising crime against women • Assumed to be secondary income earner ( men are first choice-Korea) • Unskilled and semi skilled, distress employment • Perceived to be a cheaper labour substitute for men’s labour

16. 60-90%labour in clothing sector, food production, electronics, call centre and financial services are women • Temporary, casual and seasonal nature of jobs lack security and benefits such as insurance, medical, pension etc. • Crisis led to cut in benefits such as leave, subsidized food, free transport, incentives et • Asian crisis-1998-women First to lose jobs as men considered “Bread winners”

17. Opportunities resulting from the crises • Mr. Ban KI MOON, UN Secretary General: “The global financial crisis is forcing all of us to save and cut costs wherever we can. But our work for the women of the world must continue undiminished.” • UNIFEM: We must urgently ensure that fiscal stimulus packeges are engendered. These must encompass investment in women dominated industries and provide support to educational initiatives, women’s health and agricultural extension services • The cooperative sector should study the impact of crisis on cooperative institution and take initiative to mitigate impact

18. Increase public spending and investment in agriculture as 60% women still employed in agriculture in Asia • Cooperatives protect and enhance micro credit • Practice smart economics-Invest in women and girl child • Gender-disaggregated analysis of labour market impact

19. ICAAP initiative for gender mainstreaming and women empowerment