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Award-Winning Film Explores Transgender Activism in Pakistan May 7, 2013 by Maryam Jillani The feature length documentary “Chuppan Chupai” (Hide & Seek) explores transgender activism and underground queer life in urban Pakistan by following the everyday lives of four individuals and their constant play of ‘hide and seek’ with mainstream Pakistan where LGBT rights have yet to be recognized. The film is co-directed by Saad, an alumnus of the Global UGRAD – Pakistan program, and produced by Madari Films in Denmark. The North American premiere of the film will be on May 11, 2013 as part of the 29th Annual Boston LGBT Film Festival	Changing Lives at 45 May 6, 2013 by W. Robert Pearson Forty-five years after IREX’s visionary founders established a single overseas office in Armenia, their NGO progeny works with 125 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Over half a million people were touched by IREX staff and projects last year. “Make a better world” is not only our commitment, it is our operational plan. Somewhere around the world at every hour of the day, IREX’ers are making a difference. Yes, it’s people, it’s time, it’s money that make that difference, but the key component is the power of ideas.
Invest in Girls in ICT April 25, 2013 by Robert Cronin The return on investments in girls’ education and training is well-documented and dramatic. An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10-20%. An extra year of secondary school results in a 15-25% increase. For international development organizations like IREX, dedicated to practical initiatives with clear impact, that makes the mandate pretty clear: create opportunities that further girls’ education and training.	Girls in ICT Day - How to Get Involved April 24, 2013 April 25th is Girls in ICT Day, and the Beyond Access Team is excited to join the conversation and highlight the vital role of libraries in promoting ICT use among girls. Below, we’ve gathered some great resources and events to help you get involved. Stay tuned for more from Beyond Access on how libraries can use ICT to empower women and girls.
What Do Teachers Think? Global Gender & Education Survey Results March 26, 2013 Pregnancy, early marriage, school fees, risk of sexual violence? What are the barriers for girls and boys going to school? As the education community envisions post-2015 Millennium Development Goals, IREX surveyed its pool of teacher-leaders alumni around the world to get a better picture of the ways gender impacts education. What impacts girls’ participation in school the most? What particular factors affect boys? Over 200 secondary school teachers from 45 countries responded to our questions. Here are some of the findings from our snapshot survey.	How Far We’ve Come: Women, STEM, & The Global Classroom March 25, 2013 “A STEM classroom must be a global classroom,” states Sharon Harris, a science teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio and alumna of the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (TGC). “Science, technology, engineering, and math are not professions that are solitary. We live in a global society with STEM issues that affect us all.” IREX interviewed Ms. Harris in honor of this year’s Women’s History Month theme, “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, and Math.”
Women’s Voices Absent from Airwaves in Liberia March 20, 2013 by Bill Burke The images told a story, one of confusion, misunderstanding and the stark reality that confronts the men in this room on a daily basis. It’s a reality that poses a challenge for IREX and its partners. At issue: mainstreaming gender in community radio programs and policies. The 19 men here were in the central Liberian city of Gbarnga for a CSML-run gender awareness training for community radio managers and news directors. They had been asked to draw images of their understanding of gender, and their drawings spoke volumes.	“You’re Not Alone” - Mainstreaming Women’s Voices in Syria’s Transition March 18, 2013 by Michael Hendrix “You know there’s hundreds of thousands of girls like you, you’re not alone in this revolution,” Ms. Yaman Al Qadri, then 18, reminded herself after being arrested by police, detained, and tortured with electric shocks. Al Qadri, a peaceful Syrian activist, was held in detention for 23 days in 2011 for throwing pamphlets from the roof of a Damascus University building. While extraordinary, countless Syrian women share similar experiences, efforts, and determination. Along with the mounting lessons from history, this brings to light an important truth: Mainstreaming women’s voices is critical to the inclusive transition that Syria needs.
Young Women & The Web: Tech Age Girls Launches in Vietnam & The Philippines March 14, 2013 The Tech Age Girls are bringing together their problem-solving skills with the power of technology to address issues relevant to them and their peers. In Bac Giang, Vietnam, Ngan is teaching her school’s journalism club how to use digital storytelling tools to better report news relevant to her fellow students.	New Strategies to Combat Old Abuses in Liberia March 14, 2013 by Dara Lipton Recently, journalists at Liberia Women Democracy Radio (LWDR) challenged citizens in R.C. Lawson Community, a small village on the outskirts of Monrovia, to take a stand against sexual exploitation through interactive theatre. IREX’s Civil Society and Media Leadership program is committed to strengthening the capacity of Liberian’s civil society and media outlets, including community radio stations. Through this training and subsequent community and radio presentations, citizens are activated not as bystanders, but as agents of change in their communities.