Many Hands Make Light Work
BY MARY FRANCES L.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals
are a way to measure what progress
(development) we make worldwide
toward improving people‘s lives
between 2015–2030. Before cynically
rolling your eyes, know that these 17
goals were set by diverse experts, not
politicians, from all over the globe. The
idea is to keep all the goals in mind
when designing a program that focuses
on one particular goal. For example,
when improving women‘s incomes,
the environmental aspects are also
considered. And, when protecting an
area environmentally, remembering
how local women are going to need
affordable fuel for cooking (preferably
by talking to the women involved, of
course).
Besides being cool, progressive, and
idealistic, what has that got to do with
AWCH? The fact is, we have always
been, and will continue to be, active in
promoting these goals, and you probably
weren‘t even aware of it. In our very
own AWCH, the Book Club selections,
the Walking Groups getting women
active, SnB‘s Heart Pillows and drainage
bottle bags, the Alster Fun Run for the
women‘s shelter, the presentations on
mental health, the clothing and book
swaps—these are some club activities
that work right here for and with us in
Hamburg. Betcha didn‘t know you were
helping achieve the SDGs when you
took part!
clean-up day, marched for Fridays for
Future, and worked for cleaner energy
and cleaner transportation. Some have
encouraged women‘s participation in
STEM careers, worked on legal issues for
refugees, are passionately responsible
consumers, and much more.
It‘s a good thing we in AWCH work well
together, because that gives us more
hands. Were you aware that through our
membership in the Hamburg Women‘s
Council (Landesfrauenrat), we have
been part of workshops considering
grassroots recommendations to the
Hamburg Parliament to improve
Hamburg‘s own measures? (Reducing
inequalities in the availability of
education and evaluating the gender
effects of budgeting decisions were two
topics.)
And a great big hand goes to FAWCO
and all that our membership allows
us to do. The teams on health,
environment, education, and human
rights cover so much ground that none
of the 17 SDGs are left untouched. Plus
we have our Development Grants and
Target Projects. The campaign against
FGM is obviously about Goals Three
and Five, but look again: it all starts
with knowledge and enables more
education, so Four is one of the alpha/
omega goals. Just look at the other
goals and you realize that they reduce
social pressure, which helps open minds
and hearts for creative solutions. The
goals all need to be considered and
work hand-in-hand to achieve, among
other specifics, the eradication of FGM.
So watch on Facebook and Instagram
every Tuesday, or read the posts in the
AWCH newsletter. Watch for an event
mid-September, when the SDGs turn
five. See what changes and what stays
the same. Become aware of the SDGs
around you, wave and smile “hello,”
help the word grow and the work get
accomplished.
There are members who have
individually taken part in an annual city
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