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Turning the Tide on Women's Inequality
Within the framework of KAICIID’s Women Voices Series and with a lens on multi-faith collaborations, the aim of this webinar is to provoke thought, discussion and dialogue amongst participants and panellists to increase efforts towards gender equality.

The topic of the webinar stems from the 2024 theme of the United Nation’s International Women’s Day Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, and the priority theme of the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women "Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”. In embracing these themes, the webinar will highlight grassroots actions needed to redress dynamics that hinder progress on women’s empowerment. Taking KAICIID's collaborative interreligious and intercultural (IRD and ICD) projects and the wisdom of KAICIID Fellows and members of the Network4Dialogue as case studies, the webinar will explore innovative examples and success stories that demonstrate how to transform, through IRD and ICD collaborative action, challenges in key areas impacting women into opportunities. 

The audience will be invited to participate in the webinar's plenary discussion and one of four thematic breakout groups. The participants will be asked to reflect and identify challenges, best practices and sustainable recommendations to redress dynamics that hinder the progress of women's empowerment, thereby transforming challenges and opportunities into sustainable economic solutions for all.  The findings and results gathered in the webinar will serve as starting points in a high-level online meeting to explore how to transform the promise of women's economic empowerment into global action.  

Guiding themes: 

1. Solutions to loss and damage caused by climate-related events 

2.  Successful initiatives empowering women and girls by addressing the intersection of faith, climate, financing and hunger  

3. Adaption of diverse financing strategies towards sustainable support for gender equality 

4. Integration of the efforts faith communities in addressing food insecurity and hunger into the broader gender equality agenda  

Format & Methodology:

This webinar has a workshop format, which features full audience participation through interaction with panellists and in thematic breakout groups. The format allows for online collaboration in identifying issues, challenges and recommendations on how to turn the tide against women’s inequality through sustainable economic empowerment. The webinar contributions will facilitate points of conversation, in a follow-up high-level online meeting with representatives of international faith organizations spearheading advocacy and influencing policy for gender equality.

SPEAKERS

Anila Noor
Anila Noor

Anila Noor is a refugee activist based in the Netherlands, dedicated to driving positive change for migrant and refugee communities. With a focus on delivering tangible outcomes, she actively engages both at the community and policy levels.

She holds three master’s degrees including development studies (2014) from Erasmus University Rotterdam examining social justice perspectives on gender and conflict as well as forced migration and refugee policies in Europe. Drawing from her extensive experience collaborating with national and international nonprofit organizations, she has a particular emphasis on advancing women’s rights. Recognizing the need to amplify the voices of migrant and refugee women, she founded the NWC movement, which seeks to mainstream their unheard perspectives across Europe. Going beyond mere integration, the movement advocates for inclusion as a policy choice, aiming to uplift the spirits of newcomer refugee women and empower them to create meaningful impacts. Through her work, Noor strives to shed light on the lived experiences of refugees in urban environments, with the aim of informing more inclusive and effective policies that prioritize the well-being and integration of displaced communities.

Shahin Ashraf MBE
Shahin Ashraf MBE - keynote

Shahin Ashraf MBE is a distinguished philanthropist and civil society leader with over 25 years of experience in humanitarian and developmental work. Currently serving as the Head of Global Advocacy and Research at Islamic Relief Worldwide, Shahin demonstrates remarkable leadership in founding and managing faith-based organizations dedicated to various causes, including women's rights, race relations, refugee support, and climate change. She actively participates on boards shaping global humanitarian policies and processes, advocating tirelessly for marginalized communities. As a guest lecturer at universities, she enriches academic discourse on humanitarianism and social justice, bridging theory and practice. Shahin's commitment to inclusive development and her advocacy efforts make her a catalyst for global dialogue and action on issues such as gender equality and social justice.

Reverend Francis Teh Yai
Reverend Teh Francis Yai

Rev. Teh Francis Yai is a pastor in Cameroon with more than 25 years’ experience in ministry. He is also an agent for social change. He founded Goodness and Mercy Missions in 2007, an organization helping the rural poor and disadvantaged communities in Cameroon. As far back as 2006, he started a primary school to bring both Christian and Muslim children to study together in a cordial atmosphere. A spirit of peaceful cohabitation soon spread to the parents, not by way of compromise, but by understanding and respecting each other’s cultures. Teh Francis would later be teaching World Religions to Bible college students. It was even more exciting when he became Kanthari Fellow in India in 2016 and came into contact with people from different religious backgrounds, experiencing first-hand what he had been teaching in theory. His recent awards have been to become a Top 10 Finalist at the Donors for Africa SIBC, receive the Courage Award at the African Change Makers Initiative Awards 2021, and be the Grand Prize Winner at the Citizenship Entrepreneurship Campus 2021. More recently, Rev Teh Francis worked on the intersection of peace building and entrepreneurship and implemented an initiative towards the economic sustainability of women and girls from both the Muslim and Christian backgrounds.

Alissa Wahi
Alissa Wahid

Alissa is a trained Psychologist but well-known for her active work in democracy, diversity and interfaith cooperation and empowerment. She specialises in strategic planning and transformation program design. Alissa directs Gusdurian Network Indonesia to promote interfaith dialogue, advocate for FoRB and minority rights, and religious moderation.

In Nahdlatul Ulama (Indonesia's biggest faith-based organization), she is the first female co-chair on the Executive Board, serving its more than 50 million Muslim members.

She leads and is involved in many grassroots initiatives, speaks to thousands of people annually and writes monthly for Compass Daily.

Alisa currently serves as SDGs Ambassador for the Government of Indonesia and sits in the Government of Indonesia's Task Force for Religious Moderation, and Government of Indonesia's Advisory Board for Mental Revolution.

She received numerous awards for her contributions.

Amina Khalid

Amina is Head of Programme for Sustainable Communities and a Trustee for Somali Initiatives for Dialogue and Democracy (SIDD), as well as founder of Peace Begins at Home– an international inter-generational dialogue training created to empower and build bridges between generations and policymakers. She has a real passion for working with women of all backgrounds and faiths to build bridges and unlock their full potential. In her role as an international advocate for peace she uses her language and coaching skills to inspire, equip and connect individuals and organizations to become positive change agents.

MODERATOR(S)

Ana Co
Ana Co

Ana is a skilled facilitator and project manager with a proven track record in ability to drive programmes that enhance community relationships and contribute towards diversity and inclusion. She holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Management and a BA in Politics and International Relations.  Before joining the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) in 2022, Ana accompanied organisations such as The Faith & Belief Form (former Three Faiths Forum) in London, UK, abd Impact Hub Lisbon, UK. Ana's tenure at Impact Hub Lisbon, managing capacity building programmes for women entrepreneurs and migrant women like ‘BORA Mulheres and 'Momentum', highlighted her adeptness in driving initiatives for diversity and inclusion. Ana is Programme Officer for the KAICiID Fellows Programme.

Reverend Mike Waltner, Moderator Webinar on Best Practices in Implementing Grassroots Interfaith and Intercultural Activities in Local Communities
Mike Waltner

Mike is a specialist in interfaith relations, religious outreach and communications with expertise on the role of faith in society. He is a pastor with the Church of England in the Diocese of Europe. Mike has dedicated many years to designing and implementing dialogue and peacebuilding projects, spanning an impressive 40 countries across diverse regions, reflecting a global perspective and a true understanding of the complexities involved in the field of multi-faith and multicultural dialogue.  He has been accompanying the International Dialogue Centre along its journey since 2013.  Commencing as initiator of KAICIID Fellows Programme in 2013, he moved on to lead the Asia Region Programme and most recently was appointed as Head of Global Capacity Building and Oversight.  Mike holds a Master’s in Divinity from the Theological Seminary City of New York.

Where Online through Zoom
Time Europe/Lisbon
Date
Speakers
Shahin Ashraf MBE - keynote
Reverend Teh Francis Yai
Alissa Wahid
Amina Khalid
Anila Noor
Language English
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