The Standard 22 June 2014

International News
The Standard June 22 to 28 2014 23
Obama daughters ‘to get minimum wage’
WASHINGTON — President
Barack Obama
and wife Michelle both
worked minimum-wage
jobs before they got law
degrees: a character-building experience
they said they also want their
teenage daughters to share.
The president scooped ice cream at
Baskin-Robbins, waited tables at an
assisted-living facility for seniors and
also worked as a painter. The first lady
worked at a book binding shop.
“I think every kid needs to get a taste
of what it’s like to do that real hard
work,” Michelle Obama said in an interview
with Parade magazine, slated
to run today.
“We are looking for opportunities
for them to feel as if going to work and
getting a paycheque is not always fun,
not always stimulating, not always
fair,” the president said. “But that’s
what most folks go through every single
day.”
The first couple has taken pains to
keep their daughters Malia (16) and
Sasha (13) out of the public eye while
in the White House. But Malia was recently
spotted on the set of a CBS television
programme, working as a production
assistant for a day.
The Obamas gave the interview to
promote a summit the White House is
holding tomorrow to discuss policies
to help working families.
“There are structures that can help
families around child care, healthcare,
and schooling that make an enormous
difference in people’s lives,” Obama
said in the interview.
This year, Obama has tried to focus
on issues such as ensuring equal pay
for women, expanding early childhood
education and hiking the minimum
wage. These issues so far have failed to
gain traction in Congress, but do resonate
with Democratic voters.
To advance his agenda, he needs
Democrats to keep control of the Senate
after November midterm elections,
where Republicans stand a good
chance of getting a majority, and likely
also will retain control of the House of
Representatives.
“If we can highlight these issues and
sustain it over the next year, it’s still
possible to see bold action out of Congress,”
Obama said.
In the interview, the Obamas talked
about how they lived for a year on
the second floor of the house of
Michelle’s mom Marian Robinson after
law school, drove a used car that
they bought for US$1 000, and worked
through the stress of being saddled
with student loans and small children.
They acknowledged that their careers
gave them the chance to earn
good incomes and negotiate family
leave when they needed it — a luxury
that most minimum-wage workers do
not have.
“But what it made me think about
was people who were on the clock,”
the president said. “If you’re an hourly
worker in most companies, and you
say, ‘I’ve got to take three days off,’ you
may lose your job. At minimum, you’re
losing income you can’t afford to lose,”
he said.
— Reuters Malia and Sasha Obama . . . their parents want them to experience hard work
Why work with men to address
Gender Based Violence
GENDER Based Violence (GBV) must be understood within challenge these privileges. believe in equal rights - the largest group; and those who
the context of men and women's relative social and
believe in equality and put these beliefs into action - the
economic disadvantage and discrimination. A gender order therefore that have men dominating smallest group.
women cannot avoid having men as an interest group
Addressing GBV requires understanding and challenging concerned with its defence and women as an interest group It is from such a background that Padare targets men as
gender inequality, promoting women's equal rights and concerned with change. agents of change towards the achievement of gender
creating social, political and economic environments in
equality and social justice.
which everyone is empowered to enjoy those rights.
Not having to think about race is one of the privileges of a
dominant race, just as not having to think about gender is Gender as a determinant of social relations that legitimize
Experience has shown that women are significantly more one of the dividends men gain from the current gender and sustain men's power over women, is inherently about
likely to experience GBV than men. It has also shown that order. Men never have to think about the unequal gender relations between women and men, as well as relations
working with men as partners, not just as perpetrators, is relations that exist in society as they are the major among groups of women and among groups of men.
critical to the prevention and response to GBV.
beneficiaries.
Approaches on engaging men should examine the issue of
The reasons for engaging men and boys are several: it That is why engaging a man is key to the success of the male violence in society. It would be more effective to focus
reduces violence; women frequently ask for the gender equality movement. However, changes do not on how men can play their role in improving society rather
involvement of men, their participation helps to avoid a come overnight hence the motto by Padare that “Paths are than making them feel guilty.
backlash against violence against women's programmes made by walking” for indeed sheer commitment and hard
and because men often hold more power and influence in work from all stakeholders is needed for tangible PADARE is also working with perpetrators in the country's
the community, they can be effective agents of change. transformations in society. prisons in recognition of the reality that in order to
comprehensively address GBV, it is necessary to provide
The role of men in society should not be undermined as they According to a recent report by Plan International, gender rehabilitation services for the perpetrators. This is line with
play diverse roles in the economy, the community and the equality cannot be achieved unless men and boys are Key Result area 1 of the National GBV Strategy which
family. convinced of the importance of equal opportunities for focuses on prevention. PADARE has also made efforts to
women and girls.
engage legislators through working with the Zimbabwean
Men are different in terms of class, race, ethnicity, sexuality,
Parliament to take action against Gender Based Violence.
age and religions but one of the commonalities that men When it comes to gender equality, men generally fall into
share as a “distinct group'' is their gender privilege. three categories: those who acknowledge that women and Achieving gender equality is not possible without making
girls deserve equal rights but fear that boys will lose out if changes in men's lives first.
Men are a privileged group who rarely find reason to girls are allowed to enjoy these rights; those who do not
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