About Young Women Speaking the Economy

About Young Women Speaking the Economy

"As I begin the transition from college life to finding my first full time job, I feel a mixture of anxiety and excitement as I leap into the unknown."  -Sahar Momand, Young Women Speaking the Economy

"Young people are the drivers of economic development. Foregoing this potential is an economic waste and can undermine social stability. The impact of the crisis has not been gender neutral, with disproportionate burden placed on women."  
- Juan Somavia, International Labour Organization Director General

It's no secret that the global economic crisis has affected billions of people around the world, but it may come as a surprise that it has disproportionately affected the young. 

A recent report from the International Labor Organization found that youth unemployment across the world has climbed to a new high. More young people are unemployed than older workers, and recovery for young men and women is expected to come more slowly. Across the globe, 13 percent of workers ages 15-24 were unemployed in 2010--the highest level in two decades.

But of workers worldwide, research has shown that it is young women who have the most difficulty finding work. (Source)

So as the world faces warnings of a "lost generation" of workers, where are the voices, concerns, and ideas of young women in the current economic debate?

You'll find them here, in the International Museum of Women's latest online exhibition, Young Women Speaking the Economy. This new exhibition was created by 44 young women from four countries, all answering the question, "What's on your mind at this time of global economic crisis?"

The answers reveal imaginative, honest perspectives on everything from careers and work/life balance to weathering financial hardship and fighting gender discrimination. The creators of this exhibition come from diverse backgrounds and are from the Sudan, Denmark, the Philippines and the United States. These 44 women spent months getting to know each other, using Facebook, Skype, Flickr, and other technology to bridge distance, language, and culture, sharing what it feels like to stand on the brink of entering the global workforce. Through creative essays, photography, video, and audio, they created media projects that express their feelings about economic obstacles they face, as well as their hopes for the future.

 

Ways to Explore Young Women Speaking the Economy: 

 

    Young Women Speaking the Economy is a project of the International Museum of Women in partnership with the Sudanese Women's Museum and Ahfad University for Women in the Sudan; the Women's Museum and Aarhus University in Denmark; the Ayala Museum and Miriam College in the Philippines; and Mills College in the United States.

    Events

    Supporting events for Young Women Speaking the Economy took place throughout 2011. 

    April 21, 2011

    Mills College in Oakland, California (more info here)

    May 5, 2011

    Sudanese Women's Museum, Khartoum, Sudan (more info here)

    May 28, 2011

    Ayala Museum, Manila, Philippines (more info here)

    June 15, 2011

    Women Museum, Aarhus, Denmark (more info here)

    Major funding for the project is provided by Museums & Community Collaborations Abroad (MCCA), made possible by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the American Association of Museums; and by MetLife Foundation's Museum and Community Connections grant. Additional support comes from the Emma Willard School.

    Student Exhibition Creators

    Adrjianna Yzabelle Albiento, Alexandra Zeifman, Alia, Anne Mette Bak, Anne Mette Ravn Nielsen, Anni Sahlholdt Hansen, Arielle Ann Nicole Lopez, Astrid Mathilde Jensen, Azza Khalifa Abuzeid, Bayan Ali El-Bashier, Christina Ayala, Colleen Kimsey, Corrine R. Antonio, Dalal Hassan Ishag, Dana Maralason, Dawn Kathrine D. Unida, Dean Paula Kaneesha B. Paulate, Eman Asim Ahmed, Fatima Ali, Heidi Hoelgård Jensen, Isra, Jessica Glennon-Zukoff, Joan K. K. Jensen, Juliene Svetlana R. Cruz, Kalipay Franchesca A. Natividad, Kirby Kimber, Kristina Moeller Andersen, Leonora Lottrup Rasmussen, Lois Camille P. Palaña, Maria Paula Barilea Deuna, Nancy Ikaa, Night Emmanuel Ska, Nuha Elsir Ibrahim Saeed, Ola Faisal Hassan, Pernille Groot Larsen, Romina Kate N. de Guzman, Sahar Momand, Sara Ibrahim Mohamed, Sarah Mutasim Gorashi Ahmed, Sarah Saad, Sarah Shammet, Sayosa, Joan Crizsa Nicole, Sofie Krøgh Nielsen, Valeene C. Salanga

    Credits

    IMOW Executive Director: Clare Winterton
    IMOW Vice President for Exhibitions & Programs: Catherine King
    Project Lead: Raeshma Razvi, Silkworm Media
    IMOW Web & Social Media Manager: Krista Walton
    IMOW Development Associate: Irene Morrison
    New Media Consultant: CB Smith-Dahl
    Graphic Design: Sarah Seybert
    Project Intern: Nadja Lazansky
    Web Development: Mediatrope
    Media Consultant: Wendy Norris

    Special Thanks

    Renee Jadushlever, Mills College; Arwa Salan, Ahfad University; Anette Larner, Nina Koefoed, Aarhus University; Maria Cecilia Marzan Bartolay, Tesa de Vela, Miriam College; Bodil Olesen, Women's Museum, Denmark; Ditas Samson, Ayala Museum; Omima Mustafa, Sudanese Women's Museum

    Sponsors

    Major funding for the project is provided by Museums & Community Collaborations Abroad (MCCA), made possible by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the American Association of Museums; and by MetLife Foundation's Museum and Community Connections grant. Additional support comes from the Emma Willard School.

     

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