#MMN Meetup: How can the Ghanaian fashion industry become a resource for sustainable alternatives to migration?
Talk and exhibits by Nuel Bans (founder & editor-in-chief of Debonair Afrik, a Ghanaian-based digital media publication) and Rhoda Wedam (founder and CEO of the Song-Ba Empowerment Center, Ghana)
What is needed to develop sustainable business opportunities in the fashion industry? Which role does second-hand clothing play for Ghana’s entrepreneurs? And how can local entrepreneurs become successful (inter)nationally? During our next #MMN meetup, our two guests will provide insights into the challenges and successes of Ghanaian entrepreneurs in the fashion market and discuss how sustainable fashion can create positive alternatives to migration.
The event will also feature two photo exhibitions, entitled In The Days Of Us and Fast Enough To Trash
About the speakers:
Ekuban Emmanuel, popularly known as Nuel Bans, aims to support Africa’s young and emerging fashion talents. He is a creative collector for The Style Lounge, a platform that scouts for and nurtures emerging fashion in Africa, Ambassador to Global Fashion Exchange, and founder & editor-in-chief of Debonair Afrik. Debonair Afrik is a Ghanaia-based digital publication covering fashion, lifestyle, publishing, and current events. It was founded in 2015 as a neo-Africanism publication and serves as an online news portal for Ghanaians and others in the Sub-Saharan region.
Rhoda Wedma is the founder and CEO of the Song-Ba Empowerment Centre. She focuses on supporting women and girls without formal education, who travel to urban cities as head porters (Kayayo) and helps them identify sources of income. She is also the #MMN local coordinator for the Northern Region, where she focuses on helping the youth in the region have access to accurate information regarding migration and learn about employment and educational opportunities they can pursue in their area.
When? Saturday 19.02.2022, 5-9pm (CET) Where? r0g_office, Knobelsdorffstr. 22, 14059 Berlin and /migrantmedianetwork
#MMN Meetup: How can the Ghanaian fashion industry become a resource for sustainable alternatives to migration?
Talk and exhibits by Nuel Bans (founder & editor-in-chief of Debonair Afrik, a Ghanaian-based digital media publication) and Rhoda Wedam (founder and CEO of the Song-Ba Empowerment Center, Ghana)
What is needed to develop sustainable business opportunities in the fashion industry? Which role does second-hand clothing play for Ghana’s entrepreneurs? And how can local entrepreneurs become successful (inter)nationally? During our next #MMN meetup, our two guests will provide insights into the challenges and successes of Ghanaian entrepreneurs in the fashion market and discuss how sustainable fashion can create positive alternatives to migration.
The event will also feature two photo exhibitions, entitled In The Days Of Us and Fast Enough To Trash
About the speakers:
Ekuban Emmanuel, popularly known as Nuel Bans, aims to support Africa’s young and emerging fashion talents. He is a creative collector for The Style Lounge, a platform that scouts for and nurtures emerging fashion in Africa, Ambassador to Global Fashion Exchange, and founder & editor-in-chief of Debonair Afrik. Debonair Afrik is a Ghanaia-based digital publication covering fashion, lifestyle, publishing, and current events. It was founded in 2015 as a neo-Africanism publication and serves as an online news portal for Ghanaians and others in the Sub-Saharan region.
Rhoda Wedma is the founder and CEO of the Song-Ba Empowerment Centre. She focuses on supporting women and girls without formal education, who travel to urban cities as head porters (Kayayo) and helps them identify sources of income. She is also the #MMN local coordinator for the Northern Region, where she focuses on helping the youth in the region have access to accurate information regarding migration and learn about employment and educational opportunities they can pursue in their area.
Outreach organized on 16th November 2021 to meet Madam Gladys Dogbey (Women Leader at Galo-Sota) and Madam Celestina Gadese from Kpenu all in the Anloga District. The plan was to train and encourage participants to carry on with the #MMN r0g’s message across in their community management and meeting to also keep and train the youth especially the girls, parents, and influencers. I think this can work that is why it is important.
https://i0.wp.com/migrantmedia.network/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/MMN-Diaspora-STAMMTISCH-3.jpg?fit=1350%2C650&ssl=16501350Benedictus Agbelomhttps://migrantmedia.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MMN_logo.jpgBenedictus Agbelom2022-02-04 23:05:092022-02-04 23:05:56Outreach in the Galo-Sota Community
40 participants who are parents of young girls from 4 training Centers were organized for the first Stammtisch. The Stammtisch was organized at the Presby Lay training center, located on the Yendi road about 5km from the barrier. The meeting was made possible with a proper community entry which was done with the help of the Assemblyman and the heads or owners of the various training Centers.
Rhoda Wedam The Local Coordinator at the meeting introduced the MMN project to the participants and also the facilitator of the day who was in the person of Hajia Alimatu. She also highlighted the major activities of the project and its operational areas to give the participants more information about the MMN Project. The topic for discussion was further introduced for discussion which was on issues that motivates their female children to migrate to urban areas and Europe which was facilitated by Hajia Alimatu Sagito
https://i0.wp.com/migrantmedia.network/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rhoda_2021-10-04...jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=17681024Benedictus Agbelomhttps://migrantmedia.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MMN_logo.jpgBenedictus Agbelom2022-02-04 15:16:542022-02-04 15:17:13“Rural Urban Migration” A case of the Yendi Women
Sabina Abuga Central Regional coordinator Local Coordinator and James Ekow Mensah (Irregular returnee) On Monday, 15th November 2021 visited the Benti community of the Central Region to organize a Stammtisch. The community influencers introduced the team to the Women Groups and welcomed them to the meeting. An opportunity was given to the participants to introduce themselves. Thereon, the team enlightened participants on the overall goal and objectives of the MMN project. The topic of the day kicked started the conversation “Strategies used by Human Traffickers and opportunities at home and Europe”. After the event participants were aware of the dangers of irregular migrations, Schemes, and tricks used by human smugglers and also How to identify, mitigate, misinformation, disinformation, and fake rumors about Europe.
https://i0.wp.com/migrantmedia.network/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Sabina_2021-11-15...jpg?fit=1040%2C780&ssl=17801040Benedictus Agbelomhttps://migrantmedia.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MMN_logo.jpgBenedictus Agbelom2022-02-04 14:07:362022-02-04 14:07:56Women Stammtisch “Human Traffickers and opportunities at home and Europe”
According to a 2021 World Health Organization Report, https://www.who.int/news/item/09-03-2021-devastatingly-pervasive-1-in-3-women-globally-experience-violence, at least one in every three women and girls experience violence in their lifetime. In conflict and post-conflict settings, incidences of violence against women and girls (VAWG) are exacerbated, resulting in increased adverse social, economic, health and psycho-social effects. In an attempt to prevent and respond to the occurrence of VAWG in humanitarian settings, women and self-organized groups are working to create safe spaces for women and girls.
As commemorated by UN Women every year, this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women had the Theme ‚ ‘Orange the World-End violence against women now’. The 16 days of activism were observed from the 25th of November to the 10th of December 2021. During this time, UN Women urged the world to build on new actions and strengthen its commitments for a violence-free future against women.
In our monthly series of “Women Empowering Women “, the Migrant Media Network (#MMN) hosted its first edition of the diaspora meet-up in Berlin, Charlottenburg. The discussion that marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women centered on women in migration with a theme ‘Creating safe spaces for migrant women ‘.
The event featured two female activists; Isatou Barry, a trainer and FGM activist with Terre des Femmes and Jennifer Kamau, co-Founder and women rights activist of the International Women Space* Berlin. Both of whom are active speakers on violence against women and empowering women. The two-hour discussion centered around the causes and effects of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), violence against women and girls, women’s rights in migration and asylum policies.
A recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/about/en/ recognizes FGM as an international human rights violation and shows that female genital mutilation has no health benefits but harms girls and women in ways such as chronic genital infections, severe menstrual cramps, painful sexual intercourse and dysfunction, complications during childbirth as well as depression and trauma. Most – if not all – traditional circumcisers have no medical background. They apply old, traditional techniques, leading to the death of some girls/women during the procedure.
Refugees and migrants have not been able to achieve sufficient self-reliance. With this in mind, there is a need for refugees and migrant women to have access to jobs and educational opportunities to enable them to defend themselves against violence, sexism, racism, the violence of the asylum system and migration policies by documenting, making visible, and publishing their stories in their own words. This will also enable them to build their livelihoods.
“We are fed up with people speaking about us and not with us -women’s resistance is often oppressed, and women’s history hidden or ignored”, Jennifer Kamau of the International Women Space (IWS) elaborated, adding that IWS focuses more on asylum policies and what effects the policies in place have on migrant women.
Both speakers asked for more dialogues on women’s rights and violence against issues affecting women such as asylum policies, FGM, sexual harassment and rape, noting that violence against women and girls is a human rights violation that has been perpetuated for decades. They furtherurged a “stand against rape culture” each case, according to them, is unique to the cultural sensitivities and barriers of each community. Isatou Barry observed that; in many cultures, being shamed and stigmatized for standing up against abuse can isolate an individual from their community. For example, a non-circumcised girl is excluded in the societies of circumcised girls.
They also recommended teaching the younger generation and learning from them should serve as an example for them to shape the way they think about gender, respect and human rights. “Start conversations about gender roles early, and challenge the traditional features and characteristics assigned to men and women,” said Isatou Barry.
Jennifer Kamau emphasized the importance of listening and believing the survivors. “When a woman shares her story of violence, she takes the first step to breaking the cycle of abuse. It’s therefore, on all of us to give her the safe space she needs to speak up and be heard”. She added that women on the move need gender-sensitive migration and asylum policies. The specific needs of migrant women and girls can only be addressed through gender-sensitive migration and asylum policies, including specific protection and support mechanisms
In conclusion, Jennifer stressed that migrant and refugee women in Europe face particular challenges, including violence, difficulties in access to justice, a likelihood to fall into precarious situations, risks of abject poverty and social exclusion. Migrant refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls also often face double discrimination. They are sometimes restricted within their communities by cultural codes, customs, religion or tradition and by different stereotypes and institutional barriers in host countries. This is often challenging because they are perceived as different from European culture(s).
The Migrant Media Network (#MMN) monthly series of “Women Empowering Women “is an initiative by our Gambian/ diaspora community manager Nyima Jadama, our women and migration expert ‘coordinator. This blog aims to tell stories of women in migration, especially from The Gambia, focusing on irregular migration.
https://i0.wp.com/migrantmedia.network/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/panelists.jpeg?fit=1086%2C724&ssl=17241086adminhttps://migrantmedia.network/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MMN_logo.jpgadmin2021-11-30 21:43:002021-12-31 09:22:44Women paving ways for a violence-free future for women by creating safe spaces.