UNDP MAURITIUS AND SEYCHELLES

This edition of the Gendered Voices Newsletter highlights the inspiring stories of four women actively engaged in civil society organisations (CSOs) - Anushka Virasawmy and Annie Osawaru from Mauritius and Anita Gardner and Barbara Carolus from Seychelles. Their work spans advocacy around critical issues including gender-based violence, broader gender rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, the integration of people with hearing impairments, and youth well-being. 

Through their personal experiences and insights, this issue explores their sources of inspiration and determination, the gender-specific challenges they encounter, and the opportunities and support systems available to address patriarchy and other socio-cultural constraints to equity and development opportunities for marginalised communities. 

This UNDP Gendered Voices Newsletter, on the theme 'Women and the Law', features insights from inspiring women who played an important role in reshaping the legal landscape and advocating for gender equality in Mauritius. It showcases their challenges and accomplishments in advancing women's rights within a traditionally male-dominated legal profession.

This edition of the Gendered Voices Newsletter highlights the opportunities and challenges faced by women in ocean-based activities, and more precisely in the Blue Economy sectors of Mauritius and Seychelles, respectively. Through the stories of Ms. Dainise Quatre, marine officer; Ms. Doline Rose, oyster farmer; Ms. Andrese Flore, fisher, and Ms. Priteema Laverdure, coral planter, interesting insights are provided on the ways in which some women are earning a living from the sea. This edition also highlights the contributions of women to building resilience and adaptation measures to climate change, and addresses gender-related issues that remain to be tackled in ocean-related sectors.

This edition of the Gendered Voices Newsletter highlights the experiences of women engaged in Web Applications, e-Commerce, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and other innovative technologies in Mauritius. Insights into the stories of Ms. Varuna Bangaleea, Director of an IT company; Ms. Nabeelah Pooloo, part-time Research Assistant on AI projects; Ms. Johanna Frontczak, Director of an online recruitment company, and Ms. Karuna Veerapen, co-founder of an SME involved in e-Commerce, reveal the opportunities and hindrances faced by women in the digital world. 

The information gained may be used to inform long-term planning, policymaking, and programing in support of women’s empowerment in Web Application Development, e-Commerce, AI and other innovative technologies.

Examples of women who have successfully overcome gender barriers in the field of Healthcare, Innovation and Technology exist. In this edition of Gendered Voices, Ms. Anita Beeharry, Lead Programme Manager at the Central Informatics Bureau (CIB), Ms. Bhoomita Budhai, Category Manager for a healthcare and wellbeing solutions provider; Dr. Chanseet Goolab, first nominated female General Surgeon on the island, and Dr. Janaki Sonoo, Director of the Health Laboratory Services, speak about the opportunities and difficulties that women are embracing at multiple levels in the health sector.

This edition of the UNDP Gendered Voices Newsletter provides insight into the lived experiences of Mauritian women working or engaged in the ICT sector. The aim is to shed light on the opportunities in the ICT realm and the specific gendered barriers that women face in this field, including from the onset of COVID-19. The newsletter also seeks to highlight the various coping mechanisms women have developed to adapt and build resilience. The evidence-based information may provide substantial entry points for policy-making and help devise inclusive targeted strategies to empower women in ICT and ultimately meet their immediate and long-term needs.

This edition of Gendered Voices provides insights into the experiences of five Seychellois women working in different spheres of technology. Maria Stevens founded the first call center in Seychelles; Emilie Chetty has built a name for herself in the film industry; Marie Reine Ahoune is devising a pioneering technological strategy to heighten maritime surveillance; Brenda Bastienne is resourcefully contributing to FinTech, Blockchain and AI innovations; and Lisa Bastienne is utilizing digital platforms to empower youth in sustainable development. This newsletter highlights the opportunities, achievements and resilience built by women in their respective fields, especially since the onset of COVID-19. The evidence-based information may provide substantial entry points for policy making and help formulate inclusive targeted strategies and programmes to empower women in technology and ultimately to meet their immediate and long-term needs.

UNDP Mauritius Gendered Voices Newsletter - Environment Special - draws on women's experiences in the environment sector. From the women impacted by the MV Wakashio oil spill on the southeastern coast of Mauritius (Issue 1) to the women working as engineers in the Renewable Energy sector (Issue 2), as biologists in environmental NGOs engaged in protecting biodiversity (issue 3), or working in the informal sector (issue 4), our informants share their challenges and achievements in the face of various gendered barriers encountered at work or in other aspects of their professional life. Through these editions, we discover the increasingly important role that Mauritian women play in promoting sustainable development and environmental protection in the Republic of Mauritius.

The United Nations Development Programme in Mauritius partnered with the Ministry of Gender and Social Welfare, the Australian High Commission, the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator and UN Women to contribute a space to document women’s COVID-19 stories in Mauritius. It also aims to illustrate the intersectionality of women’s identities and experiences; to contribute to our understanding of effective policy responses and, to quite simply, add to the echo of their voices. 

UNDP Mauritius Gendered Voices Newsletter draws on women's experiences during the confinement period and in the wake of the 'new normal' to highlight the gendered implications of COVID-19 in Mauritius. 

This edition of the UNDP Gendered Voices Newsletter shares the stories of women engaged in Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Seychelles. An insight into the experiences of Dr Silvana Bisogni Bonne, Ms Claudette Albert, Ms Gilberte Gendron and Ms Ingrid Sauer, illustrate the barriers faced by female entrepreneurs on the archipelago islands where MSMEs represent over 90% of all firms and provide 41% of all jobs. This edition also sheds light on the forms of resilience and adaptation of women in MSMEs to keep a positive momentum and succeed in their respective fields, which include the production of Coco de Mer value-added products, sustainable farming, honey-making, and the manufacture of chemical-free body care products.

Ensuing a previous series of Gendered Voices Newsletter on Gender and Economic Resilience pertaining to COVID-19 and its impacts on women in the formal sector, this new edition sheds light on the pandemic-triggered challenges and resilience strategies developed by women entrepreneurs in the informal sector, particularly those involved in green jobs, in the Republic of Mauritius and Rodrigues Island.

Through an insight into the unique experiences of these women, this newsletter seeks to throw light on specific gendered challenges that they face amid COVID-19, and on the coping mechanisms they developed to build resilience. The evidence- based information may provide substantial entry points for policy formulation and targeted response strategies to empower and meet the immediate and long-term needs of women in the green and informal sector.