NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Addressing anti-Black racism helps to create communities for children to thrive

In this session, children and young activists will reflect on how they have been impacted by racism and the work they are leading to address discrimination. You will also hear from schools and local authorities that are actively tackling anti-Black racism, and how, by doing so, they made their communities more welcoming for all children and young people.

Come, Listen and be inspired about how we can all play our part in ending Black racism.

Program and Speakers

The session will be hosted by Panashe Chigumadzi, a journalist, essayist and novelist. Panellists include:

• Marley Dias, American activist, writer and founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks
• Simphiwe Masilo, South African Intersectional Activist
• Luis Carlos Miranda da Silva, Young Brazilian Activist
• Glenthorne High School and CEO of the Willow Learning Trust, Steve Hume, – featured in the critically acclaimed UK documentary, “The School that Tried to End Racism”.
• Representatives from Ontario, Canada (Andre Lyn) and Bahia, Brazil (Alan Sueira) where active anti-racism strategies are in place and are working.
• Human rights activist and Elder, Hina Jilani who recently led a commission of enquiry following the murder of George Floyd

Tuesday, 7 December 2021 at 3:30pm- 4:15pm (GMT)/10:30am-11:15am (EST)/

4:30pm-5:15pm (CET)

The economic crisis accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women’s economic and skilling activities. Containment measures like physical distancing, curfews, and lockdowns have exacerbated pre-existing gender differences in time use, increasing the pressures of unpaid care work that fall on women. Women’s work and entrepreneurial activities have also been affected on account of the types of sectors and jobs in which women primarily work, and existing structural disadvantages and gender gaps in accessing resources.

Designing social policies to mitigate these impacts and support employment and skills development opportunities for women is critical to post-pandemic economic recovery and gender equality. This event will convene researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to share research findings and discuss policy solutions from IPA’s Women’s Work, Entrepreneurship, and Skilling (WWES) Initiative in Bangladesh.

Sneha Subramanian (IPA) will present on the WWES initiative and IPA’s approach to equipping partners with critical data for timely decision-making. Christopher Woodruff (Oxford University) and Atonu Rabbani (University of Dhaka) will present on the impact of COVID-19 on female workers in the readymade garment sector in Bangladesh. Sarah Baird and Jennifer Seager (George Washington University) will present on the impact of COVID-19 on economic aspirations and outcomes of Bangladeshi adolescents. Nathan Fiala (University of Connecticut) will present results from the skills to succeed (S2S) program in Bangladesh and its impact on women’s labor market outcomes. Kawsar Hossain Sojib (a2i – Innovate for All and Jahangirnagar University) will discuss the policy implications of the results from these studies. Maheen Sultan (BRAC Institute for Governance and Development) will moderate the discussion and Q&A following the presentations.

Presenters:

• Sarah Baird, Associate Professor of Global Health and Economics, George Washington University
• Nathan Fiala, Associate Professor, University of Connecticut
• Atonu Rabbani, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Dhaka
• Jennifer Seager, Assistant Professor of Global Health and Economics, George Washington University
• Christopher Woodruff, Professor of Development Economics, University of Oxford

Hosts:

• Sneha Subramanian, Acting Country Director, Innovations for Poverty Action Bangladesh
• Maheen Sultan, GAGE Bangladesh Qualitative Research Lead, BRAC Institute for Governance and Development

Policy Discussant:

• Kawsar Hossain Sojib, Data Innovation Economist, a2i – Innovate for All, and Faculty, Department of Economics, Jahangirnagar University

Time: 8-9AM EST / 7-8PM Dhaka