Hi All:
This is forwarded from the WTES network. Apologies for any
duplicates.
Stefanie Rixecker
ECOFEM Coordinator
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Date sent: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 13:11:46 -0700
From: "Fiona S. Crofton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: WTES: Adv of Women: Women & Peace
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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>From Global Futures Bulletin #112
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN - BEIJING +5
Gender equity is a human right. Special attention for the advancement
of women is necessary because women worldwide do not have the
same level of opportunity as men, and experience gender
discrimination in many ways.
The advancement of women is also a key factor in the further
development of democracy. It is also seen as one of several key
interrelated factors in reducing the world population growth rate to
zero. Further, many see the advancement of women as a vital part of a
transition to permanent peace and disarmament and the abolition of
war - a vision most men (and women) find difficult to conceive, but
which is integral to the global women's movement.
The recent Beijing +5 [1] Summit examined progress in the
implementation of the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action (BpfA) and
reviewed the text of the '12 critical areas'.
The Beijing +5 Summit resulted in an 'Outcomes Document'. Some
proposed text was lost in negotiations, but other language was
strengthened and new issues introduced. A group of about 10
countries blocked progress on certain issues such as reproductive
rights and sexual orientation.
Gains [2]:
- recognition of systematic gender-based violence in war where
women are being specifically targeted;
- recognition of marital rape, honour killings and forced marriages
- health (maternal mortality, education programs, health sector reform)
- globalisation (recognition of negative impacts on women and gender
differences and equal participation of women in macro economic
decision making)
- economy (right to inheritance and property rights, access to housing,
gender budgets and ILO declaration on women's rights at work),
- human rights (ratify optional protocol to Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW), gender-related asylum, equality between women and
men migrants and increased recognition of specific needs and rights
of indigenous),
- political empowerment (quotas & other measures to increase
women's participation in political parties and parliaments)
Weaknesses [3]:
- governments are still not bound by targets (benchmarks, numerical
goals, time-bound targets and indicators).
- deletion of the recognition of the role of women in peace processes.
- access of NGOs to the negotiating process was somewhat restricted
- women and environment (section K of the BPfA). Issues such as
environmental refugees, environmental health problems (eg due to
pesticides) were left out of the final document and a reference to
capacity building in organic agriculture was deleted.
- references to sexual orientation were omitted.
Views were most noticeably divided between JUSCANZ (Japan, US,
Canada, New Zealand) and the EU on one hand, and Pakistan,
Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Iran, Syria and Libya on the other. Argentina
can be seen as the most conservative (eg on reproductive rights,
abortion) amongst the Latin American bloc (SLAC). The Holy See
received less support from Latin American and African countries than
at the 1995 Beijing Conference [4].
The Special Session also adopted a 'Political Declaration' which
reaffirms the commitment of governments to implementing the BpfA
[5], the 1985 Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies (NFLS), the 12
critical areas of concern, and 0.7% GNP in ODA [6] from developed
countries.
There was discussion on the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which was
adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. The BPfA envisaged
universal ratification of the Convention by the year 2000, and
although there are now 165 parties to the convention, activists say that
a handful of countries are obstructing the review and implementation
process of CEDAW.
CEDAW states that governments must report every four years on
achievements and progress in implementation [7].
The 'Optional Protocol', is a key document arising from CEDAW
which gives women the right to go directly to the UN if they feel their
government has not dealt with complaints of gender discrimination
adequately. Within the EU, Ireland and the UK are the only countries
who have not signed this document.
Pakistan fought a reference to ending all discriminatory laws by 2015
[8].
A number of countries including the US placed reservations on
references to the negative impact of globalisation on women, and
others on issues relating to reproductive health [9].
The 12 critical areas are:
- women and poverty
- education and training of women
- women and health
- violence against women
- women and armed conflict
- women and the economy
- women in power and decision-making
- institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women
- human rights of women
- women and the media
- women and the environment
- the girl-child
Despite some improvements since 1995, [10]
- globally only about 33% of total income goes to women
- women and children make up to 80% of refugees fleeing from
conflict
- 66% of the world's 875m illiterates are female
- Of the 600,000/an childbirth-related deaths of women, most are
preventable. Another 80,000/an deaths are a result of unsafe
abortion.
As of August 1999 only 10 women were serving as heads of state and
government - those of Bangladesh, Guyana, Ireland, Latvia, New
Zealand, Panama, San Marino, Sri Lanka (President and Prime
Minister) and Switzerland (amazingly given that women in
Switzerland were only granted the right to vote in 1971).
Women as cabinet ministers worldwide (% of total):
women men
1996 6.8 93.2
1997 7.0 93.0
1998 7.8 92.2
Sweden has the highest number of women (40.4%) in the lower or
single house. The percentage of women in parliament in Eastern
Europe has declined significantly since the transformation to a market
economy, free elections and abolition of quotas.
As mentioned above - governments are still not bound by targets
(benchmarks, numerical goals, time-bound targets and indicators).
(A review of trends in women-related statistics will appear in Global
Futures Bulletin #113)
*
[1] Beijing +5, ' Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and
Peace for the 21st Century' took place 5-10 June 2000 as the 23rd
Special Session of the UN in New York. It was attended by 2,003
government delegates and 2,043 NGO representatives.
[2] Jones, Jenny UNED Forum, Valerie Evans, Sanam Naraghi
Anderlini
[3] Jones, Jenny etc op cit
[4] Earth Negotiations Bulletin ' Beijing +5 Summary and Analysis
Vol. 14 No. 46 13 June 2000
[5] also abbreviated to 'PFA'
[6] ODA - Overseas Development Assistance. - A net ODA target of
0.7% of GNP was agreed at the 1970 UN General Assembly and
reiterated at most world summits since. But only four developed
countries have met their commitment - Denmark, Norway, Sweden
and the Netherlands.
[7] Jones, Jenny etc op cit
[8] Earth Negotiations Bulletin op cit
[9] Earth Negotiations Bulletin op cit
[10] UN Division for the Advancement of Women
*
{7. emancipation of women; 34. world summits}
*
*
*
WOMEN AND THE PEACE PROCESS
Part of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) critical area 'E. women
in armed conflict' emphasises the need for a greater role for women in
conflict resolution, in recognition of specific skills and abilities they
bring to the peace process. It is also a recognition of the roots of war
in patriarchy. Initiatives include:
- Netherlands program 'Engendering the Peace Process'
- African region 'First Ladies for Peace Initiative' 1997, includes
conferences where resolutions are presented to African heads of
states and government.
- Organization of African Unity 'Women's Committee on Peace and
Development' 1999.
- Belgium/UNICEF women's NGO negotiates release of children from
rebel soldiers in Africa
- Georgia - active involvement of women in decision-making in armed
conflicts and peace-building.
- UK involved women in peace process in Northern Ireland
*
{7. emancipation of women; 2. peace and conflict resolution}
*
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************************************
Dr. Stefanie S. Rixecker, Senior Lecturer
Environmental Management & Design Division
Lincoln University, Canterbury
PO Box 84
Aotearoa New Zealand
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Fax: 64-03-325-3841
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