Women on the move - newsletter 3
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Women on the Move - May 1994/No.3
SUMMARY:
- "African continent is free", said the Secretary general of the Fourth World Conference on Women KONPERENSI DUNIA KE-IV TENTANG WANITA Fourth World Conference on Women
- Asia and Pacific to open Regional Preparatory Conferences in Jakarta
- Toledo Conference of the European Union (14-16 April 1994) (Photo)
- Third Preparatory Committee for ICPD
- Gender equality in population programmes/CSW resolution (38/6)
- The Secretary General at the Inter-American Development Bank and the Society for International Development in Mexico
- brief: INSTRAW's Board of trustees (14th session)
- Fourth World Conference on Women goes on line
- Did you know?
- Calendar of events
"The African continent is free,"
says Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women
On the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela, after the first multiracial elections in South Africa, the Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Gertrude Mongella, has sent a message of congratulations to all women and people of South Africa.
"It is difficult to believe, but it is real, that at long last freedom for all people of all races, creeds and sexes has come to South Africa", declared Mongella, who follows the elections from Namibia, where she was invited by President Sam Nujoma, in the framework of a mission in different African countries to mobilize for the September 1995 Women's Conference.
She congratulated all women of South Africa for the courage, the perseverance and sacrifices" they made towards the achievement of this day. She added that as an African woman, "I am proud that the African continent is free".
Evoking her task as Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held in Beijing, China, she said that she feels "very privileged to prepare a Conference where the women and men of South Africa will take a seat as representatives of their nation instead of representatives of liberation movements".
As a means of pressure against the former white government in South Africa and the policy of apartheid, many regional and international organizations had expelled South Africa, but gave observer status to the African liberation movements, such as the African National Congress (ANC), led by Nelson Mandela.
After the elections of last April, different United Nations agencies are re-opening the door to South African membership, among them UNESCO.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the United Nations Secretary-General, has recently declared that from this moment on South Africa can rejoin the international community.
Returning from her mission to Namibia, Zambia, Kenya and Senegal, Mongella pointed out that Africa, and its women in particular, are facing at the same time lack of peace, and economic and development problems.
"African women continue reminding me of the need for political commitment and the fact that peace in the continent is crucial", she emphasized.
Then she strongly stressed the need for more international involvement to stop the violent events in Rwanda and Burundi. "It is disgusting to see again women and children victims of violence, poor people obliged to seek massive refuge in another poor country and the environment destroyed. This will have serious effects in all the subregion" she said.
Despite the difficulties, African countries are showing interest and joining efforts to prepare for the Beijing Conference, reported Mongella, concluding that the national reports on the situation of women in Africa are "almost ready".
KONPERENSI DUNIA KE - IV TENTANG WANITA
Asia and Pacific to open Regional Preparatory Conferences in Jakarta
Women of Asia and the Pacific, their concerns, needs and aspirations, will be at the heart of the debates at a regional governmental gathering at the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
The Second Asia and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development will be divided into two parts. First is the Senior Officials' Meeting, from 7 to 11 June 1994, to review and appraise the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women during the period 1985- 1992.
It will also design a plan for action for the advancement of women in the 58 countries of Asia and the Pacific, focusing on three main topics: women in economic development, women in social development and empowerment of women.
Then follows the Ministerial Meeting itself (13-14 June), to examine and adopt the proposals of the Senior Officials' Meeting, taking into consideration the results of the NGO symposium in Manila (November 1993), and of the Expert Group Meeting on Women in Development organized by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand, from 8 to 11 February 1994.
Organized by ESCAP and the Indonesian National Committee for the Women's Conference, the Second Asia and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development will take place at the Jakarta Hilton Convention Centre (JCC).
The opening ceremony will be presided over by Hon. Madame Mien Sughandi, Minister of State for the Role of Women, and the meeting of ministers will be inaugurated by H.E. President Soeharto.
For more information during the Conference, contact: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
c/o Jakarta Hilton Convention Centre
P.O. Box 3315
Jakarta, Indonesia
Tel. (62 21) 572 65 28
Fax. 572 652 / 572 65 28
Cable: HILTELS
A 16 mm documentary film is under preparation at the national level about the situation of women in Indonesia. The poster for the Conference is ready.
The 48 countries members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific are: Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Russian Federation, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam.
The ten associate members are: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong, Macau, New Caledonia, Niue, Republic of Palau. Switzerland participates in a consultative capacity in the work of the Commission (ECOSOC res. 860, 21 December 1961)
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Preparatory Conference of the European Union Member States (Toledo, Spain, 14-16 April 1994)
Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain presided over the Preparatory Conference of the European Union for the Fourth World Conference on Women, in which European activists stressed that, far from improving, the plight of third world women has deteriorated in the past 10 years.
Solidarity was one of the main aims of this Conference, held from 14 to 16 April in the imperial city of Toledo, one of the most historic Spanish cities.
"This is fundamental for tackling the problems of women in the world, whose inequalities are growing with every day that passes" said Marina Subirats, Director of Spain's Institute of Women (Instituto de la Mujer), which organized the three-day meeting jointly with the Spanish Ministry of Social Affairs.
Subirats also described the specific problems faced by those women in the so-called "fourth world", that is, those sectors where women are marginalized and face a situation of poverty and enormous difficulties inside European and other developed countries. "This is why the idea of internal solidarity in each country is also important", she declared.
During the debates, it was emphasized that women in developing countries work longer hours than men for less money: in Latin America and the Caribbean an average of six hours a week more, in Africa, Asia and the Pacific from 12 to 13 hours a week more. At the same time, these women are denied the same educational opportunities as their male counterparts.
On the positive side, the participants noted that more women are entering the political field, with some success although in the developing world the results continue to be discouraging with women accounting for less than four per cent of members of parliaments in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
"Women in the economy", "Women and solidarity" and "Women in public life" were some of the themes discussed in workshops organized for the 250 participants from the 12 countries members of the European Union and the candidates to membership: Austria, Norway, Sweden and Finland. A parallel NGO forum was also held on the same subjects.
Youth corner:
Asia-Pacific Youth Consultation will be organized in Jakarta from 4 to 8 June 1994, parallel to the Second Asia and the Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development.
Meeting Venue:
UNICEF Headquarters,
Wisma Metropolitan 11, 11th Floor
Jl. Jendral Sudirman Kav.31
Jakarta 12920
Tel. (62-21) 570 5816
Fax. (62-21) 571 1326
Through the Youth Corner, we would like to create a space for discussion for young people of both sexes.
Please send us information about your activities and your ideas about the Fourth World Conference on Women.
Did you know?
The Dallas Morning News won the Pulitzer Prize this April for the best foreign reportage, for a series of articles on violence against women worldwide. The playwright Edward Albee received the Drama award for his Three Tall Women.
brief: INSTRAW's Board of Trustees, 14th session
The Board of Trustees of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) met for its annual session from 18 to 21 April in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The Board reviewed the activities of the Institute in the last year, considered the proposed programme of work and budget for the bienium 1994-1995, and discussed the role of INSTRAW after the Fourth World Conference on Women.
ICPD Prepcom # 3
Negotiations on the final document or Programme of Action were the main focus of the Third Preparatory Committee for the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (New York, 4-22 April 1994).
The Programme of Action for this Conference, scheduled from 5 to 13 September in Cairo, Egypt, with goals and objectives extending over the next 20 years, identified many crucial changes needed in matters of population, health, education and development, with women as the most important target.
At a press conference after the preparatory meeting, Dr. Nafis Sadik, Secretary-General of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), hoped that the draft program of action would be a "liberalizing force for women throughout the world that would be the corner stone for the Social Summit".
Addressing the Committee, the Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for the Fourth World Conference on Women, Ebrima Jobarteh, said that the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) adopted, at its thirty-eight session in March 1994, a resolution on gender equality in population programmes.
"The resolution emphasizes the full participation of both women and men in all aspects of productive and reproductive life, including shared responsibilities for the care and nurturing of children and maintenance of the household", he emphasized.
Jobarteh, who joined the Conference Secretariat in early March, also called attention, on behalf of the Secretary-General, Gertrude Mongella, to the increasing numbers, "in hundreds of thousands, of young girls and boys living from hand to mouth, at poverty level on the streets, exposing themselves to violent crime and to death by diseases such as HIV/AIDS."
On the other hand, Jyoti Shankar Singh, Executive Coordinator of the ICPD Third Preparatory Committee, pointed out that the concept of gender equality was agreed upon by all the delegates.
Gender equality in population programmes
Resolution of the Commission on the Status of Women (38/6)
Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, which set equality, development and peace as the general objectives and goals for promoting the advancement of women, the World Conference on Education for All, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the World Conference on Human Rights, and looking forward to the International Conference on Population and development, the World Summit for Social Development and the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace,
Recalling also the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, which reaffirms, on the basis of equality between women and men, a woman's right to accessible and adequate health care and the widest range of family planning services, as well as equal access to education at all levels,
Emphasizing that the full participation of both women and men in all aspects of productive and reproductive life, including shared responsibilities for the care and nurturing of children and maintenance of the household, is required and in the interest of women, men and children,
Emphasizing also that the empowerment of women and the improvement of their status, particularly with respect to education, health, economic opportunity and decision-making, and full political participation and representation, are highly important ends in themselves and are essential to reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and achieving fair and non-coercive population policies that respect women's rights as human rights,
Recognizing that, because gender discrimination often begins at the earliest stages of life, equal attention to the needs of the girl child is a necessary first step to ensuring that women realize their full potential and become equal partners in sustainable development,
Emphasizing that one of the aims of family-planning programmes should be to establish, as appropriate, the widest possible choice for women in matters of procreation,
Recognizing the sovereign right of each country to establish its own population policies and programmes responding to country- specific needs, while mindful that national action or inaction in population may have effects that extend beyond national boundaries,
- Reaffirms the goal of universal access to safe motherhood, to family-planning and reproductive health services and facilities for those who wish to use them, to assistance in preventing and overcoming infertility, and to full and timely information about all aspects of reproductive health and sexuality;
- Also reaffirms, as stated in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, that men and women have, on the basis of equality, the same rights to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to have access to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise those rights;
- Encourages Governments and non-governmental organizations to promote and encourage the equal participation of women and men in all areas of family responsibility, so that both women and men can balance their domestic and public responsibilities;
- Urges Governments, intergovernmental bodies and, where appropriate, non-governmental organizations to adopt and implement population and development policies that enhance social and economic equality; include popular participation; incorporate women equally in all levels of planning, decision-making and implementation; address the reproductive health needs of women and men of all ages; respect and protect women's rights as human rights; and, where levels are still high, significantly reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates;
- Urges Governments to make greater efforts to implement and enforce national laws and international conventions protecting women from all types of discrimination, including implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women;
- Encourages Governments to acknowledge and implement the recommendations regarding women's rights contained in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights;
- Also encourages Governments to review, legislate if they have not already done so, enforce and provide public information concerning the minimum age of consent and minimum age at marriage, paying attention to the importance of empowering women so that they may choose education or employment as alternatives to early marriage;
- Urges Governments, where required, to adopt, implement and enforce laws to eliminate infanticide; female foeticide; preferential treatment of boys to the detriment of girls' education, health, self-esteem and quality of life; forced marriages; child labour; child trafficking resulting in child slavery and prostitution; and other forms of child abuse;
- Also urges Governments to prohibit female genital mutilation and other traditional practices which diminish the dignity and integrity of women and, in collaboration with local and regional non-governmental organizations and local communities, to act vigorously to create awareness among concerned populations of the urgent need to eliminate those practices and provide the support services necessary to mitigate their harmful effects;
- Further urges Governments to empower women and close the gender gap as soon as possible by:
- (a) Encouraging women's participation and representation at all levels of the political process in each community and society;
- (b) Promoting the fulfilment of women's potential through education and development of skills, paying urgent attention to the elimination of illiteracy among adult women and to the importance of education of the girl child;
- (c) Eliminating legal, political, social and cultural barriers against women, and assisting women to establish and realize their rights, particularly those that relate to sexual and reproductive health;
- (d) Adopting concrete measures to improve women's ability to earn income; achieve economic self-reliance; inherit, own and dispose of property and land; and have access to credit on the basis of equality with men without discrimination;
- Further urges Governments to ensure the widest and earliest possible access by girls and women to secondary and higher education and vocational training, including taking positive actions to increase the school retention rates of girls, with the aim of reducing the current disparities between boys and girls by the year 2000;
- Urges all countries in a position to do so and appropriate international organizations to provide assistance to developing countries for family-planning services, including contraceptives, information and education;
- Encourages Governments and local international non- governmental organizations to launch information and education campaigns to change the public perception of the value of the girl child, generate social awareness of the short and long-term poverty and socio-economic consequences of discrimination against girls and of early motherhood, and establish innovative mechanisms for encouraging protection of and respect for the rights of the girl child;
- Encourages Governments within their legal framework to eliminate all policies and practices of discrimination and coercion related to employment, marriage, divorce, inheritance, maternity, child-rearing, and custody of children;
- Also encourages Governments to develop educational curricula that eliminate gender stereotypes and reflect a commitment to full gender equality;
- Urges Governments and non-governmental organizations to encourage men to be involved, as partners and fathers, in safe and responsible parenthood and family-planning, emphasizing men's shared responsibilities, inter alia, in the areas of prenatal and maternal health, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, prevention of unwanted and high-risk pregnancies, child care, education, health and nutrition and the promotion of the equal value of children of both sexes;
- Urges Governments to take steps so that children receive appropriate financial support from parents by, inter alia, enforcing child support laws;
- Urges Governments and non-governmental organizations to develop an integrated approach to the special nutritional, health, including reproductive health, educational and social needs of girls and young women;
- Also urges Governments and non-governmental organizations to involve women in the design of health-care programmes, including reproductive health, and in the planning, management, delivery and evaluation of services, and to take positive steps to train and employ more women at all levels of the health-care delivery system;
- Further urges Governments and non-governmental organizations to support women in their aim to expand and strengthen campaigns to make women aware of the full range of their legal rights, including their rights within the family, and to help women organize to achieve those rights.
The Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Mexico
"Women in the Americas: Participation and Development" was the theme of a Regional Forum organized on 5-6 April in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico, by the Inter-American Bank, prior to the annual Meeting of the Bank's Board of Governors.
The Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Gertrude Mongella, participated in the forum and had talks with the President of the Bank, Enrique Iglesias, board members and prominent women senior bankers about key issues facing women of the Latin American region.
Those issues are gender dimensions of social reform, economic contributions of women, participation in the democratic process and sustainable development.
At the governmental level, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mexico, Manuel Tello, reiterated the commitment of the Mexican Government to cooperate with the Secretariat of the Conference "to make the Beijing '95 Conference a success", since Mexico had been linked to the history of advancing women's status by hosting the first International Conference on Women in 1975.
In Mexico City, Ms. Mongella also spoke at the twenty-first World Conference of the Society for International Development (SID), in a North-South round table panel on "Gender priorities for the twenty-first Century: Towards Beijing '95", where the other panellists were Khadija Haq, from UNICEF, Sharon Capeling- Alakija; from UNDP, Noeleen Heyzer, of the Asia Pacific Development Centre; and Solita Monsod, from the Philippines Sustainable Development Commission.
The Secretary-General of the Beijing Conference disagreed with the proposal of the panel that the United Nations should create a new agency for women. She said that "we must try to strengthen every UN agency to act in a way that recognizes both men and women". She argued that girls and women comprise half the population of the world; they cannot be treated as if they are a "social group" that requires a special agency to deal with their "needs and aspirations".
This, she added, is not acceptable because we can learn from the experience we had when Governments created special ministries or departments for women: these are the most underfunded, the most marginalized. She finally challenged the participants of the panel to make sure that every action which takes place in society treats women as people.
Fourth World Conference on Women goes on-line !
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Section, WCW folder !
Together Net: Look for UN Section, !
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Dear Readers,
This is the third issue of Women on the Move, a monthly newsletter distributed by the secretariat of the Fourth World Conference on Women to inform you about its work and the preparatory activities for that event. We would like to hear your comments and receive your suggestions. We would also like to use Women on the Move as a platform for dialogue and cooperation with UN agencies, NGOs, grass-roots regional organizations, national machineries and individuals.
United Nations
Secretariat of the Fourth World Conference on Women
Division for the Advancement of Women
DC2-1234
Two United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017 USA
Tel. (212) 963-8385
Fax. (212) 963-3463
