Women on the move - newsletter 5
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Women on the Move # 5
Published by the United Nations, Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, Division for the Advancement of Women
SUMMARY
- First Regional Conference: Women in Asia and the Pacific. Governments and NGOs worked together in a new spirit. Youth worked with the governmental Conference.
- China: A country in action for the Women's Conference.
- The Nordic Forum, imagination and invention in Turku.
- NGOs update
- Calendar
China: A country in action for the Women's Conference.
The Secretary General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Gertrude Mongella, was invited by the All-China Women's Federation to visit women's programs and activities as part of the preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women to be held in Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995. The All-China Women's Federation, in existence since 1950 is one of the largest women's non-governmental organization in the world, composed of a network of women's groups which have worked for equality of women and men.
The Secretary General visited Dalian, Shangai, Nanjing and Beijing where she exchanged views with representatives of the All-China Women's Federation as well as high level authorities from the Government. She also met women from many professions: lawyers, workers, students, doctors and teachers. They shared stories about their lives and their work and concerns. She briefed them on preparations for the Beijing Conference, and encouraged them to take an active role in national preparations for Beijing. She also emphasized the key role of youth the media in the preparatory process towards Beijing.
In China today, where one in five women in the world live, women have been guaranteed equal rights by the constitution. In 1994, 16 women held the posts of Ministers or Vice Ministers under the State Council and 18 held the posts of Provincial Governors or Deputy-Governors. There are now 300 female mayors and Vice-mayors in 517 cities. In 1993, Chinese women occupied over 21 per cent of the Deputy positions in the People's Congress at various levels.
Published national data show that women now account for 44 per cent of the total number of the Chinese work force and Chinese women enjoy equal rights with men in employment. Moreover, the Chinese have set in place the principle of equal pay for equal work, but admit that because of the prevailing cultural and traditional attitudes, there still remain some real income gaps between women and men. According to national statistics, the average annual income for rural men and women were 1,518 Yuan and 1,235 Yuan respectively.
Because of their acceptance of women as equal workers to men, the Government provides comprehensive protective measures for employed women. Child bearing female workers and staff members enjoy a three-six month paid maternity leave and female workers have their work load and work time reduced during the pregnant and breast feeding period. Some of the state-own and private-own enterprises and joint-ventures where women predominate now have established gynecological clinics, rest rooms for pregnant women, breast feeding rooms, nurseries and kindergartens. Over 96 per cent of girls from 7-11 year attend schools.
The Vice-Chairperson of the All-China Women's Federation, Huang Qizao, who accompanied Gertrude Mongella during the trip to Dalian and Shanghai, offered detailed information on the preparations for the Conference, especially the school children in various communities, about the activities of the Chinese NGO Forum Committee in organizing training of Chinese volunteers to work at the NGO Forum which will be held at the Beijing Sport Service Center for Workers.
The Sport Center has a stadium with 13,000 seating capacity where the opening and closing ceremonies of the NGO meetings can be held and 70 meeting rooms of various size for seminars. The All- China Women's Federation provided the Secretariat with many publicity publications, video tapes, flags, pins and shopping bags which they distribute to visitors and guests as part of the mobilization campaigns for the Beijing Conference.
Photos
In Dalian Gertrude Mongella met with the Mayor and with Huang Quizao, Vice-Chairperson of the All-China Women's Federation.
The Host Country Agreement was signed in 14th of September at the State Guest House by the United Nations Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Qian Qichen.
First Regional Conference, Women in Asia and the Pacific.
The Jakarta Declaration and Plan of Action on Women in Development. Women of Asia and the Pacific, their needs, concerns and proposed solutions, were at the heart of the debates of the Regional Governmental gathering in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. President Soeharto of the Republic of Indonesia inaugurated the "Second Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development".
The Secretary General of the Fourth World Conference, Gertrude Mongella said at the opening ceremony, that the non-aligned countries, "known and respected" for their commitment to the development of people, "may wish to commit themselves to work for the advancement of women who happen to be the majority of their peoples".
"Women have proven to be the strongest survivors of the species", pointed out Gertrude Mongella, adding that it is this point of strength that underlies the preparatory process for the Fourth World Conference on Women, to be hosted by China in September 1995.
Organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and hosted by the Indonesian National Committee for the Women's Conference, "The Second Asia and the Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development" took place from 13 to 14 June 1994.
A meeting of Senior Officials was held on 10-12 to evaluate the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the advancement of Women since 1985. It proposed a plan of action to improve the situation of women in the 58 countries of the Asia and Pacific region, focusing on three main topics: women in economic development; women in social development and empowerment of women.
The status and situation of women in the region have improved since 1985, according to the Plan of Action which was unanimously adopted by the Ministerial Conference.
The 50-page Plan of Action is preceded by the Jakarta Declaration which reaffirms the governments' commitment to international instruments, especially the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the unique international legal instrument to protect women's rights in all fields of private and public life.
Nevertheless, since the Nairobi Conference on Women, only five countries of Asia and the Pacific have ratified it. The Convention was adopted in 1979 and entered into force two years after.
Before listing the areas of critical concern to the region, the Ministers stressed that "much remains to be done before the region can claim to have achieved the objectives envisaged in the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies: Equality, Development and Peace."
The major areas of concern for the region are:
- a) the growing feminization of poverty;
- b) inequality in women's access to and participation in economic activities;
- c) inadequate recognition of women's role and concerns in environment and natural resource management;
- d) inequitable access to power and decision-making;
- e) violation of women's human rights;
- f) inequalities and lack of access to health;
- h) negative portrayal of women in the media;
- g) inequalities and lack of access to education and literacy;
- i) inadequate mechanisms for promoting the advancement of women;
- j) inadequate recognition of women's role in peace-building.
To address these issues a set of goals and strategic objectives as well as action to be taken at national and regional level have been set in the Plan of Action, with special recommendations to meet the specific needs of young women and girls.
In the overview of the Plan of Action, the Ministers pointed out that social change has been accompanied by significant changes in the relationships between women and men, especially in societies where there have been major advances in education for women and significant increases in women's participation in the paid labor force. However, "marked female-male disparities persist" and the absolute indicators of women's status and human resources development remain low in the less developed (13) countries of the region.
To implement this ambitions program, the Plan recommends that governments establish a national focal point for the advancement of women "at the highest possible policy-making level". The focal point should be responsible for formulating a national plan of action within the framework of the Plan of Action.
Closing the conference, the chairperson, Indonesian Minister of Women's Affairs Mien Sughandi who presided over the conference, said that the Jakarta Declaration provides a "framework for countries" in focusing on the key areas of concern and actions to be taken for the advancement of women. Sugandhi added that "the stability of our countries and the well-being of our peoples will depend on our ability to ensure that women play an equitable role and status in development."
The Jakarta Declaration.
The Jakarta Declaration, which was adopted as a preamble to the Plan of Action, pledges efforts of the governments on eleven points ranging from the recognition of women as agents and beneficiaries of development, to the equal rights, obligations and opportunities and the inalienability of the human rights of women and the girl child. The empowerment and autonomy of women and the improvement of their political, social, economic and health status is essential for human development and survival, stressed the Declaration.
The Jakarta Declaration on women in development contains the "aspirations and commitments of the countries in the Asia and Pacific region, according to Syamsiah Achmad, head of the Indonesian delegation.
The Declaration called for women as agents and beneficiaries of development be fully integrated in all fields and at all levels of development process, particularly into all aspects of planning, policy making and decision making. High priority must be given to the improvement of the status of women in the family and the society and the equality of their role and participation in development.
"In the increasing global concern about the human dimensions of development policies regarding the full, equal and beneficial integration of women in all fields and at all levels of the development process should recognize humans, especially women, throughout their life cycle, as individuals and members of the family, society, state and global community, and that both men and women, including women with disabilities, posses equal rights, obligations and opportunities within each context.
In this respect, the self reliance of both women and men, and the equal, harmonious and mutually beneficial partnership as husband and wife as well as mother and father in the family and as citizens must be continuously enhanced".
Governments and NGOs worked together in a new spirit at Jakarta.
A new concept in the relationship between governments and Non governmental organizations (NGO) emerged at the Second Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development, organized by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), based in Bangkok.
NGO's and governments had been working together and as a result, at least 17 countries out of 54 came to Jakarta with NGO representatives as official members of their delegations.
Some of the issues that the 70 NGOs present at the event wanted to highlight in the Plan of Action adopted in Jakarta was the need to "rethink seriously the dominant development paradigm, translate this into effective policies and arrange to make critical changes", said Khunying Supatra Masdit, Convenor of the 1995 NGO Forum on Women in Beijing. NGOs mainly called for alternatives models of development that are sustainable, equitable, humane and respectful of the rights of both women and men.
Addressing the ministerial conference, Masdit a former Cabinet Minister in the government of Thailand, reminded that the UN charter begins with "we peoples of the United Nations", affirming the "fundamental truth that power emanates from the people. We are full and contributing actors whose voices are indispensable if the actions you approve here have to have any bearing on the reality of women's lives," she emphasized when alluding to the role of the NGOs in implementating the Plan of Action to advance women.
Nevertheless, Supatra Masdit criticized the "gatekeepers of power, such as national and international bureaucracies who prevent change". She denounced the fact that, while the UN Secretariat for the Women's Conference has urged regional preparatory bodies to involve NGO at every stage of the preparations for Beijing, NGOs of Asia and pacific had to deal with "attitudes, procedures, and rules not conductive to NGO participation".
Affirming that "new wine cannot be put in old wineskin", Masdit urged the institutions of civil society from the family to all the formal structures of governance in the local, national, regional and global levels, "to re-build themselves", adding that accountability is a cornerstone of good governance.
In an informal meeting with NGOs, the Secretary General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Gertrude Mongella, said that the new concept of working together is catching on. She also said that between now and Beijing "we still need to have debates on the main issues at society level". Gertrude Mongella pointed out that commitment at all levels is fundamental as well as the notion of accountability of governments.
Nordic Forum.
Crowded, inventive and participative
The scene is a typical cafe-terrace with two enormous statues in the back. The sound is given by Swedish saxophonist, Monika Spring and the prologue made by Par Stenback (Finland), Secretary-General of the Nordic Ministerial Council.
This is the unusual ambiance of an official event: the Nordic Ministerial Conference on Equal Opportunities which take place early August at the auditorium of Turku's City Theater.
The Ministers of Equality of Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark arranged their two-day meeting in a play titled "Shared power and glory - equality between women and men in the Nordic countries in the year 2000", with prologue, five acts and epilogue.
Equal economy earning and gender equality in the labour market are the top priorities for the governments of the Nordic countries for the five years, according to the Programme for Nordic cooperation for Gender Equality 1995-2000.
A gathering of non-governmental organizations called "The Nordic Forum" was also organized in Turku from 1 to 6 August with the participation of more than 16.000 women and men of the region under the optimistic theme "The life and work of women - Joy and freedom".
For the first time, representatives from the three Baltic Republics, Estonia, Lituania and Latvia participated, 300 of whom were sponsored by the Forum organizers.
Almost 2000 events, ranging from seminars, round tables, film festivals and an extensive cultural programme, were held over 6 days.
In a very lively manner, both the forum and the conference addressed the main concerns of the Nordic countries with regard to equality, equal opportunity, and societal structures.
The Ministers of Equal Opportunities from autonomous countries of the region, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Aland also attended the conference.
Finland opened its segment with a well-known actress playing a cleaning lady complaining about unequal opportunities. She was joined on stage by the Finnish Minister of Defence and Equality, Elizabeth Rehn, for a conversation on the matter. This was followed by a discussion of a group of 12 Finns, including Elizabet Rehn, on the following issues: presidential elections, quotas, national service, prostitution, men and equal opportunity.
The Swedish part, on parenthood and paid work, was presented as a play with six protagonists, three men and three women, meeting in a pediatrician's office with their babies, on the question of fatherhood, motherhood and work. One of the actors was the Swedish Minister for Equality and Deputy Prime Minister, Bengt Westerberg.
Denmark, in its intervention, pointed out some of its initiatives with regard to equality in the European Union and hoped to be joined soon by the other countries in order to bring to bear for all the women of Europe the progress achieved in the Nordic countries.
It was announced that there will be a Nordic Council Conference on the role of men. It was also mentioned that Sweden is trying to promote this idea at the United Nations.
The Secretary General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Gertrude Mongella stated that imagination and transparency were perhaps the most pertinent element of the event.
The Nordic Forum had a strong participation of young people in the planning of the event. Mongella met with several youth representatives, and informed them about the initiative of the Conference Secretariat to involve young people in the Conference process.
In her remarks during a seminar on "Making women matter - the role of international organizations", Gertrude Mongella stated that international organizations are a reflection of governments, which are male-dominated: "Women, who are strongly organized at the grass roots level, needed to achieve a critical mass at national and international decision-making levels in order to make a difference". She also discussed the need to define development for the 21st Century.
Mrs. Elisabeth Rehn, Minister of Defence and Equality issues of Finland and former Presidential Candidate, addressed the seminar on the importance of having women participate fully at the highest level of international decision-making.
A special seminar for Baltic women on how to participate in the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women was held. It was a reflection to information about the dismal situation of women in these newly independent countries.
Youth asserts influence over the Regional Platform of Action
Fifteen representatives of youth organizations from Asia and the Pacific had worked hard in Jakarta to revise and make inputs to the regional draft Plan of Action.
Meeting at the UNICEF Office from 4 to 8 June, the Asia-Pacific Youth Consultation was organized by the Secretariat of the Fourth World Conference on Women, which set up early this year a special secretariat programme "The Voices of Youth for Beijing Conference". To facilitate youth to express their concerns and proposals for the Beijing Conference.
The youth representatives stressed that they do not "pretend to express the ideas and feelings of all young people of the region" but that they lobbied the delegates in order to have the report they worked on, submitted to the Second Asia and the Pacific Ministerial Conference on Women in Development, held in Jakarta from 7 to 14 June. Some of them expressed that "it is amazing the good response we had from the delegations", when they presented their report informally.
Coming from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, and the host country, Indonesia, the participants "covered a very wide range of issues. They reacted making modifications, substituting languages and adding youth prospectives to the Platform of Action", said Sherrill Whittington (Australia), Youth Advisor to the Secretariat for the Beijing Conference.
Young people constitute 60 percent of people of Asia and Pacific countries and by the year 2000, half of the world's population will be under 25 years of age. Therefore, they "need to work together to question society", declared Jega Ponnambalam (Sri Lanka), from the Asian Students Association based in Hong Kong.
"Youth groups have a strategic role to play in early intervention in combating gender inequality and strengthening the movement towards gender equality". Therefore, the collection of youth desegregated data is essential for planning gender strategies into the year 2000 and beyond, stressed one of the many amendments made by the young representatives and endorsed by the governments in Jakarta.
The report drafted by the young explained that in many countries of the region, in particular in the Pacific, the national budgetary allocation for the sectors as a percentage of gross domestic product is still inadequate, furthermore the peace dividend should be diverted to sectors which would improve the quality of life, essentially of the more economically disadvantaged.
The participants, aged between 20 and 25 years old, also insisted to give opportunities to girls to freely attend early childhood educational centers to enhance their educational capacities. They noted that young women should be recognized as a "critical sector" of society that has difficulties in accessing social services.
The immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), associated with the high incidence of prostitution was considered to be of particular concern to women in the Asian and the Pacific region, and was associated with the high incidence of prostitution.
Young people added a specific section on the monopolization of the mass media that had created a climate which "sustains global consumerism and commercialization primarily targeted at young women".
"This consumer culture has resulted in the selective use of cultural values, ideology and religion as a means to justify controlling and oppressing women by conservative religious and communal groups and the government", they stressed.
Young women are among the groups excluded from decision-making processes.
The youth representatives said that this situation should be redressed by creating a focal point to address young women's concerns which cross over relevant portfolios, such as education, health and employment.
They recomended that countries should take effective steps to adress the neglect as well as all types of exploitation and abuse of young women such as abduction, rape and incest, pornography, trafficking, abandmement and prostitution.
Four other regional youth consultations will take place - in Africa, Western Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe - this year to address the issues and concerns facing youth in the preparatory process leading up to the Fourth World Conference on Women.
Results of these consultations will be reviewed next year before the Commission on the Status of Women meets in March/April in New York to provide youth inputs to the drafting of the global Platform for Action.
Youth Corner:
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.
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Woman and grandchild, East Timor
Photo: D.B. Hayes
Bird in a Batik design, Java
DID YOU KNOW?
Finland is the only country with a women Minister of Defence. Her name is Elizabeth Rehne and she is also Minister of Equality. Mrs. Rehne is mother of four children and she has ten grandsons.
In human history there have been only 23 female elected heads of state or government. In recent years, at any one time there have been six to eight females among the over 189 elected heads of state or government. The recency of the phenomenon is reflected in the fact that of the 23, all but three were still alive by July 1994.
CALENDAR
Prior to the Conference, a number of meetings are taking place at the national, regional and international levels, organized by NGOs as well as by the United Nations. Following is a preliminary calendar, which also includes other major United Nations conferences:
1994
13-15 October, Vienna, Austria
Regional NGO Forum
13-17 October, Vienna, Austria
Regional Youth Consultation
17-21 October, Vienna, Austria
European Regional Preparatory Conference
2-5 November, Amman, Jordan
Regional Youth Consultation for Western Asia
3-5 November, Amman, Jordan
Regional NGO Forum for Western Asia
6-10 November, Amman, Jordan
Western Asian Regional Preparatory Conference
12-16 November, Dakar, Senegal
Regional Youth Consuktation for Africa
13-15 November, Dakar, Senegal
NGO Regional Forum for Africa
16-23 November, Dakar, Senegal
African Regional Preparatory Conference
22-26 November, Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic
INSTRAW International Conference on Women,
Environment and Health
1995
16 January-3 February, New York
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women - 14th session
9-11 or 16-18 February, Strasbourg, France
Council of Europe Conference "Equality and Democracy: Utopia or Challenge"
28 February-3 March
UNESCO Symposium on Women and the Media
6-12 March, Copenhagen, Denmark
World Summit for Social Development
9-10 March, New York
19th Inter-Agency Meeting on Women
9-24 March, New York
NGOs consultations and meetings
15 March- 4 April, New York
Commission on the Status of Women, 39th Session last Prep-Com for the Fourth World Conference on Women
30 August-8 September, Beijing, China
NGO Forum
4-15 September, Beijing, China
Fourth World Conference on Women
1996
4-13 June, Istanbul, Turkey
United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
Note to readers about this newsletter
Dear Readers,
This is the fifth issue of Women on the Move distributed by the Secretariat of the Fourth World Conference on Women to inform you about its work and the preparatory activities for that event. Since the last issue we have modified the presentation of the newsletter which will be produced bi-monthly from now on. The result of this joint effort with readers and colleagues from different United Nations services is an improved newsletter, with a new design, colour and format. We would like to continue receiving your suggestions and using Women on the Move as a platform for dialogue and cooperation with UN agencies, grass- roots, regional organizations, national machineries and individuals.
If you wish to receive Women on the Move, please send a letter or a fax to the following address:
United Nations
Secretariat of the Fourth World Conference on Women
Division for the Advancement of Women
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