Women on the move - newsletter 7
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Women on the Move # 7
Published by United Nations
Secretariat of the Fourth World Conference on Women
Division for the Advancement of Women
SUMMARY
- Beijing countdown begins. Draft Platform ready and women prepared for action.
- A long road to equality.
- Message for International Women's Day from the Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
- Positive directions for women's human rights - 14the session of CEDAW.
- Inputs by experts shape the FWCW Platform.
- Youth on the road to Beijing.
- NGOs and media accreditation.
- Calendar. Note to readers.
BEIJING COUNTDOWN BEGINS
Draft Platform ready and women prepared for action.
International Women's Day March 8, will be exactly 180 days before the Fourth World Conference on Women opens in the Chinese capital. On that day a campaign will be launched by women throughout the world to articulate their concerns and build momentum among governments and civil society for the Beijing Conference. As Secretary-General Gertrude Mongella says in her message "At this critical time we all must prepare to use our skills, experience, knowledge, and vision to facilitate action by governments, and international and non-governmental organizations to achieve our goals: equality, development and peace". (see MESSAGE... below)
The Fourth World Conference on Women will take place as the world, poised on the threshold of a new millennium, seeks to attain the goals of the United Nations for the majority of humankind. These goals include equitable and sustainable development, founded on the principle of equality, among the peoples of the world and between women and men in both private and public life.
The draft Platform for Action, which has now been distributed to Governments, will be the agenda for the Beijing Conference. It is an Agenda for Equality which seeks to safeguard women's human rights throughout their entire lives and to obtain commitments from Governments for action to create a peaceful, developed and just world.
The 39th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (15 March - 4 April 1995), acting as the preparatory body for the Beijing Conference, will review the draft Platform for Action, and make recommendations for its adoption. The Commission is headed by Ms Patricia Licuanan, Professor of Psychology and Academic Vice- President of Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, who was elected for a two year term in March 1994. The members of the Commission, representatives from 45 Member States, are elected for four- year terms.
The draft Platform was prepared by the FWCW Secretariat/Division for the Advancement of Women after consultation in five regions, by four expert groups, with United Nations agencies, and through informal open-ended consultations to further develop the draft Platform for Action held in New York in December 1994.
The meeting of the Commission in March will be the final consultation with Governments and non-governmental organisations before the Platform is finalised and distributed before Beijing. The draft which will then be discussed, deals with the eleven areas of concern identified by the Commission in March 1994. The problems relating to the areas of concern are diagnosed, and strategic objectives are proposed with concrete actions to be taken by various actors to achieve these objectives.
A comprehensive list of actors is identified for each set of actions and includes, among others, Governments and their respective institutions, international political, financial and development institutions, inter-governmental organisations, the private sector, academic and research institutions, donors and non- Governmental organisations. A summary of the draft Platform follows:
1. The persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women
International statistics show that the number of women living in poverty has increased disproportionately to men and that women are the majority of the world's poor. It is estimated that 60% of the world's one billion rural poor are female; and female-headed households are increasing worldwide, with divorced, widowed or single women falling deeper into poverty.
The draft Platform states that sustainable development is only possible through improving the economic and social status of women and the enabling environment in which women live. It sets out actions to achieve their goals and states "women in poverty have demonstrated that they possess knowledge, capacities and management skills. Only by enabling women to participate fully, will women and their families be able to overcome poverty."
2. Inequality in Access to Education
At least 60 million girls worldwide are without access to primary education and more than two-thirds of the world's 960 million illiterate adults are female. Discrimination in girls' access to education still persists in many areas due to customary attitudes, opportunity costs, early marriages and pregnancies, inadequate teaching and education materials and lack of adequate schooling facilities. Other factors, such as male-biased curricula and teaching materials, contribute to girls' poor scholastic performance and early drop-out from the educational system. This has long-lasting consequences for women in both productive and reproductive roles, as well as for their participation in policy- formulation and decision making.
The draft Platform states that education is a basic human right and an essential tool for achieving the goals of the Conference - equality, development and peace. The activities recommended will promote equality of access, non-discriminatory education and increased investment in education and training for girls and women. The platform further states that "Investing in education and training for girls and women with its exceptionally high social and economic return, has been proven to be one of the best means of achieving sustainable development."
3. Inequalities in Health and Access to Appropriate Health Care Services.
Throughout their lives, women experience special health problems due to biological difference and social conditioning, including lack of access to and inadequate health care services. Despite significant advances in primary health care, high morbidity and mortality rates of women, due to inadequate attention to reproductive health, persist. More than 500,000 women die each year due to complications from pregnancy and half of all adults newly infected by HIV/AIDS are female.
The Platform states that the right to health is a fundamental human right vital to women's ability to participate in all areas of public and private life. It proposes action to provide expanded and more accessible health care for women; to strengthen preventive programmes that address the main threats to women's health; and promote research and information dissemination on women's health. Specific actions to facilitate multi-sectoral initiatives sensitive to women's life situations, which address the HIV pandemic are also included.
4. Violence against Women
Knowledge about the causes, incidence and measures to combat violence against women have been developed since the Nairobi Conference. It is now recognised as a global problem which transcends ethnic groups, religion, age and level of development. It is abetted by women's lack of legal literacy, by inadequate laws and lack of enforcement of existing laws. The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women condemns gender-based violence encountered by women and girls, within the family and community. This includes domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment and intimidation in the workplace and in educational institutions, harmful traditional practises and State condoned violence against women and girls. All violate fundamental human rights.
The draft Platform proposes integrated measures to prevent and eradicate violence, through the legal and educational systems. It calls for studies into the causes of violence and the adoption of special measures to eliminate trafficking in women and to assist female victims of violence.
5. Effects of Armed or other kinds of Conflict on Women.
Since the end of the Cold War, armed conflict has not decreased; in fact, ethnic and religious conflicts are an on-going reality in nearly every region. Women and girls suffer the consequences of armed conflict and militarism in special ways due to their status in society and sex. The impact of violence is experienced by women of all ages who are subjected to acts of terrorism, torture, disappearance, rape and displacement: 80 % of the world's 25 million refugees are women and children.
New approaches to peace and security are urgently needed. The draft Platform argues that while women have been under-represented, if not altogether absent, at the highest levels of decision-making, in matters of security and peace, the time has come to include them.It states "The perspectives of women could provide a more constructive approach to the use of power and to the resolution of conflict. If given the opportunity, women have shown an ability to resolve conflicts, at both national and international levels."
The draft Platform also proposes action to reduce and eliminate the availability of arms, to promote non-violent forms of conflict resolution and to foster a culture of peace. It pays special attention to refugee and displaced women and to the assistance and training they require.
6. Inequality in Women's Access to and Participation in the Definition of Economic Structures and Policies and the Productive Process.
More and more women are participating actively in economic life. They are, however, under-represented in economic decision-making at national and international levels and in large enterprises. The globalization of the economy is also undermining women's self- reliant initiatives of savings, production and trade. There has however, been a growth in women's self-reliant activities in the informal sector, and in the numbers who are owners and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises. This development is noted in the draft Platform which states "When given access to and control over credit, resources, technology and training, women can increase production, marketing and income, to ensure sustainable livelihoods".
The draft Platform sets out action to secure economic rights for women, and to facilitate women's equal access to resources, employment, markets and trade. It also delineates measures to eliminate occupational segregation and wage inequality as well as to create a flexible work environment.
7. Inequality between Men and Women in the Sharing of Power and Decision-making at all Levels.
Women have made little progress in attaining political positions in legislative bodies or in achieving the target of 30% in decision- making levels proposed by the Economic and Social Council. Although they constitute at least half of the electorate in almost all countries and have had the right to vote and hold office for more than a generation, few women are candidates for public office. According to the draft Platform "discriminatory attitudes which permeate education and training, political party culture and government structures restrict women's political participation and deprive the world of women's leadership and vision."
The low proportion of women among economic and political decision- makers at national, regional and international levels, reflects structural and attitudinal barriers and needs to be addressed by positive measures. The Platform's clearly stated objectives provide actions to enable women to achieve equal access and full participation in power structures and decision-making.
8. Insufficient Mechanism at all Levels to Promote the Advancement of Women
In almost every UN member state, national machineries to advocate, implement, monitor and mobilize support, for policies which promote the advancement of women have been established. They are diverse in form and uneven in terms of effectiveness. At the international level, mechanisms to promote the advancement of women as an integral part of mainstream political, developmental or human rights initiatives, are similarly weak, due to lack of commitment at the highest levels.
The draft Platform proposes action to create or strengthen these national machineries and other Governmental bodies and to integrate women's concerns in all public policies. It also deals with the need to generate gender- disaggregated data and information for use in planning and evaluation.
9. Lack of Awareness of, and Commitment to, Internationally and Nationally recognized Women's Human Rights
The 1994 World Conference on Human Rights reaffirmed that the human rights of women throughout the life cycle are inalienable, indivisible and an integral part of universal human rights. All efforts for the advancement of women are based on universal respect for these rights. In many countries, the lack of awareness of one's rights and how to exercise them remains a considerable obstacle to women's enjoyment of their full and equal participation in society.
The objectives of the actions set out in the draft Platform are to ensure equality and non-discrimination under the Law and the achievement of legal literacy by publicising and disseminating laws and conventions relating to human rights and including human rights education in schools. The Platform also calls for the full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and other human rights instruments.
10. Insufficient use of Mass Media to Promote Women's Positive Contributions to Society
Advances in information technology have led to the development of international media organizations which transcend national boundaries and which have the power to shape public policy and influence private attitudes. They promote greater interaction among people, rapid exchange of knowledge and accessible sources of information. But they continue to project stereotyped images of women, and they fail to provide an accurate picture of women's roles and values in a changing world. There are still too many programs which include images of violence and dominance, with women invariably portrayed as victims.
The draft Platform states that women are now using the expanding electronic information highways to link up with each other and to establish networks which provide them with alternative sources of information. It adds that "this will strengthen their ability to combat negative portrayals of women internationally and to challenge the power of an industry which is outside public control and is self-regulatory."
The draft Platform's objectives seek to increase and enhance women's access to decision-making in and through the mass media and to promote a positive image of women by the media.
11. Lack of Adequate Recognition and Support for Women's Contribution to Managing Natural Resources and Safeguarding the Environment.
All regions of the world are affected by accelerated resource depletion and environmental degradation, due to drought, desertification, deforestation, natural disasters, and polluting substances. Awareness of these disasters has increased markedly in the past decade. Women however are still largely absent from public decision-making in environmental management, protection and conservation while being critical actors at the grassroots level.
The draft Platform argues that women, particularly indigenous women, have pivotal roles in environmental conservation. It identifies a linkage between poverty and deteriorating natural environments and states that the strategic actions needed for sound environmental management requires a holistic, multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral approach. The proposed actions are designed to promote the involvement of women in environmental decision- making at all levels and to ensure the integration of women's needs, concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes for environmental and sustainable development.
A LONG ROAD TO EQUALITY
The celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations this year, holds a special meaning for women everywhere. It is the year of the Fourth World Conference on Women which will be held in Beijing and it is also the fiftieth anniversary of the affirmation of, in the words of the Charter " faith in fundamental human rights ..... in the equal rights of men and women."
This commitment has underpinned the tremendous effort by the United Nations during the past five decades to meet the challenge of securing justice and equality for the half of humanity which is female. It has worked with a measure of success to meet this challenge in the context of its mandate to secure justice, human rights, and social progress for all people while maintaining international peace and security.
It began at the first UN General Assembly in San Francisco in 1945, when women delegates pressed for the recognition of women's concerns and for action by the international community. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) established a Sub-Commission (to the Commission on Human Rights) on the status of Women, which became a full Commission the following year with a mandate to prepare recommendations and reports to the UN's Economic and Social Council "on promoting women's rights in political, economic, social and educational fields." An office for the Advancement of Women was also established in the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs.
During the following years, the UN General Assembly kept the status of women under review. In 1954, it recognised that "women are subject to ancient laws, customs and practises" inconsistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and called on Governments to abolish them. In 1963 it tackled the overall issue of discrimination against women and called for a draft Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.
International Women's Year in 1975 highlighted the need for further action to secure women's full and equal participation in all spheres of public and private life including economic and political decision-making. The Decade For Women (1976 -1985) which followed was a worldwide effort to keep up the momentum for action. During this period, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women to eradicate discrimination and inequality between men and women. Progress was reviewed at two world conferences - in mid-decade at Copenhagen in 1980 and at the end in Nairobi in 1985. The Nairobi Conference adopted the Forward-Looking Strategies for Women to be implemented by the year 2000.
MESSAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY FROM THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
International Women's Day -March 8- will have a special significance for both women and men this year. The United Nations celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, and the Fourth World Conference on Women will be held in Beijing in September. This Day also occurs during the World Conference on Social Development when world leaders are meeting in Copenhagen to discuss the issues of poverty, unemployment and social integration.
International focus is now on these issues as well as on others which are of particular concern to women such as population growth, health, violence against women, access to decision making and sharing of power, women's human rights and contribution to safeguarding the environment. These and other concerns form the basis of the Platform for Action which will be discussed at the Beijing Conference, and which spells out precise actions to realise the goals of the Conference - equality, development and peace.
We now have the opportunity for the international community to commit itself and take action to accelerate equality between women and men and to ensure their equal participation in all spheres of public and private life. At this critical time, we all must prepare to use our skills, experience, knowledge, and vision to facilitate action by Governments, and international and non-governmental organisations to achieve these goals. We have to work to find new ways of ordering our societies and of promoting new models and strategies for securing justice, peace and sustainable development.
The time is right for us - men and women - to rededicate ourselves to work together for the removal of all obstacles to the advancement of women. Success in these endeavours will be the greatest contribution we can make to the well-being of future generations and to the continued success of the United Nations, as it celebrates its first half-century and the world prepares to enter a new millennium.
(signed) Mrs. Gertrude Mongella
Secretary-General of the
Fourth World Conference on Women
POSITIVE DIRECTIONS FOR WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS - 14TH SESSION OF CEDAW
A central concern of the Fourth World Conference on Women is the integration of women's rights into the larger body of the United Nations work on human rights, said the Secretary-General of the Conference, Mrs. Gertrude Mongella, as she addressed the opening of the fourteenth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Ivanka Corti, from Italy, the re-elected chairperson of the Committee said that "events are moving in a positive direction", and that the CEDAW had proven itself to be an important human rights body. She also stated that the introduction of the right of petition, through a new optional protocol to the CEDAW, would be the best contribution that the Committee could make to the Beijing Conference.
In this regard the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights had recommended that the Committee examine the possibility of developing such an optional protocol which would provide for individuals and groups to complain directly to the Committee about violations of women's rights by States Parties to the CEDAW, and would place the Convention on an equal footing with other human rights treaties.
The 23 members of the Committee monitor the compliance with the CEDAW worldwide. The Convention entered into force in 1981 and has been ratified by 139 out of 185 UN member states, it is the human rights instrument that has registered the highest number of reservations.
For instance, 116 reservations have been registered by 41 State Parties which means 30 per cent of those which have ratified the Convention are not committed to implement it totally. Mrs. Mongella told participants at the CEDAW meeting that the FWCW would undoubtedly recommend, as did the Conference on Human Rights, that States Parties consider withdrawing their substantive reservations to the Convention.
The Committee examined reports from 11 countries (Bolivia, Chile, Finland, Mauritius, Norway, Peru, Russian Federation, Uganda, and Tunisia), including a special report in the situation of women in Croatia.
For the first time, the Committee has received from the United Nations specialized agencies such as ILO, FAO and UNESCO, reports in their fields of competence, linked with one aspect or another of the 30 articles of the Convention. Moreover, a manifesto was agreed upon by CEDAW and UNESCO, reaffirming that education was a fundamental human right of girls and women, and an essential tool for social progress and for the development of a culture of equality.
The Committee received for the first time the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Radhika Coomaraswamy. She told the Session that 29 countries had replied to requests for information on violence in the family, the community, and by the state, and for information on national administrative and juridical practice and on programmes related to violence against women. A large number of NGOs and UN agencies had also responded, she said.
The Executive Director of UNFPA, Dr. Nafis Sadik was also received by the Committee, to explore ways to follow up the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo, Egypt last September. She said that the ICPD Program of Action was based on principles which reinforced and amplified the CEDAW, ensuring gender equality and placing women's rights at the centre of population and development activities.
The Committee agreed with the recommendation made by the Chairpersons of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies during their 5th session last September in Geneva stressing that CEDAW "should no longer be separated from the mainstream of the other human rights bodies and it should be based, like all the other Human Rights Treaty Bodies, at the United Nations Office in Geneva."
In revising its ways and means of work, the members asked for additional meeting time, comparable to that of their counterparts monitor other human rights conventions. This bodies such as the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination, or the Convention on the Rights of the Child meet twice a year and for longer time.
The Government of Spain proposed to organize, in April, an extraordinary session of the CEDAW committee in Madrid in order to help it finalize its work, which should be expedited in order to enable it to prepare recommendations to the Fourth World Conference on Women.
The Committee also discussed the possibility of revising its working methods or amending rules of procedure in order to allow non governmental organizations (NGOs) to participate more fully in its activities.
INPUTS BY EXPERTS SHAPE THE FWCW PLATFORM
Four Expert Group Meetings organised by the Division for the Advancement of Women/Secretariat for the FWCW as part of the consultative process for the Beijing Conference were held late last year. The first was convened last October at Turin, Italy, on "Gender, Education and Training" (see issue num.6); while two others in November were: "Women and Economic Decision-Making"; and "Institutional and Financial Arrangements for the Implementation of the FWCW's Platform for Action". In December, a meeting on "Gender and the Agenda for Peace" was held. Results have contributed to the draft of the FWCW Platform for Action.
The preparations for the Conference have primarily been a process of consensus-building designed to address the concerns of all sectors of society. "This is in the best tradition established during the UN Decade for Women. The combined forces of the United Nations, other international agencies, women's groups in developed and developing nations, have generated a shared agenda for improving the status of women", said Mrs. Gertrude Mongella in her statement welcoming participants.
Women and Economic Decision-Making
National programs to increase the proportion of women in economic decision-making positions and their numbers were analyzed by experts in management and entrepreneurship in the group dealing with Women and Economic Decision-Making.
The experts stated that economic decisions, made either by private or public sectors, determined both present and future economic performance and structures with obvious implications for the daily lives of all persons. They said that equal participation, between women and men, in the shaping of economic decisions, implies that women will be an integral part of the processes and institutions involved in defining economic decisions and exercising economic power. In order to assist women in assuming a more meaningful economic leadership role for the 21st century, women will need to be equipped with the opportunities, skills, support and latitude to exercise their vision and talents. Action to support this was recommended in three areas:
- Increasing women in leadership and management roles
- Transforming enterprise and financial systems
- Organising women as economic actors, for visibility and change
The experts, from different regions of the world, confirmed that women were entering the ranks of management, in public and private organizations and corporations, in a sustainable way. However, it was at a very slow pace and at low levels, compared with the trends in the labour market and in women's access to education.
The obstacles to women's career advancement to the highest levels of management were many. These included limited access to education as well as gender biased educational systems, women's career choices, and administrative rules and procedures related to recruitment and promotion. In addition, inflexible working environments, lack of role models and inadequate sharing of family responsibilities between women and men contributed to the restriction of women's entry into managerial positions.
Experts also noted that millions of women of all economic levels were starting their own businesses, in the search for alternative sources of income and/or in the belief that these can better reflect their values. However, these formed the bulk of micro- and small enterprises whose female owners faced restrictions in obtaining financial resources, had less access than men to ownership and support services and were therefore more susceptible to stagnation or breakdown.
Laying the foundations for the future
Institutional and financial arrangements for the implementation and monitoring of the Beijing Conference's Platform for Action were considered at an expert group last November.
The UN Commission on the Status of Women, decided that the final document of the Beijing Conference would identify critical areas of concern and make concrete proposals to overcome the obstacles to the advancement of women. Consequently, it was decided that the Platform for Action would have sections on financial and institutional arrangements for its implementation .
The Commission also agreed that the commitment of governments and the international community will be crucial for achieving the goals of women's equality, development and peace by the year 2000. In order to achieve this objective, the Conference Secretariat organized the meeting of experts, to consider and make suggestions for possible inclusion in the financial and institutional sections of the draft Platform for Action.
Concrete proposals were made for national mechanisms for women's advancement. There were also proposals for links between national machineries, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and donor agencies and generating adequate financial resources for women's programming at national and international levels.
In their report, the group stated that gender strategic analysis and planning, by all institutions at all levels whose work is necessary for implementing the Platform, is fundamental to successful outcomes. Such analysis must be contextually specific and reflect economic status, ethnic and all other factors shaping the reality of women's lives. The experts pointed out that effective promotion of gender equality requires changes in values, behaviour and procedures within the institutions themselves.
Gender and the Agenda for Peace
The participation by women in international peace and security processes is a prerequisite for achieving and enduring an authentic peace. This was the firm conclusion of an expert group on "Gender and the Agenda for Peace" which met in New York in December. To support this statement, the Group said " it is critical to ensure adequate representation of women's perspective in all UN peace- related activities and that gender balance should be assured by including at least 40 per cent women in all fact-finding and observer missions at all stages of peace negotiations, preventive diplomacy and peace-keeping."
Among the reasons justifying the expert's recommendations, two of the most compelling were the basic principles of equality and non- discrimination, and the distinct perspectives which women bring to resolving problems in the areas of international peace and security. The experts pointed out that they considered that the most successful missions of the UN, such as in Namibia, Mozambique, El Salvador and South Africa had had the highest number of women.
The report of the meeting states that it is evident that men's efforts have not been sufficient, that belief in the efficacy of violence is misplaced, and that women's participation provides breadth and makes a qualitative difference in the nature and the effectiveness of policies related to peace and security.
The report also stressed that the security of people must take priority over the security of states which have traditionally been defended by citizens and the force of arms. Arms are not only inadequate to the provision of authentic human security, but in fact, present the most serious threat to its achievement.
The experts concluded that new approaches to peace and security are urgently needed in many areas of the globe and that the interest of human security can best be served by a deliberate transition from the culture of war, which now prevails, to a culture of peace. That requires a comprehensive, precisely planned, carefully monitored process of disarmament at all levels of society and the demilitarization of all aspects of culture.
All the participants were invited to serve in their individual capacities as experts on the different themes. Observers from Governments, UN agencies, and NGOs also participated. The expert group meetings developed a number of ideas on principles and guidelines pertinent to the draft Platform for Action to be forwarded to the 39th session of the Commission on the Status of Women when it meets in March 1995.
James Grant: A Unique Man
"The death of James Grant has robbed the children of the world of their best friend" said Mrs Gertrude Mongella. Mr Grant, was Executive Director of UNICEF for nearly 15 years, and has been credited with saving the lives of millions of children. Mrs. Mongella said that he was a unique and dedicated man who "wiped the tears from the eyes of millions of women by saving the lives of their children". She added that she too have lost a good friend "who was unstinting in his support for the advancement of women."
Mr. Grant died on January 28, 1995 in New York.
YOUTH ON THE ROAD TO BEIJING
With the major preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women being undertaken throughout 1994 at a regional level, it was essential that young people were provided with an opportunity to be directly involved. In order to enable the voices of youth to be included in the preparatory process and ensure that their issues and concerns were recognised, the Conference Secretariat organised a programme of five regional youth consultative workshops involving over a hundred youth representatives from youth organisations.
Such an initiative is the first by a Conference Secretariat to acknowledge the necessity of bringing young people directly into the formal preparations for a major world conference, and thereby facilitating the incorporation of their concerns into regional platforms for action, for implementation at a regional level.
In every region young people considered themselves to be partners in development, an invaluable resource to be utilised. In every region, an overriding concern was their economic future and employment prospects. This was particularly so in the developing regions where a third of the population is below twenty-five, and there was a focus on the necessity to ensure access to appropriate education and training, particularly in the areas of science and technology. In the Latin America and Caribbean region, the Programme of Action incorporated the youth recommendation that governments develop policies to ensure that school drop-outs and teenage mothers continue their education.
In the West Asian region, The Arab Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2005, included the young people's recommendation that families should be aware of the importance of learning for girls. It was advocated in Africa that, in order to stem the attrition rates of girls in formal education, incentives such as scholarships and bursaries be provided to minimize the opportunity cost of girls' education.
One of the most predominant issues which was raised by young people in all regions was that of reproductive health and access to available information. The Regional Platform for Action - Call for Action from an ECE Perspective acknowledged the need for a life- cycle approach to issues of women's health and echoed directly the recommendation of the youth consultation which called for the provision of appropriate sex education, and training of health professionals to deal sensitively and effectively with the young. While all young people are most worried by the threat of HIV/AIDS, it was in Africa that the greatest fears were voiced, with the document recognising that young women are being most debilitated by the impact of the AIDS pandemic, a situation exacerbated by their subordinate position and lack of access to information and health facilities.
This lack of empowerment of young women and girls was recognised in the Jakarta Declaration for the Advancement of Women in Asia and the Pacific as being closely linked to exploitation and abuse in the form of sex trafficking, abandonment and prostitution as well as the new consumer ethic, issues also highlighted in Latin America and the Caribbean where the predicament of street children was highlighted.
While the regional youth consultations served to raise the profile and importance of young people at the regional level, one of the most substantive outcomes of such a participatory programme was the inclusion of many of the youth recommendations into the official regional documents, thus enabling Governments and bodies responsible for implementation at a regional and national level to address the concerns of the young.
NGO NEWS
The Conference Secretariat has received accreditation applications from organizations from all regions of the world and from approximately 120 countries, for accreditation to the FWCW.
The procedure for accrediting NGOs to the Commission on the Status of Women and the Fourth World Conference on Women was laid down by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/108 of 20 December 1993.
Accreditation of NGOS without Consultative Status
In order to be accredited to attend the Fourth World Conference on Women, NGOs that do not have consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council needed to complete an application for accreditation to the Commission on the Status of Women acting as preparatory body for the Conference. Applications should have reached the Conference Secretariat by the deadline of 13 January 1995.
Organizations that have applied for accreditation were notified by the Conference Secretariat if they were included on the accreditation list submitted for approval by the Commission on the Status of Women. That list will be considered at the 39th session of the Commission in March, 1995, the last session of the Commission before the Conference. It will take place from 15 March to 4 April, 1995 in New York. At that session of the Commission the final decisions on accreditation will be taken. Those NGOs accredited by the Commission at its 38th session need not reapply. Accreditation to the Commission automatically gives an organization accreditation to the Conference in Beijing.
Attendance at the Commission is not a prerequisite for attending the Fourth World Conference on Women. NGOs should inform the Conference Secretariat if they do plan to send representatives to the 39th session of the Commission if accredited. This will facilitate the provision of access to the United Nations building.
Accredited organizations that plan to send their representatives to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing should inform the Conference Secretariat, as soon as possible.
It should be noted that accreditation to regional preparatory meetings or forums was a separate process and did not automatically make those organizations eligible to attend the global conference. A separate application should have been submitted directly to the Conference Secretariat in New York.
NGOS in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council
NGOs having consultative status with the ECOSOC are entitled to participate as observers in conferences organized by the United Nations. Those wishing to participate in the intergovernmental conference in Beijing, should inform the Conference Secretariat no later than end May, 1995.
Over 200 NGOs in consultative status have already informed the Conference Secretariat that they will send representatives to the Conference.
Registration for the NGO Forum on Women, Beijing '95
Registration for the NGO Forum is also a separate process. Representatives of organizations accredited to the Fourth World Conference need to also register with the NGO Planning Committee if they wish to attend the NGO Forum on Women in Beijing to be held from 30 August to 8 September.
Registration for the NGO Forum in Beijing is being handled by the NGO Planning Committee established by the NGO community. The deadline for registration for the Forum is 30 April, 1995.
For information and a registration packet for the NGO Forum contact:
NGO Forum on Women, Beijing, '95
211 East 43rd Street
New York, New York, 10017
Fax. 1-212 922 9269
Accreditation of Journalists/Media
Journalists and media representatives need to be accredited to attend the intergovernmental conference in Beijing. To received accreditation they should register with the UN Department of Public Information. If accredited to the Conference they will also have access to the NGO Forum.
Media accreditation began in January 1995. All media - international and national will be accredited by the United Nations Department of Public Information.
For information and application forms for media accreditation contact:
Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit
Department of Public Information
Room S-250
United Nations
New York, NY 10017. USA
Fax. 1-212-963-4642
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:
1995
28 February - 3 March. Toronto, Canada
UNESCO Symposium on Women and the Media
6-12 March, Copenhagen, Denmark
World Summit for Social Development
8 March
International Women's Day
13-14 March, New York
19th Inter-Agency Meeting on Women
13-14 March, New York
NGOs consultations and meetings for the FWCW
14 March, New York
Conference on Women and the UN. (UN 50th Anniversary)
15 March- 4 April, New York
Commission on the Status of Women, 39th Session last Prep-Com for the Fourth World Conference on Women
20-31 March, New York
NGO Planning Committee consultations
24 April-3 May, Geneva
Commission on Human Rights - Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities - Working group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
22 May, New York
Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, special session
22 May-9 June, Geneva
Committee on the Rights of the Child, ninth session
5 June
World Environment Day
12-16 June, Geneva
UNCTAD - Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation, third session
17-28 July
Commission on Human Rights - Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities - Working Group on Indigenous Populations
Commission on Human Rights - Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities - Working Group on Communications
21 August, New York
Youth Leadership Summit. (UN 50th Anniversary)
30 August-8 September, Beijing, China
NGO Forum
4-15 September, Beijing, China
Fourth World Conference on Women
25 September-13 October
- Committee on the Rights of the Child, tenth session
September/October
Commission on Human Rights - Working Group on the Right to Development (2 weeks)
22-24 October, New York
Special Commemorative Session of the General Assembly UN Fiftieth Anniversary
1996
4-13 June, Istanbul, Turkey
United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
Note to readers
This is the seventh 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. The newsletter is published bimonthly. It is hoped that Women on the Move will facilitate dialogue and cooperation with UN agencies, grass-roots, and 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
Two United Nations Plaza, DC2-1234
New York, NY 10017 USA
Tel: (212) 963-8385
Fax. (212) 963-3463
Internet: daw@undp.org
Bitnet: nygate!daw@tigger.jvnc.net
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