VOICES RISING
YEAR III - VOL 3. Nº125
March 03, 2005
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1.- BEIJING + 10
SECOND REPORT FROM NEW YORK
February 28th. 2005
by Fanny Gómez and Alejandra Scampini
REPEM
Coming to the city of New York, with such a cold weather and leaving behind important events such as the swearing-in ceremony of
Why did we come?
Why should we worry about this agenda?
What are we going to gain?
What are we going to lose?
Since our arrival, we have proved that this is our space, and we cannot give it in.
We are not two or three, we are 6000, the women's movement is alive and kicking.
With our presence the international cooperation is mobilizing.
We have the responsibility of raising our voice not only from our standpoint and our organization's position, but also from that of all women who are at home, daily fighting for a piece of bread, facing violence and discrimination, resisting war but with the hope that another world is possible.
We are convinced that we cannot give up and that during these fifteen days we are going to make our best efforts so that this does not happen.
We have to move forward.
In view of cooperation's fatigue and the scarce resources of the states and the UN, we ask ourselves: So, now, where is the money for the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and for the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals?
In this scenario, other issues are at stake and we, women, have to be completely aware of this. One of these issues is the UN Reform. How do women want the UN to be? In this debate, where can we advance?
Within the new global architecture, where are women placed?
Within the security agenda, what kind of security for women are we talking about?
Within the development agenda, what kind of development has to be financed?
Crazy as it may seem, we are in the CSW with the purpose of reaffirming the Beijing Platform for Action and to move forward in emerging issues, but all these questions converge with this purpose.
Governments' activities:
At 10 a.m. the inaugural session started, convened by DAW, with the participation of Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the UN, where the need to reaffirm the Beijing Platform for Action and link it to the Millennium Development Goals was emphasized. Most people felt that it was a good speech where the language dealt with in Beijing appears, and, in the same way as in others speeches, the close relationship with the MDG process is noticed.
After the adoption of the agenda and of the procedures of the session, the board of directors gave floor to the delegations of the countries that hosted International Conferences about Women:
In general, positive balances were presented, in terms of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the promotion of gender equity.
During the presentations, some fields were mentioned, where immediate action should be taken, in order to achieve gender justice and equality as the guarantee in the exercise of sexual and reproductive rights as well as the exercise of property and inheritage rights; the access to land and credit; actions for HIV prevention and protection and full implementation of CEDAW.
Violence against women must stop urgently. One out of four women is likely to suffer the violation of her rights. This is an unacceptable fact from the moral and ethical point of view and we should put an end to tolerance towards domestic violence. Likewise it is necessary to stop violence against women affected by armed conflicts. For this purpose resolutions should be passed to apply the UN 1325. In the same way, stronger actions should be taken to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.
It was impossible for us to understand part of the presentation of the
We would like to remark that, of the 4 presentations, we particularly liked the one of the Denmark Delegate. It was very specific and strong, expressing total support to sexual and reproductive rights and cero tolerance to violence against women. We could not applaud but we would have really liked to express our agreement with her.
After these four presentations, came the ones of José Antonio Ocampo, Secretary General of ECOSOC, Ms Kyun Wha Kay from CSW, Noleen Heyzer from UNIFEM and Carolyn Hannah from DAW. Given that access to this inaugural session was really restricted, and there was only one pass per organization, we made shifts and shared our impressions in the corridors. We never found the announced screens where the session would be transmitted live.
We were able to listen to Carolyn Hannan's welcome, where she repeated what she said at the NGO Consultation, that the 2005 Millennium Summit will focus on development and security. This session must give a clear message that integrates equal rights and the elimination of violence against women.
After many coffees at the famous Viena Café where many colleagues regret to be unable to smoke, because it is not allowed at present, we gathered once and again, to share our views about the opening of these two working weeks.
In the afternoon session, the High Level Round Table about "Innovation of National Institutional Mechanisms, to promote gender equity" started. Access was also restricted but we found creative ways of getting in and obtaining information.
In general, the delegations that asked to have the floor, described legislative developments related to women's advancement and the guarantee of their rights. We hope governments can fulfill their promises with facts that ensure life with freedom and dignity for women. Some governments urged the other countries to hinder the advancement of conservative and fundamentalist positions that put at stake the advances in gender equity and the promotion of the north-south dialogue on migration and women's trafficking issues to define actions and exert influence on public policies that guarantee migrant women's rights and alleviate their situation of discrimination.
In this session, NGOs were able to participate. In their presentations, they registered that remarkable achievements have been obtained as well as realities such as economic globalization that has increased women's discrimination and poverty. Millennium Development Goals are urged to be used in order to make gender equity stand out in the political agendas of all countries. Goals and indicators of gender equality have to be extended in reproductive health and political participation, in order to increase the political will to achieve gender justice and equity. It is necessary to adopt quotas in political participation in order to increase the number of women members of parliament and to achieve more alliances between governments and civil society. Likewise, NGO delegations from countries such as
The thematic of this meeting will go on developing during Tuesday and Wednesday.
NGO activities:
Throughout the day, several events took place simultaneously, organized by the NGOs, (among them: "10 years after Beijing: Which path shall we take?", "Celebrating the activism of young women", "Towards peace and gender justice in Colombia", "Beijing + 10 and WTO +10: The impact of trade liberalization on women's rights"). The corresponding Regional Caucus were also held.
The Latin American caucus was held with the participation of around 70 delegates.
The coordinating committee of the follow-up process, made the following explanations:
The event we are attending, is an enlarged meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) (not a normal session of the UN General Assembly) whose main purpose is to assess the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and detect emerging issues. In this meeting the following documents will be elaborated:
The Political Declaration (is expected to reaffirm the Beijing Platform for Action and to urge its link with the Millennium Development Goals). The lonely US wants to add, in paragraph 1, a sheer denial to the inclusion of new international rights and to abortion rights. The
We will particularly support the Rio Group that comes with the Mexico Consensus, that includes the Lima Consensus and that gives us legitimacy as well as consecrated and approved language. The following is the draft:
49th. Session of the Commission on the Political and Legal Status of Women
We, as representatives of the governments that gathered in the 49th. session of the Commission on the Political and Legal Status of Women, on occasion of the 10th. Anniversary of the 4th. World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, in the context of the revision of the conference product and of the 23rd. Special Session of the General Assembly called: "2000 Women: gender equality, development and peace for the XXI Century", and its contributions to the high level plenary meeting where the revision of the Millennium Declaration shall be held, September 14-16, 2005;
1. Reaffirm the Declaration and Action Platform of Beijing, adopted during the 4th. World Conference on Women and the product of the 23rd. Special Session of the General Assembly;
2. Emphasize on the fact that full and effective implementation of the Declaration and Platform of Beijing are key for the achievement of the universally agreed development goals, even those included in the Millennium Declaration and we underline the need to guarantee the incorporation of a gender perspective in the preparation of the high level plenary meeting for the revision of the Millennium Declaration and its product;
3. Acknowledge that the implementation of the Platform and Declaration of Beijing, as well as that of the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, mutually reinforce in terms of the achievement of gender equality and women's empowerment;
4. Are satisfied to see the progress attained up to the present moment, in the achievement of gender equality, we remark that there are still challenges regarding the implementation of the Platform, the Declaration and the product of the 23rd. special session of the General Assembly, and, in this sense, we commit to assume additional actions to guarantee its full and quick implementation;
5. Ask the UN system, international and regional organizations, all civil society secotrs, including non governmental organizations, as well as all women and men, to fully commit and intensify their contributions for the implementation of a Platform, the Declaration and the product of the 23rd. special session of the General Assembly.
February 18th., 2005
The negotiation of this declaration started last week and is 90% approved; there are countries that presented the amendment of the third paragraph.
The Resolutions which are recommendations for public policies for the advancement of Women. There are 7 resolution projects which deal with:
1. Women from Palestine
2. Women's Research Institute
3. HIV. (presented by the South African region)
4. The situation of women in
5. Women's trafficking; (presented by the
6. The women's economic empowerment (presented by the
7. Gender mainstreaming
The Political Declaration is expected to be approved by consensus during this first week and resolutions, next week. The meetings that will be held by governments are panels and high level round tables.
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Statement from the NGO Caucus on Women and the Economy
03 March 2005
Introduction
At Beijing and Beijing+5 governments advanced recognition of women’s economic rights and empowerment in a broad macroeconomic context. They recognized how trade and financial liberalization, structural adjustment programs, and debt servicing aggravated the poverty of women, men and children. Despite the commitments made, nothing much has changed and many people are worse-off and excluded from the benefits of globalization.
Unprotected, precarious forms of work in the economy, mostly done by women, have increased over the last decade. Because of privatization of social reproductive services, the poor have had to rely on their meager resources for their social protection and health care and this has meant declining health and life expectancies resulting in the exacerbation of poverty and the gap between rich and poor.
What should now be done to move forward and implement the promises of economic justice and women’s economic rights in the Beijing Platform and the Beijing+5 Outcome document?
1. Reaffirm the Beijing Platform for Action that promotes a rights-based approach to women’s economic development, women’s empowerment and equality in the economy, and poverty eradication and that builds upon the other UN documents such as WSSD Programme for Action, ILO Declaration on fundamental Rights and Principles of Work, International Human Rights Framework in particular the Covenant on Economic, social and cultural rights, Convention on elimination of discrimination against Women, and the Human Security report.
2. The benefits of globalization must be equally shared among and within all countries to promote equitable development and women’s economic rights. It is therefore crucial that national governments retain flexibility in the policy sphere in order to ensure sustainable livelihoods and employment among urban, rural, casualized, informalized and migrant workers in the formal and the informal economies.
3. Create an enabling economic environment for the fulfillment of the Beijing Platform for Action and the ICPD Platform for Action that goes far beyond micro-enterprise, micro-credit and individual responses and instead frames a broader economic agenda for sustainable development and equity among countries and sectors. Recognize that the vast majority of women who contribute to local and global economies are not entrepreneurs but workers and farmers. We need to address the economic rights of women full-time, part-time, seasonal, informal, migrant and unpaid household workers and farmers. Affirm the right of all workers to freedom of association, the right to organize and the right to collective bargaining with no discrimination on the basis of immigration and employment status.
4. Furthermore recall the commitment of governments to deal with systemic causes of poverty and human rights abuses linked to poverty and employment, including debt reduction, more equitable terms of trade, democratic and transparent decision-making in economic governance and 0.7 commitment to ODA.
5. Strengthen national and international financial and investment regulation, including currency transaction taxation, to ensure the realization of social, economic and ecological commitments and gender equity and equality with respect to development priorities and objectives. Moreover gear existing regulatory regimes on property rights to promoting people’s access to and ownership of knowledge and the protection of environmental resources.
6. Reallocate budgetary expenditures away from militarism and the provision of tax holidays to corporations, and secure resources for social and re-distributive goals especially in the areas of health, education and livelihoods,
7. Recognize the importance of access to ICT as only one of several aspects of achieving economic equality for women and girls but this requires addressing the structural impediments to such access including providing in all societies the necessary electronic telephone and literacy components for all households and communities.
8. Reaffirm the crucial role of the public sector in providing adequately funded and accessible essential services including primary health care, sexual and reproductive health and rights including adolescent health education, housing, education, water and sanitation, energy and transport. Undertake a review of the impact of gender equity and equality of sector reforms promoted and financed by multilateral institutions from the perspective of poor women’s economic empowerment.
9. Prioritize women’s economic needs and sustainable employment and livelihoods in the formation of regional economic blocs that build upon solidarity relationships and people-centered economic development.
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INVITE: Monday, March 7, 2005 - Holding onto the Promise
Global Center
cwgl@igc.org
The Center for Women's Global Leadership invites you to a symposium celebrating past achievements of the women's human rights movement and advancing a feminist critique and agenda for the 21st century
Holding onto the Promise: Future Directions for Women's Human Rights
Monday, March 7, 2005
Church Center for the United Nations
777 UN Plaza (44th and 1st Ave), 2nd Floor
New York City
6:15 8:30pm
SPEAKERS:
Sunila Abeysekera
INFORM Human Rights Documentation Center, Sri Lanka
Lydia Alpizar
Association for Womens Rights in Development (AWID)
Sharon Bhagwan Rolls
femLINKpacific, Fiji
Charlotte Bunch
Center for Women's Global Leadership
Cheryl Clarke
Rutgers University
Pregs Govender
Former South African Parliamentarian
Kavita N. Ramdas
Global Fund for Women
and others
Organized by Center for Women's Global Leadership with Global Fund for Women
Co-sponsored by Amnesty International, Association for Womens Rights in Development (AWID), INFORM Human Rights Documentation Center, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), and Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML)
This event is part of the Global Week of Action for Women's Rights - http://www.beijingandbeyond.org
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The UN Millennium Project invites you to a Panel Discussion on:
Investing in Women: UN Millennium Project Recommendations.
Chairperson,
Caren Grown, Senior Task Force Associate, Task Force 3 on Education and Gender Equality, Director of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth team at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW).
Panelists:
Yassine Fall
Member of Task Force 1 on Poverty and Economic Development, Senior Gender Policy
Advisor, UN Millennium Project Secretariat
Lynn Freedman
Senior Associate, Task Force 4 on Child Health and Maternal Health,
Director, Law & Policy Project, Heibrunn Department of Population and Family Health
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Joan Holmes
Member of Task Force 2 on Hunger, President of the Hunger Project
Vijay Modi
Member of Task Force 1 on Poverty and Economic Development, Chair of the
Department of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University
Date Wednesday March 9, 2005
Time From1.15pm to 2.45pm
Venue UN Secretariat, Conference Room 5
Please confirm attendance by sending email to Fatou Lo fatou.lo@undp.org by March 4th.
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The International Gender and Education Office (GEO) of ICAE creates
VOICES RISING
Email: voicesrising@icae.org.uy
Web: www.icae.org.uy
Tel/fax: 00 5982 401 00 06
Address: Acevedo Diaz 1600 / 1002.
11200 Montevideo,