The twenty-third special session of the United Nations General Assembly concluded on June 9. The preceding week focused on the needs and achievements of women all over the world. It was an opportunity to address and evaluate the 12 critical areas of concern outlined in the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, both of which were drafted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995.
Five years after Beijing, governments and
non-governmental organizations from all over the world reported on their
current situation and achievements. Also discussed was what remains to be
done.
1. Women and poverty
Women overall are highly over-represented among the poor. Many factors have contributed to this widening economic inequality between men and women. These include income inequality, unemployment and the fact that the poor continue to get poorer. Ms. Lidija Topic, who spoke on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reported that women there make up 40 percent of the work force. Unemployment is high at 40 percent and of those who are unemployed, 40 percent are women.
2. Education and training of women
Certainly there is an increased awareness and appreciation for the importance of education in the development of women. Unfortunately, in many countries attempts to increase literacy levels and education among women and girls were hampered by the lack of resources and political backing. Bangladesh, who was represented by Prof. Zinatun Nesa Talukdar, has been focusing especially on this issue. New efforts have included free education up to the primary level and special stipends for girls up to the tenth grade. The response has been positive. Literacy levels are up and the dropout rate is going down. The literacy rate is up to 49.5 percent, from 34.2 percent in 1995. Among social sectors, the education sector in Bangladesh receives the highest budget allocation.
3. Women and health
Health programs in general are much better than in the past. The life expectancy of women is increasing as more attention is given to issues such as malaria, tuberculosis, and communicable diseases and especially to women's sexual and reproductive health. Still, women's health falls far behind men's overall.
4. Violence against women
Awareness of the problem of violence against women has increased greatly. It is generally understood that such violence, whether public or private, is a human rights issue and one that affects everyone. Unfortunately, women continue to endure such aggression in unacceptable numbers. A lack of understanding of the root causes of all types of violence against women and girls, combined with a lack of appropriate programs to deal with perpetrators, is largely the problem. Also, what some consider violence is culturally acceptable in certain areas of the world.
5. Women and armed conflict
There is a better understanding now of how armed conflict has specific destructive impact on women. For one thing, women are more vulnerable both at the point of conflict and during the aftermath. The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has recognized rape as a crime against humanity. Rape against women has been used during war. The Statute of the International Criminal Court has specified the physical abuse of women as a crime against humanity.
6. Women and the economy
Women are more a part of the economy and labor market than ever before. However, women are still not making the same wages and salaries as their male counterparts. Women still have less job security and career mobility than men.
7. Women in power and decision-making
More women than ever are in positions of power and decision-making. Ambassador Mokhtar Lamani of the Permanent Observer of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, noted that such concerns are not new to the Islamic world. "In fact, Islamic history is replete with examples of women in leadership roles," he stated. Pakistan has made it a policy to reserve 30 percent of seats for women in national/provincial legislatures and 50 percent at the grass roots representative bodies.
8. Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women
National mechanisms to promote fairness between genders have made great strides in many countries. However, many parts of the world still suffer from lack of resources and funds. For many, there are simply more immediate needs that must be dealt with first. HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan spoke of her country's greater policy adherence by the government to promote the equality process. The Economic and Social Development Plan for 1999-2003 has, for the first time, been drafted with a gender perspective.
9. Human rights of women
Legal reforms to eliminate human rights violations of women have been taking place. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women has been ratified or acceded to by 165 countries. Non-governmental organizations have been instrumental in this work.
10. Women and the media
Increasing activism by women in the media and other communicative means has been greatly aided by the Internet. More and more women are able to educate themselves and others through sharing of information and ideas. Knowledge is power and women have greater access to knowledge than ever.
11. Women and the environment
Some progress has been made in looking at environmental issues with a gender perspective. There is not a full understanding of this yet, however many projects have been launched to preserve and utilize women's traditional ecological knowledge in the management of natural resources.
12. The girl-child
There is no better way to help the condition of women than to start with the children. Progress has been in made in the education of girls, in the primary levels especially. Increased attention has been given to the health, especially the sexual health, of girls and those approaching young adulthood. A great effort has been put forth in stopping the trafficking and prostitution of girls. A recent achievement has been the adoption of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Unfortunately, poverty, discrimination and violence continue to plague women and female children everywhere. Progress has been made and continues to be so, but the situation is so complex. Every situation requires a unique solution and the world continues to struggle to come to a common conclusion on this predicament. HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan made reference to this:
As a developing country, Jordan is all the more aware of the impact that the intensifying invasion of a global culture is having on people at the local level. While women's advancement is a globally accepted goal, it should also be recognized that prevailing conditions at the local level, whether social, political or economic, have a direct bearing on the pace at which this process evolves. Indeed, within this context, the diversity of our cultures, religions and interests, are factors which must be given due consideration in international meetings such as this one
