March 2005

Commemorating International Women's Day

CPN+ Launches Positive Women's Sector in Phnom Penh
The Cambodian People Living with HIV/AIDS Network (CPN+) used the occasion of International Women's Day (IWD) to launch a Positive Women's Sector (PWS) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The PWS, with 6,000 members throughout the country, is the first nationwide network of women living with HIV/AIDS in Cambodia. Led by women living with HIV/AIDS, the PWS initiative works to help shape national and community responses to the epidemic and facilitate better collaboration among different practitioners. The initiative is supported by the Cambodian National AIDS Authority, UNDP, UNAIDS, UNV and UNIFEM.
        Women now constitute 45 per cent of new HIV infections in Cambodia, a majority of whom are infected by their husbands. Ms Phang Pharozin, speaking on behalf of PWS, said that PWS members work to break down social barriers and reduce stigma and discrimination. She also explained that, since the PWS initiative is aimed at empowering women to participate in shaping HIV/AIDS responses in Cambodia, it is expected to greatly promote advocacy for the rights of women living with HIV/AIDS and to make existing services more friendly and accessible to women.

Cultural Events in the West Bank
Two women's centres in the north West Bank of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) were the venues for a series of cultural events on International Women's Day. The Talfeet and Allar Rural Women's Development Centres, which are supported by UNIFEM and UNDP's community-based women's empowerment programme, invited village council members and women from surrounding villages to enjoy folk dances, songs, poetry readings, and a play that addressed the sensitive issue of early marriage. The play provoked discussion of the prevalence of early marriage in rural communities and its potentially negative impact on women.
        UNIFEM also supported an exhibition by women photographers of photographs that illustrated their perspectives on Palestinian women's issues, especially with regard to the separation Barrier. The exhibition was held at a girls' school in Qalqilya that lies right next to the Barrier, and it was officially opened by H.E. Zahira Kamal, the Minister of Women's Affairs.
        For more information, contact alia.elyassir@undp.org. Read an international women's day joint press release from 11 UN agencies with programmes in the oPt.

Activities in Latin America
In Mexico, UNIFEM held a seminar to assess the progress of women in the country 30 years after the UN First World Conference on Women was held there in 1975. The meeting was jointly organized with the United Nations Information Centre and the United Nations Gender Interagency Group, and included more than 200 people from NGOs, embassies, government and the media. Discussions centred on the economic rights of women, the role of the media in promoting gender equality, women in higher education, the situation of young women in Mexico and the rights of homeless and refugee women.
        UNIFEM partnered with several women's groups to organize a series of activities in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia that included cultural and artistic events, a conference on women's leadership, a seminar on gender mainstreaming and violence against women, and a media campaign involving radio spots on women's rights issues in the Andean Region. In Brazil, a joint forum on domestic violence was held by UNIFEM, the Patricia Galvão Institute, the State Women's Council, cosmetics company Avon, and the local government of São Paulo. The forum was part of an ongoing national campaign against violence against women. Also held was a round table on the sexual and reproductive rights of women, particularly as relevant to Brazil's National Policy Plan for Women.
        In Honduras, the focus was on HIV/AIDS and violence against women — 50,000 booklets on the issue were distributed via a widely circulated local newspaper, and the public was informed about free HIV/AIDS testing. For more information, contact andrea.durango@undp.org

Activities in Southeast Asia
The United Nations International Women's Day event in Thailand was themed around the recent tsunami disaster and its impact on women. One hundred fifty people attended a forum on "Rebuilding Women's Lives in the Aftermath of Disasters" in Bangkok. Panellists discussed issues such as women's vulnerability in the aftermath of disasters and the importance of their role in the rebuilding process. Participants spoke of how the tsunami disaster had exacerbated existing gender inequalities. Disaster relief efforts were limited in their response to the specific needs of women and girls. Issues raised included the difficulties experienced by pregnant and lactating women, cases of sexual assault and violence against women, and poor planning of emergency housing and toilet facilities that led to insufficient privacy and security measures for women. Participants called for future relief efforts to be guided by gender-sensitive principles that guarantee women's participation in disaster needs analysis and response development, non-discrimination in accessing resources, and women's right to equal access to health care services, land and livelihoods.
        At another event to celebrate the day, 1,500 Thai grassroots women leaders gathered in Bangkok to congratulate the newly elected women members of parliament (MPs) and seek their support on legislative changes and affirmative measures to increase women's representation in politics and administration. All the MPs present committed themselves to promoting the status of women. The leader of the key opposition party, in his statement, indicated that the party was ready to resubmit a pending draft law on domestic violence for consideration in parliament. In addition, a draft law on women's reproductive health would also be proposed. This was the first time in Thailand that a major political party made a public commitment to promoting women in development and addressing their concerns. For more information, contact amalin.sundaravej@unifem.un.or.th

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Beijing + 10

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), held 28 February to 11 March 2005, brought together governments and civil society on the theme of reviewing the implementation of the goals and action plan adopted in Beijing. A political declaration, adopted by governments on 4 March, reaffirms the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA). Several resolutions were adopted at the CSW, addressing HIV/AIDS, trafficking, the creation of a special rapporteur on laws that discriminate against women, gender mainstreaming, post-disaster relief, Palestinian women, INSTRAW, economic advancement of women, indigenous women, and women and girls in Afghanistan. Suspended on 11 March, the CSW met on 22 March to conclude its session with the adoption of the agenda for the 50th session and the election of the new bureau (read the press release).

In his statement at the opening of the 49th session of the CSW, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that gains have been made, but new challenges have emerged. "Consider the trafficking of women — an odious but increasingly common practice. Or the increasing targeting of women in conflict. Or the terrifying growth of HIV/AIDS among women — especially young women."

He said that what lies ahead is to implement lessons learned on a larger scale and take specific, targeted actions in a number of areas outlined in the seven strategic priorities in the Millennium Project Task Force on Education and Gender Equality: strengthen girl's access to secondary, as well as primary education; guarantee sexual and reproductive rights; invest in infrastructure to reduce women's and girl's time burden; guarantee women's and girl's property and inheritance rights; eliminate gender inequality in employment; increase women's share of seats in national parliaments and local government; and redouble efforts to combat violence against girls and women.

He reminded participants that gender equality is not just the responsibility of women, but the responsibility of everyone. "Study after study has taught us that there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women. ... Whatever the real benefits of investing in women, the most important factor remains: women themselves have the right to live in dignity, in freedom from want and from fear." (Read the complete speech.)

Finally, he pointed to September's Summit, when the world's leaders will gather to review progress in implementing the Millennium Declaration, as an opportunity to review progress in implementing the Millennium Declaration and to promote gender equality.

During the CSW, government delegations and civil society recognized that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the time-bound targets for eradicating poverty and implementing the Millennium Declaration, cannot be achieved without advancing the human rights and empowerment of all women.

The high-level debate saw many speakers emphasizing the linkages between the MDGs and the Beijing commitments, insisting that the outcome of the Beijing+10 review would be a vital input in to the Millennium Review in September 2005. For example, the representative of the United Kingdom stressed that all of the MDGs were relevant to women and that women are relevant to the achievement of all the goals.

UNIFEM and Gender Architecture

Throughout the Commission, Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer said that a positive outcome of the Beijing Platform for Action was greater awareness of gender empowerment worldwide. However, she stressed that progress has been too uneven and too slow and that there can be no progress when one million women and girls are being trafficked or working in sweat-shop conditions, and when HIV/AIDS increasingly takes a young women's face. In order to move forward vis-à-vis the Beijing Platform and the MDGs, it is necessary to ensure that resources are available and that the gender equality strategies developed in the context of CEDAW and Beijing are central to the MDGs.

During the high-level Plenary, Jordan, on behalf of the UNIFEM Consultative Committee (CC), said that UNIFEM's programme addressed critical gaps in the follow-up to the Beijing outcome and the Millennium Declaration. Addressing a central theme for the ten-year review — the status of gender architecture and the weakness of women's machineries — Jordan introduced the results of an assessment commissioned by the CC to determine whether UNIFEM's status and resources were sufficient for the organization to meet its mandate and expanded role as a provider of technical assistance and as an advocate for gender equality and women's rights. One conclusion drawn was that UNIFEM's ability to respond to all the expectations of the system was limited due to its resources and authority. The CC hoped, therefore, that Member States would fully fund UNIFEM's four-year programme by doubling its core base, which had remained at approximately $20 million annually for the past four years.

Dr Nafis Sadik, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, urged the United Nations to place more women in positions of power with the ability to set policy. She questioned how women can influence policy if women's institutions are not represented in policy-making forums, and called on governments to do what they agreed to do to improve the lives of women.

Carol Bellamy, outgoing Executive Director of UNICEF, was sorry to see that positions of power within the United Nations continue to elude women. She drew attention to the fact that of the 31 under-secretaries-general (USGs) only 8 are women, despite a resolution adopted by the GA 10 years ago calling for 50-50 gender parity in the UN system with a target date of 2000. Noeleen Heyzer supported this by commenting that the gender architecture is fragmented and weak.

UNIFEM Side Events During the CSW

UNIFEM hosted a variety of side events during the CSW. The following are summaries of two. For information on additional side events, visit the CSW Corner.

Beijing +10 Cyberdialogues
The cyberdialogues, hosted by Gender Links (South Africa) and the African Woman and Child Feature Service (Kenya) with UNIFEM support, were largely considered a success. This was the first time such an initiative had been conducted during a UN conference. The main aim of the cyberdialogues, which were conducted on 7 out of the 10 days of the CSW, was to keep those who could not attend the conference apprised of discussions and stimulate debate on key issues raised. At least 30 people chatted simultaneously at each session, while a moderator guided the conversation, and featured panellists answered key questions formulated around daily themes. Colleen Lowe Morna, founder of Gender Links, told Voice of America in an interview that although 30 people didn't seem like much, it was quite an accomplishment as this was a new concept, especially to many of the officials and experts who were featured panellists. "I think for all these people what was great was that, as experienced as they are, this technology is completely new. They have no concept of how it will work until they actually sit here and answer questions. And when they see how it works, they understand the enormous potential of it." A full report will be made available soon by Gender Links.

Women Building Peace Through Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration
This panel incorporated the views and experiences of five distinguished individuals in the areas of Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR). The panel was chaired by Jamal Benomar from the UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery. The panellists were Rose Kayumba (Rwanda), Leymah Gbowee (Liberia), Achol Cyier Rehan (Sudan), Lubna Abdel Aziz (Sudan) and Vanessa Farr (UNIDIR). Mr Benomar opened the panel by highlighting the historic lack of gender perspectives or mainstreaming in the DDR process and summarized what initiatives have been taken by the UN System to address this deficit. Each of the remaining panellists addressed four different aspects of the DDR process: civil society mobilization, former combatants, national institutions and the international framework.
        Ms Gbowee represented Women in Peace-Building Network (WIPNET) in Liberia, which worked in collaboration with UNMIL to disseminate information regarding disarmament and worked to sensitize communities to conflict resolution processes and the talents that women can bring to the DDR process. Ms Kayumba spoke as a member and head of the Ndabaga Association, an association for women ex-combatants in Rwanda, on the importance of including women in the beginning of the DDR process with an understanding of the varied roles women can play: as combatants, mobilizers, and in military administration. Ms Abdel Aziz and Ms Cyier Rehan represented southern and northern Sudanese Interim DDR Authorities respectively. Both presentations highlighted the need to integrate civil society into the DDR process as well as the importance of capacity building to affect real change. One of the strengths of the panel came from the expertise provided by the panellists and the solidarity expressed between WIPNET and Ndabaga for the ongoing efforts in Sudan. An in-depth report and copies of the participants' presentations are available at WomenWarPeace.org.

Other B+10-Related Activities

All India Women's Conference – Whose Media? A Woman's Space
At the All India Women's Conference held in New Delhi in February 2005, the Department of Women and Child Development of the Government of India joined with UNIFEM to launch a report called "Whose Media? A Woman's Space." Timed to coincide with the Beijing+10 consultations, this comparative study of the national and regional press was designed to input into a national-level report for the global review of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA). "Whose Media?" analyzed the representation of women in 20 newspapers in the five states of Uttaranchal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttar Pradesh. The analysis points to a decline in English-language newspaper reporting on women's development needs, while regional language newspapers seem to be playing a greater role in this area. Though not necessarily more gender-sensitive, regional newspapers have demonstrated closer links between development and gender concerns by focusing on local issues, such as health and educational facilities in rural areas, lack of safe drinking water, sanitation and other on-the-ground realities. For more information, please contact gita.gupta@undp.org

Celebrating Beijing+10 – South Asia Regional Ministerial Conference in May 2005
In May 2005, the Government of Pakistan and UNIFEM's South Asia Regional Office will co-host the fifth South Asia Regional Ministerial Conference in Islamabad, Pakistan. Recommendations of the Beijing+10 Review will be discussed within the regional context, leading to regional prioritization of key concerns for action. Specifically, the meeting will review progress and strategize on some critical concerns, such as gender, livelihoods and resources; violence against women in South Asia; women's representation, leadership and effectiveness; and engendering the MDG and PRSP processes through linking the BPfA, MDGs and CEDAW. For more information, please contact gitanjali.singh@undp.org

Ten Years After Beijing: The Role and Contribution of the Arab NGOs
On the occasion of International Women's Day 2005, under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal, the United Nations agencies in Jordan launched "Ten Years After Beijing: The Role and Contribution of the Arab NGOs" on 22 March 2005. UNIFEM, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) CST office, and the Center for Arab Women's Training and Research in Tunisia (CAWTAR) collaborated on the production of the report that aimed to highlight the involvement of NGOs in development, with particular emphasis on their contribution to the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, mainly in the areas of gender-based violence, women's legal rights, women's health and reproductive health, women's political participation, and women's economic security. In addition to the major successes achieved, the report sheds light on some of the constraints and challenges facing the region and civil society organizations. The report is available on the UNIFEM Arab States Regional Office website and Arab Women Connect.

A Look Forward – Millennium Summit + 5

In Larger Freedom
The 5-year progress report on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration was released on 21 March. In his statement to the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan outlined a package of specific, concrete recommendations that must be made this year in order to achieve the aims of the Declaration. Visit In Larger Freedom to read the report, press releases and the SG's full statement to the General Assembly.

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UNIFEM Around the World

Women Power Connect
A forum held in February 2005 in New Delhi to discuss women's rights through legislative action has led to the creation of a new coalition of women's networks and NGOs called Women Power Connect (WPC). The new coalition aims to strengthen their collective power in lobbying parliament and influencing legislation, budget and policy regulations to be more gender-sensitive. WPC will bring together women's organizations, the non-profit sector and elected representatives in the National Parliament and State Legislatures on legislative coordination for women's rights issues. Three current areas of priority that have been identified are the pending Domestic Violence Bill, Gender-Just Budgeting, and ensuring that 33 per cent of seats in Parliament are reserved for women. For more information, please contact benita.sharma@undp.org

Survey on Domestic Violence in Cambodia
Recognizing that violence against women is an increasingly endemic problem in Cambodia, a survey on domestic violence was commissioned by the Ministry of Women's Affairs in partnership with UNIFEM, GTZ, and the East-West Management Institute. The survey will collect data on prevalence rates, knowledge about and attitudes towards domestic violence, including incidences of physical violence, emotional abuse, sexual violence and rape within marriage. In addition, it will also assess the economic and psychological impact of violence and investigate awareness of human rights and rights violations. Fieldwork is being conducted in 13 provinces, with a representative sample of 3,000 women and men, including police and local authorities. No such countrywide survey has been done before in Cambodia. The survey's findings will be made available in April and will provide evidence to support legislation due to be considered by the government on the issue of domestic violence. For more information, contact amalin.sundaravej@unifem.un.or.th

HIV/AIDS Positive Women Network Gender Training Workshop
PWN+, the Positive Women's Network (India), organized a gender advocacy training workshop from 9 to 11 March 2005 in Chennai for members from 11 states in India. The workshop, supported by UNIFEM, aimed to empower women living with HIV through capacity-building and leadership training. In the last few years, PWN+ has emerged as a formidable force in organizing people living with HIV/AIDS to empower themselves, develop training and advocacy skills and become leaders in their communities. For more information, contact P. Kousalya, PWN+, poswonet@hotmail.com; or suneeta.dhar@undp.org

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Other News

JAG-VAW Statement for International Women's Day
The Joint Action Group Against Violence Against Women (JAG-VAW) released a press statement on International Women's Day. JAG-VAW's work is based on the belief that women's rights are integral and inseparable parts of human rights — a fundamental aspect of any democratic framework. Its work reaches out to a wide spectrum of key and strategic personnel and institutions, including members of parliaments, medial officers, legal advocates, educational institutions, government agencies, and the general public. JAG-VAW's primary action areas — rape, domestic violence, Islamic Family Laws and administration of justice in the Syariah system, sexual harassment, and the review of policies and laws that discriminate against women — are within the mandate of CEDAW and the BPfA.

LOBBY 2005
The United Nations Association of the United Kingdom, with a coalition of organizations, held LOBBY 2005, calling for sustained and increased British commitment to the achievement of human security through the UN Millennium Agenda. It focused on the UK's contribution to the following aims: achieving the Millennium Development Goals, advancing nuclear non-proliferation, and strengthening UN human rights machinery. Visit the LOBBY 2005 website for more information.

Campaigning Toolkit for NGOs
CIVICUS has produced a Campaigning Toolkit for Civil Society Organizations to engage in the Millennium Development Goals. The manual aims to build upon material that already exists from other sources. It provides a framework and a starting point for those interested in linking their efforts with the MDG Campaign at all levels. The toolkit is available on the CIVICUS website.

We the Peoples 2005
A new report produced by the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) and the North-South Institute (NSI) — "We the Peoples 2005: The UN Millennium Declaration and Beyond: Mobilizing for Change: Message from Civil Society" — will be available soon at wfuna.org. The report highlights the results of a global online survey of civil society organizations in more than 100 countries and documents how they are engaging with the Millennium Declaration and the MDGs. A preview of this report is available in the form of a pamphlet. In the pamphlet, you can find out: why 2005 is a "pivotal" year for the United Nations; when and where major events leading up to the Millennium Review Summit are taking place; what civil society organizations (CSOs) around the world are thinking, strategizing, and campaigning about; how civil society groups are mobilizing support for what they want to see on the Summit agenda.

Shaping Security – Strengthening Solidarity
Bonn 22-24 September 2005
"Insecurity and development – Regional Issues and policies from an interdependent world" is the topic of the European Association of Development and Training Institutes (EADI) 11th General Conference. Within this general theme, the EADI Gender and Development Working Group is organizing a number of special sessions that intend to explore gender issues related to security. The roots of insecurity will be explored as well as the nature of violence used as an instrument against women, both within the family and in the community. The consequences of insecurity for women's lives will be discussed as well as the empowering opportunities women are creating despite the most difficult circumstances insecurity brings. For more information, please contact Joy Clancy, Technology and Development Group, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 53-4893537. Fax: +31 53-4893087. E-mail: j.s.clancy@tdg.utwente.nl

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