Gender Equality in UN Reform

The Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance, and the environment released its report, "Delivering as One," on 9 November 2006. UNIFEM welcomes the Panel's recommendation for stronger and more coherent UN delivery on gender equality. The Panel, which was co-chaired by Prime Ministers Shaukat Aziz of Pakistan, Luísa Dias Diogo of Mozambique, and Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, was established following the 2005 World Summit which gave momentum to a number of initiatives for United Nations reform.

Some key recommendations in the report related to gender equality include:

• Consolidate three of the UN's existing gender institutions — Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women (OSAGI), Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), and UNIFEM — into one gender entity.
• The gender entity will be entrusted with a dual mandate combining normative, analytical and monitoring functions and policy advisory and targeted programming functions.
• The Executive Director of the gender entity should have the rank of Under-Secretary-General, consistent with heads of other agencies.
• The gender entity must be fully and ambitiously funded.
• The commitment to gender equality is and should remain the mandate of the entire UN system.

The report will be deliberated informally by member states during the remainder of this year and taken up by the General Assembly for deliberations and negotiations in 2007.

For more information, see:

• Delivering as One: Report of the Secretary General's High-Level Panel (PDF, 438KB)
• Panel's Press Release: Blue-Ribbon Panel Seeks to Revamp UN for Development (PDF, 141KB)
• Statement by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan: Secretary-General Presents Report on United Nations System-Wide Coherence, Calls for Action on "One Country Programmes," Gender Equality, Business Practices
• Statement by UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer: UNIFEM Welcomes Recommendation for Stronger Gender Equality Entity by High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence
• Ten Ways for the UN to "Deliver as One" (PDF, 156KB)

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Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security

On 26 October 2006, the Security Council held an open debate on women, peace and security to discuss progress made in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325, gaps and challenges encountered, and actions and mechanisms needed for future implementation. The open debate focused on the role of women in the consolidation of peace. The open debate is available as archived webcasts: AM Session - 2 hours and 56 minutes; PM Session - 3 hours and 07 minutes (RealMedia streaming files).

UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer delivered a speech in which she highlighted three measures needed to effectively implement resolution 1325 in peace consolidation: peacebuilding efforts must ensure women's physical and economic security; sustainable peace requires real justice for women; and peace processes require institutional change and stronger accountability systems. Read the complete speech.

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Not a Minute More – Ending Violence against Women

UNIFEM is commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November), and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence (25 November – 10 December) with a wide range of activities organized by its regional and country offices, national committees, and partner organizations to remind the world that violence against women is a human rights violation that must be stopped, and that everyone can play a part in doing so. For more details and a schedule of events around the world, please visit the Not a Minute More special web feature.

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UNIFEM around the World

UNIFEM Announces Grants to End Violence against Women
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women will grant US$3.5 million to initiatives in developing countries that are addressing gender-based violence. This is the highest amount ever to be disbursed by the UNIFEM-managed Trust Fund — up from US$1.8 million in 2005 and close to four times more than in 2004. As in the previous year, grants mainly go to groups that work on ensuring that policies and laws to address violence against women are implemented. Overall, 28 initiatives in 20 countries, including one regional project, will receive grants amounting to US$2.8 million to that end. A second round of grants amounting to US$0.7 million for groups focusing on the link between gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS will be announced in early 2007. Read the complete story.

Report on UNIFEM's Activities in 2005
The UN Secretariat has released "Activities of the United Nations Development Fund for Women: Note by the Secretary-General," which tracks progress and highlights results of UNIFEM's work in 2005, and concludes with a set of recommendations on how the development and organizational effectiveness of UNIFEM can be further strengthened. Available in all six UN languages. In connection with the report, UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer delivered two speeches to UN General Assembly committees: "Turning the Tide: The Next Wave of Action for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment" and "Smart Development: Gender Equality Key to Achieving the MDGs".

CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE & CIS

UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman Visits Kosovo
Nicole Kidman visited Kosovo on 14 and 15 October on her first trip as UNIFEM's Goodwill Ambassador. The visit provided Ms. Kidman an opportunity to learn first-hand about the experiences of women in Kosovo and UNIFEM's efforts to support them. Together with UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer, she met with women who had been victims of sexual violence, war widows, and women who are still searching for missing family members. She also met with women leaders and representatives from civil society. "I was very moved by the many women I met during my Kosovo trip," said Ms. Kidman. "I learned so much from the experiences that they were willing to share — they spoke about how violence has disrupted their lives and the lives of their children. They talked to me about the tragedy of losing sons and husbands, but they also inspired me with their determination to build a better future for themselves and their families, and to claim their rights as individuals and citizens." For more information, see the special web page on Ms. Kidman's trip.

UNIFEM Publishes Report on the Status of Internally Displaced Women in Azerbaijan
UNIFEM launched a rapid assessment on "The Status of IDP Women in Azerbaijan" on 25 July 2006 in Baku. According to the assessment, poverty and unemployment were named by IDP women as their greatest challenges; other pressing needs and priorities identified were inadequate infrastructure to serve the needs of IDP communities, such as medical centres, educational resources, public baths, access to safe drinking water, accessible roads and proper shelters. The report is available for download in English (PDF, 559KB) and Azerbaijani (PDF, 557KB). For more information, contact Gulshan Pashayeva, gulshan.pashayeva[at]unifem.org

Women's Lobby for Peace, Security and Justice in South-East Europe Established
A group of women political leaders and women's rights activists, supported by UNIFEM, established the Women's Lobby for Peace, Security and Justice in South-East Europe in July 2006. Its members will advocate to advance peace and stability in the region, including full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, which calls for increased representation of women at all decision-making levels. For more information, contact Asya Varbanova, asya.varbanova[at]unifem.org

ASIA & THE PACIFIC

Domestic Violence in Afghanistan is "Endemic," Perpetrators Go Unpunished
Domestic violence against Afghan women appears endemic, and attacks against them usually take place with impunity. "Uncounted and Discounted," a UNIFEM study of more than 1,300 cases reported to authorities between January 2003 and June 2005, found that violence against women — whether sexual, physical or psychological — affects all branches of Afghan society, regardless of the woman's marital status or her level of education or employment. More than eight out of every 10 acts of violence are committed by a family member, such as a husband, father-in-law, son or cousin. Read the complete story and access the report.

ARAB STATES

Campaign to Ratify the CEDAW Optional Protocol in the Arab States without Reservations
Representatives of women's rights and human rights organizations from all over North Africa and the Middle East, including the Gulf States and Turkey, gathered in Rabat, Morocco, on 8-10 June 2006 to plan a regional campaign entitled "Equality without Reservations." The campaign calls for the ratification of the Optional Protocol of the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and for the harmonization of national legislation with the Convention through the removal of reservations. UNIFEM's Morocco Country Programme will provide support to the North Africa component of the campaign which is organized against the background that 18 out of the 21 Arab States have ratified CEDAW only with reservations that are often in direct conflict with the very principles of gender equality and non-discrimination enshrined in the Convention, and all but one have yet to ratify the Optional Protocol, which constitutes a key instrument in holding States to account for individual and collective rights violations. For more information, please contact Anne-Kristin Treiber, annekristin.treiber[at]unifem.org 

Women's Issues Light Up the National Theatre in Baghdad
As part of its ongoing activities to advocate for the protection of women's rights in Iraq, UNIFEM is supporting a mobile theatrical play that raises awareness about the implications of Article 41 on women of the new Constitution. The play highlights the rights of women enshrined in the current Personal Status Law and promotes the amendment of Article 41 to ensure the preservation of the provisions of the existing progressive law during the constitutional review process that will take place in the coming months. The play thus far has been presented to more than 8,000 women and men in more than 14 governorates. For more information, please contact Ghada Abu El-Rous, ghada.elrous[at]unifem.org

LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN

First Congress of Latin American and Caribbean HIV-Positive Women, Adolescents and Girls
More than 200 delegates from 20 countries participated in the First Congress of Latin American and Caribbean HIV-Positive Women, Adolescents and Girls, held in Panama City on 16-19 October 2006. Organized by ICW Latina with support from several UN agencies, including UNIFEM, foundations and NGOs, the congress set a precedent for being the first event of its kind in the world. The final declaration (in Spanish, PDF, 38KB) calls for the fulfilment of the agreements reached at the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) in 2001, more involvement of women in HIV decision-making forums, strengthening of initiatives to combat HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination, as well as support from UN agencies. UN agencies committed themselves to implement the final declaration and to strengthen HIV prevention activities related to women, adolescents and girls in the region. For more information, please contact Amaia Perez, amaia.perez[at]unifem.org

Women's Development and Promotion Office Inaugurated in Lima Municipality
The Municipality of Villa el Salvador in Lima, Peru, approved the creation of the Gerencia de Promoción y Desarrollo de la Mujer (Women's Development and Promotion Office) at a public event on 11 August 2006. The new institution will seek to establish policies that foster women's rights and promote the inclusion of a gender perspective throughout the municipality. It will also facilitate dialogue and the exchange of information between civil society and the government. One of its first activities will be the drafting of the "First Equal Opportunity Plan" for Villa el Salvador. For more information, please contact Sonia Ortiz Arcos, sonia.ortiz[at]unifem.org

Safe Cities Programme Launched in Brazil and Southern Cone Region
UNIFEM launched a new regional programme called "Safe Cities: Violence against Women and Public Policy," at a regional seminar hosted by UNIFEM and SUR Corporación de Estudios Sociales y Educación in Santiago, Chile, on 7-8 August 2006. Financed by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECI) and coordinated by UNIFEM's Regional Office for Brazil and the Southern Cone, the programme will disseminate knowledge and promote public debate on the subject of women's safety in cities; promote the incorporation of the issue in social agendas and public policies; help disseminate and replicate effective participatory interventions; and strengthen women's networks so that they can engage governments in formulating urban safety policies. For more information, please contact Nina Madsen, nina.madsen[at]unifem.org

Brazil Enacts Law on Violence against Women
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a new law on Domestic and Family Violence against Women on 7 August 2006. The law changes the Penal Code, allowing an aggressor to be arrested not only in the act of committing an offence, but also preventively, if the aggressor's freedom is determined to be a threat to a victim's life. It also provides for gender-based crimes against women to be judged in special courts. The law also establishes social measures to assist women; those at risk, for example, may be included in government welfare programmes, and basic information on violence against women will be included in school materials. Another particularly innovative aspect is the protection for domestic workers from physical, psychological and sexual abuse. Domestic workers are the labour force category employing the largest number of women in Brazil, consisting of approximately 6.5 million women in the country, 500,000 of them less than 18 years old. The law is the result of an extensive process of consultation and discussion that was supported by UNIFEM. Read the complete story.

Gender Equality in Ecuador's 2007 Budget Guidelines
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Finance and Economy (MEF) made public the Budget Guidelines for the 2007 National Budget in August, and for the first time gender equality appears as one of the criteria for the selection and prioritization of projects to be financed. This achievement is a result of an intensive advocacy campaign carried out by the National Women's Council (CONAMU) with UNIFEM's support. For more information, contact Raquel Coello, raquel.coello[at]unifem.org

AFRICA

Kenyan Women Leaders Visit Displaced Communities in Mathare Valley
UNIFEM joined a solidarity mission on 9 November to visit displaced women in the Mathare Valley shantytowns, one of the worst affected areas of the recent violence that has hit the country. The conflict in Mathare has so far led to the displacement of thousands of families and the deaths of eight residents. The mission, which also included representatives of civil society organizations, donated food and other items to displaced women. Read the complete story.

Kenya Women Parliamentarians Association Unveils Strategic Plan
The Kenya Women Parliamentarians (KEWOPA) launched its strategic plan for 2006-2010 on 2 November, affirming its vision of a nation in which women and men are equitably represented in Parliament and other decision-making bodies. The strategic plan focuses on four key priorities: to enhance the quality of representation and effectiveness of women parliamentarians; to increase the number of women parliamentarians; to support women-friendly and pro-poor legislation and policies; and to enhance KEWOPA's institutional capacity to manage, coordinate, monitor and evaluate the implementation of its work. KEWOPA is supported by UNIFEM and the governments of Canada, Sweden, Norway and Finland. For more information, please contact Roselyn Gicira, roselyn.gicira[at]unifem.org

Norway and Sweden Support UNIFEM Urgent Actions for Women's Rights in East Africa
UNIFEM's interventions on women's rights and gender equality in Somalia and Uganda received a major boost in October with financial assistance from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Government of Norway. A 1,000,000 SEK (US$137,174) grant from SIDA will support Ugandan women's participation in the ongoing peace efforts in Juba. In Somalia, a 1,300,000 NOK (US$200,927) grant from the Government of Norway will follow up on women's engagement with the World Bank/UN-facilitated Post-Conflict Joint Needs Assessment and facilitate a gender audit of the draft Recovery and Development Plan, helping Somali women to define their key priorities, and advocating for gender-responsive financing mechanisms for the plan. For further information, please contact Roselyn Gicira, roselyn.gicira[at]unifem.org

Kenyan Parliament Adopts Gender Equality Policy
The Parliament of Kenya has adopted a new national policy on gender equality and development to ensure a gender balance in the allocation of national resources. It is a strong instrument to strengthen women's participation in governance and women's human rights. UNIFEM, with financial support from SIDA and CIDA and through the Gender Donor Roundtable, had provided support to the Ministry of Gender and the Ministry of Civil Society in their efforts to promote a national gender policy. For more information, please contact Roselyn Gicira, roselyn.gicira[at]unifem.org

Northern Uganda Women Speak Out on Juba Peace Talks
More than 200 women from Northern Uganda, representing more than 25 organizations and constituencies, came together on 10-14 October to voice their concerns and identify priorities around the agenda for the current peace talks in Juba. The women came from the districts worst affected by the conflict. They called on those engaged in the peace talks to take into consideration the perspectives of women and girls in fighting forces and those displaced by the conflict in Uganda; to guarantee that the peace process includes the protection of the rights of women and girls; and to recognize and seek the participation of women in the peace process, as called for in UN Security Council resolution 1325, among other recommendations. The consultations were held by the Civil Society Women's Peace Coalition under the leadership of the Uganda Women's Network and supported by UNIFEM. Read the participating women's complete statement (PDF, 146KB) and the brief on women's priorities for peace in Northern Uganda (PDF, 101KB). For more information, please contact Signe Allimadi, signe.allimadi[at]undp.org, or Lina Zedriga, lina.zedriga[at]undp.org

UNIFEM Launches Joint Programme to Prevent Gender-Based Violence and HIV/AIDS in the Great Lakes Region
UNIFEM and the Government of Burundi launched a Joint Programme on Preventing Gender-Based Violence and HIV/AIDS at a workshop in Bujumbura on 2-3 October 2006, organized with support from the Norwegian government. The programme, developed by UNIFEM and UNFPA, will cover the Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province, northern and eastern Burundi, and northern Uganda, with a focus on cross-border issues. The workshop's objectives were to share information on best practices for addressing sexual and gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS in the three countries; to enhance the capacities of UNIFEM partners on the use of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidelines on GBV interventions in humanitarian settings; and to set up a regional workplan. Read the complete story.

Enabling Gender-Based Policy Analysis: UNIFEM Supports Policy Seminar in Rwanda
In collaboration with the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, UNIFEM, UNDP, and the Dutch organization SNV Rwanda held a seminar on "Gender-Based Analysis for Constructing Policy in Rwanda" on 26-27 September 2006. The seminar was organized to introduce gender advocates to the basics of policy analysis to empower them to better engage in policy discussions. A particular focus was on the second phase of Rwanda's PRSP, known as the Economic Development for Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). For more information, please contact Irene Zirimwabagabo, irene.zirimwabagabo[at]unifem.org

Cameroonian Lawyers Learn to Use CEDAW in Court
Forty lawyers and members of the National Bar Association of Cameroon were trained to use the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) as a comprehensive legal instrument to defend women's rights at a three-day workshop on 9-11 August organized by the Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy (CHRAPA) with UNIFEM support. A major outcome of the workshop was a memorandum of understanding that outlines potential areas of collaboration between the Bar Association of Cameroon, CHRAPA and UNIFEM, including institutional support to the Bar Association to develop a strategic plan on CEDAW implementation, capacity building on CEDAW for the Bar Association in all provinces, and advocacy with policy makers to incorporate CEDAW into national legislation. For more information, please contact Irene Zirimwabagabo, irene.zirimwabagabo[at]unifem.org

Gender-Based Violence Bill Passes in Rwandan Parliament
The Draft Law on the Prevention, Protection and Punishment of Any Gender Based Violence was adopted by general consensus in the Rwandan Parliament on 3 August 2006. The bill was prepared by the Forum for Rwandan Women Parliamentarians (FFRP) after a series of national consultations supported by UNIFEM and UNDP. The bill will be enacted into law once the requisite procedures and outstanding amendments have been finalized. Read the complete story.

Regional Conference on Aid Effectiveness and Gender Equality in Africa
UNIFEM, in collaboration with the Government of Burundi, hosted a Regional Conference on Aid Effectiveness and Gender Equality in Africa, on 12-14 July 2006, in Bujumbura, Burundi. The conference aimed to strengthen advocacy on gender equality and women's empowerment in new aid modalities and development cooperation; identify strategies to support African governments' efforts to formulate gender-sensitive poverty eradication and development processes; support mechanisms for developing gender responsive indicators and tracking aid flows towards gender equality; and strengthen gender advocates' capacities to effectively participate in the high-level 2008 Ghana meeting on Financing for Development. Read the conference communiqué (PDF, 126KB) and complete story. Download the outcome report in English and French .

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Recent Publications

2006 Campaign: 16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women – Information Packet. This information packet, produced by several organizations in a collaborative effort for the 2006 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean, consists of documents that highlight violence against women as a human rights violation, and the elimination of VAW as an integral component of the advancement of human rights for all. Available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Budgeting for Women's Rights: Monitoring Government Budgets for Compliance with CEDAW. This publication elaborates on how budgets and budget policy making processes can be monitored for compliance with human rights standards, in particular CEDAW. Combining substantive analysis with country examples, the publication explores how a rights-based budget analysis can be applied to public expenditure, public revenue, macroeconomics of the budget, and budget decision-making. Download the report.

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