UNIFEM and Beijing + 15 

One of UNIFEM’s key roles is to facilitate, support and lead processes to track progress on commitments already made. Processes such as the Beijing + 5, Beijing + 10 and now, Beijing + 15 provide critical opportunities to further push and add to the momentum of demanding action and accountability with regard to women’s rights and gender equality. 

UNIFEM, as has been its tradition, has been facilitating national and regional processes to feed into the upcoming international review on Beijing + 15 at the 54th Session of the CSW. In 2009 UNIFEM supported civil society participation at the Asia Pacific NGO Forum (October 22nd -24th 2009) and the UN ESCAP High Level Inter-Governmental Review meeting (16th – 18th November 2009); it supported the National Alliance of Women and South Asia Women’s Watch to organize a South Asia Consultation on Beijing Plus 15 (17th – 18th December, 2009), making available a platform for women’s groups to prioritize their concerns and develop a consensus lobby document on key gender concerns in preparation for the forthcoming global reviews in New York. This led to a declaration that will feed into the global Beijing +15 processes. Please find attached the South Asia Statement, the consensus lobby document.  

UNIFEM South Asia has facilitated the participation of 19 gender advocates from civil society to the Global NGO Forum and the 54th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women, which will review progress on the Beijing Platform for Action, 15 years since it was adopted by 189 countries 

The South Asia Regional Ministerial Conferences, organized biennially since 1996 by UNIFEM SARO in collaboration with a host government provide the guiding principles for UNIFEM’s work in the region. The participants at these meetings include Ministers, Secretaries of the participating countries, and representatives of women’s groups, the SAARC Secretariat, experts and research organizations. They facilitate the formation of a common South Asian agenda, listing current priorities for the region specifically addressing the BPfA. 

Please find the link to publications sections of the last two declarations from the UNIFEM South Asia website - http://www.unifem.org.in/publications.html  

The Sixth South Asia Regional Ministerial Conference, “Commemorating Beijing”, was co-hosted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India and UNIFEM South Asia Sub-Regional Office from the 17-19 January 2008, in New Delhi at the Le Meridian Hotel. 

The South Asia regions performance on gender related issues has been mixed.  Despite substantial progress on some social indicators the regions’ performance on other indicators of women’s capabilities and opportunities is “off track”. Gender discrimination remains pervasive in the region despite many formal commitments. In view of this, the Ministerial Conference offered a unique opportunity for the discussion of political commitment and the building of fruitful partnerships within the region. It furthermore promoted coordination and regional cooperation of the different national initiatives and programmes related to gender equality, gender justice and women’s empowerment.  

This meeting continued the process of regional sharing and learning along with a regional prioritization of key concerns, drawing upon regional trends and analysis. In pursuance of the Islamabad Declaration: Review and Future Action, this meeting sought to brainstorm and strategize on some critical concerns related to gender equality especially ‘Substantive Equality and Gender Justice in South Asia’. 

At the end of the Conference, delegates drafted and adopted a series of recommendations / forward moving strategies on crucial gender issues affecting women across countries in the region. 

Linking the global to the local, the outcomes of the global reviews will be unpacked in the regional and national context at the Seventh Biennial Regional Ministerial Meeting, scheduled to take place in 2010 in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh.  

CSW 2010 and International Women’s Day 

The 54th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will be held 1–12 March 2010.

In accordance with its multi-year programme of work for 2010–2014, this year the Commission will review implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, emphasizing the sharing of experiences and good practices, with a view to overcoming remaining obstacles and new challenges, including those related to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The review will also focus on how the implementation of the Platform for Action contributes to the full achievement of the MDGs. 

About the CSW 

The CSW was established in 1946 by United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 11(II) with the objective of promoting the principle that men and women shall have equal rights. Originally a 15-member body, it now consists of 45 members elected by ECOSOC for a period of four years. The Commission recommends and reports to ECOSOC on the promotion of women’s rights in the political, economic, civil, social and educational fields and also addresses problems affecting women that require immediate attention.

Since 1996, the main focus of work of the CSW has been to monitor the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. At its twenty-third special session in June 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted a Political Declaration and Further Actions and Initiatives to Implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (the Outcome Document). The commission’s current work, as determined by its multi-year programme of work 2010–2014, focuses on continued implementation of both the Platform for Action and the outcome document. 

International Women’s Day 

International Women’s Day will be observed at the United Nations on 8 March 2010. This year’s theme is “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All.”  

In 1977 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution inviting Member States to proclaim a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace — International Women’s Day— to be observed on any day of the year in accordance with their historical and national traditions. Since then, the United Nations Organization has observed March 8th as International Women’s Day. The purpose of this day is to recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security. 

For the women of the world, the symbolism of International Women’s Day has a wider meaning: It is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilize for meaningful change.

On 1st February, 2010, Ms. Anne F. Stenhammer, Regional Programme Director, UNIFEM South Asia and Dr. Girija Vyas, Chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to combat the increased trafficking of women and girls as well as feminization of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The MoU has been signed for a period of three years, beginning on February 1, 2010, broadly covering the following actions: 

• Development of strategies to reduce all forms of violence against women, including organization of policy dialogues to end trafficking of women in India

• Organization of policy dialogues on CEDAW, which includes creating public awareness and reviewing progress made by the Government of India on implementing the Convention

• Rendition of all possible assistance to the complaints relating to women abandoned by their NRI spouses, including networking with NGOs, community organizations in India and abroad; and making recommendations to the Government on any policy or issue relating to the NRI marriages

• Organization of consultations and workshops on any issue of concern relating to women

The anti trafficking programme to be implemented by UNIFEM and NCW: 

• Proposes to reach out to and address the vulnerability of women in the source areas

• Work in partnership on prevention, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked victims in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal

The overarching goal is that by 2015, the Government of India’s efforts at creating institutionalized prevention mechanisms to stop trafficking at the source areas is supported by community action at the Panchayat level.

It is hoped that this programme will lead to:

• Establishment of three panchayat level community-owned centres of action against trafficking and HIV/AIDS at the district level in the target states

• Skill development of at least 600 women and girls preparing them for entrepreneurship and offering choices of employment and livelihoods

• Enhanced and productive use of common property resources that are owned by the Panchayat, by survivors of trafficking

An integrated Plan of Action to combat trafficking in human beings, formulated by the National Commission for Women, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and select UN agencies, is being finalized by the MWCD. Areas of action will be identified for implementation.