1/2/2015

Womenneedtothrive,notjustsurviveTheHindu

OpinionComment
Published:January1,201503:00IST|Updated:January1,201503:00IST

Womenneedtothrive,notjustsurvive
MeenaMenon
InsteadofstrengtheningwomensrightsintheAsiaPacificregionandintherestoftheworld,governmentsarewhittlingthemawayin
somecases

TherewasonesignificantphotographmissinginthelobbyoftheUnitedNations(UN)EconomicandSocial
CommissionforAsiaandthePacific(ESCAP)hallinBangkokwhereanimportantregionalreviewoftheBeijingplus
20goalswasunderwayfromNovember1720.Whilemanywomenleadersintheregion,includingformerIndian
PrimeMinisterIndiraGandhi,wererepresented,ThailandsfirstwomanPrimeMinisterYingluckShinawatra,ousted
inamilitarycoupinMay,didntfindaplace.TheThaiDeputyPrimeMinisterforSocialAffairs,YongyuthYuthavong,
inhisinauguraladdress,confessedtobeingtheoddmanoutinawomensmeetingjustafewyearsago,buttodaythe
sceneisdifferentthereweremoremenintheroom,hesaid.Yes,therearecertainlymoremenforgenderequality
meetingsnowbuttherearealsomanyelephantsintheroom.
TwentyyearsaftertheBeijingDeclarationand35yearsaftertheConventionontheEliminationofAllFormsof
DiscriminationagainstWomenwasadopted,somecountrieslikeIrandontrecognisefeministorganisations,Russia
hasaproblemwithsexeducation,Indiaconvenientlydeniesarmedconflictandcaste,andeveryoneisreluctantto
acknowledgesexualrightsforwomen,differencesinsexualorientationandgenderidentity(SOGI).
Asaresult,theAsiaPacificministerialdeclarationongenderequalityandwomensempowerment,whichwasaccepted
inNovember,wasatameaffair.Peaceisinextricablylinkedwithequalitybetweenmenandwomen,accordingtooneof
thecriticalareasofconcernintheBeijingPlatformforAction.Yetonlysixcountriesintheregionhavedevelopment
nationalactionplansonwomen,peaceandsecurity.Survivorsofarmedconflictarestillfightingfortransitionaljustice
withverylittlemechanismsinplaceforpostconflictsituationsandalsoforinternallydisplacedpersons.TheIndian
government,backedbyIndonesia,managedtogetthewordsarmedconflictoutofthefinaldeclaration,thesecond
importantchangeitsucceededinmakingwithoutmuchado.Thatcastehasdeepimplications,especiallyonwomen,
waslostontheIndiangovernmentanditpreferredthetermsocialorigininsteadthiswasnotopposedbyanyother
country.Thetermsexualorientationwasreplacedwithmenandwomenintheirdiversity,angeringactivistswhohad
foughtforSOGItoberecognised.
Aglobalconcern
TwomajorUNmeetingstoreviewtheBeijingDeclarationandSustainableDevelopmentGoalsarecomingupin2015.
RightfromtheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRightsin1948,genderequalityhasbeenaglobalconcern.TheFourth
WorldConferenceonWomeninBeijingin1995andtheDeclarationandPlatformforActionsettheglobalstandardfor
promotingwomensissues.
ReviewsbygovernmentsoftheBeijinggoals20yearslaterrevealmanyshortcomings.TheUNSecretaryGenerals
campaignUniteToEndViolenceAgainstWomencitesdatatoshowthat50percentofsexualassaultsintheworld
takeplaceagainstgirlswhoareunder16yearsofage,603millionwomenliveincountrieswheredomesticviolenceis
notconsideredacrime,between15and76percentofwomenaretargetedforphysicaland/orsexualviolenceintheir
lifetime,and60milliongirlsaremarriedbeforetheyare18yearsold.
Onthepositiveside,asignificantchangeinthelast10yearshasbeentheincreasingfocusoninvolvingmenaspartners
ingenderequality.TheMenEngageprogrammeandtheHeforShemovementaresomeoftheinitiativesbyUNWomen
toropeinmentospeakupagainstviolenceandbepartnersratherthanadversariesintheprocess.Manycountriesin
theAsiaPacificregionareonlynowconductingstudiesandcomingupwithpolicies.NicolasBurniat,deputy
representativeattheMultiCountryOfficeforthePacificatUNWomen,says,Thereisarecognitionthatweneedto
spendmuchmoreenergyonthisissue.Thereisabroadercommunityrealisationthatgenderequalitycannotbe
achievedwithoutinvolvingmenandboys,andinthelasttenyearstheregionhasseenlawspassedagainstviolenceand
forstrongerpoliticalcommitment.
ThePacificIslandsForumSecretariat,oneofthetwointergovernmentalbodies,electedawomanasasecretary
general.ThePacificregion,whichhasreportedahighrateofviolenceagainstwomen,isnowrealisingthepowerofits
collectivevoiceongender.
Speakinginacollectivevoice
However,attitudestoviolenceinaregionwherecommunitiesarematriarchalarehamperedbykinshipties.Abacca
AnjainMadisson,chiefofthecommunitydivisionfromthegovernmentofMarshallIslands,saysevenrecognisingthat
violenceexistsisachallenge.ThefirststudyofwomenandviolenceintheIslandsreportedthatoneintwowomen
experiencedpartnerviolenceandonlytenpercentwereabletoseekhelp.Whenwomencomplainedtothepoliceor
thechurchorcommunityleaders,itwasfoundthattheviolencewasrelatedinsomewaytotheirhusbandsand[the
leaders]refusedtotakecognisanceofcomplaints.Sheadded:Wearetakingownershipofthedataandwillsoonhave
agenderpolicy.
Climatechangeimpacts,therightsofindigenouspeopleandthevulnerabilityofwomenemergedasmajorissuesatthe
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Womenneedtothrive,notjustsurviveTheHindu

conference.Landgrabbingbycorporatesandstrugglesoverlandownershipwerealsoidentifiedascriticalareas.There
isarecognitionthattheregioncanspeakinacollectivevoiceongenderjustasitdidonclimatechangeaspartofthe
AllianceofSmallIslandStates,MrBurniatsaid.Evenwhilethereisprogressinaddressingviolenceagainstwomenin
theregion,promotingleadershipandpoliticalparticipationofwomen,improvinggenderparityinprimaryschoolnet
enrolmentandattendanceratesandparityinsecondaryschooleducation,highratesofviolence,lowerwork
participation,andthreatstohealthandmaternalmortalityalsopersist.RobertaClarke,UNWomenregionaldirector,
asks,Whyareweunderachievingsoconsistently?Shecalledforareaffirmationofpoliticalwillandfinancial
commitmenttodealwithgenderinequality.
AccordingtoESCAP,foreveryhundredemployedmen,thereareonly62employedwomenintheAsiaPacificregion,
theaveragewagegapis10to30percent,andwomenarestillconcentratedinlowpaid,lowstatusandlowskilled
work.TheAsiaPacificregionschildsexratio,whichisinfavourofboys,isoneofthehighestintheworld.Asaresult
ofthis,genderbiasedpracticesincludingprenatalsexselectionexist.Yet,comprehensivesexeducationisnonexistent
inmanycountriesandtheministerialdeclarationtookaretrogradestepbynotrecognisingthesexualrightsofwomen,
whichwasanimportantrightcontainedintheBeijingDeclaration.In17AsiaPacificcountries,lessthan10centof
seatsinParliamentareheldbywomen.
Astheworldislookingtosetnewgoalspost2015,financialandpoliticalcommitmentsassumemoreimportancethan
ever.Governmentshavetostepupinvestmentingenderequalityanddomorethanrecognisethatitisanimportant
areaforimprovement.AsLaisemaRalika,anofficialfromtheFijiMinistryofEducationasks,Ifitsnotnow,then
when?
Womenintheregionandintherestoftheworldaredemandingtheirrights,alreadyguaranteedtotheminvarious
globalandnationalinstrumentsoflaw.Insteadofstrengtheningthat,governmentsarewhittlingthemawayinsome
cases.Averybigpartofthewomensagendaisthatfinancingisthekeytothepost2015developmentgoalsandthere
isaneedtostepupexistingcommitments.Genderinequalityisthescourgeofthe21stcentury,anditisasystemic
changethatiscalledfor,saysNoeleneNabulivoufromDiverseVoicesandActionforEquality.Women,asMarshallese
poetKathyJetnilKjineraptlysumsup,needtodomorethanjustsurvive,wedeservetothrive.
meena.menon@thehindu.co.in
Keywords:Socialmalady,India'ssocialinequalities,genderinequalities,Beijingdeclaration,inclusive
development,women'srights,AsiaPacificregion,Beijingplus20goals,women'srights,ESCAP,gender
identity,womenempowerment
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