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Momodou
Denmark
11828 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Nov 2009 : 20:56:34
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Eighth Africa Regional Conference On Women Beijing +15 is In Progress
By Awa B Bah
The Eight Africa Regional Conference on Women Beijing + 15 which is scheduled for the 16 to the 20 of November, 2009 is currently taking place at the Kairaba Beach Hotel. The five days meeting attracted over 53 African Countries and is convened to discuss issues affecting women in Africa. The conference does take place every five years. The conference will focus on progress made in the implementation of national programmes, the achievements, the gaps, and the challenges. It further aims to provide an indication of areas where actions and initiatives within the framework are most urgent to ensure the full and effective accelerated implementation.
In her opening statement the CWD and the expert session of the eighth Africa regional conference on women (Beijing + 15), the Permanent Secretary office of the Vice President Mrs. Fatou Jassey- Kuyateh,who delivered on behalf of the Vice President, began by claiming the President Jammeh is the number one advocate for women’s advancement and the attainment of gender equality, not only through official means but at a personal level; that he sponsors girls’ education through PEGEP and the Girls Education Trust Fund. She pointed out that these have significantly contributed towards the attainment of gender parity in education. She added that through the Jammeh Foundation for Peace, several projects have been implemented, in the area of health, education, agriculture and environmental management, to name but a few, which have yielded benefits, to women and girls. She indicated that the President has also initiated a women empowerment programme, for girls and women which enhanced their participation, in state matters, decision making and politics, over the years since the advent of the second republic. She added that Madam Zainab Jammeh, the wife of the President, through OFLAGAM and operation save a baby contributed towards improvement of maternal and child health to improve survival and development.
The rest of the speech went as follows:
“ I know that there are many challenges ahead of us. But your decision to attend the experts meeting of the Eight Africa Regional Conference on Women, Beijing + 15 is testimony of your devotion to the promotion of gender equality in Africa .
We African women, should ask ourselves, what actions, we ourselves have taken? What we have done, to advance our own status, and what the outcomes of these actions are. Again let’s question what is yet to be done, and how we can do better. Answers to these questions would form the basis for our strategic thinking to address the (12) key critical areas of concern, which I hope, will be useful, during your discussions, and in coming up, with critical recommendations, for the effective implementation, of the strategies, of the Beijing Platform for Action , and other Gender related policies, declaration, programmes, resolutions, and protocols.
Apart from these achievements at national level, we remind ourselves with this year’s post Beijing +15 Slogan from Commitment to Action. The main objective of this meeting is to discuss and strategise on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action BPFA. As this relates to the Gambian experience, we are doing a lot that could be associated with the implementation of the platform in the area of policies, legislation and programmes. As a result, women are serving in Decision- making and in Political positions.
As you can see both the Vice President and. Speaker of the National Assembly, 3 Ministers, 1 Deputy Minister, 3 other National Assembly Members, Deputy Managing Directors in Parastatals and Director Generals are women. We now have women serving as Ambassadors and others in decision-making positions in various sectors of Government, the private sector, security services, other international bodies e.g. at the AU Commission, as well as community leadership, such as Village Heads. In the past, women were not contesting for elections but now we have started seeing some brave women contesting elections at the levels of area cour1cils and parliament e.g. out of 20 female candidates during the last Local Government Elections, 15 were elected and many more nominated by Government.
Regarding education, the education system, in The Gambia has proven to be effective and responsive, towards ensuring quality education for all. A lot of investment has gone into girls’ education, and now we have achieved gender parity, at Basic level. The challenge now is, maintaining these achievements, ensuring quality and relevance, for all and at all levels. In the area of skills training, a lot of facilities and services are put in places which have given girls a second opportunity to develop their careers. Women’s career development also needs further attention, especially on courses, meant for those in the lower and middle levels of employment.
In the Area of Health, The Gambia Government has been vigorously pursuing policies that seek to address the health, nutrition and demographic needs of the population. There has always been a conscious effort to strike a balance between population growth and socio-economic development. The National Health Policy “Changing for Good” 2001-2006 was adopted and it aims at providing quality health care services within an enabling environment, delivered by appropriately and adequately trained, skilled and motivated workers at all levels of care. A key component of this policy is the essential care package, which aims at addressing the common causes of morbidity and mortality, especially for women, children and the underserved. This policy has been replaced by The National Health Policy “Health is Wealth” and Health Master Plan. The health sector policies currently being implemented include National Reproductive Health Policy, National HIV/AIDS Policy, The National Nutrition Policy and the National Population Policy and Plan of Action.
Public sector health service is delivered at three levels — primary, secondary and tertiary. The number of Government hospitals increased from two to five over the decade. There are forty health centers at the secondary level, and a network of 492 primary health posts spread across the country. 34 private and NGO clinics complement Public Health Services. These developments have greatly improved access for women in health care and encouraged them to develop positive health seeking behavior.
In the economic sectors, yes the participation, of women, has improved a lot, but the numbers need to increase. Women are running major businesses in the trade, export and import sectors, as well as, in the services and tourism sectors. In the banking sector, women, are also in key positions. However, whilst there are positive successes in political and economic empowerment indicators, of women, reflected by the high positions they hold both in the public and private sectors, more needs to be done. Women still constitute a significant minority, at the higher levels of wholesale related enterprises, control and ownership of industrial company, top managerial positions of private sector institutions. Women continue to constitute the majority, in subsistence agriculture, and in the mostly impoverished informal sector, of the economy, in various fields. These statistics are not in keeping, with the demographic proportions of women, and their potential positive impact in the national drive to fighting poverty, and improving overall socio-economic growth. To effectively reverse these trends, sustained gender parity, towards empowerment, is the continuing challenge, which forms the bedrock, of the current Women’s Empowerment Strategy of The Gambia, and all related policy and programme interventions, emanating from its implementation.
Regarding violence against women and girls, this is another critical problem, we are faced with, and we must do something towards ending Violence against Women. This is why in The Gambia; we welcome the global campaign, to end violence against women.
May I caution that, this requires concerted efforts, from all stakeholders, due to the fact that gender and women’s empowerment programming, needs to be given the required attention, resources and positive coordination.
In this regard, in The Gambia a national programme on accelerating the elimination of Gender-based Violence, prevention and management, will be developed, and this programme, will incorporate strategies, on the situational analysis, to establish the facts, and identify capacity gaps, after which a related plan of action will be drafted on Violence against women and girls. Other activities of the programme will include training on the prevention and management of skills for stakeholders, particularly, law enforcement agents, both at the local and national levels.
With regards to women and security, once again all of the above surely cannot be achieved in the absence of peace and security. This is why the BPFA, re-enforcing the effective implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, on women, peace and security, is welcomed, by all, particularly, women in conflict and post conflict zones. Whether we are affected or not, we should be haunted by the atrocities of violence, against women and girls, particularly, in times of conflict. We should ensure that women and girls, are protected, from abuse, and are empowered to play a vital and rightful role, in helping their countries prevent, end and recover from conflict.
Remarks of the UNDP Resident Coordinator
On the other hand, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, The Gambia Ms. Chinwe Dike also gave welcoming remarks.
Accounting for Stewardship
She gave a point by point presentation as follows:
This is the second mid-decade review of the Dakar and Beijing platforms for action of 1994 and 1995 respectively.
• It is indeed time again to call on all actors and stakeholders, engaged in promoting gender equality, especially our governments to account for their stewardship.
• This call includes the United Nations, who after the 2009 General Assembly meeting, has also recognised the need to revamp its gender architecture to achieve greater effectiveness; in the promotion of gender equality.
Beyond perceptions to reality
• Our business for the next few days is a critical one; It calls for us to look beyond perceptions to reality.
• There is a need to devise practicable means towards ensuring that more than half of Africa’s population who are women, are able to access the basic necessities of life;
• Enabling them to contribute meaningfully to development; thereby ensuring that children and men’s wellbeing are also enhanced.
Normative gains have not manifested into substantive changes
Ladies and Gentlemen,
• The Africa Preparatory Meeting for Beijing + 10 attended by African Ministers of Women and Gender Affairs in Addis Ababa, October 2004, summarily concluded that the
• “Normative gains” made in respect of the Beijing + 10 have not yet manifested into “Substantive changes” in the lives of African Women’ (ECA 2004a)
a) The Statistics have not change significantly
• My colleagues the Deputy Executive Secretary of UNECA and the Commissioner for Political Affairs of the AU Commission have demonstrated to us specific gains made in gender work; and I do believe that it is appropriate to commend and recognise these gains.
• At this stage, I am compelled to say that although some progress has been registered on our continent the statistics have not changed significantly for the better:
• UN statistics indicate that poverty is still feminised;
• Two thirds of the world’s illiterate are women;
• Seventy percent of children not yet enrolled in school are girls;
• On the average, women make up only 16 percent of Parliamentarians worldwide.
• Women everywhere typically earn less than men and provide about 70 percent of the unpaid time spent caring for family members, indeed their contribution to the global economy remains invisible.
b) The Statistics have not change significantly
• Up to half of all adult women have experienced violence at the hands of their intimate partners;
• Systematic sexual violence against women has characterized almost all recent armed conflicts and this is used as a tool of terror and ‘ethnic cleansing’.
• Women and girls are frequent victims of rape in refugee camps;
• In sub-Saharan Africa , 57 percent of those living with HIV are women, and young women aged 15-24 are at least three times more likely to be infected than men of the same age.
• Half a million women die and at least 9 million more suffer serious injuries or disabilities from preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
• And as such, Gender work continues to focus almost solely on women.
• This is not to depress or to discourage anyone. It is to remind us of the task ahead.
Continued focus on and priority to Women and Girls
We can convincingly demonstrate that the continued focus on and prioritization of women in gender work makes sense until the disadvantages faced by girls and women are substantially redressed;
• Although the last part of the 20th century saw considerable improvement in the status of women in developed countries and, to a lesser extent, in developing countries, women and girls remain disadvantaged relative to men and boys in a myriad of ways.
Inclusion of men in promotion of gender
• Over the last decade, men and gender have also become more visible in international development forums. Whether in the Beijing Declaration of 1995 or the World Summit on Social Development in 2004, Governments have expressed their resolve to encourage men’s full participation in promoting gender equality; the role of men and boys has been recognised as important.
• However, gender work continues to focus almost solely on Women, for reasons previously noted, therefore rendering gender matters to be about women only and therefore perhaps unimportant!
• The inclusion of men in gender work is not about transferring benefits or attention from women and girls to boys and men, but rather about making our interventions and efforts more meaningful, more targeted, more strategic.
• Women’s well-being often cannot improve without including men because gender is relational; it concerns relationships between men and women that are subject to negotiations (Cleaver 2003).
• More can be said on this but as we move forward let us bear in mind that the elevation and empowerment of women actually enhances the status and gains of men in everyway and our attitudes must change.
AU Solemn Declaration
• As we speak, most nations in Africa have adopted the Dakar Platform for Action in addition to the Beijing Platform for Action.
• Further, the African Union (AU) Commission functions on a 50:50 representation of men and women, having its Constitutive Act of promoting gender equality as its founding principle.
• Africa has therefore adopted the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality which has further contextualized the promotion of gender for African Women.
• The Solemn Declaration is an instrument aimed at addressing many important issues for women’s rights, empowerment and equality on the continent.
• Access to land, property and inheritance rights;
• The high incidence of HIV/AIDS among women and the lack of sufficient state support;
• Women’s exclusion from decision-making in conflict resolution;
• The recruitment of girl children as sex-slaves and soldiers;
• The strengthening of gender machineries at national levels;
• Sourcing more financial and human resources, for promoting gender; etc.
Important questions and Considerations Remain With us
• At this juncture, I should ask:
• How far have we come?
• What difference has these Protocols/Conventions made in the lives of African Women, children and men?
• Are women now better empowered to make their own/independent choices?
• How much do women at the grassroots know about the Beijing + Conferences and the CEDAW?
• What else can be done to change women” and men’s attitudes to ensure better recognition of women’s contribution to the global economy?
Wrap Up
In Closing;
• It is important to emphasise that realization of gender equality calls for additional attention to the development of systematic monitoring and evaluation processes, as well as practical tools and methodologies that contribute to capacity building and day-to-day monitoring;
• Very importantly an adequate allocation of resources for gender work;
• Maintain advocacy for the continuous creation and enhancement of an enabling policy environment;
• Continuous support to legislative reforms which engender women’s empowerment;
• Reiterate my plea that gender is not just women’s business and that we change our attitudes to take this more seriously! It is clear that the empowerment of women is crucial to any gains made in development as a whole.
• On behalf of the UN System in the Gambia and myself, I welcome you all once again to the Gambia , and to five days of serious deliberations that should move us from commitment to Action, and from Action to Tangible Impact.
Inclusion of men in promotion of gender
• Over the last decade, men and gender have also become more visible in international development forums. Whether in the Beijing Declaration of 1995 or the World Summit on Social Development in 2004, Governments have expressed their resolve to encourage men’s full participation in promoting gender equality; the role of men and boys has been recognised as important.
• However, gender work continues to focus almost solely on Women, for reasons previously noted, therefore rendering gender matters to be about women only and therefore perhaps unimportant!
The inclusion of men in gender work is not about transferring benefits or attention from women and girls to boys and men, but rather about making our interventions and efforts more meaningful, more targeted, more strategic.
• Women’s well-being often cannot improve without including men because gender is relational; it concerns relationships between men and women that are subject to negotiations (Cleaver 2003).
• More can be said on this but as we move forward let us bear in mind that the elevation and empowerment of women actually enhances the status and gains of men in everyway and our attitudes must change.
AU Solemn Declaration
• As we speak, most nations in Africa have adopted the Dakar Platform for Action in addition to the Beijing Platform for Action.
• Further, the African Union (AU) Commission functions on a 50:50 representation of men and women, having its Constitutive Act of promoting gender equality as its founding principle.
• Africa has therefore adopted the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality which has further contextualized the promotion of gender for African Women.
• The Solemn Declaration is an instrument aimed at addressing many important issues for women’s rights, empowerment and equality on the continent.
• Access to land, property and inheritance rights;
• The high incidence of HIV/AIDS among women and the lack of sufficient state support;
• Women’s exclusion from decision-making in conflict resolution;
• The recruitment of girl children as sex-slaves and soldiers;
• The strengthening of gender machineries at national levels;
• Sourcing more financial and human resources, for promoting gender; etc.
Important questions and Considerations Remain With us
• At this juncture, I should ask:
• How far have we come?
• What difference has these Protocols/Conventions made in the lives of African Women, children and men?
• Are women now better empowered to make their own/independent choices?
• How much do women at the grassroots know about the Beijing + Conferences and the CEDAW?
• What else can be done to change women” and men’s attitudes to ensure better recognition of women’s contribution to the global economy?
Wrap Up
In Closing;
• It is important to emphasise that realization of gender equality calls for additional attention to the development of systematic monitoring and evaluation processes, as well as practical tools and methodologies that contribute to capacity building and day-to-day monitoring;
• Very importantly an adequate allocation of resources for gender work;
• Maintain advocacy for the continuous creation and enhancement of an enabling policy environment;
• Continuous support to legislative reforms which engender women’s empowerment;
• Reiterate my plea that gender is not just women’s business and that we change our attitudes to take this more seriously! It is clear that the empowerment of women is crucial to any gains made in development as a whole.
• On behalf of the UN System in the Gambia and myself, I welcome you all once again to the Gambia , and to five days of serious deliberations that should move us from commitment to Action, and from Action to Tangible Impact.
Source: Foroyaa Online
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