IMPLICATIONS OF POVERTY ON WOMEN FOCUS OF DISCUSSION IN COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN
Press Release
WOM/908
IMPLICATIONS OF POVERTY ON WOMEN FOCUS OF DISCUSSION IN COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN
19960313 Expert Panel Addresses Range of Issues, among Them Impact of Gender Inequities on Economic Development, Equal Access to CreditPoverty and its special implications for women were the focus of discussions during this morning's meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women. A panel of experts from governments, the World Bank and women's grass- roots organizations examined a wide range of issues, including the way gender inequities hampered economic development and the role of non-governmental organizations in channelling aid directly to poor women. They also stressed the vital importance of equal access to credit.
The Commission, which monitors implementation of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing 1995), will hold three panel discussions. They will examine poverty, women and the media, and child and dependent care, including sharing of responsibilities between men and women. This experimental approach aims to allow governments, United Nations bodies, non- governmental organizations and the media to discuss practical implementation issues. At the end of its two-week session, the Commission is expected to approve "agreed conclusions" which will have the same strength as a resolution.
When the Commission on the Status of Women meets again at 3 p.m. today, it will hold a dialogue with representatives of organizations of the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions.
Statements by Panel
ARUNA RAU, a consultant with the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, addressed how public administrations, multilateral and bilateral agencies and many private organizations had limited success in incorporating, implementing and sustaining gender equitable policies towards poverty alleviation and women's empowerment. Describing the experience of a rural organization in her country, which works to alleviate poverty and empower women, she showed how it overcame internal gender inequities to deliver its services more effectively. It was important to include the perspectives of male and female staff, as well as programme recipients.
ISHRAT HUSAIN, Director, Poverty and Social Policy Department, World Bank, said civil society partners were increasingly involved in the Bank's campaign to eradicate poverty. Bank contributions extended beyond lending and its research contributed to international action. For example, in Beijing, the Bank had presented a study showing that gender inequities hampered economic growth, and thus, beyond human rights concerns, should be removed in the service of economic advancement. "If you liberate the economic energies of women -- who are 50 per cent of the population -- think of how fast economic growth will proceed."
He said the Bank had identified three major areas for action: education, based on the target of universal primary school education for girls by the year 2010; access to credit through non-governmental organizations rather than State structures; and providing tools for production to women.
JENNIFER RIRIA-OUKO, Managing Director, Kenya's Women's Finance Trust, and member of the Global Board of Directors of Women's World Banking, said the great challenge ahead was to meet the credit needs of millions of poor women. They required institutions they understood and could use to solve their problems. Governments must create a sound environment in which women could prosper and capitalize on the energies of non-governmental organizations who were actually reaching low-income women. "We are not talking here about little, cute gender problems -- we are talking about the great, big issue of mainstreaming."
MUBYARTO MARTODINOTO, Assistant State Minister for Eradication of Poverty, Ministry of National Development Planning, Indonesia, said his country's anti-poverty programme had reached the poor, raising incomes significantly since its inception two years ago. The programme aimed to develop the economy at the lowest level and totally eradicate poverty in the next 10 years. Grants would total some $600 million in the years to come. Another programme would provide food supplements three times a week to some 1.7 million elementary-school students in the poorest areas. It cost some $30 million a year and was implemented by grass-roots women's organizations.
GASTON IBAÑEZ, Deputy Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations, said his country had carried out a disciplined structural adjustment programme which had spurred growth and reduced inflation. There was now political determination to deal with social problems, including those affecting women. Peru still faced serious economic problems which it could not solve on its own. International assistance was critical to recovery. Still, the progress it had achieved testified to the validity of an integrated approach to the problem of poverty.
ELISABETH D'HONDT, Director, Women in Development Division, Family and Youth Issues, Federal Ministry for Development and Cooperation of Germany, said that foreign donors should allow non-governmental organizations to
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maintain their autonomy. Women's groups providing effective social security systems should be supported. The concept of women's advancement must be translated into a gender-specific development strategy which took account of the interests of both women and men and incorporated ideas from the Beijing Platform for Action. In Germany, field-level evaluations showed that even the best-designed plans often did not take account of women's double roles as mothers and caretakers, which prevented them from taking part in economic, social and political activities as much as they might want.
Discussion
In the discussion that followed, the Congo said the best way to force governments to deal with discrimination against women was to include a gender dimension in structural adjustment programmes. Ecuador recommended that the World Bank, in carrying out country studies on poverty, should delve into the gender aspect of the problem, while South Africa suggested that, prior to the approval of loans, international institutions should require that countries meet a set of criteria on gender equality.
Mr. HUSAIN, Director, Poverty and Social Policy Department, World Bank, said the World Bank had long imposed conditionalities on its financing activities. However, change required efforts that went beyond lending to encompass fundamental changes in attitudes and structures. Responsibility for eradicating poverty rested at the national level. In some countries, the elites -- the rich -- did not allow governments to function in a manner that would alleviate poverty. Hospitals could be found with the most sophisticated medical technologies, but stores in nearby villages lacked even basic supplies. That problem must be addressed.
Speaking on behalf of the European Union, Italy asked panelists to suggest actions that could be taken to mobilize all actors in the fight against poverty. Soroptimists International asked how attitudes could change so as to replace the concept of hand-outs with the concept of a helping hand.
Ms. RIRIA-OUKO, Managing Director, Kenya's Women's Finance Trust, and member of the Global Board of Directors of Women's World Banking, said support should be given to low-income women who had learned to organize themselves around issues that were important to them. The World Bank should demand that a certain level of resources were reaching women.
The Dominican Republic said that prior to the implementation of structural adjustment programmes, people living in poverty had hope and dignity, but after implementation of such programmes their living standards had deteriorated to sub-human levels. She asked what solutions would allow the United Nations system to focus on the problem of poverty. In reply, Mr. IBAÑEZ, Deputy Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations, discussed food assistance programmes in his country and the reform of land- ownership laws, both of which benefited women. International assistance must complement national efforts, he stressed, adding that 40 per cent of Peru's budget was devoted to social programmes.
Mr. MARTODINOTO, Assistant State Minister for Eradication of Poverty, Ministry of National Development Planning, Indonesia, also provided further details of the poverty-reduction strategies which had successfully been
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employed in his country.
Bulgaria said poverty, while concentrated in developing countries, was present everywhere, and national governments were mainly responsible for eliminating it. She asked what the criteria were for defining poverty. China described the development process in his country, which had been characterized by special measures to help the poor, thus, reducing the incidence of poverty. He asked what new initiatives the Bank planned to introduce. Pakistan suggested that non-governmental organizations be included in all policy development meetings.
Nigeria stressed that ignorance and selfishness were at the root of poverty, and asked what could be done to mobilize resources for poverty alleviation programmes. He questioned what role was played in good governance. Non-governmental organizations had a role to play when they were transparent and honest in their operations. Zimbabwe said that rural women in her country relied on farming for their livelihood. A fair redistribution of land was critical to advancing the status of women. Poverty Caucus said governments and United Nations agencies must focus on economic and social policies which promoted the rights of women while seeking the eradication of poverty.
Mr. HUSAIN, Director, Poverty and Social Policy Department, World Bank, said the Bank was very much involved in the transition economies, adding that yesterday he had attended a meeting at which assistance to Bulgaria in a variety of areas was being discussed. Several new initiatives were also being planned for China. A significant portion of the World Bank's activities were tied to gender-related activities, amounting to some $5 billion per year. Nigeria did not have a shortage of resources -- it had great assets in terms of oil and human resources. "It is not an issue of resource mobilization in Nigeria, it is a governance issue", he said. To Zimbabwe, he stressed that property rights must not be threatened. The best thing the Government could do was to remove regulations on small farmers so that they could compete effectively.
Ms. RIRIA-OUKO, Managing Director, Kenya's Women's Finance Trust, stressed the need for governments to set targets. The problem was not resources, it was management of those resources. "We have enough money to begin addressing the problem of poverty in our areas."
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Algeria stressed that the elimination of gender inequality would be conducive to economic growth. She asked what the World Bank intended to do in light of that reality.
Australia said that the Bank did impose conditions on governments, and, therefore, it should be able to impose a gender perspective on them as well. The involvement of non-governmental organizations was essential, and Australia had always worked towards that end. Nigeria's concern about non-governmental organizations could be allayed if such a powerful institution as the World Bank were seeking out those groups, enabling them to grow. She asked how many women were working in the World Bank.
Mali said a commission in her country charged with addressing the issue of gender equality served as a link between the Government and civil society. Côte d'Ivoire said governments were committed to eliminating discrimination against women. The question now was how could the World Bank support governments in their efforts to achieve gender equality. Costa Rica stressed the need for women to be adequately represented at all decision-making levels. Tunisia asked if the World Bank had any mechanisms for increasing the involvement of non-governmental organizations.
A representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said the organizations of the United Nations system were adopting an integrated approach to respond to the problem of the feminization of poverty.
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