ERRONEOUS NOTION OF SUPERIORITY OF MEN OVER WOMEN INJUSTICE TO HUMANITY, IRAN TELLS THIRD COMMITTEE AT CLOSE OF REVIEW OF ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

19 October 1998

Press Release
GA/SHC/3478

ERRONEOUS NOTION OF SUPERIORITY OF MEN OVER WOMEN INJUSTICE TO HUMANITY, IRAN TELLS THIRD COMMITTEE AT CLOSE OF REVIEW OF ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

19981019 Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Angela King, Closes Debate Covering Follow-up to 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women

The socio-economic plight of women in the developing world was elusive, if not uncertain, the representative of Maldives told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) this afternoon as it concluded several days of discussion on the advancement of women and follow-up to the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing.

Noting that at the heart of every development challenge was poverty, he said that poverty in the developing world was robbing women of their human security, dignity of life and will power. With 1.3 billion people living on less than a dollar a day, development strategies must be rethought if destitute women were to realize the rights sought for them by the international community.

Efforts towards the promotion of women's rights and their empowerment required a critical reassessment of traditional inappropriate views of women, the representative of Iran told the Committee. The erroneous notion of superiority of men over women did injustice to humanity as a whole. Both genders were valuable components of humanity and development was only possible through the active participation of both. On the situation in Afghanistan, he said the degrading and inhumane behaviour of the Taliban towards women and girls was based on a misinterpretation and misrepresentation of the religion.

In Israel, significant progress had been made through new legislation to prevent sexual harassment, placing added responsibility on the employer for the actions of their subordinates, the representative of that nation said. Other legislative amendments had been made to laws that recognized abusive violence within the family as a special and uniquely severe form of assault, and provided for it a maximum punishment that was double the normal maximum punishment for assault. Cognizant of the particular needs of Arab women, the Israeli police had also begun to implement a programme to hire Arab policewomen.

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The strength of women was highlighted by the representative of Eritrea, who said the social relations between men and women in her country had developed during the liberation struggle and had left lasting impressions on the general population. As women had made up at least 30 per cent of the liberation army, the public had become familiar with the strong, politically conscious and powerful women who had played such a significant role in the liberation struggle.

Angela King, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, concluded the debate on the advancement of women and implementation of the Beijing Platform. She said very interesting points of view had been expressed, especially on issues such as the impact of globalization on the status of women; on poverty, HIV/AIDS; on training for men as well as for women; and on strategies for advancing women in political life.

Other statements were made by the representatives of Malta, India, Ethiopia, Morocco, Tunisia, Cameroon, Cyprus, Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Rwanda, Armenia and Iceland. The representatives of Israel, Uganda, Armenia, Lebanon and Azerbaijan spoke in exercise of their right of reply.

The representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also made a statement.

The Committee will meet again tomorrow, 20 October, at 3 p.m. to begin consideration of promotion and protection of the rights of children.

Committee Work Programme

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this afternoon and was expected to conclude consideration of advancement of women and the implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995). (For details of the documents before the Committee, see Press Release GA/SHC/3473 of 14 October.)

ANTON TABONE (Malta) said his Government was fully committed to the fundamental right of equality between women and men, both de jure and de facto. Malta's main national policy objectives were the promotion of gender equality, the elimination of all forms of sex-based discrimination, and the advancement of women in the legal, civil, political, economic and social spheres. Advancing gender equality was a dynamic process that had to take into account the different impact that policies and legislation might have on women and men, due to differences in: status; economic situation; access to resources; involvement in decision-making; and social roles.

Malta fully honoured the commitments and objectives of the Fourth World Conference for Women, he said. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action had established an agenda for women's empowerment that reaffirmed the human rights of women and called for strong commitments. Implementation of the Platform for Action was being carried out in conjunction with various ministries in Malta, together with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), political parties, trade unions, employers and other important institutions in Maltese society. Malta believed education was the main long-term strategy that would effectively ensure that complete equality became a natural ingredient of the culture. The issue of violence against women was being dealt with by the domestic violence unit, which offered a service of on-call social workers, assistance and follow-up care. The cost to society as a whole of neglecting women had been recognized by a growing number of States as a cost too high to be paid.

KAILASHO DEVI (India) said her Government had adopted a new approach on the advancement of women, as reflected in the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women drawn up after the Beijing Conference. With regard to harmful traditional practices affecting the health of women and girls, many of the recommendations contained in the report had been institutionalized. India had gone far beyond institutional, legal and educational measures to strengthen the ability of women at the political level, starting at the grass-roots efforts, to have a greater say in matters affecting them and society through measures that provided for one third of seats for women candidates in all elected local, village and municipal bodies. The history of grass-roots politics was full of stories of faceless women emerging from their homes to preside over the social, economic and political positions as members and leaders of local bodies. Despite all the normative and legal advances in the last several decades, despite the evolution of the rights-based approach, however, inequality persisted. In some cases, it had even been aggravated.

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There was a need for a concept that could bring all the approaches together in a single unifying strategy that could give coherence to all the activities undertaken by the international community, she said. It would bring together the advances achieved by and for women; provide the link between resolutions under that agenda item. Those would give the follow-up to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action a certain thrust and identity. A concept was needed that could define all endeavours towards women and decision-making; women and economy, the eradication of poverty and its feminization; the human rights of women enshrined in law; and the role of institutions, governments and NGOs in advancing the status of women. Most of all, that concept would draw on best practices to realize the goals of the advancement of women and of gender equality by building on the rights-based approach towards a "rights-plus" approach.

KONGIT SENEGIORGIS (Ethiopia) said the Government of Ethiopia had taken concrete measures to enhance the participation of women in the political, economic and social life of the country. It had established the necessary legal framework for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women. In line with the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, the Constitution of Ethiopia embodied substantive provisions that guaranteed the rights of women. They included equal rights before the law, equal rights in marriage, the right to affirmative action and the right to eliminate harmful practices.

The national policy on Ethiopian women adopted in 1993 ensured respect for the human rights of women, she said. The Government was also undertaking an overall review of its 50-year-old civil and criminal codes, to identify and change any discriminatory provisions. In general, such policies had created an atmosphere conducive to the promotion and advancement of women. Efforts were also being made to encourage women to take part fully in the political activities of the country, and to alleviate the workload of rural women, who currently spent an average of 13 to 17 hours a day working in the fields -- in addition to their household chores. Special attention was also being given to women's health issues.

Her Government had also established a national committee on traditional or customary practices to develop information and conduct sensitization campaigns on all forms of harmful practices affecting the health of women and children, she said. In addition, a national baseline survey on 60 ethnic groups was carried out and female genital mutilation, early marriage and abduction for forced marriage were identified as the major harmful practices prevailing in the country. A study by the University of Addis Ababa regarding those issues was expected to serve as the basis for drawing up strategies and policy guidelines.

YAMINA BENNANI AKHAMLICH (Morocco) said Moroccan women were determined to work in fields traditionally occupied by men. Because one third of the labour force was women, Moroccan women could change ways of thinking. They

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were working in public and semi-public sectors, in education and in courts, among other areas. There were women farmers and there were urban workers. More than 200,000 women were involved in independent activities. Micro-credit facilities had expanded and that had helped the development process. More than 4,000 firms were headed by women. Many NGOs were involved in women's issues, supporting victims of violence, and working to raise awareness of health and education.

As follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women, Morocco had drawn up a national strategy for women, she said. The Government had undertaken to promote the rights of women, and to reform relevant codes. Attention was being paid to education, particularly to girls in rural areas; to reducing the maternal mortality rate by half, through education; and overcoming of negative stereotypes created by the media. Her Government paid tribute to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) on its work in food technology, credit systems and social systems.

FOROUZANDEH VADIATI (Iran) said efforts towards the promotion of the rights of women and their empowerment required a critical reassessment of traditional and inappropriate views about women. The erroneous notion of superiority of men over women did injustice to humanity as a whole. Equally nefarious was a view that disregarded the differences between men and women. Both genders were valuable components of humanity and development was only possible through the active participation of both. In conformity with the Beijing Platform for Action, her Government had developed a national plan for the advancement of women, with emphasis on the themes of establishment and enhancement of institutionalized mechanisms for their advancement.

Since 1997, when the new President took office, more opportunities had been provided for the participation of women in socio-political affairs, she said. The appointment of a woman as the Vice-President of Iran's Environment Protection Organization was among the high-level administrative posts offered to women since last year. There were 14 female members of parliament. In the field of education, for the first time ever, the number of female students admitted to universities for the year 1998-99 exceeded the male students by 4 per cent.

She also noted the predicament of women in Afghanistan. The degrading and inhumane behaviour of the Taliban towards women and girls was based on a misinterpretation and misrepresentation of the religion. The abhorrent treatment of women and girls by the Taliban, as well as other crimes committed by them, should continue to be addressed by the relevant United Nations bodies, in particular the Security Council.

HUSSAIN SHIHAB (Maldives) said the work of the United Nations and its agencies had done much to emancipate, equalize and advance the situation of women. Violence against women had been recognized as a criminal activity. Legal instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

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Discrimination against Women had been effective in promoting and protecting women. The socio-economic plight of women in the less developing world was elusive, if not uncertain. At the heart of every development issue was poverty eradication. Poverty in the developing world was robbing women of their human security, dignity of life and will power. Across the globe, 1.3 billion people lived on less than a dollar a day. Without a rethinking of development strategies destitute women would not realize the rights sought for them by the international community.

His Government had made advancement of women a key pillar of the platform of action for national development, he said. A national plan of action was in progress. A new constitution had come into effect this year, which provided a stronger constitutional framework and legal safeguards for advancing women's rights. A family law had been drafted, which was expected to be passed this year. It ensured women's rights both as women and mothers. Like many other small developing States, the Maldives faced a number of challenges in its efforts to further advance the status of women. There were still problems: deep-rooted cultural barriers; lack of mobility of women; early marriages; high divorce rate; a lack of resources; and inadequate employment. Some of those impediments could be overcome with assistance and support of developmental partners.

SAMIRA BELHAJ (Tunisia) said she welcomed the determination shown by the international community to deal with the issue of women's rights and the elimination of exploitation of women. Her country would do all it could to advance the cause of women. In the staffing of the United Nations, it supported a parity approach and equal geographical representation. The equality of women had been a constant feature of Tunisia's policy since independence. Traditional practices, such as polygamy and forced marriages, had been outlawed. The Constitution of the National Covenant heralded the equality of men and women without discrimination. Other laws that had been introduced thwarted all discrimination between men and women, and gave certain protections to divorced women. The reform of the nationality code also provided Tunisian nationality for the children of Tunisian women in mixed marriages.

Legislative steps had been taken to protect women from domestic violence, she said. In the field of education, school was obligatory and free for all citizens, so that girls in rural areas would attend school. Women were being further integrated into social and economic activities. Tunisia was trying to develop attitudes to establish the concept of equality in the minds of all the people. It was also introducing means of strengthening the role of migrant women, and increasing cooperation with NGOs, with the United Nations, and with other Member States.

CATHERINE MAHOUVE SAME (Cameroon) said her Government had, since the Fourth Conference on Women, created a dynamic process highlighting the role women could play. The Beijing Conference required concerted follow-up, based

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on the principle of equality of all human beings. Her Government appreciated international efforts to integrate gender quality into all its programmes and policies. The UNIFEM had been conducting well-focused activities in favour of the economic and political emancipation of women. In that respect, UNIFEM must continue to benefit from more resources.

The Economic and Social Council had also devoted a session to reviewing the implementation of the follow-up to major international conferences. During that session, the Economic and Social Council had stressed the importance of gender mainstreaming and the need for equity between men and women. The Economic and Social Council had focused on women and poverty, since women constituted the category most hit by poverty. That had been a forward-looking approach and her Government was happy at the progress achieved. Her Government was committed to a policy for equity between the sexes, access to education, and the same for employment. Cameroonian women commanded respect by virtue of their dynamism and vitality in every aspect of social and political life. A special action programme would be formulated on a family code that would be against violence against women. Cameroon, as the granary of Africa, was successful in its food programmes, for which credit must be given to rural women. Both national and strong international programmes were needed to face the challenges of globalization and to march forward towards respect for the fundamental rights of women.

NEOMI LEERAN (Israel) said significant progress had been made through new legislation to prevent sexual harassment, placing added responsibility on the employer for the actions of their subordinates. Other legislative amendments had been made to laws that recognized abusive violence within the family as a special and uniquely severe form of assault, and provided for it a maximum punishment that was double the normal maximum punishment for assault. In 1995, the Knesset had appointed a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry to investigate the subject of women murdered by their spouses or life partners. The Committee further broadened its mandate to investigate the subject of domestic violence against women, and presented its conclusions and recommendations in 1996. A media campaign against violence against women had begun in 1996.

The National Health Law now covered any and all medical expenses incurred as a result of sexual or physical abuse of women, she said. A recent amendment to the penal code had recognized battered women's syndrome, acknowledging the right of a battered woman to defend herself against her attacker, and effectively broadening the definition of self-defense to include a woman's perspective. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare had established 10 half-way houses for battered women, and an additional 10 were planned. Cognizant of the particular needs of Arab women, the Israeli police had begun to implement a programme to hire Arab policewomen.

DEMETRIS HADJIARGYROU (Cyprus) said international cooperation was critical for expanding the agenda for the human rights of women and in

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developing strategies in areas of concern. However, the implementation of such strategies lay primarily with national governments. As part of his national policy of harmonization with the European Union in its capacity as a candidate for accession, Cyprus was intensely pursuing legislative modernization. That effort constituted a central component in its efforts to eliminate discrimination against women.

Following the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, some important pieces of legislation were expected to be enacted in the fields of labour law, equal treatment and equal opportunities at work, he said. Legislation had already been enacted in the fields of social security and family law. In the Government's efforts to eliminate the trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation, existing legislation had been clarified in relation to the regulation of the employment of foreign artists and entertainers, as well as the prosecution of such criminal offenses. However, because of the continuing military occupation of 37 per cent of his country's territory, his Government's actions, in respect to women's rights, would only benefit those women residing in the areas of Cyprus under the control of the Government.

KRISTIINA KUMPULA, representative of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the Federation secretariat promoted gender mainstreaming through a network of gender focal points. Fifty-one National Societies in Africa, Asia and Europe had a gender contact person. The most recent example was the Nepal Red Cross Society which had established a gender desk and had begun a project to increase the membership of women. Over the past year, the principal focus of the Women in Development Unit at the Federation secretariat had been on Africa and Asia. The outcome of a March workshop in West Africa was the development of a regional programme on female genital mutilation and the training of trainers on gender analysis.

In Asia, the focus was on the integration of a gender perspective into disaster management activities, she said. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society had developed a programme to recruit and train female volunteers to improve its work in the field of disaster preparedness. A study conducted there indicated that women and men had different needs and capacities, particularly in times of emergencies. They had different coping strategies, which had to be taken into account at all stages of the operational implementation process. Those experiences clearly highlighted that women must hold positions of responsibility in the field.

KIRILL M. BARSKY (Russian Federation) said each human being should enjoy all rights and freedoms. The documents prepared by the Secretariat showed the seriousness of gender inequality, as well as the activities undertaken to address them. The Russian Federation was having to implement the outcome of the Conference on Women during a difficult time. His Government had adopted a concept on the basis of which a national plan of action to 2000 had been drawn

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up. In May, the All-Russian Conference on Women and Development had underlined the numerous efforts made towards gender equality.

The global economic crisis had cast a new light on the problem, he said. Russia believed it should focus on programmes aimed at combating the feminization of poverty and at increasing job opportunities for women. The voice of Russian women had been heard loudly. The development of social policy would benefit from a women's understanding of life. Women had, in various crises, shown the way to develop a stable democratic society. The Russian national action plan showed the commitment of Russia to the advancement of women.

GUNESH RUSTAMZADE (Azerbaijan) said his country had become a party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Rights and freedoms for women were guaranteed by the Constitution. A decree by the President had set up a State committee on women's affairs, aimed at improving the status of women in social, humanitarian and Government spheres. There were many unresolved problems facing women, including the occupation of a part of the county by Armenia, which had complicated the situation of women, both economically and socially. In the concentration camps of Armenia, and in the occupied towns of Azerbaijan, women were being held hostage.

The Government of Armenia had not allowed the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) into the areas where refugees were living, he said. He appealed to all States working towards the elimination of discrimination against women to help free Azerbaijani women. The refugees were living in tents and could not work. Many were still living in a state of shock because of their terrible experiences. The Government was doing what it could to help the refugees and displaced persons. It was grateful for the help of international organizations. Azerbaijan had paid a huge price for its independence, but it still needed help. However, it would not waver from the path of building a democracy and helping Azerbaijani women to return to their original homes.

ELSA HAILE (Eritrea) said the social relations between men and women that had developed during the struggle for liberation were still strong influences on the general population. As women had comprised at least 30 per cent of the liberation army, the public had been exposed to strong, politically conscious and powerful women who had made significant contributions to the liberation of the country. The various activities of the National Union of Eritrean Women, such as its literacy programmes, vocational training, advocacy, legal support and other development projects, had been informed by the experience of women in the liberation army, and were the main measures undertaken to raise awareness about women's rights in Eritrea.

She said the political will of the Government was reaffirmed in its macro-policy on gender issues, which included efforts to continue to sensitize

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and enhance the awareness of the society on the decisive role of women for the socio-economic, political and cultural transformation of the country; the upholding of equal rights of women; participation of women in education, economic activities and employment; and the improvement of mother-child health care services. Equal pay for equal work was also guaranteed.

In addition, she said, the Government had revised the inherited civil and penal codes to abolish child and arranged marriages, to prohibit bride price and dowry, to raise the legal age for marriage to eighteen years and to ensure equal rights of women to initiate divorce proceedings. The participation of women in the Government had risen. Women made up 30 per cent of the representatives through affirmative action. The objective was 50 per cent representation by women.

SALH AL-MALKI (Bahrain) said women were half the world and represented the continuity of society. Bahrain had taken steps in its governmental and non-governmental institutions to implement the World Conference in Beijing. Bahrain had been intent on addressing the issues of women along with social development. His country had given national status to women in accordance with the legacy of Islam. Women had equal right to work. A national committee had been created to follow up the recommendation of national conferences. It had organized seminars to raise awareness of the protection for women and the modification of legislation along those lines.

Bahrain had provided protection and better living conditions for women, he said. In keeping with the Islamic Sharia and in keeping with the national and international instruments, women were teachers and bankers, and university-educated. That was why women had to be promoted -- for their full participation in the future.

HELENA RAJAONARIVELO (Madagascar) said, in speaking about the issue of advancement of women, that without women, there could be no family; and without a family, there could be no society. Campaigns were needed to raise awareness, and certain States had to be convinced of the importance of making their contributions. Also, the refusal to recognize the equality of men and women should be attacked by government and civil society.

A change of mentality was needed to achieve gender parity, she said. Priority should be given to preventing violence against women. There was a need for international assistance to protect women at home, at the workplace and at times of war. Her Government had reasserted its commitment to the advancement of women by presenting women candidates to the International Tribunal for Rwanda. Progress was also reflected in giving women an equal share of private property and the right to leave the conjugal home, among other things. She expressed the hope that developed countries and development agencies would increase assistance to developing and least developed countries in their fight against poverty and the feminization of poverty.

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SUMITH NAKANDALA (Sri Lanka) said her country's record on the advancement of women was extraordinarily impressive. It included: the granting of universal adult franchise in 1931; the election, three decades later, of the world's first woman prime minister; and the ratification of the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1981. The Women's Charter, which embodied the main positions of the Convention, had been adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers in 1993, and the National Committee on Women in the same year. On a regional level, in South Asia, a convention on preventing and trafficking in women and children for prostitution had been formulated and would be concluded in the agenda of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in 1999.

In terms of action following the Fourth Conference on Women, Sri Lanka had strengthened the existing national machinery for the advancement of women, she said. The scope of the Ministry of Women's Affairs had been extended in 1997. In addition, gender focal points had been established in all the line ministries. The Ministry of Women's Affairs had conducted two workshops for policy makers and planners on gender issues with the help of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Also, the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration was currently conducting a project on gender sensitization for public officers, with Canadian assistance. The participation of women in economic activities since 1978 must be viewed in terms of globalization and the development of a market economy. In that regard, the effects of structural adjustment policies needed serious consideration.

MOHAMMED ATIQ JUMA AL-RUMAITHI (United Arab Emirates) said that on the eve of the twenty-first century, and given the role of women in development, his country had established programmes for the advancement of women at various levels. Relative improvements had been seen following the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action in many parts of the world. However, the experiences were not universal. Countries experiencing conflicts and disasters had not seen such improvements. Women continued to live in situations of violence, poverty, displacement, ignorance and disease. The decline in assistance from developing countries had adversely affected the strategies of developing countries to improve standards for women and had meant denying women crucial services. He called on donor countries and financial institutions to reconsider their policies and to provide support for governmental and regional efforts towards the improvement in the status of women.

He attached great importance to the 1985 Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women and the Beijing Platform for Action. His country had implemented various programmes for the advancement of women. He called for the widespread implementation of those commitments, within the customs, norms and religious values of countries. He noted the hardships of Arab and Palestinian women under the occupation of Israel. Those women were subjected to violence and detention, and the destruction of their homes.

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Inspired by the provisions of its Constitution, based on the exalted provisions of Islam, his country had given due importance to the improvement of the status of women. Women themselves actively participated in efforts to realize their social and economic development.

ALOYSIE CYANZAYIRE (Rwanda) said the status of women had certain special features that needed to be highlighted. Rwanda had adopted certain measures toward the advancement of women and had given concrete expression to those commitments in its Constitution, which recognized equality before the law. She said a law on succession and matrimony would soon be enacted. Women would soon be able to take active part in the development of the country. During the genocide of 1994 suffered by Rwanda, more than 1 million had been killed in 90 days. It had resulted in trauma of all kinds. Women who had been raped had children to bring up. During the 1994 genocide, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda had recognized those acts as the most serious against mankind.

Women's associations were helping widows and orphans and taking an active role, he said. Women returning from exile needed social attention. Notwithstanding those difficulties, Rwanda was committed to ensuring the protection of women. That was a central part of Government policy. The right to vote and to work were equal for men and women. Though women had no legal obstacles, they were still under-represented in decision-making bodies. The Ministry of Family and Social Affairs had addressed gender problems at all levels and launched campaigns to heighten awareness, as well as to overcome social prejudice.

ANNA AGHADJANIAN (Armenia) said it was now obvious that the mainstreaming of a gender perspective was central strategy to the overall implementation of the Beijing commitments. Armenia had fully participated in the Fourth World Conference, and she reaffirmed her country's resolve to fulfil the commitments and to meet the objectives set forward in the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action.

After its independence, Armenia had begun to implement a fundamental economic and political reform, she said. However, its economy had been strained by the changes following the disintegration of the Soviet Union and by the transition to a market economy. The blockade of main transportation routes imposed by neighbouring Azerbaijan, the severe energy crisis and the consequences of the devastating earthquake of 1988, were further peculiarities that faced the country. Furthermore, between 1988 and 1990, Armenia had hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees from Azerbaijan. The Government had initiated a number of programmes aimed at assisting the refugees and residents in the disaster area. However, his Government did not have adequate resources to solve all the problems. Armenian legislation had always provided for equal rights for women and men, and there was hardly a need for drastic reform. The real challenge was changing the mentality, bringing both men and women to a

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point where they realized that the place of woman in the society was far from being limited to her "noble role as a wife and a mother".

THORSTEINN INGOLFSSON (Iceland) said evaluating the impact of the United Nations World Conference of Women and the Beijing Platform for Action was not an easy task. For many years, the Human Development Index had been used to assess the development and welfare of nations. In 1995, the UNDP had introduced two new indexes for measuring development and gender equality: the Gender-Related Development Index and the Gender Empowerment Measure. Since then, countries had been assessed according to those indexes along with the human development index (HDI). That was of great importance as it could lead to a new way of thinking that took into account gender equality in the evaluation of development in general.

The Beijing Platform for Action showed that gender inequality was not only deeply-rooted but was of great complexity and variability, according to cultures and countries, he said. The goal of his Government's four-year action plan (1998-2002) was to integrate gender equality into all factors of policy formulation, decisions and measures by the State. The projects included a study on whether public policy formulation was based on gender equality. A committee would be appointed to present a proposal on a research project regarding the economic power of women and men, and also on where such power was embedded in society. Concluding, he said investing in women's capabilities and empowering women to exercise their choices was not only valuable in itself, but was the surest way to contribute to economic growth and overall development in the world.

Right of Reply

The representative of Israel said that, in connection with Southern Lebanon, Israel was ready to implement the provisions of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) and withdraw from Southern Lebanon. However, until such satisfactory security arrangements had been made by Lebanon, Israel had no choice but to exercise its right of self-defence. It was ironic that Israel was ready to leave Southern Lebanon, yet it was the Arab side that did not cooperate.

The assertion that the women of Southern Lebanon would somehow suddenly experience a major change in their socio-economic situation if Israel were to withdraw, did not merit consideration, she said. In any case, if they wanted to expedite the withdrawal of Israel, they should call on the Government of Lebanon to improve the conditions of security in the area.

In exercise of the right of reply, the representative of Uganda said the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo had slandered her Government and her country. It was regrettable that the delegate had made the same accusations. The record of Uganda's forces was well-known, regarding where they had served, including in United Nations peacekeeping missions. Her

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Government was totally committed to the respect of human rights, especially where women and children were concerned. Thus, the allegations of the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo should not be taken seriously.

The representative of Armenia, referring to the statement made by the representative of Azerbaijan, said she wished to remind the Committee that there was no Armenian aggression against or occupation of Azerbaijan. The dispute was between the self-defence forces of Nagorno Karabagh and the Government of Azerbaijan. It was cynical of the representative of Azerbaijan to talk of the occupation of Azerbaijan and the detention of Azerbaijanis. The Red Cross had visited the area and had made no mention of concentration camps in its reports. The only persons who had ever been detained in Armenia were armed combatants; Armenia had never detained women or children.

The representative of Lebanon asked whether the representative of the occupation authority thought that the world did not see the real circumstances in the area, where women were attacked and killed. Israel had committed heinous crimes in attacks on civilian villages, which had been bombarded. The basic human rights to work and to live in peace were being attacked day after day. But the occupation forces would not succeed. The Israeli army had occupied Southern Lebanon since 1978.

Security Council resolution 425 (1978) had asked for the immediate withdrawal of Israel, but for the last 20 years, Israel had tried to change the social structure of Southern Lebanon. Peace depended on the resolutions of international legitimacy. What the representative of Israel had called acts of aggression were courageous acts against the occupation forces. Israel wanted to change Resolution 425 (1978), yet the representative of the occupation forces had tried to get the women of Southern Lebanon to change the policy of the Government of Lebanon. He called for Israeli forces to withdraw from Southern Lebanon; only then would there be peace in the region.

The representative of Azerbaijan said the facts should be looked at. Armenia had repeated that there was no conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Yet, the facts were to the contrary. There had been arms delivery to Armenia, most recently worth $1 billion. Military manoeuvres were going on. A declaration of Armenia spoke of Nagorno Karabagh as if it belonged to that country.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had indicated clearly that the military in Nagorno Karabagh was withdrawing raw material, he said. There had been aggression on Azerbaijan by Armenia. Attempts should not be made to mislead the Committee. Regarding women refugees, the facts had been presented by the State commission on war prisoners, refugees, and on people who had disappeared, and by the Red Cross. The Red Cross had not been allowed to visit the camps.

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The representative of Armenia said the reference to Armenia buying military equipment was not a matter for the Third Committee's consideration. Azerbaijan could not make such accusations until the Commission had finished its work. She requested that the representative of Azerbaijan be more precise when he used facts and names. She recommended that everyone check the report of the International Red Cross and that they verify the allegations regarding the detention of women and children.

The representative of Azerbaijan said his statements were based on facts. However, it was the right of the representative of Armenia to contradict her statements. He stressed that the facts should be taken into account. He said his Government was in favour of settling on the basis of the 1966 report of the OSCE. Only Armenia had not signed the Helsinki Act of 1975. Armenia was against the Act and defied the international community. Adequate pressure needed to be brought to bear so that the resolution was respected.

Closing Remarks

ANGELA KING, the Assistant Secretary-General and Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, said she appreciated the discussion that had taken place on the issues of advancement of women and the implementation of the outcome of the Beijing Conference. She said she appreciated the information that had been given regarding the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, and had heard very interesting points of view, especially on issues such as the impact on globalization on the status of women; on poverty; HIV/AIDS; on training for men as well as for women; and on strategies for advancing women in political life.

She was pleased that delegates had focused on the value of national strategies and action plans to implement the provisions on the equality of women, and she thanked the 102 countries that had submitted their national action plans. The Secretariat was preparing a questionnaire for governments concerning their implementation of gender policies. She also thanked the delegates for pointing out where the United Nations system had been helpful. Also, she would look at further ways the United Nations could support countries to implement their action plans and in submitting their reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

She thanked delegates for their support of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and looked forward to the completion of its drafting by next March. She also hoped that the goal of universal ratification of the Convention would be achieved by the year 2000. Most delegations had strongly condemned violence against women, and she thanked the delegates that had advocated the inclusion of gender-based violence in the statute of the International Criminal Court.

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She hoped that the helpful dialogue would continue, and that the Committee would help to spread an awareness of gender considerations to other delegates. The debate had provided much food for thought. She also looked forward to concluding the work on draft resolutions and, on behalf of the Division for the Advancement of Women, she thanked delegates for their advice and their continued support.

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