ARMED CONFLICT WORSENS PLIGHT OF WOMEN, SAY THIRD COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Press Release
GA/SHC/3525

ARMED CONFLICT WORSENS PLIGHT OF WOMEN, SAY THIRD COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Women would take part in a tribunal to be established for adjudicating the crimes against humanity committed during the 1994 genocide in his country, the representative of Rwanda told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) this afternoon as it met to continue considering issues related to the advancement of women and the implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995).

Many women and girls who had been the victims of the worst atrocities during the genocide were now traumatized, he continued. In the genocide’s aftermath, many widows were now heading households. They lived in abject poverty, lacked shelter and access to medical services because of financial constraints.

Stressing that the world had witnessed the atrocious crime of systematic rape being used as a weapon of war, the representative of Pakistan said that the plight of women and girls became worse in situations of armed conflicts. The representative of the Russian Federation suggested that the international community work harder on the prevention of conflicts in order to prevent human suffering.

The representative of India warned that the ability of developing countries to implement laws related to the advancement of women was severely hampered by the impact of globalization. International cooperation was crucial to offset that impact.

The representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said his organization worked for women’s advancement in the context of a rights-based approach. It relied on analysis and programming to assess causes of problems, and it required linkages between problems and available resources to resolve them. The principle of universality was central to the rights approach: gender issues had to be integrated into social and economic policy and legislation.

Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the representative of St. Lucia said awareness of issues such as violence against women had increased but implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action was lagging. “We should not cross into the twenty-first

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*The meeting number of Press Release GA/SHC/3524 should be in the 10th.

Third Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/SHC/3525 11th Meeting (PM) 13 October 1999

century without crossing the threshold from awareness to implementation”, she said. To combat complex issues such as violence against women, coordinated action was needed.

The contrast between women of different regions highlighted the role of regional frameworks in structuring the rights of women and creating empowerment, the representative of the Republic of Korea said. Regional initiatives could have a great impact since culturally and economically they could be more directly adapted in a region-specific context.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Brunei Darussalam, Mongolia, Nepal, Romania, Tunisia, Solomon Islands, Argentina, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Equatorial Guinea.

The Committee will meet again at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, October 14, to conclude its consideration of issues related to the advancement of women and implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995).

Committee Work Programme

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this afternoon to continue considering issues related to the advancement of women and implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. (For background information, see Press Release GA/SHC/3521 of 11 October.)

FLORENCE CHONG (Brunei Darussalam) said that while the opportunities and impact of globalization had been discussed, sight should not be lost of its effect on women in rural areas, as indicated in the Secretary-General’s report. The vulnerability of economies as a result of a volatile world financial market and the economic downturn in parts of her region had adversely affected the ability to earn a livelihood, especially by women.

National strategies and actions for the advancement of women had led to a significant increase in women’s participation in all areas of life in her country, she said. Equal access to education for both men and women had contributed in large part to that increase.

TSOGT NYAMSUREN (Mongolia) said that in sub-Saharan Africa women composed some 70 per cent of the total labour force in food production. On the other hand, in Asia women accounted for some 50 per cent of the total agricultural production force. The full extent of rural women’s role in the agricultural sector and in other sectors of the rural economy was not yet fully known nor recognized. Comparative research on that issue was greatly needed.

Women made up 50.4 per cent of the total population of 2.4 million in her country, she said. About 45 per cent of the entire female population lived in rural areas where they lead nomadic or semi-nomadic lives. The transition to a market economy had brought both opportunities and challenges for the rural population. The privatization of about 30 million heads of livestock had instantly turned herdsmen into owners thus contributing to the improvement of their economic wealth. On the other hand, the dismantling of the State-subsidized health service with free access for all had negatively affected the living standards of the rural population.

SHARADA POKHAREL (Nepal) said her Government had adopted a policy to prevent all forms of violence against women, so that the protection of women’s human rights could be ensured. “We urge the international community to provide adequate support for the rehabilitation of women who are victims of violence or who are refugees or displaced”, she added. That would greatly help the United Nations to continue its pursuit for all to have a life full of respect, dignity and equality.

The gender gap in education persisted in her country in both quantitative and qualitative terms, she said. A separate Ministry of Women and Social Welfare had been established to dedicate itself to the overall development of women. Policies and programmes, such as provision of scholarships, had been adopted with a view to increase women’s access to formal and non-formal education.

MIHAELA BLAJAN (Romania) said the Beijing Conference had had a great impact on the policies of governments and on the activities of civil society. National action plans had been elaborated and implemented through partnerships among governments, United Nations organizations and non-governmental actors. Romania’s national action plan was part of its overall reform process. The main objectives were to create and develop institutional machinery to: coordinate policies to advance women; improve economic conditions for women; prevent violence against children and women; and integrate gender equality in all fields of social, cultural and education life.

Two important draft laws had been elaborated and were currently on the Romanian Parliament’s agenda, she said. One provided for equal opportunities between men and women. It prohibited direct and indirect manifestations of discrimination based on sex and in the field of labour. It defined and prohibited sexual harassment and established neutral conditions for job announcements and employment. The other draft law concerned paternal leave and it aimed for the equal and effective participation of the father in taking care of a child and reconciling family life with professional life.

SONIA LEONCE-CARRYL (St. Lucia), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said the century was closing with an awareness of the special issues facing women, such as gender equality and violence against them. The same success could not be applied to implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. The achievement of those aims had remained below target. “We should not cross into the twenty-first century without crossing that threshold from awareness to implementation”, she said.

One problem faced by women in the CARICOM countries was the lack of data, she said. The complexity of violence against women indicated it was a multifaceted problem needing coordinated action at many levels. Many countries had formulated national programmes and initiated legislation to address that issue.

Some fundamental economic issues also had to be addressed, she said. Whatever the name for economic reform phenomena today, it translated into increased poverty and decreased social benefits for CARICOM people.

ALEXANDRE ZMEEVSKI (Russian Federation) said women continued to be discriminated against in society as a whole as well as in the family. The role of women worldwide was changing very rapidly. The transformation of many countries towards market economies had affected women.

During his country’s transition to a market economy, purchasing power had dropped and many people had lost their jobs. Unfortunately, women had been the most affected, many of them losing jobs. In order to alleviate the great costs of last year’s financial crisis, many programmes had been put in place, such as entrepreneurship and management training for women.

The number of women and children who were victims of armed conflicts and other crises was considerable. They needed support. The international community must work harder on the prevention of conflicts in order to prevent human suffering. Also, the negative effects of sanctions should be considered. He supported the setting up of an international system of cooperation that would address how to better manage the process of globalization. The international community faced a great challenge in how better to organize the world economy, taking into consideration gender issues.

ALI CHERIF (Tunisia) said the situation of women worsened with poverty. Development and prosperity were closely linked to the advancement of women. Women’s role in society constituted a catalyst towards development. An environment conducive to combating poverty needed to be established.

His Government had amended its constitution in order to better reflect the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination. In those terms, the principle of no discrimination was made essential in his country’s national policies. In addition, his country’s legislation promoting gender equality and education reform had set forth specific measures in order to keep girls in schools. As for health policies, a basis for the improvement of reproductive health had been established.

JEREMIAH MANELE (Solomon Islands) said institutions in his country promoted the rights of women, but women were not aware of their rights. For example, while women, had the right to vote and participate in political life, both men and women must be made aware of women’s ability to do so. It was vital to realize the importance of women’s contribution to national decision-making and to overall advancement of the country.

Illiteracy was a major obstacle to the advancement of women, he continued. Studies had shown that the educational level of the mother had a direct bearing on the health and overall well-being of her children and family. Above all, education empowered women to participate and contribute meaningfully to national progress. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), especially churches, had played essential roles in the welfare of Solomon Islands women. Last year, the government had adopted a National Women’s Policy. However, lack of resources and weak coordination remained major obstacles to the effective and timely implementation of national policies, programmes and projects. The INSTRAW had to be supported, so that it could expand its activities.

ANA MARIA RAMIREZ (Argentina) identified one problem as a lack of women’s participation in decision-making. The elimination of cultural stereotypes, especially as they applied in the economic area, was one of the hardest changes to be brought about in any society. That issue should be addressed at the special General Assembly session on women next June. The work of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) was also important in that regard; INSTRAW should be continued. Also invaluable were United Nations programmes of technical assistance and political advancement for women. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) was important in that respect.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CDWN) had been key in overcoming obstacles that existed in the legislation of many countries, she said, citing such examples as the hierarchy between genders at the national level. Such problems were best attacked through specially targetted educational campaigns. If the new century opened with the advances for women that had been made in this century, she concluded, women would make rapid advancement.

OLUSEGUN AKINSANYA (Nigeria) said since the Beijing Conference, his Government had taken several steps to advance the rights of women. The Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Youth Development, headed by a female Minister, had been established as a result of a merger of the former Ministry of Women Affairs and that of Social Development. The aim was to achieve better coordination, efficiency and integration of all programmes on women’s rights. The new Ministry was also designing and implementing programmes on women’s rights and on their empowerment.

Simplified manuals and workbooks on the twelve critical areas of concern in the Beijing Platform for Action had been published, he continued. Those manuals were intended to change wrong beliefs, attitudes and practices still being used to discriminate against women. Other measures that his Government had taken included creating awareness on the problems of early marriage; mobilizing, via radio and television, discussions which raised the status of the girl-child; and the re- launching of the Universal Basic Education scheme to provide free primary education to the girl-child.

MARIAM AFTAB (Pakistan) said women continued to be victims of discrimination and violence within the family and society at large. Their contribution to society remained largely unrecognized. Women constituted the majority of the world’s 1.5 billion poor, and represented two thirds of the world’s 960 million illiterates.

Poverty made women vulnerable to exploitation, she emphasized. The trafficking of women had its roots in widespread poverty, particularly in developing countries. The plight of women and girls became worse in situations of armed conflict. “Early this decade the world witnessed the atrocious crime of systematic rape being used as a weapon of war in the Great Lakes Region in Africa and in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, she added. Violence against women continued to be used as a weapon of war against innocent women and girls in Kashmir where people were struggling for their right of self-determination.

AUGUSTUS MUSENGA (Rwanda) said women and girls had been the victims of the worst atrocities during the 1994 genocide in his country. Most of them had been victims of extreme brutality. Many had been minors, young girls who were even now traumatized. In the genocide’s aftermath, many widows were now heading households. They lived in abject poverty, lacked shelter and access to medical services because of financial constraints.

Urgent resources were required to provide shelter, support and income- generating activities for women, he said. Even more urgently needed was legal representation for women not familiar with their rights. The Rwandan parliament had outlawed all forms of discrimination against women. Forums in which women could express their views without intimidation had been established. A Ministry of Gender was headed by a woman and a fair number of women were in the parliament. The former Minister of Women in Development had been appointed to head the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission, which indicated the confidence of the government in women’s role in the process of reconciliation for the country.

Other parliamentary actions to amend laws and redress discrimination against women were being taken, he said. A women’s communal fund had been set up and women councils from the grass roots to the national level had been created. Women would take part in adjudicating the genocide cases and crimes against humanity committed during the genocide. The tribunal would be 30 per cent comprised of women.

SUH DAE-WON (Republic of Korea) said improving the rights of women throughout the world required innovation in both national and international law. Breaking discriminatory practices and protecting women’s rights called for solid foundations. To overcome the overwhelming difficulties still faced by many women, governments and civil society needed to scrutinize their own societies and form a partnership in applying new codes of conduct and behaviour. There was a body of international laws to improve the rights and lives of women across the world, but women would continue to struggle and risk marginalization without a propitious environment. Political will and commitment had to be the backbone for all initiatives for women’s equal treatment and gender mainstreaming.

The contrast between women of different regions highlighted the role of regional frameworks in structuring the rights of women and creating empowerment, he said. Regional initiatives had the potential to make a great impact since they could be culturally and economically more directly adapted in a region-specific context.

ROSELYN RUTH ASUMWA ODERA (Kenya) said her country’s Women’s Bureau, the national machinery for women, had initiated the process of implementation by distributing copies of the Platform for Action to key players. In addition, the Bureau had developed a training manual to promote gender sensitization at the district level and to formulate district-specific action plans.

Female-headed households in her country constituted 47 per cent of the rural and 29 per cent of the urban population living below the poverty line. Also, women accounted for a disproportionate share of the agricultural labour force, constituting 70 per cent of its work force, but only controlling 38 per cent of its operations. “Considering that agriculture accounts for 25 per cent of Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP) these figures are significant”, she added.

AICHA AFIFI (Morocco) said political will and effective international cooperation were necessary to improve the situation of women worldwide. Poverty, malnutrition and strenuous work had deprived women of their basic rights.

Her country had implemented several means for harmonious action to offset disparities. It had always given great priority to women’s issues because of their important role in the family, which was the basis of society. Her Government had organized a national campaign to fight violence against women. It was organized in conjunction with non-governmental organizations and included information and education programmes to sensitize the population on issues related to violence against women.

A national strategy to integrate women had also been created in her country. It had focused on education, reproductive health, the integration of women in economic development and the reinforcement of women’s power in political and judicial areas.

MADURIKA JOSEPH (Sri Lanka) said that globalization, together with declining international cooperation in development, had resulted in increased marginalization of women in rural areas throughout the world. To improve that situation, a number of actions should be taken. There should be investment in women's development through education, health and nutritional programmes. They should be empowered through promoting their participation in rural institutions and at all levels of decision-making. Strategies incorporating a gender perspective and a focus on creating jobs should be included in national development and poverty alleviation programmes. Geriatric care should be provided to the rural elderly with an emphasis on their special problems. There should be a raising of awareness and promotion of reproductive health.

Outlining numerous steps taken by Sri Lanka to promote the rights of women, including the work of a Women’s Affairs Ministry, she brought attention to the plight of women migrant workers. Those women suffered numerous abuses, including violence. Those who were trafficked and those who were employed in sectors such as entertainment, tourism and foreign domestic work were especially vulnerable. Disseminating information about the rights of migrant workers, both in receiving and sending countries, would help relieve those workers from exploitation.

It was regrettable that the international convention on the rights of migrant workers had been ratified by too few countries thus far, she said. In view of the urgency of the issue, it should be ratified by enough countries to come into force in 2000.

SADIG RASHEED, Director, Programme Division, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said UNICEF’s focus in the follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action was on girls’ education, gender equality and equity, primary health care and child survival, prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and the reduction of maternal mortality, all within the context of a rights-based approach. Adopting a rights- based approach required sharpening of analytical and programming skills to assess the causes of problems facing women and children. It required better linkages between problems and the available human, financial and organizational resources needed to resolve them.

Achievements in guaranteeing the rights of women and children had been significant and were a cause for celebration, he said. As the six billionth child was welcomed into the world yesterday, however, many challenges lay ahead and there were many obstacles to be removed in advancing women. Annually, 600,000 women still died during pregnancy. Even today, 600 million women still could not read.

He said UNICEF had developed new approaches to tackle the problems rooted in gender inequality and systematic discrimination against women and girls. The principle of universality was central to the rights approach; UNICEF was bringing attention to the fact that gender issues had to be integrated into social and economic policy and legislation.

ESPERANZA-GERTRUDIS DAVIES (Equatorial Guinea) said her Government had emphasized the participation of women in decision-making processes. National programmes were intended to make women recognize and enjoy their rights. Also, programmes to reduce poverty by giving credits to rural areas had been established. In addition, other programmes to give rural products access to national markets and possibly international ones had also been created. Various non-governmental organizations had been created in her country; they had collaborated with the social sectors. The international community needed to understand that by educating a woman, the entire population was educated.

Many times, progress depended on financial resources, but in others, there were socio-cultural difficulties that could not be overlooked, she said. Her Government had emphasized the advancement of women in three major areas, health, education and the economy.

ASITH BHATTACHARJEE (India) said more than 407 million of the world’s women lived in his country. His Government had focused on institutional and other supports with special attention to the girl-child. The Department of Women and Child Development was charged with the task of advancing development of women in all their aspects with a particular stress on rural women. A significant number of women were becoming Ministers.

Globalization was contributing to increasing marginalization of the poor, he said. Income disparities had deepened. There was an increased exclusion of some countries which lead to insecurity of communities as a whole. “If the social development agenda does not succeed, the advancement of women would be at stake”, he said. Likewise, if the Beijing Platform for Action was not pushed ahead, no social development and social integration could take place. No matter how active developing countries were in enacting laws that supported the advancement of women, their ability to implement them was severely hampered by the impact of globalization. International cooperation was crucial to offset that impact.

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