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<DIV>Dear colleagues,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As mentioned in a prior message, here in New York we are preparing for the
Financing for Development (FfD) High Level Dialogue (HLD) in the
General Assembly of the UN. A number of women's organizations have drafted
a statement to circulate at the HLD highlighting some points related to the FfD
agenda: mobilizing domestic and international resources, trade, ODA, debt
and systemic issues. Being that Ana was to be here this week and my
involvement in the process, I am forwarding this statement and appealing to you
that we, the Facilitation Team of the FTF, endorse this
statement. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The statement is not comprehensive---it is highlighting some points to
emphasize to Member States and delegates on gender. Mainly, the message
is---this is how you could engender your resolution on FfD at the GA.
There is nothing on gender in the resolution at the moment and we want to push
some points with delegates. They cannot and will not digest a 10 page
policy paper---they prefer easy points to digest and hopefully incorporate into
their statements, resolution inputs and their policy presentations. This
document will also be used to build on later in the FfD process leading up to
the UN Commission on the Status of Women (next March) process which
has as its theme, Financing for Gender Equality, and the lead up to the 6th-year
of the FfD conference in Doha, Qatar next year. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>IF YOU APPROVE OF ENDORSING THIS STATEMENT, SEND A QUICK
O.K. MESSAGE. Please reply tomorrow noon. If you don't reply,
I'll assume that you are o.k. with it as well.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Tomorrow if everyone is o.k. with it, we'll add our name to the list of
endorsements. Other women's groups are also reviewing the statement to add
their name tomorrow. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Thanks,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Rosa</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Financing for Gender
Equality* <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Statement to the United
Nations General Assembly <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">High-Level Dialogue on
Financing for Development<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">October 23,
2007<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Introduction<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></U></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><U><o:p><SPAN
style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></SPAN></o:p></U></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">In the Monterrey Consensus adopted at the International
Conference on Financing for Development in 2002, UN Member States made a number
of commitments to mobilize and allocate resources for achieving sustainable
development, poverty eradication, gender equality and the empowerment of women.
They committed to mainstreaming “the gender perspective into development
policies at all levels and in all sectors”[para 64], and to reinforcing national
efforts aimed at formulating “social and gender budget policies” [para 19].
Current preparations for the follow-up review Conference scheduled to take place
in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Doha</st1:place></st1:City> in 2008
provide an opportunity to assess progress in meeting these commitments.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Much of the development literature suggests that
initiatives on gender equality and women’s empowerment have not been effectively
mainstreamed into development processes, while women’s machineries and
programmes, and the women’s movement, have been grossly under funded. These
proposals highlights a set of key policy issues that need to be addressed within
the financing for development review process in order to reverse this disastrous
trend, and provide adequate funding and policy support for the social sectors,
and for gender equality and women’s empowerment.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Mobilizing Domestic
Resources<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></U></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Taxation<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">1. In keeping with pro-poor strategies to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), governments should give priority to
strengthening tax administrations and tax collection systems, focusing on
progressive direct taxation on wealth and capital assets rather than VAT on
essential consumer items needed by low-income earners, a majority of which are
women. It should be further recognized that women make significant contributions
to care giving from earned income. The Committee of Experts on International
Cooperation on Tax Matters should study this gender-differentiated dimension of
household spending with a view to making recommendations for suitable tax breaks
for women, in order to take this into account. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Budgets<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">2. In national policies, priority should be given to
effective resource allocations for achieving the MDGs and other internationally
agreed development goals, including:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<UL style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in" type=disc>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">full and productive employment and decent
work; <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">ensuring access to basic utilities and
social services for all;<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></LI>
<LI class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">ensuring that women have equal access to
employment opportunities and labour market services, and to social
services.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></LI></UL>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">3. Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) should be adopted as
a key tool in national development strategies, with a view to ensuring that
adequate resources, whether from external aid or domestic revenue, are channeled
towards fulfilling international gender equality and human rights commitments as
set out in the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). GRB as a
mechanism for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in national
policies and programmes requires specific budgetary allocations, increased
funding and a strengthened mandate for national women’s machineries to build
capacity, implement GRB initiatives, and to monitor and evaluate gender equality
outcomes. .<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Funding and support are
required for adequate gender analysis for effective policy decisions on the
financing of gender programmes.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Accounting for unremunerated
work<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">4. Governments must use methods to measure women's
un-paid work and it's contribution to the national economy through developing
and implementing time-use surveys to make visible the number of hours women
spend working versus the actual income or payment they receive for their work.
These methodologies should be assumed by the National Statistics Offices at the
country level as an instrument to measure poverty, and the results should be
included in the National Accounts Systems. (ECLAC <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Quito</st1:place></st1:City> Consensus
2007)<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">5. These contributions should be costed as investments to
the national economy, and used as a basis for providing matching funds for
income generating activities, for social services and direct support to the care
economy, thereby effectively transferring women’s work from the non-cash to the
cash economy.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Mobilizing international
resources<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></U></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">6. The expansion and integration of global markets have
not been matched with sufficient protection for the workers and communities that
are the victims of human and trade union rights violations. We consider that a
strengthened global regulatory framework incorporating human rights, labour and
environmental standards is necessary in order to strengthen the protection of
human and workers’ rights, promote gender equality objectives, and safeguard the
environment. Such a framework would draw on the relevant UN and ILO normative
instruments, and provide a common approach to addressing both transnational
business operations and foreign direct investment. We welcome governments’
public affirmation of the need for such standards.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">6bis. <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Remittances<o:p></o:p></B></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Recognizing the significant contributions made by migrant
remittance flows to financing development, measures should be adopted to reduce
transfer costs, and avoid double taxation of migrants in host and sending
countries. Development policies should be underpinned by a rights-based approach
which protect the rights of migrant workers, a large proportion of which are
women.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Trade<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></U></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">7. Governments must undertake gender impact assessments
and reviews of bilateral, regional and international trade agreements, in order
to identify and redress gender biases in earning levels, job security,
conditions of work, unpaid work burdens and access to productive and natural
resources. These assessments and reviews should also be applied to sector
reforms promoted and financed by multilateral
institutions.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Official development
assistance<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></U></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">8. Government commitments to reach and maintain the UN
target of 0.7% of GNI in ODA should be adhered to, and a significant share of
ODA should be targeted for women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Institutional frameworks at national levels and among international aid agencies
should be engendered and strengthened with a view to improving aid
effectiveness, accountability and benchmarking for the achievement of gender
equality outcomes. Aid policies and programmes should adhere to the principles
of national country ownership and participation of civil society, including
women’s organizations in policy formulation, implementation and monitoring of
results.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">9. Within the
framework established by the Paris Declaration, there exists a notable lack of
gender analysis and participation of civil society organizations.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Particularly absent are those
organizations addressing the issues of gender equality and the feminization of
poverty.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Donor budget support and
sector programs frequently are dependent on macroeconomic conditionalities that
aggravate gender inequities. Moreover, the harmonizing of donor practices for
program-based <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>support will most
likely result in less space for innovative approaches and therefore the dilution
of gender policies at the ground level. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">10. It is
essential to promote an aid architecture that is sensitive to the realities of
those historically bypassed as recipients and without participation in the
process. Real “country ownership” must be the result of consistent participation
on the part of civil society organizations, particularly women and marginalized
groups, who are most affected by poverty.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">External debt<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></U></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">11. Given that current debt-restructuring approaches have
not liberated resources for development and in HIPC countries poverty is an
epidemic affecting the majority of its people, most acutely women and children,
100% debt cancellation is necessary and overdue. Further, governments should
initiate a new and genuine policy space on debt to enable countries to overcome
debt distress. Current policy space is conditioned by current debt relief
mechanisms which do not recognize past failures of HIPC. Genuine policy space
should be built around analysis that provides additional resources to help
countries meet the Millennium Development Goals and Beijing Platform for Action.
(see 2007 Report of the Secretary-General on FfD, paras
97-102).<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><U><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Systemic issues<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></U></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">UN gender equality
architecture<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">12. Governments must support a stronger gender equality
architecture at the UN to enable governments and the UN system to better achieve
their commitments to gender equality, women's empowerment and human rights. The
proposed new women's entity needs a strong, combined mandate on normative and
operational functions to ensure effective delivery, including through the
expansion of its programmes on the ground to improve women's lives. Donors
should commit to mobilizing the resources required to fund the new entity at a
minimum level of $500 million USD.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">* Endorsing organizations:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Women’s Environment and Development
Organization (WEDO), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC),
International Presentation Association of the Sisters of the Presentation,
Education and Networking for Latina Cooperation and Empowerment (ENLACE),
UNANIMA International, International Women’s Anthropology Conference
(IWAC).<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's new at <A title="http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170" href="http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170" target="_blank">AOL.com</A> and <A title="http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169" href="http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169" target="_blank">Make AOL Your Homepage</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>