<html>
<b>VOICES RISING Nº 255 SPECIAL ISSUE / CSW - NY </b>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<font face="Verdana" color="#808080"><b>GEO/ICAE <br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" color="#003399">VOICES RISING<br>
</font><font face="Verdana">YEAR VI - Nº 255 SPECIAL ISSUE / CSW -
NY
<br>
February 27, 2008<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size=2 color="#808080">Content<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size=1 color="#808080">1.- Opening of the
52<sup>nd</sup> Session of the Commission on the Status of Women <br>
2.- THE SECRETARY-GENERAL REMARKS TO THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF
WOMEN<br>
3.- DAWN PANEL: “What happened to financing for gender equality? A South
Critical view of FF, Debt Relief, Aid Effectivenes and A4T”<br>
4.- Launch of the Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign
within the framework of the 52<sup>nd</sup>. Session of the CSW<br>
5.- GEAR UP <br>
<br>
</b></font><font face="Verdana">--<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" color="#333399"><b>1.- Opening of the
52</font><font face="Verdana" size=1 color="#333399"><sup>nd</sup></font>
<font face="Verdana" color="#333399">Session of the Commission on the
Status of Women <br>
<br>
</b></font><font face="Verdana">25</font><font face="Verdana" size=1><sup>
th</sup></font><font face="Verdana">. September 2008<br>
<br>
<b><i>Prepared by Marcela Hernandez from GEO/ICAE and Alejandra Scampini,
Regional Director of Women’s Rights Programme in Actionaid<br>
<br>
</i></b>Queuing, and waiting and hoping<br>
BUILDING A UN THAT WORKS FOR ALL WOMEN <br>
<br>
Thousands of people, mostly women, queued up at the visitors’ entrance of
the United Nations on this cold but sunny morning of September
25</font><font face="Verdana" size=1><sup>th</sup></font>
<font face="Verdana">. More people than expected gathered in New York to
attend this 52</font><font face="Verdana" size=1><sup>nd</sup></font>
<font face="Verdana">. Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
The conference room where the official opening session was held was
packed and nearby conference rooms were used to show on big screen the
opening session.<br>
<br>
It is really unfortunate that the representation of the regions is so
unequal. We could see women from Africa, Europe and US but this time, for
us coming from Latin America is really sad not to see the large group of
feminists and women’s groups that used to follow up these
processes.<br>
<br>
We heard that many groups asked for registration but it seems they were
not lucky at raising funds and that is a reality we have to
analyze.<br>
<br>
The CSW opened this time with a very important issue: RESOURCES and
women’s groups and feminists groups have not always been very visible in
the places where finance and resources are the main issues. So CSW comes
in a good time to provide more spaces to discuss these issues knowing
that 2008 is also the year for other meetings related to the Follow up of
Monterrey Consensus and Aid Effectiveness.<br>
<br>
Reading the brochure on the CSW parallel events, it is a good sign that
there are so many parallel events planned by AWID, WIDE, DAWN, UNIFEM
that tackle how the financing for gender equality intersects with
ongoing processes around trade, aid, debt and those spaces look as
critical spaces to improve our debates on these issues from a gender
perspective. It would be interesting to see what other groups are doing
specially those more based at the level of national and local work.<br>
<br>
Gender responsive budgeting is also high in the agenda of CSW and we hope
we can hear more about what are the lessons on this and how these lessons
are also responding to the macroeconomic framework that very much
affect the decisions of our governments around what to spend and
when.<br>
<br>
Violence against women and girls is also very much present here in the
agenda and discussion. May be what in the agenda so far is missing is
what are they referring to when they say Violence. Let’s hope this
unfolds in the discussions and we see much more debate on how poverty is
also a denial of women’s rights and therefore violence and also the
intersection of HIV AIDS and violence that has been so visible in other
fora and raised by many groups in the campaign Women Wont’ Wait. End
Violence against women and HIV AIDS. NOW!<br>
<br>
There are some key groups working on rural women and land and natural
resources that are really trying to also create a space to discuss the
financing specially for the rural women in developing countries. We
really hope as Actionaid to engage with those groups in the discussions
and see synergies we could create around women’s rights to land and
livelihoods in the year of the
60</font><font face="Verdana" size=1><sup>th</sup></font>
<font face="Verdana">celebration of Human rights Declaration and the year
of the launch of Hungerfree Campaing of Actionaid<br>
<br>
There is a permament call for women’s and feminist organizations and CSOs
to be at the table when issues around the financing is on the table.
Let’s wait what the official delegates have to say on that these two
weeks.<br>
<br>
ICAE will be actively participating in these debates and we welcome the
proposal of GRAIL , Ecumenical women, Methodist women 2000, women’s
institute for social transformation , southern dispora research and
development centre for putting forward the panel on financing for gender
equality: what’s race, class , and gender got to do with it. The
accumulation of how to work around the intersectionalities of ICAE will
benefit of this dialogue to incorporate a more economic dimension to it.
And think about what is the price attached to these
intersectionalities.<br>
<br>
<b>Last but not least some groups here are really hoping that the CSW
becomes the space for the Secretary General to appoint the new Executive
Director of UNIFEM and that there is a creation of political leadership
around the new Gender architecture reform.<br>
<br>
Some groups signing on Gender Equity Architecture Reform as really using
the space to call attention on this.<br>
<br>
We cannot move backwards, UN is in debt with women, we need to have a
space that is really strong and that can really champion on women’s
rights<br>
<br>
It is the time to create the institutional mechanisms that are required
to make a stronger unity both at international and national level.<br>
<br>
<br>
</b>At the opening of the session, the United Nations, Secretary General,
Ban Ki-moon launched the campaign to end violence against women: “Unite
to End Violence Against Women”, to a high-level audience of Government
Ministers and Ambassadors, as well as numerous non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and representatives of the UN System.<br>
<br>
“Violence against women and girls makes its hideous imprint on every
continent, country and culture,” said the Secretary-General. “It is time
to focus on the concrete actions that all of us can and must take to
prevent and eliminate this scourge -- Member States, the United Nations
family, civil society and individuals -- women and men. It is time to
break through the walls of silence, and make legal norms a reality in
women’s lives.” <br>
<br>
Below you will find the full statement of the UN Secretary General.
<br>
<br>
On the other hand Rachel Mayanja, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser
on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women gave her support to this
campaign to end violence against women and stated that the forthcoming
events: The Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana,
in September 2008, the follow up International Conference on FFD to
Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus in Doha, Qatar, etc,
are unique opportunities to go on pushing for gender issues. She said
that although the Monterrey Consensus considered the gender perspective,
this was not strong enough for the implementation of actions. She also
mentioned climate change as a priority in the development agenda and how
this impacts particularly on women, recognizing gender equality as a
cross-cutting issue. <br>
Rachel Mayanja also expressed her concern on widows, as a result of
conflict processes and on the selling of organs as a lucrative business
where women and children are the main victims.<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" color="#333399"><b>--<br>
<br>
2.- THE SECRETARY-GENERAL REMARKS TO THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF
WOMEN <br>
New York, 25 February 2008<br>
<br>
</b></font><font face="Verdana" size=1 color="#271614"><i>(Check against
delivery)<br>
<br>
</i></font><font face="Verdana">Mr. President of ECOSOC, Distinguished
Ministers, Mr. Chairperson of the Commission, Excellencies, Civil society
representatives, Ladies and Gentlemen, <br>
<br>
I am honoured and moved to be with you today.<br>
<br>
Standing here before the Commission on the Status of Women, whose members
have done so much for gender equality worldwide, I am energized by your
activism and inspired by your achievements. <br>
<br>
Today, we come together to launch a global campaign to end violence
against women. I am counting on you -- advocates from Government, civil
society and the UN -- to carry our message around the world. <br>
<br>
Violence against women is an issue that cannot wait. A brief look at the
statistics makes it clear. At least one out of every three women is
likely to be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her
lifetime. Through the practice of prenatal sex selection, countless
others are denied the right even to exist. No country, no culture, no
woman young or old is immune to this scourge. Far too often, the crimes
go unpunished, the perpetrators walk free. <br>
<br>
War has always been devastating, but now, women and girls are themselves
targets in the war zone. Today’s weapons of armed conflict include rape,
sexual violence, and the abduction of children conscripted as soldiers or
forced into sexual slavery. <br>
<br>
On my visits to conflict-torn areas around the world, I have spoken with
women who have endured horrific forms of violence. I will forever be
haunted by their suffering -- but equally, I will always be inspired by
their courage. These mothers, sisters, daughters and friends are
determined to reclaim their lives. <br>
<br>
This is a campaign for them. It is a campaign for the women and girls who
have the right to live free of violence, today and in the future. It is a
campaign to stop the untold cost that violence against women inflicts on
all humankind. <br>
<br>
We know that gender inequality is hampering progress towards the
Millennium Development Goals -- our common vision to build a better world
in the 21st century. <br>
<br>
We know that violence against women compounds the enormous social and
economic toll on families, communities, even whole nations. <br>
<br>
And we know that when we work to eradicate violence against women, we
empower our greatest resource for development: mothers raising children;
law-makers in parliament; chief executives, negotiators, teachers;
doctors, policewomen, peacekeepers and more. <br>
<br>
And so my campaign to end violence against women will continue until 2015
to coincide with the target date for the Millennium Development Goals.
<br>
<br>
We have solid policy frameworks and initiatives to build on. <br>
<br>
UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict brings together 12 entities
across the United Nations family, from the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations to the World Health Organization. <br>
<br>
The UN Task Force on violence against women is spearheading joint
programming at the national level. <br>
<br>
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, set up eleven years ago,
has supported partners in communities, nations and regions around the
world. <br>
<br>
Just last December, the General Assembly adopted a historic resolution on
rape and sexual violence. <br>
<br>
And the landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security adopted by
the Security Council seven years ago raised the issue to the level it
deserves. <br>
<br>
Today, I call again on the Security Council to establish a mechanism
dedicated to monitoring violence against women and girls, under the
framework of resolution 1325. <br>
<br>
Let us remember: there is no blanket approach to fighting violence
against women. What works in one country may not lead to desired results
in another. Each nation must devise its own strategy. <br>
<br>
But there is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures
and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never
excusable, never tolerable. <br>
<br>
In this campaign, I will personally approach world leaders to spur action
through national campaigns. <br>
<br>
I will urge all States to review applicable laws, and to revise them or
enact new ones to ensure that violence against women is always
criminalized. And I will call on all States to enforce their laws to end
impunity. <br>
<br>
I will encourage the media to take our message far and wide, and urge
regional organizations to set priorities and targets. <br>
<br>
I will galvanize the UN system to provide stronger and more effective
support to all stakeholders, at the local, national, regional and global
level. <br>
<br>
I will form a global network of male leaders to assist me in mobilizing
men and boys men in Government, men in the arts and sports, men in
business, men in the religious sphere, men in every walk of life, who
know what leadership truly means. <br>
<br>
I will work hand in hand with women’s groups worldwide. The progress over
the past century happened thanks to them, and they will be our chief
standard bearers in the future too. <br>
<br>
And I will propose a high-level event in 2010 to review what we have
accomplished, exchange best practices and map out the steps ahead. <br>
<br>
Dear friends, <br>
<br>
Our campaign will build on a deep and broad partnership, bringing in all
society to take us to the end of violence against women and girls
everywhere. <br>
<br>
To help us reach our destination, I call on young people around the world
-- our leaders of tomorrow. <br>
<br>
I call on the private sector around the world, whose reach is
indispensable in advancing our cause. <br>
<br>
I call on women’s groups around the world, whose valiance and vision have
brought us to where we are today, and who will keep charting the way
forward. <br>
<br>
I call on men around the world to lead by example: to make clear that
violence against women is an act perpetrated by a coward, and that
speaking up against it is a badge of honour. <br>
<br>
I call on Member States around the world: the responsibility, above all,
lies with you. <br>
<br>
I call on all of you to pledge with me: <br>
<br>
United We Shall Succeed. <br>
<br>
Thank you very much. <br>
<br>
--<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" color="#333399"><b>3.- DAWN PANEL: “What
happened to financing for gender equality? A South Critical view of FF,
Debt Relief, Aid Effectivenes and A4T”<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana"><i>Prepared by Marcela Hernandez, GEO /
ICAE<br>
<br>
<br>
</i>Panel’s Chair: Gita Sen<br>
Panelists: Mariama Williams, Aldo Calliari, Gigi Francisco<br>
<br>
</b>Gita Sen DAWN - opened the panel explaining that the four
pillars of financing for development are divided in 2 international and 2
domestic:<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">Domestic
resource mobilization (for eg; taxes)<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">Debt
(borrowing from abroad)<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">Development
assistance<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">Trade<br>
<br>
Plus a fifth element, only for middle and high income countries which is
private capital flows. These elements are crucial for financing for
development. <br>
<br>
FFD can be looked in terms of volume and quality. If we talk about
quality we understand reliability, predictability, sustainability.
Quality depends on how those finances impact on gender equality.<br>
<br>
Another important element, which never gets counted as a resource for
development is women’s unremunerated work. Such money is not paid to
women and goes somewhere else. In lots of the official documents of this
52</font><font face="Verdana" size=1><sup>nd</sup></font>
<font face="Verdana">. Session of the CSW this last point is not
mentioned and this is really disappointed, said Gita Sen.<br>
<br>
Mariama Wiliams - IGTN, DAWN - from Jamaica talked about gender equality
and financing and the challenges in the global economy. As part of these
challenges, she mentioned financial volatility, the financial crisis in
the market, the lack of adequate regulations of banking structure, the
fuel crisis, and all these elements increase the impoverishment in the
global south. She also mentioned the environmental crisis and
the choiceless democracies (for eg. the upraising in Kenya and the ethnic
tensions). <br>
<br>
Mariama mentioned at least 3 threats facing the south:
deindustrialization, deagriculturalization and depopulation.<br>
<br>
What’s most important of aid and trade reforms is that all of them are
focusing on the budgeting processes of the developing counties. What is
unchangeable and remains the same is the macroeconomic framework.<br>
<br>
She also said that there are also several keys to development that we
need to look at within FFD:<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">The
function of an agile and mobile welfare state<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">The
state needs to focus on ensuring employment, decent work<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">That
gender equality and women’s empowerment be able to promote gender
equality interventions necessary to get good outcomes for women and
girls. <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">The
ability to finance public services such as water, health, sanitation,
etc.<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">Social
compact on development. <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">Decentralization
and enhancement of local and regional governments. Building community
infrastructure. The state must be able to provide public
investment.<br>
<br>
Gigi Francisco - DAWN - talked about gender equality and aid
effectiveness, questioning if it is just about the money. She
questioned which are the concerns that the feminists have on aid
effectiveness and if women are able to determine and control the projects
that are being funded. In this sense Gigi remarked the need of more CSO
women in the discussions, political debates. That is to say, the capacity
building of women’s CSO which does not mean professionalizing them.
<br>
<br>
Aldo Calliari - Centre of Concern - focused on aid for trade, mentioning
that the problem with aid for trade is that it can become a counterforce
for undoing a lot of what the feminist movement has been doing. He
remarked that a lot of money has been poured on countries assuming that
they would be able to pay back and this hasn’t been the case. The WTO has
generated a lot of imbalances and constraints. <br>
<br>
Finally, Roberto Bissio - Social Watch - who was not a panelist but gave
his perspective on gender equity mentioning that gender equity in
education has been achieved worldwide but the problem is to be able to
keep it up. At this moment some countries are regressing. <br>
<br>
He also stated that there is no correlation between poverty and gender
parity and mentioned the case of Rwanda that is one of the poorest
countries and has gender parity while Luxembourg is richer and has a bad
level of gender parity.<br>
<br>
--<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" color="#333399"><b>4.- Launch of the Gender
Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign within the framework of the
52</font><font face="Verdana" size=1 color="#333399"><sup>nd</sup></font>
<font face="Verdana" color="#333399">. Session of the CSW<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana">26</font><font face="Verdana" size=1><sup>
th</sup></font><font face="Verdana">. February, Church Center, New
York<br>
<br>
<i>Prepared by Marcela Hernandez, GEO/ICAE<br>
<br>
</i></b>Charlotte Bunch, from the Center for Women’s Global Leadership,
chaired the meeting and explained that the campaign started two years
ago, back in 2006, in a CSW session. The emphasis of this campaign
is a stronger women’s organization that can deliver results on the
ground. The Campaign is trying to create an ongoing structure to
represent women’s energy and efforts. (See below more information about
the campaign)<br>
<br>
Peggy Antrobus from DAWN was a panelist who focused on a perspective from
the global south. She remarked the importance of the UN as the only forum
where representatives from the south, particularly the G77, have a voice,
and as the UN is under threat, the G77 women must come here to defend it
because it is the only place where they have a voice. She went on saying
that the UN has meant a great deal to women because of the work done by
UNIFEM and specialized agencies. In the field, one can see UNIFEM,
UNICEF, ILO, committed to issues of development, social justice, etc.
UNIFEM has limited resources and is only in 15 countries but it is the
only one that has a special relationship with women’s organizations and
does work on the ground. <br>
<br>
Finally she concluded that money for gender equality is being held
hostage by other interests and that people from the north have brought
gender equality as a conditionality. <br>
A clear statement from the European Union is needed to strengthen the
operation side of the gender equality architecture. Calling for a
stronger entity, we expect a stronger operational side.<br>
<br>
Lydia Alpizar from AWID stated that the institutionality of gender
equality and women’s rights, at the UN, is very weak, and that the lack
of funds is a real lack of political will from the north and south. So it
is a good moment to mobilize women to put pressure on the UN, when we say
that we want a new UN that works for women on the ground. Other processes
related with FFD and other issues are also seeing a weakening UN. Lydia
expressed her concern about the UN pilot projects of ONE UN and wondered
what would happen if there is no UNIFEM on the ground.<br>
<br>
She said that AWID is interested in the campaign for its potential to
mobilize people on the ground and listed concrete actions that groups
joining the campaign, will carry out at national and regional
level:<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">organize
a meeting with the head of the national machinery to talk about gender
equality architecture<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">share
the information of the campaign with other groups<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">get
in touch with UN agencies that work in your country to see what kind of
alliances can be built.<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">Develop
your own materials, and state why it is important to have a new UN<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">Create
e-lists, bloggers, etc. <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">Meetings
and consultations with grassroots women<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">-<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Verdana">State
where the UN is working appropriately on the ground.<br>
<br>
Lydia ended by saying that this campaign should not only focus on doing
advocacy in New York.<br>
<br>
The representative from International Planned Parenthood Federation, that
has adhered to the GEAR campaign, added that new money is needed for this
reform, and that they should not take away or transfer the money from
sexual and reproductive rights to the GEAR campaign. <br>
<br>
The focal point of the campaign in Asia mentioned that within this
framework they are lobbying with government and national machineries and
argued that we must ensure that there is an entity that actually works
for women and has adequate resources. <br>
<br>
The focal point of GEAR in Europe expressed that Europe is a very strong
player and has a strong voice within the UN, so, as women’s activists,
they are talking to EU and non EU members to see how they can strengthen
the GEAR. They are lobbying and sending letters to national governments
and they have even talked to the President of the General Assembly
(Macedonia) to try to bring his attention to this issue.<br>
<br>
The focal point in Africa also reconfirmed its commitment and adherence
to the campaign in the hope that it will bring women’s gains and will
confront human rights problems. They will work with other organizations
in the region and, beyond them, they will contact UN agencies, the
African union , etc.<br>
<br>
The focal point in the Caribbean focused on the fact that a campaign must
touch the people’s soul and for that they must have a beat and should
have a song. She also stated that this campaign means different things
for different people. Each one has to think what it means to each other.
Finally she ensured that they would push the campaign through alliances
with major partners.<br>
<br>
The focal point in Latin America stated that they would like to open up
the debate to more women from this region and also to open the debate on
gender mainstreaming and how it relates to national contexts. <br>
<br>
In plenary session, Ana Agostino from GEO/ICAE and the IFT of GCAP,
raised the issue of the delay in the appointment of UNIFEM’s executive
director. Peggy Antrobus replied that it is scandalous, disrespectful to
women and that it shows that the UN does not care about women so it says
a lot about UN’s commitment to women. She went on saying that a strong
person and leadership is needed to make sure that this GEAR has a strong
operational side. On the other hand Peggy said that there are people who
say that it should wait until the gender equality architecture is done
and that the post might have been held hostage to the GEAR. But this is
cannot be possible because GEAR will take some time. <br>
<br>
In this respect, Charlotte Bunch, from CWGL, agreed on the fact that a
strong leadership is needed in UNIFEM but did not agree on the fact that
it was held hostage to the GEAR. Further on she said that she had seen a
lot of appointments taking too much time. She concluded saying that a
strong Executive Director for UNIFEM is needed and it is needed
NOW.<br>
<br>
--<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" color="#333399"><b>5.- GEAR UP <br>
</font><font face="Verdana">BUILDING A UNITED NATIONS THAT REALLY WORKS
FOR ALL WOMEN<br>
<br>
CAMPAIGN FOR STRONGER GENDER EQUALITY ARCHITECTURE REFORM (GEAR) AT THE
UN<br>
<br>
<u>A stronger women’s organization that can deliver results on the
ground:<br>
<br>
</u></b>An Under-Secretary-General should head this entity for women, to
ensure the necessary status required for representation and
decision-making at the highest levels both in policy-development and
program operations at the global and country levels. The new
Under-Secretary-General post would provide higher level leadership than
at present to more effectively drive the gender equality and women’s
empowerment agenda. <br>
<br>
Extensive field presences and a strong policy and programmatic mandate is
essential for a strengthened UN entity for women to effectively improve
the lives of women on the ground. <br>
<br>
Substantial and predictable resources to ensure that the new entity for
women has the capacity to meet expectations and deliver results at all
levels. It must be funded initially at a minimum level of $500 million to
$1 billion USD with increases over time. <br>
<br>
Accountability within the new entity for women, at both national and
international levels, including through meaningful involvement of civil
society, in particular non-governmental organizations for women. <br>
<br>
The new entity should also promote gender mainstreaming by the
integration of gender equality and women’s human rights throughout the UN
and especially in the UN Country Pilots and in all UN reform processes.
<br>
<br>
Strengthening the UN’s gender equality machinery is a crucial part of
financing for development. It will better enable the UN and governments
to deliver on promises made to advance gender equality and women’s human
rights at the global and country levels<br>
<br>
<b>TO JOIN THE GEAR CAMPAIGN, EMAIL:
</font><font face="Verdana" color="#0000FF"><u>gearcampaign@gmail.com<br>
<br>
</u></font><font face="Verdana">GEAR CAMPAIGN KEY MESSAGES:<br>
<br>
</b><i>The following “talking points” address the most current arguments
for and against strengthened gender architecture. Some of the points
below are responses to arguments we’ve recently heard <u>against</u>
moving ahead.<br>
<br>
</i><b>This is not a process that is driven by donors ! </b>The
initial call for action was from women’s groups around the world, not
from governments. Reform of gender architecture is supported and driven
by NGOs and a range of states, including those from the global
South.<br>
<br>
<b>A strong womne’s entity will help to integrate gender throughout the
UN system. </b>Other UN agencies will still have the responsibility to
integrate gender into their own programming and policies, but a new
entity can help make this happen. A strong women’s entity will not
“getthoize” gender, as some have feared, but should expand attention to
this issue within and outside the UN.<br>
<br>
<b>Creating a strong women’s entity will not detract from other
development goals, </b>but will enahance and work in tandem with
those development efforts, as women’s equality is a key component of
development.<br>
<br>
<b>A stronger UN gender entity will make financing for gender equality
and financing for development more efficient and effective. </b>A
stronger gender entity will deliver better results and streamline
official development assistance (ODA) delivery at the country level,
including in providing gender-disaggregated data.<br>
<br>
<b>There has been no susbstantive resistance mounted against
strengthening the UN’s gender architecture</b>. The resistance has been
grounded in other issues related to UN politics and UN reform. It is
imperative that governments move ahead on institutional arrangements that
give public support to the actual gender issues.<br>
<br>
<b>A new women’s entity must have core responsibilities at
national/operational and global/policy levels. </b>It is imperative to
strengthen the functioning of the UN on gender equality “on the ground”,
as well as at the global level.<br>
<br>
<b>A new women’s entity must be “built to win”. </b>It must be adequately
funded or it simply will not be able to do the work it needs to do. It
needs to be led by an Under Secretary General to ensure representation at
the highest levels within the UN system. <br>
<br>
<b>The system as it now exists is simply not working well enough to
deliver effective results for women’s lives around the world. It needs to
be improved and strengthened, with urgency.<br>
<br>
All UN agencies need to strengthen their own work on gender
simultaneously with the process of creating a new entity. </b>Agencies
and offices must bolster and evaluate their current gender work, collect
relevant and sex-disaggregated data, present annual reports to the GA,
etc. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<font color="#008080"><b>ICAE</font> <br>
</b>International Council for Adult Education <br>
General Secretariat <br>
Av. 18 de Julio 2095 / 301 <br>
11200 Montevideo - Uruguay <br>
Tel/fax: (598 - 2) 409 79 82 <br>
E-mail: secretariat@icae.org.uy<font color="#0000FF"> <br>
<u><a href="http://www.icae.org.uy/" eudora="autourl">www.icae.org.uy</a></u>
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