Tag Archives: women’s empowernment

Discussion on a new global development agenda have begun at the UN

The Millennium Development Goals  MDG’s set the global development agenda from 2000 to 2015.  There is a push on for their completion by 2015.  At the same time the discussions for a new development agenda has begun around Sustainable Development Goals SDG’s.  The Rio+20 Conference held in Rio de Janeiro in June of 2012 pointed in  ’‘The Future we want’ available in English Spanish and French.  In paragraph 248 (page 46) the resolve was to set up and open working group (OWG) comprising 30 representatives nominated by member states.  This group has been establish and had its second meeting from April 17th – 19th 2013.  I was privileged to deliver the statement on behalf the NGO Subcommittee for Poverty Eradication and the Mining Working Group on Friday morning - A copy of the text is here and the link to the UN WebCast is here (Move to the end of the video about 2.34.

The summary of the three days as presented by one of the Co-chairs is excellent.  Summary as presented by the Co-chair.  I will pick up some highlights to encourage you to read it.  Do these phrases echo with you?  ’We are engaged in a project of joint innovation.  We need and want new thinking.  We all agree that our task is to gradually craft the backbone of the transformative agenda. … The MDG’s a point of departure … we are entering uncharted waters.  This makes our work both exciting and challenging.  … Anxiety giving way to growing intellectual curiosity. …

To achieve complete poverty eradication in a sustainable way we need to address the economic, social and environmental factors  … we need people centered development … calls for strong cooperative global action … we need a narrative of transformative change to realise our vision of sustainable poverty eradication and universal human development , respecting human dignity and protecting our planet  mother Earth, living in harmony with nature for the well-being and happiness of present and future generations.  … We need new thinking on international cooperation beyond the traditional donor-recipient relationship. …”  What I was hearing is the same call that we have set ourselves in our Chapter theme “Energized by the Spirit, we risk together for mission…”

There are times when I find links between the chapter logo and logos that are floating with regard to the new development agenda.  Chapter logo

Compare with the Logo Advancing the Post-2015 Sustainable Development  Agenda

   Logo_Advancing-the-Post-2015-Sustainable-Development-Agenda

Follow the interlinkages:  Poverty and Gender – See the following statement available in French, English and Spanish

Égalité entre les sexes pour mettre fin à la pauvreté                              Gender Equality to End Poverty – Bonn Conference Statement to HLP (2)                                               Igualdad de género para poner fin a la pobreza-Carta de Guadalajara al PAN Post 2015 (1)

I have endorsed this statement:  In our various ministries we are addressing  the increasing feminization of poverty, gender based violence, the structural drivers of girls and women’s poverty and inequality, the impact of climate change on girls and women, their families and communities and the devastating effect of land grabbing and the ‘extractive development model’  on perpetuating poverty for girls and women.   We promote  literacy and equality access of girls and women to quality education, implementation of the Social Protection Floor and urge for recognition of girls and women’s unremunerated work in the care economy.  We seek a new development paradigm that works for girls and women, includes girls and women, particularly the voices of socially-excluded, disenfranchised and marginalized girls and women, as part of the solutions and in the decision making.

The experiential journey as a three month intern in Geneva

Niluka 2

It was a call from Sr. Susan Chia, Congregational link councilor, who had visited the Sri Lanka/ Pakistan province for a workshop on “Participative model of Leadership” which made me realize the need to get experience in relation to the Human Rights Based Approach and the instruments which were available at international level which could assist us to be more effective at the local level. From that day onwards all the arrangement were made for me to have an experiential learning process in Geneva and I arrived here on 10th January 2013.  Read more…

Congratulation Sr. Niluka Perera from the  Province of Sri Lanka/Pakistan on this achievement and congratulations to your mentors Hedwig and Clare!

Gender Equality to End Poverty

Rosa G. Lizarde, Global Coordinator, Feminist Task Force-GCAP wrote the following  ” Yesterday at the Bonn Advancing the Post 2015 Development Agenda Conference, we had a great session on Gender and Poverty. We took the points raised and developed a statement which will be presented at the Gallery of Statement sessions today with all the other summaries for endorsement from those here. Since some of you may be tuning in online, we are providing the option to sign on as well as the feminist statement of the overall conference.”  Here is the text of the statement.  On behalf of us all I have signed on to the statement.    What do you think about this statement?

GENDER EQUALITY TO END POVERTY

While the UN High Level Panel on Post 2015 has declared that we can end poverty in our lifetime, it is clear that women across the globe are becoming increasingly impoverished and if we do not transform the current political, cultural and economic systems by placing women at the heart of development, we will not be able to achieve an end to poverty.
If the members of the panel are serious about eradicating poverty and inequality, they will consider the following points as they draft recommendations to the UN Secretary-General:
·       Combatting all forms of gender-based violence is essential to end poverty.  Violence against women (VAW) is a structural driver of the increasing feminization of poverty. VAW has been identified as the #1 priority in the e-discussion on Gender Equality that was held as part of the Global Thematic Discussion on Inequalities.  The HLP should prioritize ending violence against women and its intersection with increasing poverty.
·       Stemming and reversing the feminization of poverty and the structural drivers of women’s poverty and inequality, including lack of access to land ownership and property, among others, should be prioritized by the HLP.
·       Caste, Class and Ethnicity perpetuate poverty as social and cultural norms are discriminatory and have a devastating effect on a women’s livelihood. 
·       Both formal and non-formal education has the power to level the playing field for women. Literacy and equality of access for women and girls to quality education should remain relevant targets for post-2015 education and development goals. 
·        The impact of climate change has a devastating effect on women, their families and communities. Worsening natural disasters due to climate change has deepened povety for women and contributes to generational poverty. The HLP must emphasize the link between climate change, worsening natural disasters and women living in poverty.
·        Land grabbing and the ‘‘extractives development model,‘‘ the nexus of government sanctioned mining and other extractives industries, is an assault on the dignity and soveriegnty of women, their families and their communities. The HLP must bring attention to the impact of these unsustainable methods and their devastating effect on perpetuating poverty for women.
·        Current models of measuring economic activity do not take into account unremunerated work, such as the care economy and social reproduction.  The HLP should ensure in new economic measures.
·        Full employment and decent work, and ensuring universal and affordable access to social protection is a pillar for achieving women’s economic independence.
·        Moreover, we need a new development paradigm that works for women, includes women, particularly the voices of socially-excluded, disenfranchised and marginalized women, as part of the solutions and in the decision-making.
 

A survey of services provided globally by Good Shepherd Sisters in 24 countries

In summary, the data presented in this paper serves to support evidence of the widespread prevalence of VAWG and illustrates practical measures that have been taken, with success to combat such violence.   Ending Violence Against Girls and Women Web Version

Advance Unedited Version of CSW 57 Agreed Conclusions

Now posted on UN Women Website CSW57_agreed_conclusions_advance_unedited_version_18_March_2013           It is currently only available in English.   You may be interested in the US position following adoption of the Agreed Conclusions.  “The United States welcomes today’s adoption of the Agreed Conclusion … read more

African Women’s Caucus Position Statement 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women Elimination and Prevention of All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls

Read the African interventions during CSW 57    There are a number of statements echoing more or less the same content.  Begin with the Oral Statement  Click here  African W omen’s Caucus Oral Statement to CSW 57  At the bottom of this statement there is a link to another statement on Resolution 1325   –  the commitments to ensure the representation of women in peace process including the prevention, resolution, management of conflicts and post-conflict reconstruction –  and the African Women’s Caucus Position Statement.                                                                                      Ferew Lemma, NGO Regional Designate for ‘Good Shepherd’ in Africa attended CSW 57 and this Caucus on your behalf.  Links are also provided to  ADDIS ABABA DECLARATION OF AFRICA MINISTERIAL PREPARATORY MEETING FOR THE 57TH SESSION OF THE COMMISION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN ON THE PRIORITY THEME:  ELIMINATION AND PREVENTION OF ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS    Addis_Declaration_on_ending_VAWG_ADOPTED_16_Jan_2013  AND FRENCH  DÉCLARATION D’ADDIS-ABEBA Fr._Addis_Declaration_on_ending_VAWG_ADOPTED_-_REV

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The United Nations agreed on a declaration to prevent and condemn violence against women and girls regardless of “any custom, tradition or religious consideration”

United Nations – Muslim and Western nations overcame deep divisions to agree on a landmark United Nations Code to combat violence against women and girls.  Continue to read

Peace March

 

 

 

 

Women, led by Yoo Soon-taek, wife of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and actresses Susan Sarandon and Monique Coleman, march outside the U.N. general assembly building to mark International Women’s Day. Photo by: Mark Garten / U.N.

Activists welcome hard-fought UN agreement on women’s rights

The Guardian has this report on the successful conclusion of CSW 57  Check out the whole article

Here is a snippet with links:  ”But the agreement was hard fought and civil society groups expressed “deep concern” over attempts by some conservative member states and groups to derail the process and undermine previous agreements.”

Another Perspective on CSW 57

An objective piece on NGO participation or lack of it in CSW 57.  Read More   Good Shepherd as an NGO had two passes – and while they permit one to enter the corridors of the UN they do not gain access to the negotiating room.  NGO access is had by being a member of a national delegation.   I did have a meeting with a member of the Irish Mission who was negotiating on behalf of women human right defenders.  This is retained in the document.  Well done!   Throughout the two weeks I sent on two separate occasions e-mails containing language with regard to Human Trafficking and Prostitution to 15 member states of the Commission.  In the final document you will note that the paragraphs on Human Trafficking are strong  but all reference to prostitution  has disappeared … thus permitting prostitution to continue and not naming it for what it is sexual exploitation and violence towards women and girls.  Yes there is agreement around the violence of Human Trafficking but no agreement around Prostitution.

A quote from  the link above and I quote it because I have heard these stories too…

“The women delegates of, for example, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran may declare unchallenged, in the UN building, that their governments respect women’s status and progress, is being made. But we, in our restricted place across the road, listen in grief and pity to accounts of rape, sexual slavery, be headings of women activists and human rights defenders; of women imprisoned for fleeing forced marriage, of widow abuse, and of honour killings disguised as suicide. And of young women activists stripped and sexually assaulted in Tahir Square, Cairo. Of what is really happening to the women of Libya and Syria. Rape may be a weapon of war, but women’s bodies are being targeted in many countries, post conflict, and during revolution, and where there is no war. …  As member States pontificate, many mouthing platitudes, women and girls are dying, or if not dead, destroyed.”

 

Good Shepherd Team at CSW 75

2013-03-03 07.46.34I was present with Ferew from Ethiopia in the UN corridors from 3.00 p.m until after 9.00 p.m. and witnessed the adoption of the outcome document.  It is truly a historic moment for women’s rights.  In a blog post during the long wait I asked some questions as to why it is difficult to get agreement.  But eventually agreement was reached.  Yes, there is a strong outcome document but could it have said more?   Read here about the final session of CSW 57 on Friday evening March 15th   The blogger, Joni van de Sand  is a friend from Holland whom I met 2 years ago  If you follow her blog entries you will get a good overview of CSW 57.

The photograph – Good Shepherd Team at CSW 57:   Ferew Lemma from Ethiopia.  Hung-Hsin Liu from Taiwan who left NY at the end of the first week. Winifred Doherty and Wanching Chen, Taiwan who left NY on the morning of the Friday the 15th and was not present for the historic ending of CSW 57.  The team was supported by Maureen McGowan of Handcrafting Justice, Victoria Ashley of Good Shepherd Volunteers, Kimberly Moloche an Intern from St John’s College and Helga Sourek (Germany) who returned home after the first week.