The March 6 issue of the Economist highlighted the problem of gendercide – the “disappearance” of an estimated 100 million baby girls, either killed, aborted or neglected. Three factors were cited:
• the traditional preference for sons
• a modern desire for smaller families (including China’s one-child policy)
• technologies that identify the sex of a foetus (such as ultrasound scanning)
Distorted sex ratios are unbalancing societies in many parts of the world. In China and northern India for example, for children born in the early 2000s, the imbalance has risen to 120 boys to 100 girls born. Similar tendencies can be found in other East Asian countries, including Taiwan and Singapore, and in former communist states in the western Balkans and the Caucasus. Wealth does not seem to be a factor; within China and India the areas with the worst ratios are the richest, best-educated ones.
When these children reach maturity, a shortage of brides will be evident. China for example will have as many unmarried young men as the entire population of young men in America. In many countries, rootless young males are associated with higher crime rates, bride trafficking and sexual violence. A study in China shows that higher sex ratios accounted for about one-seventh of the rise in crime.
Only South Korea has managed to reverse its cultural preference for sons. Female education, anti-discrimination suits and equal-rights rulings made “son preference” seem old-fashioned and unnecessary. Concerned countries should therefore promote actions that raise the value of girls through the encouragement of female education, the engagement of women in public life and the abolishment of laws and customs that prevent daughters inheriting property.
Is gender preference an issue in your country? What actions could IFUW together with its NFAs and other NGOs take to help protect baby girls in the regions concerned?
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The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), starting next week, will undertake a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The Platform identifies twelve critical areas1 of concern considered to be major obstacles to gender equality and women’s empowerment. It also gives strategic objectives and actions to be taken by governments, the international community, non-governmental organizations and the private sector on implementation.
The CSW Beijing +15 meeting will emphasize the sharing of experiences and good practices to date, and will look at solutions on how to overcome remaining obstacles and new challenges. Governments were asked to provide reports on progress and regional reviews were undertaken in all five United Nation’s regional commissions.
In the ECE countries for example, some of the main challenges that remain are systematic gender-budgeting, unequal pay, social protection (such as pension benefits for unpaid care work) and implementation of existing legislation, in particular regarding violence against women2.
What are the critical areas of concern in your country? How far has implementation of the Platform For Action come in your country? What are the biggest remaining barriers and challenges? What do you think the Beijing +15 review will show and what could Beijing +25 bring?
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11. women and poverty; 2. education and training of women; 3. women and health; 4. violence against women; 5. women and armed conflict; 6. women and the economy; 7. women in power and decision-making; 8. institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women; 9. human rights of women; 10. women and the media; 11. women and the environment; 12. the girl child.
2UN-NGLS article: Beijing +15 ECE Regional Review Meeting; challenges remain
“Absent from ceasefire agreements, not subject to disarmament programmes, and rarely mentioned at the peace-table, mass rape is a war tactic that lingers long after the guns fall silent.”1 The last decade shows alarming figures: 250,000–500,000 women and girls were raped during the genocide in Rwanda, 20,000–50,000 women and girls were raped during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, an average of 40 women and girls are raped every day in South Kivu, Congo2.
To help combat this growing atrocity, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently appointed Margot Wallström as his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. This new position (lobbied for by NGOs and called for in resolution 1888) was created to focus international action and to ensure a more effective prevention of and response to such crimes.
Ms Wallstöm commented: “Violence against women is the most common but least punished crime in the world…In far too many parts of the world women are excluded from the decision-making process and from conflict resolution and peacekeeping. This absolutely has to change and I am determined to play my part in making that change happen.”
A clear understanding of the root causes of rape in conflict is essential, including the myths that fuel this violence and the availability of the weapons that facilitate it. It is hoped that Margot Wallström will find a way to address these issues and that she will help empower women and fight impunity.
IFUW has adopted several resolutions on Women, Peace and Security. What can IFUW do to help advance the work of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict?
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For more information and for action ideas: www.stoprapenow.org (UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict)
Much attention is given to the gender pay gap, but one hears much less about the increasing gender pension gap – a growing problem in most countries.
Pension systems are usually based on employment related contributions. Women’s working patterns – long career breaks because of child rearing, part-time work , lower salaries and lower retirement ages – all result in reduced pension benefits. Many women rely upon their partners for retirement income, but this is not always a secure option. Coupled with their longer life expectancy, these factors are forcing older women into the poorest demographic groups in many nations.
One solution would be for women to increase optional contributions to pension schemes, but during the economic downturn, fewer women can afford to save, especially those with dependent children.
Some developed countries try to compensate for these differences through systems providing a universal minimum pension and credits for child rearing years. A few have even established pension schemes based on residence instead of employment or family work.
What is the situation in your country? How can the gender pension gap be addressed? Most young women do not think about the later impact of “lost” working years, lower salaries and part-time hours. How do you think women can build a financially secure future?
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After years of pressure, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted the long awaited resolution calling for a single, independent gender entity. The new reform will provide a system-wide coherence of the UN gender equality approach by consolidation of the existing gender-related bodies.
A detailed structure proposal will be finalized mid-December; once approved by the Secretary-General, Member States will consider it in a special session in February 2010. The new entity will be headed by an Under Secretary-General thus securing a high level of authority within the UN. The recruiting process will start as soon the UN General Assembly has allocated funding for the position. The appointment will hopefully be confirmed by March 2010.
The GEAR Campaign (Gender Equality Architecture Reform), a network of more than 310 civil society organizations of which IFUW is a member, played a key role in the campaign to achieve the above changes.
GEAR believes that the effectiveness of the new entity depends largely on the level of funding and is calling for an annual budget starting at $1 billion. Some parties would prefer a large percentage of this to come from voluntary donors. IFUW believes that most should come from the regular assessed contributions.
GEAR continues to push for a “systematic and meaningful participation of civil society, especially women’s organizations” in the work of the new entity. Civil society should be given “a voice” through access of meetings, participation in policy formulations, agenda setting, monitoring etc.
What commitment has your government made towards the implementation of the entity? IFUW urges its national federations and associations to contact their government to lobby for adequate funding for the entity’s works and for a strong civil society role in the process.
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