16 June 1994 The Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace 4-15 September 1995, Beijing, China Moving into the 21st century, the drive for women's rights has accelerated and taken on powerful and global momentum. In the 20 years since the first UN Conference on Women, the campaign for equality between women and men has witnessed momentous changes and undeniable advances: - Women are entering the labour market in unprecedented numbers and pursuing a greater role at all levels of public life; - Governments have adopted major legislation that promises women equal opportunities, treatment and respect of their rights; - Thanks to pressure at all levels, women are increasingly gaining crucial access to proper healthcare, education and civil justice; - Women's heightened awareness of their common problems has provoked a determined mobilization to fight discrimination and persistent injustices. But, just how much have these advances improved the lives of the average woman? And, in view of the sustained social and economic crises facing much of the world today, just how deep is the commitment of Governments to eliminate discrimination against women? In September 1995, thousands of women and men from around the world will meet in Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on Women. They will attempt to answer these questions, assessing the progress -- and the shortfalls -- of the past two decades and identify action to be taken. Despite the growing evidence that investments in women have an enormous impact on society as a whole, no one can deny that women continue to face discrimination in social, economic, political and cultural spheres. - Today only seven of the 184 Ambassadors to the United Nations are women. Only four of the 32 UN specialized agencies and programmes are headed by women. - In 1993 only six countries had women as heads of Government while the average proportion of women in the world's parliaments had dropped to 10 per cent -- from 12 per cent in 1989. Women still lack resources, authority and meaningful decision-making powers. - Three quarters of women over 25 in much of Africa and Asia are illiterate, a much higher rate than for men and a residue of past discrimination. Women account for two thirds of illiterate people in the world. - On the average, women receive between 30 and 40 per cent less pay than men for the same work. At the same time, much of women's daily work is unremunerated and the value of household labour unrecorded. - Half a million women, nearly all of them in developing countries, die each year from pregnancy-related causes. Thirty per cent of them are teenagers. - The break-up of families caused by armed conflict, economic difficulties and increased divorce rates, has led to a burgeoning growth in the number of female-headed households. One third of all families worldwide are headed by a woman. These families are often poor and lack financial support from the fathers of the children. Everywhere, women and children are the poorest among the poor. - Discrimination may affect women throughout their lives. In many cultures, gender disparities start at the earliest stages of life. - In many parts of Asia and the Pacific, inferior health care and nutrition for girl children coupled with maternal mortality have caused men to outnumber women by five in every 100. This is in contrast to demographic trends in the rest of the world, where women as a rule outnumber men. - Violence against women is recognized to be pervasive across cultures and regions. In order to achieve meaningful equitable partnership between women and men, much more will have to be done to change persistent stereotyped attitudes, to improve the conditions of women around the world and to promote and defend their human rights. The Conference offers Governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and individuals an opportunity to review their efforts and renew their commitment to the theme of the Conference: "Action for equality, development and peace". GOALS OF THE CONFERENCE The objectives of the Conference are: * To review and appraise the advancement of women since 1985 in terms of the objectives of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000. * To mobilize women and men at both the policy-making and grass-roots levels to achieve those objectives. * To adopt a "Platform for Action", concentrating on key issues -- the "critical areas of concern" -- identified as obstacles to the advancement of women in the world. This document will propose and suggest corresponding strategic objectives and action to be taken by Governments, the international community, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and individuals for the removal of the remaining obstacles to women's full and equal participation in development in all spheres of life. It will include actions to eradicate poverty; eliminate inequality in education; ensure access to relevant health care, employment and economic participation; further protection and preservation of the environment; end inequality in sharing of power and decision-making; improve images of women in the mass media, promote women's human rights and eliminate violence against women. * To determine the priority actions to be taken between 1996- 2001 for implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000 by the international community, including the United Nations system. BACKGROUND INFORMATION There have been three United Nations world conferences on women. The first conference, held during International Women's Year in Mexico City, 1975, adopted a Plan of Action that led to the declaration, by the United Nations General Assembly, of the United Nations Decade for Women. In 1979 the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which to date has 133 States Parties. A committee of independent experts reviews the implementation of the Convention, discusses reports submitted and makes recommendations to governments for further improvement. These activities demonstrate the commitment of Governments to bring about positive change. At the second conference, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1980, a programme of action for the second half of the decade for women was adopted, with emphasis on education, employment and health. The third world conference took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1985, to review and appraise achievements made and obstacles encountered during the decade for women. The Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000 were adopted by consensus. The Strategies provided a framework for action at the national, regional and international level to promote empowerment of women and their enjoyment of human rights. A 1990 evaluation of the Forward-looking Strategies by the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women revealed that the world community had become more conscious and sensitive to issues affecting women. However, there seemed to be some loss of momentum in implementation. More recently, the issue of violence against women has been placed on the global agenda, including the issue of sexual harassment. In 1993, the General Assembly adopted a landmark declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The impact of HIV/AIDS on women is another emerging issue of major concern. PREPARATORY PROCESS The preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Women are already well underway. Ms. Gertrude Mongella from the United Republic of Tanzania is Secretary-General of the Conference. Her office and the Division for the Advancement of Women, which are responsible for organizing the Conference and preparing its documents, are located at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Commission on the Status of Women is the Preparatory Committee for the Conference. The Commission, established in 1946, is an intergovernmental body consisting of 45 Member States which meets annually. It is responsible for formulating global policies and recommendations for the advancement of women. The Commission has already held two sessions and one inter-sessional working group to prepare for the Conference. Its third and last preparatory meeting will be held from 15 March to 7 April 1995 in New York. NATIONAL PREPARATIONS The Beijing Conference is the culmination of a process that begins with national preparations. The Commission on the Status of Women has underlined the importance of these national level preparations. It also proposed guidelines for the preparation of national reports that are to be submitted, through the Conference Secretariat, to the Conference. National machinery for the advancement of women, together with other technical ministries, government agencies and NGOs have the opportunity to take stock of the present situation of women, at the national level, analyse the progress made since the Nairobi conference and prepare for future action. REGIONAL PREPARATIONS Five regional preparatory meetings under the auspices of the United Nations regional economic commissions are scheduled for 1994 (the calendar includes parallel regional NGO preparatory meetings as well): in Jakarta, Indonesia, for Asia and the Pacific, 7-14 June 1994; in Mar del Plata, Argentina, for Latin America and the Caribbean, 26-30 September 1994 (with NGO Forum from 19-23 September); in Vienna, Austria, for Europe, 17-21 October 1994 (with NGO Forum from 13-15 October); in Amman, Jordan, 6-10 November 1994 (dates of NGO Forum to be determined); in Dakar, Senegal, for Africa, 16-23 November 1994 (with NGO Forum from 14-17 November). Other meetings are also envisaged as part of the preparatory process. Regional meetings are very important for assessing the key issues for women on a regional basis and ultimately providing input to regional reports for the Conference. The regional meetings are also expected to provide reports to the Commission on the Status of Women at its last Preparatory meeting from 15 March to 7 April 1995. ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION Conference participants and observers will include Governments, organizations of the UN system, intergovernmental organizations, national liberation movements and NGOs. The NGO Forum '95 from 30 August to 8 September 1995, is open to all interested persons and is being planned under the direction of a 70-member NGO Forum Planning Committee. Convenor of the NGO Forum is Ms. Supatra Masdit from Thailand. Inclusion of youth, the vanguards of the 21st century, as members of delegations, is highly recommended to Member States and to NGOs. MEDIA ACCREDITATION Media interested in becoming accredited to the Conference may write to the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit of the Department of Public Information, United Nations, Room S-250, New York, NY 10017, USA; Fax: 1(212) 963 4642. Accreditation begins six months prior to the Conference. There will be a Media Centre with transmissions facilities at the Conference site in Beijing. Media accreditation to the Regional Preparatory Conferences should be arranged through the Regional Commissions (see list below). FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Secretariat for the Fourth World Conference on Women Division for the Advancement of Women Room DC2-1234 United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: 1 212/963 8385, Fax: 963 3463 Department of Public Information Planning and Special Programmes Section Room S-955 United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: 1 212/963 1742, Fax: 963 4556 Ms. Irene Santiago, Executive Director NGO Forum '95 211 East 43rd Street, Suite 1500 New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: 1 212/922 9267, Fax: 922 9269 REGIONAL COMMISSIONS FOCAL POINTS FOR THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN Ms. Mebo K. Mwaniki, Chief African Training and Research Centre for Women UN Economic Commission for Africa P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: 251 1/517200, Fax: 514416 Ms. Miriam Krawczyk, Chief Women and Development Unit UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Casilla 179-D Santiago, Chile Tel: 562/210 2000, Fax: 208 1946 or 0252 Mr. Patrice Robineau, Senior Adviser UN Economic Commission for Europe Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland Tel: 41 22/917 1234, Fax: 917 0123 Ms. Meena Patel, Chief Rural and Urban Development Division UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Rajdamnern Avenue Bangkok 10020, Thailand Tel: 662 282/9161, Fax: 9602 Ms. Fatima Sbaity Kassem Chief, WAD Unit Social Development Division UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia P.O. Box 927115 Amman, Jordan Fax: 9626 694 980, 981 or 982 Published by the United Nations Department of Public Information DPI/1468/--June 1994--100M