WOM/BEI/19 5 September 1995 3rd Meeting (PM) REPRESENTATIVES OF GOVERNMENTS, UN SYSTEM, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ADDRESS WOMEN'S CONFERENCE IN BEIJING Completing First Day of Its General Exchange of Views, Meeting Hears Total of 30 Speakers on Key Women's Issues Women's health needs and expectations must be given priority, not sacrificed owing to constraints, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima told the Fourth World Conference on Women this afternoon. Health was crucial to economic and social development, and promoting women's health was the surest way of ensuring health for all. Namibia's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitway, stressed that ensuring continued gender imbalance between boys and girls was tantamount to preserving inequality between men and women. If girls were provided with equal opportunity, that would enable them to become the leaders of the twenty-first century. Although gender equality had been seen as a women's issue, changes in the roles of women must be accompanied by changes in the roles of men, the Chairperson of the Iceland's Preparatory Committee, Sigridur L. Baldursdottir said. Men must be active partners in defining gender equality. The Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine, Ivan F. Kuras, said international conferences on women should be held, not every 10 years, but every five years. The next Conference, in the year 2000, would thus provide a good opportunity to assess the results of the past half century and to view the coming millenium, which should witness the triumph of women's rights. Queen Fabiola of Belgium drew attention to the serious injustices committed against rural women, who were exploited for hard physical labour from an early age, worked for the (more) Conference on Women - 2 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 lowest wages and were often excluded from education and health care. Steps must be taken to encourage access to education and end abusive chores imposed on young girls, so they might benefit from education at an early age, just like boys. Women and children were the hardest hit by the increasing violations of human rights and the political uncertainty facing many nations, the Minister for Health of the United Republic of Tanzania, Zakia Hamdani Meghji, said. Many governments spent funds which could have been used for development to wage wars. Basic issues requiring action included poverty alleviation, legal rights, participation in decision-making, environment and employment. Chile's Minister for National Affairs for Women said her country rejected abortion, considering it a public health problem. Josefina Bilbao said the causes of abortion should be addressed through family planning policies that enabled individuals and couples to choose methods they found acceptable, so long as those methods did not contravene a higher ethical standard. Mary Ann Glendon, of the Holy See, said Pope John Paul II welcomed the United Nations initiative as an important contribution towards improving women's situation. While the Holy See supported the emphasis on improving women's health care, it was concerned with a tendency to focus privileged attention and resources on health problems related to sexuality. Abortion should not be promoted as a means of family planning and efforts should be made to eliminate factors which lead women to seek abortions. Statements were also made by Princess Basma Bint Talal of Jordan; the State Councillor and Chairperson of the China Organizing Committee for the Conference; the First Lady of the Republic of Korea, Sohn Myong-Soon; First Lady of Ecuador, Josefina de Duran Ballen; the Union Minister of Human Resources and Development of India; the Minister to the Prime Minister's Office of Thailand; the Minister for Women, Children and Family of Senegal; and First Lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. Also speaking were the Minister for Education of Portugal; the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Minister for Overseas Development of the United Kingdom, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey; the Parliamentary Secretary of Antigua and Barbuda; the Minister for Women's Affairs and the Family of Tunisia; the First Lady of Benin, Rosine Soglo; and Member of Parliament and President of All Nepal Women's Association of Nepal. Statements were also made by the Deputy High Commissioner of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (more Conference on Women - 3 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 Also addressing the Conference were representatives of the Non-Governmental Organizations Forum in Beijing, the National Organization of Arab/American Women, and the Committee for Asian Women. The Conference will resume at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 6 September. ## (more Conference on Women - 4 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 IVAN F. KURAS, Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine: Women have a key role to play in the independent Ukraine. Women comprise some 54 per cent of Ukraine's population. They are guaranteed free secondary education, medical care and political rights. They also play an important role, through non-governmental organizations, in bringing about a rebirth in the country. Women play an important role in the peace movement. Ukraine has renounced the use of nuclear weapons. Women's non- governmental organizations play an important role in seeking to overcome the effects of the Chernobyl tragedy. Fundamental changes have been brought about in Ukraine's legislation. Ukraine's national organizing committee, together with national non-governmental organizations, held a number of conferences in preparation for the Conference. International conferences on women should be held, not every 10 years but every five years. The next Conference should therefore be held in the year 2000. That will establish a good opportunity to review the results of the past half century and provide a view of the coming millenium, which should be marked by the triumph of women's rights. NETUMBO NANDI-NDAITWAY, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Namibia: The Conference will bring many changes to the lives of women throughout the world. In a few weeks, world leaders will gather to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. It was timely to be holding the Fourth World Conference on Women. Gender equality must form a criterion against which the achievements of the Untied Nations will be measured. The Conferences's draft platform of action was about equal rights between women and men, girls and boys. Ensuring the continuation of gender imbalance between boys and girls was tantamount to preserving inequality between men and women. If girls are provided with equal opportunity, that will enable them to become the leaders of the twenty-first century. The World Conference should be a vehicle for commitment, in which nations pledge to implement the platform for action. Gender sensitization was a priority for Namibia, which seeks to attain 80 per cent literacy by the year 2000. As long as millions of women continue to live in poverty, the achievements made by some women remain meaningless. The Conference must therefore focus on efforts to address poverty. Governments have a responsibility to implement the platform of action. The draft platform invites the private sector to work in partnership with Government. The private sector must be mobilized with vigour, as part of the process for the empowerment of women. Men and women need to stand together to promote the transformation of society. QUEEN FABIOLA of Belgium, speaking on behalf of the International Steering Committee for the Economic Advancement of Rural Women: The most serious discriminations and injustices are committed against rural women, who are exploited for (more) Conference on Women - 5 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 hard physical labour from an early age, work for the lowest wages and are often excluded from education and health care. They also confront cultural, social and economic obstacles, and often cope with traditional practices which hinder their development. This leads to rural migration and the feminization of poverty, affecting over 500 million rural women worldwide who make an essential contribution to the economic and social life of their country and the well being of their family and community. Concrete steps must be taken to encourage access to education and an end to abusive chores imposed on young girls so they can benefit from education at an early age, just like boys; training which is adapted to the specific needs of rural women, particularly basic sanitary training; equal access to health services, land ownership and credit; and active participation in development projects which concern women. The international community must also take concrete measures to wipe out the debt burden of poor countries and implement development programmes which consider the specific needs of women and their families. Structural adjustment programmes imposed by international organizations must treat women equally. The main cause of violence against women is the indifference and inactivity by some governments. There are countries where female infanticide is still widespread. Legislation should be adopted to severely punish those who commit the serious crime of trafficking in women for prostitution. PRINCESS BASMA BINT TALAL, of Jordan: The time for rhetoric is over, action must now be taken by governments and international agencies and by non- governmental organizations to integrate women as full partners and major players in decision-making. The power of women has always been present, playing a role throughout history. The real issue is one of giving women the opportunity to use that power in the present world. Work, along with authority and responsibility, must be delegated to women. Jordan is trying to be true to the past, while attempting to serve the needs of tomorrow. Educational enrollment rates at all levels are almost equal for men and women and among the highest in the region. Women's participation in public governance is gaining ground. There are two cabinet ministers, two senators, one parliament member, a mayor and nine municipal council members who are women. However, a number of areas still need improvement. Poverty is a serious problem for many Jordanian women and their unemployment rates are double those of men. Both the public and private sectors are committed to the advancement of women and promotion of equal opportunities, with the family as the basic unit of society and women at its core. To advance and coordinate these efforts, the Jordanian National Committee for Women was formed in 1992 as a policy forum -- the first of its kind in the region. Its first output was the Jordanian National Strategy for Women, which was formulated by national consensus and adopted by the government. It sets out the role as (more Conference on Women - 6 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 well as the priorities of women in key areas, such as education, health employment and legislation. The strategy has proved effective at the grass roots level in mobilizing efforts and changing perceptions. PENG PEIYUN, State Councillor and Chairperson of the China Organizing Committee for the Conference: China proposes discussion of the following themes: the great role played by women in creating human civilization and achieving social progress; the development of the cause of women as linked to the progress of society; the obligation of national governments to achieve the goals of the Nairobi Strategies by the end of the century; and the need for enhanced international cooperation in light of the development of the women's cause. The founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 made women the masters of their country and enabled them to achieve a higher status. A series of laws and decrees aimed at protecting women's rights and interests have been promulgated and Chinese women now enjoy equal rights denied them for thousands of years. As a developing country, however, China is constrained by inadequate social and economic development and outdated mentality. A recently established programme for the development of Chinese women during the years 1995-2000 is a strategy for action to guide and promote the advancement and development of Chinese women. Under the programme, China will take steps to ensure the full participation of women in economic development, give priority to education, improve women's health and protect the rights and interests of women. It will also further increase the participation of women in political affairs and improve women's institutions. SOHN MYOUNG SOON, First Lady of the Republic of Korea: Women should participate in all endeavors to overcome inequality and repression, as well as destructive negative cultural traits. They must free themselves from poverty, illiteracy and violence and strengthen their economic and political capabilities. Following a five-year plan to eradicate illiteracy, the Republic of Korea now has a relatively high educational level among its female population. On the basis of that experience, the Government will support the education and training of women in less developed countries. The Government has also enacted numerous legislative and institutional measures for gender equality and is making increased efforts to remove gender discriminatory elements from school education and the mass media in order to change societal attitudes. It has set up a channel of international collaboration to be operated through the soon to be established "Common Forum for Women". The Forum will act as a conduit through which women from all regions of the world can work together to promote the development of women through regional and international cooperation. (more) Conference on Women - 7 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 SIGRIDUR L. BALDURSDOTTIR, Chairperson of the Preparatory Committee of Iceland: The series of United Nations Conferences on Women has helped promote gender equality, leading to changes in international standards. They have accelerated changes in norms regarding women's rights. Although the legal rights of women are generally well-established in Iceland, facts and figures have revealed that legislation has not ensured general equality. Progress had been made in some areas, but not in others. Icelandic women have long enjoyed the right to vote, but still constitute a relatively small percentage of elected officials. Nevertheless, Icelandic girls are now the majority of students graduating from the University of Iceland. Equal rights legislation does not guarantee equality. However, it does reveal inequality and accelerate positive change. Iceland presents an action strategy every four years, outlining actions it plans to take to promote equality between men and women. Gender equality has been seen as a women's issue. However, women do not exist in isolation. Changes in the roles of women must be accompanied by changes in the roles of men, which they must define for themselves. Men must be active partners in defining gender equality. We must avoid forcing our values on cultures which might have totally differing values and traditions. This, however, does not mean that compromise can be accepted in the matter of human rights. It cannot be permitted to allow sex differences to be used to systematically undermine human rights. All individuals should respect each other. The international community must make progress towards gender equality here in Beijing. There must be equal partnership in decision-making, and equal access to the economy, ownership of land and property and to inheritance. All forms of discrimination against girl- children must be eliminated. The Conference's programme of action must be practical and seen by Governments as being implementable. JOSEFINA VILLALOBOS DE DURAN BALLEN, First Lady of Ecuador: According to the 1995 Human Development Report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), countries that promote equal opportunities for women top the list of nations with the highest rates of women's development. The advancement of women and the solution to social problems does not necessarily mean the weakening of families and true values. Priority should be given to women's rights, development and dignity. Despite a recognition that women's rights are an inalienable and indivisible part of human rights, there has been a steady increase in acts of violence against women, sexual harassment, exploitation and systematic violation of women during war. The Conference should adopt similar measures to those taken at the regional level by American countries during the Inter-American Convention to Prevent, Eradicate and Condemn Violence Against Women. It should establish relevant penalties to punish those crimes. Mortality rates are still too high in many countries. No woman should die in labour. Therefore every government should enhance mother-children health policies and to protect human life from its conception. (more Conference on Women - 8 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 The increase in HIV/AIDS cases worldwide coincides with sexual freedom, much of which is due to the misuse of the national media, especially television. The source of the disease is sexual promiscuity, which ignores all moral or natural restraints. Many of the victims are innocent women and children. The solutions go beyond material considerations and should include a reversion to healthy habits and morality. Women's health is also affected by tropical and cardiovascular diseases as well as cancers, which kill them more than the AIDS virus. Malnutrition, which affects women and children in wide areas of the world is another evidence of defective distribution of resources. The amount of money spent on food programmes is less than a tenth of what is spent on weapons systems. MADHAVRAO SCINDIA, Union Minister of Human Resources and Development of India: Over 5,000 years ago, during the Vedic age, women participated on equal terms in the spiritual dialogues known as "Upanishads". Deeply embedded in India's tradition is the concept of the Goddess as Shakti, the feminine energy that pervades the universe. The concept of complementarity between sexes, rather than conflict or dominance, inspires and guides India's actions today. During the freedom movement, millions of women plunged into the campaign by Mahatma Gandhi, and when India won independence, its constitution gave equal rights to both sexes. However, it is not enough that there are laws on the statute books to punish those who discriminate. Equality without empowerment is an empty and hollow concept. Women must have access to educational opportunities -- and India has made significant advances in this area, including universalization of primary education, and vocational education which focuses on girls and female literacy. Affirmative action will ensure that women get positions, resources and respect. Economic empowerment is as important as poverty eradication and various schemes have been implemented to encourage women to take control of their own finances and join the banking system. The Conference should not be used to politicize issues and make unfounded allegations. An integral part of India, Jammu and Kashmir, has been the target of terrorism, sponsored and sustained from across borders. Terrorists have used brutal methods, including rape, hostage-taking and murder. The Conference should condemn and elaborate measures to combat and eliminate terrorism. India has committed itself to a number of measures to advance women, including a national policy on women to inform and guide action at every sector; a Commissioner for Women's Rights to act as a public defender of women's human rights; and a national mechanism to monitor the implementation of the Conference's platform of action. PRASONG BOONPONG, Minister to the Prime Minister's office and Vice Chairperson of Thailand's National Commission on Women's Affairs: For Thailand, the past 10 years have seen social economic and political change in which women have (more) Conference on Women - 9 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 benefitted, but not equally, despite the fact that they have been the primary contributors to the nation's growth. Although there have been many improvements in the employment, education and health of women, many inequalities remain. The Thai Government is preparing its eighth national economic and social development plan which will stress economic development but will be people-centred and as such, particularly concerned with women, children, marginal social groups and the family. Gender equality is fully recognized in the national plan as set out in the recently revised Perspective Policy and Plan for Women's Development, designed to provide guidelines for the next 20 years. The other important guide for Thailand will be the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. ZAKIA HAMDANI MEGHJI, Minister for Health of the United Republic of Tanzania: Violations of human rights are on the increase, and political uncertainty faces many nations. Women and children are the hardest hit. Many governments spend funds which could have been used for development to wage wars. Education is a tool for liberation. Unfortunately, for the majority, particularly in the developing world, access to education is a luxury. Traditions, norms and values have, to a large extent, been a major obstacle to women's development. Although much has been accomplished, we must continue urging our Governments to increase their commitment to uplifting the status of women. Statistics show that there have been some improvements in the situation of women in Tanzania. These include a significant increase in girls and women enrolled in educational institutions and teacher training colleges. However, there has also been a decline in the quality of education provided, as a result of economic decline. Improvement has also been made in health care since 1985. Basic issues requiring action include poverty alleviation, the attainment of legal rights, participation in decision-making, women and environment, women and employment, and addressing harmful practices. Tanzania is committed to defined increases in school enrollment, enhancing women's legal position and economic empowerment, and increasing the number of women participants in politics and decision-making to 30 per cent by the year 2000. It is committed to the position that 90 per cent of women will own wood plots around their homesteads by the year 2000. It has also undertaken commitments on the control of waterborne diseases, the reduction of maternal deaths, and the promotion of child survival. AMINATA MBENGUE, Minister for Women, Children and the Family of Senegal: Women's contribution is a prerequisite for the economic and cultural improvement of future generations. Such problems as illiteracy, under-reducation, all forms of violence, health problems, maternal and child mortality, affect women more than men. On the threshhold of the twenty-first century, the international community has committed itself to a critical examination of the situation of the human person and his or her future. (more Conference on Women - 10 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 Will future solutions take account of the failures of the past? Are women capable of being dynamic actors for real change for the benefit of humanity? The answer to those questions is yes. The fate of the African women is indissolubly linked to the development of the continent. Such matters as structural adjustment, external debt and deteriorating terms of trade have a direct impact on African women. The Conference must do justice to the legitimate claims of African women. The Declaration of the Heads of State at the last Organization of African Unity (OAU) Summit reaffirms their commitment to promoting the advancement of African women. Since 1978, Senegal has had a institutional mechanism charged with the promotion of women. Senegal is also committed to a legal environment to protect women from all discrimination. Women in Africa should be given the means to ensure the continuous education of their children, particularly of girls. In addition to macro-economic approaches, women's grass-roots initiatives to address poverty must be considered. NANA KONADU AGYEMAN RAWLINGS, First Lady of Ghana: The heavy burdens facing women must be placed in the national, regional and global context of a world where countries such as Ghana produce more only to earn less, while what is earned buys less and less. "We are running faster and harder only to stand still; sometimes, even to slip further backwards." Unless developing countries earn fairer prices for their primary commodity exports, gain greater access to the markets of developed countries, and are given substantial relief from the crushing burden of external indebtedness, all measures taken to improve women's welfare would achieve only limited success. Structural adjustment at the national level must be complemented by appropriate structural adjustment at the level of the global economy. Ghana carried out far-reaching structural reforms not only in the economic realm, but also in the areas of administration, education and legislation. Reforms aimed to enhance efficiency while empowering people. Specific measures included adoption of laws to protect women's property rights; provision of adult education classes; and establishment of day-care centres. Efforts are underway to establish new financial institutions to provide credit to small businesses which are predominantly operated by women; improve women's health and nutritional status; increase female enrollment at all educational levels; and encourage women to participate in politics. Girls were of special concern, and they must be provided with education, health and other basic services so that they can grow into confident women who can sustain themselves and their children and contribute to their nation's welfare. JOSEFINA BILBAO, Minister for National Affairs for Women of Chile: The Government appeals to the nuclear Powers to assure women a world free of the threat of massive destruction. Chile supports better employment opportunities for women and (more) Conference on Women - 11 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 emphasizes the social and cultural value of women's work in the home as well in rural productive activities, family businesses and community service. The value of work in the setting of home and family should be reflected in international economic accounts. Chile supports policies that encourage and enable men to fulfil family responsibilities as greater participation by men in the family, homemaking responsibilities and in the emotional welfare and upbringing of children will lead to more supportive and humane societies. Chile rejects abortion, considering it a subject that must be addressed as a serious public health problem, whose causes should be treated preventively through family planning policies that promote responsible parenthood and that enable individuals and couples to choose family planning methods they find acceptable, so long as these methods do not contravene a higher ethical standard. The quality of women's lives will be improved if measures are taken to guarantee their reproductive and sexual health, approached in the context of the total development of their lives and personal relationships, and not merely through counseling and care related to reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases. MANUELA FERREIRA LEITE, Minister for Education of Portugal: Full equal rights for men and women is a basic condition for the overall development of any human being. The situation of women in the modern world is fundamentally a question of human rights. Poverty is the very negation of social rights, yet the majority of the world's poor are women and their numbers are increasing dramatically. Violence is the negation of the right to life and physical integrity, yet women are the victims of all types of violence, often facing intolerable social and even legal indifference. We must constantly reaffirm that access to education, health, the labour market, social, civic and political participation and a share in decision-making is a condition of social justice. Portugal is interested in mainstreaming equality issues in multilateral and bilateral agreements, particularly in the Portuguese speaking African countries. Equality does not mean a denial of the specific identity of women and men. Diversity is enriching and can act as the main leverage for change in sectors which have been exclusive to men. The law can and should promote change, by drawing up demanding and clear-cut legal frameworks that will create new attitudes and prevent any limitation or impediment to women's economic social, cultural, civic and political lives. Portugal has total parity in compulsory education, with more girls than boys going on to secondary schooling and a clear majority of women tertiary graduates. There has also been a significant improvement in female life expectancy and a drop in the maternal and infant morality rate. Portugal also has one of the highest rates of female employment in Europe, although women still occupy the least qualified and more precarious jobs and family responsibilities are imperfectly shared. At the global level, the road to full equality is very uneven, due to many cultural, social, political and (more) Conference on Women - 12 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 economic differences. If women and men are to participate fully in all aspects of life without affecting their family life, the raising of children, the support of the aged and the basic solidarity which unite us all, then new models of social and family organization must be found. Dr. HIROSHI NAKAJIMA, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO): The Conference should endorse the concept of health security as a means of ensuring health for all, including women. There must be a commitment to provide the necessary resources and infrastructure to translate such a concept into action. Women's needs and expectations must not be sacrificed as a result of constraints, but must be given priority. Such a strategy would be a grave miscalculation. Health is crucial to economic and social development. Promoting women's health was the surest way of ensuring health for all. There is a strong intergenerational link between the health of women and that of the children they bore and raised. Women can be the strongest of allies in raising awareness of the need to create a health-conducive environment, both within their families and communities. Providing education is essential to promote responsible choices for health and prevention. There must be access to essential care and drugs, a matter which was a major concern of WHO. WHO's position that abortion is not an appropriate measure for family planning remains unchanged. Personal respect and confidentiality must be ensured in the delivery of health care. In developing countries, 55 per cent of pregnant women and 45 per cent of all women suffer from anemia. Inequity in food intake starts early in life, when girls receive less food and of lesser quality than boys. WHO takes an inclusive approach to women's health. Violence against women is present in all societies, where it too often goes unrecognized or is accepted. Violence is a major societal and public health issue. Poverty perpetuates violence. The harmful practice of female genital mutilation must be discouraged. Laws must be supported by a vast educational effort in all sectors of society. Education, including health education, is a crucial tool for enhancing the status of women. Education on gender equality must not be directed to girls alone. BARONESS CHALKER OF WALLASEY, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Minister for Overseas Development of the United Kingdom: The best way to promote the rights of women is to achieve universal ratification and implementation of all human rights conventions, particularly those relating to women and children. The Conference should serve to build on past commitments and to adopt a platform for action for women and men to work together in a partnership based on equality and mutual respect. "If this Conference achieves only one thing it should be a global recognition of women's right to freedom of choice." Women's lack of choice perpetuates patterns of gender inequality from one generation to the next. A more equal sharing between women and men of parental and household responsibilities is (more) Conference on Women - 13 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 fundamental for women's advancement. The agenda for equality of opportunity depends on a partnership of governments, non-governmental organizations, employers and individuals, both male and female alike. The United Kingdom is working to enhance the status of women worldwide, including by spending increased amounts of resources on making aid work for women. Governments and individuals must all play a part in creating optimum conditions for promoting gender equality. In particular, Governments must reallocate public resources, for example by reducing excessive military spending and increasing investment in education and health care. The United Kingdom would withdraw many of its reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It would also review its policies for mainstreaming gender concerns in all policies and programmes in light of the recommendations contained in the platform for action. "Subjects addressed by this Conference are not just 'women's issues'. Progress for women is progress for all; families, the men, our children and our communities." GWEN TONGE, Parliamentary Secretary of Antigua and Barbuda: In Antigua and Barbuda, women have attained a reasonable measure of influence in Government. The country was working to ratify regional instruments on women's human rights. Legislation on domestic violence would soon go before the Parliament. Antigua and Barbuda pledges to achieve gender equality in the labour force. The inclusion of women in decision-making, ending domestic violence, making health care more readily accessible, and amending discriminatory laws will all be addressed before the year 2000. It is hoped that the draft platform for action will act as a powerful catalyst for progress in the area of women's advancement. Negotiations must be approached in a constructive spirit and with a forward-looking attitude. Serious consideration must be given to the issue of population growth. Global sustainable development cannot be achieved without paying maximum attention to the role of women, who must be accorded equal rights in all societies. Not only is it important to ensure equal access to good education for women, it is also necessary to educate the general public. Social relations and attitudes about the role of women must evolve. NAZIHA ZARROUK, Minister for Women's Affairs and the Family of Tunisia: At the very moment that all United Nations indicators point to an intensification of the role of women in the development efforts of their communities and to advances in thinking related to their rights, the material and moral situation of women is deteriorating. Tunisia has always considered the cause of women as part of the cause of integral development, their rights as inseparable from human rights, and the safeguarding and development of their gains as being not ends in themselves but part of a more general movement to safeguard the family and ensure the psychological and social equilibrium of the individual and of society. (more Conference on Women - 14 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 As a result of programmes and policies adopted over the course of the past three decades, the proportion of the Tunisian work-force has risen from 6 per cent to its present rate of nearly 22 per cent. There has been a corresponding increase in the numbers of women running farms and involved in project-promotion in industry and services. The female mortality rate has been reduced from 14.4 per thousand to approximately five per thousand today. Nevertheless, however sincere a given country's intentions, however determined its efforts, effective solutions for the cause of women's emancipation from all forms of discrimination cannot be found in isolation. It is the duty of this Conference to act with confidence and hope, to advance beyond all forms of sterile polemic, borne on the constants the world now recognizes as universal values and as common denominators for all humanity. The world must unite its voices, its will and its efforts in a collective, conscious leap powered by the conviction that there can be no salvation for a society from which women can be excluded or in which they are marginalized. MARY ANN GLENDON, the Holy See: The historical oppression of women has deprived the human race of untold resources. Pope John Paul II addressed the Conference's concerns in his recent personal Letter to Women, acknowledging the deficiencies of past positions, including those of the Catholic Church. He welcomes the United Nations initiative as an important contribution to the global improvement in women's situation. The Holy See applauds the aim of the draft platform of action to free women from the unfair burdens of cultural conditioning. Reaffirming the dignity and rights of women requires respect for those whose quest for personal fulfillment and the construction of a stable society is inseparably linked to their commitments to God, family, neighbour and especially their children. Genuine advances for women cannot overlook the inequalities that exist among women. Husbands must accept their family responsibilities and governments their social obligations if woman are to enjoy their rights without undermining their roles within the family. There must be an end to the exploitation of women and young girls as cheap labour, equal compensation and opportunities for advancement, as well as action to address the added burden of working mothers and those who are the sole providers for their families. The social, political and economic roots of the "feminization of poverty" must be addressed. The Holy See supports the Conference's emphasis on expanding and improving women's health care. However, it is concerned with a tendency to focus privileged attention and resources on health problems related to sexuality, when a comprehensive approach would place a greater emphasis on poor nutrition, unsafe water and diseases that afflict millions of women each year. The Holy See concurs with the platform of action in dealing with sexuality and reproduction where it affirms that changes of attitude of both men and women are necessary conditions for achieving equality, and that responsibility in sexual matters belongs to both men and women. The Conference documents are not bold enough in acknowledging the threat to women's health arising from widespread permissiveness. Also, the Catholic Church's teaching on (more Conference on Women - 15 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 procreation is often misunderstood. It is a travesty to say it supports procreation at all costs. Responsible procreation requires the equal participation of and responsibility by husbands, which can only be achieved by changing attitudes and behaviour. The Holy See condemns coercion in population policies and hopes couples will be provided with clear information on possible health risks associated with family planning methods, especially experimental ones. Abortion should not be promoted as a means of family planning and efforts should be made to eliminate factors which lead women to seek abortions. A woman or girl who is pregnant, frightened and alone must be offered a better alternative than the destruction of her unborn child. GERALD WALZER, Deputy High Commissioner, speaking for Sadako Ogata, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): The objectives of the Beijing Conference are of fundamental importance to UNHCR's mandate. In countries as far apart as Rwanda or Russia, Burundi or Bosnia, Liberia or Somalia, the proliferation of vicious internal conflicts in recent years has inflicted untold suffering, especially on women and children. At the same time, the opportunities for refugees to return home to countries such as Mozambique, Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia and Turkestan have highlighted the positive role of women in rebuilding war-torn societies. The UNHCR is convinced that refugee and displaced women must be made equal partners in the strategy to protect them and help resolve refugee problems. Refugee and displaced women have provided a core of stability and strength in societies shattered by conflict. Spurred by the 1985 Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, UNHCR has adopted a policy of integrating gender concerns in all its programmes. It has condemned the use of deliberate violence against women as a tool of war, and urges Governments to grant asylum to women who face sexual violence for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a social group. A pilot project for the protection of refugee Somali women in northern Kenya has demonstrated that violence can be reduced by a combination of security and social measures. Despite progress, though, the UNHCR is still far from achieving the desired goals. The UNHCR is committed to pursue all necessary steps to ensure effective application of its policy and guidelines on refugee women. The right to seek asylum and the responsibility of Governments to ensure the safety of refugees, returnees and displaced persons must be upheld. The problems of refugee and displaced women must be seen as a major human rights and development issue. ROSINE SOGLO, First Lady of Benin: Benin's national anthem begins with the words, "Children of Benin, Rise!" On the eve of the new millenium, I say, "Women of the World, Rise!" Twenty years after the adoption of the first platform of action on women, the status of women has improved only slightly. Thousands of women are humiliated and wronged. Doubt and fear are women's worst enemies. Many women are subjected to forced marriage, abduction, genital mutilation, abusive internment of (more) Conference on Women - 16 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 widows and followers of certain cults. Such practices can no longer be accepted. There must be effective implementation of the platform of action. All women and men of this global village must join to address the needs of women. The conditions of rural women have not changed. All men should help their wives, sisters and daughters to improve their status. Sisters have to help one another. "Our independence is our freedom." JACQUES DIOUF, Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Equity, sustainable development and peace are difficult to bring about in a world where more than 1.2 billion people in developing countries -- or over 20 per cent of the world's population -- live in absolute poverty. Of these, over 70 per cent are women, many of them rural women, and it is too often forgotten that rural women are major food providers for the rest of the population. Bringing their plight to the forefront of the global agenda is vital, in view of the growing problems that environmental degradation brings to rural women, of their need for access to productive resources to improve the family's nutritional well-being, and of their crucial role in tackling the challenges of feeding the world's projected population of 9 billion by the year 2030. Despite limited access to land, credit, capital and technology, lack of education, training and information, and an unfavourable legal and policy environment, women are coping with the demands of everyday life. And the perseverance with which rural women confront these obstacles speaks for the vast untapped potential that could be released to benefit this and future generations. Promoting their advancement is clearly the key for food security for billions of men, women and children. The FAO -- which sees the Fourth World Conference on Women as a springboard for rural women -- has therefore set itself the task of promoting a better awareness among policy-makers of the conditions of rural women. Action has been taken to involve rural women in defining future challenges and seeking future solutions so that a consensus may emerge. In response to the lessons of experience, the FAO has in addition thoroughly revised its own Plan of Action for Women in Development. If rural women are to make a successful transition into the coming century, we must mobilize public opinion and galvanize energies from the grassroots to the policy-makers, not forgetting all those in between. CAROL BELLAMY, Executive Director, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF): Inequality, discrimination and violence still cast a long shadow over the lives, livelihoods, minds and bodies of women and girls everywhere. That shadow is darkest for the girls and women who constitute 70 per cent of the world's poor. It is (more) Conference on Women - 17 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 estimated that there are some 100 million fewer women alive today than could be expected through the natural pattern of birth and survival in infancy. Deep prejudices against girls mean that many are never even born because of pre-natal sex selection. Girls are often breast-fed for shorter periods, taken less often to health centres, have lower immunization rates and receive less nurture than boys. A broad strong coalition of governments and peoples is needed to break these barriers. The draft Platform for Action of the Beijing Conference acknowledges the importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. It builds on the breakthroughs of previous global conferences, and includes commitments to provide the support and resources for its own universal application. One of the most important outcomes of the present Conference must be a full commitment to basic education for all girls. The education gap between girls and boys has been reduced in recent decades. But among the world's 130 million out-of-school children, girls still outnumber boys two to one, and women still account for two-thirds of the world's nearly two billion illiterate adults. We cannot avert our eyes from this monumental violation of human rights. It is unconscionable that a world willing to spend some $8 billion annually on weapons believes that it cannot find the extra $5 to 6 billion needed annually to achieve primary education for all. Here at Beijing, we can decide to make it happen. Governments, parliamentarians, parents, non-governmental organizations, community leaders, the media, and United Nations agencies can be involved in the effort. For its part, UNICEF plans to more than double its resources for basic education over the decade, giving special attention to girl's schooling. And it will strengthen further its efforts to help countries throughout the world set and implement targets beyond the year 2000 and mobilize resources to eliminate gender disparity. NAFIS SADIK, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNPF): The first mark of respect for women is support for their reproductive rights. Women must be empowered to perform this role as they see fit. None had the right to impose reproductive decisions on them. Successful action for reproductive health opposes violence to women in all its forms. The International Conference on Population and Development was the first international conference to oppose female genital mutilation as a violation of basic human rights and a major risk to women's health. Reproductive rights involve support for women in activities other than reproduction, liberating them from a system of values which insists that reproduction is their only function. In the past the status of women has been determined by their capacity to reproduce. Freedom to choose improves women's health, education and economic opportunities. It also helps to secure and stabilize the family and is a key to sustainable social and economic development. The alliance between government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations and the private sector must be enlarged and nourished. Special attention should be paid to women's groups. (more) Conference on Women - 18 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 JOSE AYALA-LASSO, High Commissioner for Human Rights: The impact of the Conference will be influenced by the adherence of the final text to established human rights standards, such as the Vienna Declaration and other relevant human rights instruments. Any language indicating that cultural, religious or other particularities should have priority over human rights would not respect the judicious balance achieved in Vienna in 1993. The use of the term "enjoyment of all human rights" should be continued instead of the term "international human rights" which might be construed as limiting the human rights of women. References to the dignity of women cannot be a substitute for the concept of the "dignity and worth of the human person and the equal rights of men and women", enshrined in the Preamble of the Universal Declaration. The language of the Vienna Declaration on the need to take effective measures against female infanticide, trafficking in women, child labour, sale of children and bodily organs, child prostitution and child pornography should be inserted in the draft platform of action. The failure of the international community to protect and promote the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women contribute to gender- based violence and violations of human rights, such as sex slavery, prostitution, pornography and trafficking in women and girls, and to forms of sexual violence, including rape and genital mutilation. The elimination of violence against women is one of the most urgent tasks of the High Commissioner SAHANA PRADHAN, member of Parliament and President of the All Nepal's Women's Association of Nepal: Only the empowerment of women will secure women's gains irreversibly, but a wild chase for modernization will not unshackle women from their present bondage. The overall goals of national development in Nepal are economic growth, poverty alleviation and reduction in regional disparities. The Government is committed to broad-based, participatory rural development and is putting substantial resources to converting the rhetoric of participatory grass roots development into practice. A plan of action is being devised to emphasize components directed towards alleviation of poverty among women. While the overall health status of women in Nepal has improved, it nonetheless remains at an unsatisfactory level. A large number of adolescent girls and women experience pregnancy as a private struggle between life and death. The Government is determined to combat the causes of maternal mortality. It will also emphasize programmes to combat iodine deficiency and anemia so that current rates are halved by the year 2000. It has also prepared programmes to achieve universal literacy, and efforts are underway to make development administration gender-responsive. The successful implementation of the commitments entailed in the platform of action requires technical and financial resources from the international community and the multilateral financial institutions. (more Conference on Women - 19 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 KHUNYING SUPATRA MASDIT, Convenor, Non-governmental Organization Forum on Women Beijing '95: The Forum has brought together more than 25,000 women and men across ethnic, religious, national, age and language boundaries -- a milestone not just because of the numbers of women attending the Forum but because for the first time, grassroots women have met with international leaders to discuss and clarify the visions and messages of the world's women. The global mobilization around the Conference's draft Platform for Action and the NGO Forum has widened and strengthened women's networks throughout the world. The women's movement has increased in diversity, and national, regional and international leadership has emerged. The message from the NGO Forum is that the most urgent of issues are those that affect the most defenseless: refugees, victims of war, children exploited in the workplace and in forced prostitution, migrant workers, women with disabilities, indigenous peoples and those facing discrimination because of sexual preferences. The work for equality must be guided by moral commitments. Equality has to be built on diversity. This diversity, in turn, is rooted in the principle that women's rights are human rights. Look at peace through women's eyes. Peace is not only freedom from war, but security of the person, the family, the neighbourhood. Look at democracy through women's eyes. Democratic values must begin at home. Gender equality has to be built from freedom and equality in the family. Families which teach that gender equality is right create societies which enable all individuals to fulfil their human potential. SOUAD M. AL-SABAH, of the National Organization of Arab-American Women: There should be changes in legislation to effect equality between men And women in job opportunities, renumeration and promotions. This will ensure women's rights and the preservation of their dignity, including an end to all forms of social and political violence. The goal of development can be achieved by increasing opportunities for women to participate in economic and political fields. All obstacles which discriminate against women in educational opportunities must be removed. This includes a review of educational programmes and curricula to ensure the consolidation of non-discriminatory values. Health services must be equally available to women, particularly the poor and those living in rural areas. They must be provided with pertinent information on family planning and health care. Opportunities for women to participate in the political life in general and in high levels of decision-making in particular must be increased. Commitment to international legitimacy, implementation of United Nations resolutions and respect for the right to self-determination, are the correct approach to securing peace in the Middle East. There have been positive developments in the Palestinian problem, and continuing efforts to reach a total and just solution. The Arab nations are dreaming of a future of social (more) Conference on Women - 20 - Press Release WOM/BEI/193rd Meeting (PM) 5 September 1995 progress, economic welfare, and political democracy and societies which respect human rights. This cannot be achieved if society is deprived of the contribution and participation of women. SHUM YUN SHAN, Committee for Asian Women: The global economy and the new world order dominated by multinational corporations in countries like the United States, Britain and Japan are exploiting the poor. In many third world countries, the living standards of the poor have become worse, and the "poorest of the poor" are women. There is no doubt that recession, the debt crisis and structural adjustment policies have placed the heaviest burden on poor women, who earn less, own less, and control less. Reality for Asian women workers is marked by rising poverty; unemployment and underemployment; the casualization of the female labour force (widely considered the secondary labour force); deterioration of the situation and status of women workers; feminization both of the labour force and of poverty (including segregation of jobs by sex and discrimination on the basis of age and marital status); and the violation of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on trade unions rights, workers' rights, and women workers' rights. To combat this deteriorating situation, the Committee for Asian Women calls on all Asian Governments to ratify the ILO Convention. It further calls on United Nations human rights bodies to take an active part in monitoring the policies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and other multilateral agencies to ensure that the skills and energy of women are employed in full equality with men. ## * *** *