PERMANENT MISSION OF

THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

TO THE UNITED NATIONS

SPEECH BY THE DUTCH SECRETARY OF STATE

FOR SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND EMPLOYMENT,

MRS. ANNELIES VERSTAND

AT THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

"WOMEN 2000: GENDER EQUALITY, DEVELOPMENT

AND PEACE FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY"

NEW YORK, 6 JUNE 2000

Mexico, Copenhagen, Nairobi, Beijing, New York. Stopovers on the long way that leads to the emancipation of women all over the world. Places for looking back, places for explanation and reflection, places for scouting new ways, for mapping out routes.

Beijing S years ago. I remember the colourful diversity, the differences of opinion. So many languages, so many cultures, so many wishes, so many ideals. And still there were moments when all those different people spoke with one voice.

Beijing led to the adoption of the Platform for Action. Implementation of the high ideals that had been set out in so many declarations and resolutions in the previous years. That was what we intended to do. Every one in her own country, in her own language and in her own culture.

Action. Action speaks louder than words. Take for instance gender mainstreaming. Gender as an integral part of Government policy. For gender, the difference in the position of women and men, effects the whole of society. Whether we talk about labour, care and income, about equal rights for women and men, about war and peace, about small things in our daily lives. Policy will always have to take gender into account. Not just because we have resolved to do so. But because it benefits all of society. Because we can not ignore gender without paying the price.

In the past five years, the Netherlands has put words into action. In the Netherlands, emancipation policy is now becoming an integral part of Government policy. All ministries have formulated action plans with concrete targets and activities to integrate the emancipation perspective into their overall policies. And what is more: the process of implementation is actually under way, sometimes maybe slowly, but steadily.

For instance trafficking in women. During the Dutch Presidency of the European Union, the Netherlands organized a ministerial conference on trafficking in women. This resulted in the Declaration of The Hague which was endorsed by all countries of the European Union. The acknowledgement that trafficking in women can only be effectively prevented and combatted if all parties involved - NGOs, aid organizations, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, embassies and migration authorities - co-operate with one another. That is gender mainstreaming on a European level. What specifically matters now is the appointment of National Rapporteurs on the Prevention and Combatting of Trafficking in Women. The Netherlands was the first country to do so. My hope is that other countries will follow shortly. Because the international exchange of information on these developments is crucial to the combat this organized crime.

Another example. The Netherlands is making an effort to enhance the participation of women and the integration of gender expertise in the work of the OSCE. In an ever-increasing number of conflicts, women and children are not only the primary victims, they form an explicit target. Time and again we witness the suffering of women under the acts of war. Everyone is familiar with the appalling stories of murder and rape in Bosnia, Rwanda and Kosovo. And the catastrophic consequences affect the whole of society. Because women keep the basic provisions of a community going, before conflicts, during conflicts and after conflicts. The contribution of women to the prevention of conflicts, to the formulation of mandates for missions, to the preservation of peace and to the implementation of peace treaties has therefore become indispensable.

So, action plans, but also implementation with far-reaching effects for the Dutch society. Because, bearing in mind that we come from the traditional breadwinners' model, the redistribution of labour and care is gradually taking on the aspect of a silent revolution. Women are increasingly engaged in work and gradually men are getting more engaged in care. Shared labour and shared care, the so-called combination scenario. Care for children, for the elderly, for the sick. That is our objective and step by step we are gaining ground. Because by now 51 per cent of the women in the Netherlands have paid employment. And 35 per cent of the men have taken up care tasks. But the majority of the women works part-time, whereas the men work full-time. That is why women still account for a mere 28 per cent of the income. So, it still needs a lot of effort to put this situation in balance.

The Dutch government is in the process of creating the conditions to achieve this. How? By introducing paid adoption leave, maternity leave for fathers, the 10-day care leave and the flexibilization of parental leave, the act on the adjustment of working hours, the right to temporarily work less and return to the job later. We subsidize initiatives for experimenting with new forms of daily routines for men and women; harmonizing childcare, school and work. On a large scale, we finance the possibilities for parents to place their children in care centres.

There is ample evidence that countries that reduce the gender gap in access to resources and opportunities achieve more rapid economic growth. The emphasis of the Netherlands is on engendered globalisation with gender justice as an integrated part of economic justice.

In the Netherlands development cooperation we have engaged in a number of studies and pilot programmes to clarify the relationship between gender justice and economic justice in development countries. Based on the findings, we have included gender equality criteria in our programme aid and budget support to poor countries.

Since Beijing there is a lot to report, but there still remains a lot to do. That is becoming increasingly clear to us. For the world is getting smaller all the time, whereas our knowledge is growing. Via multi-media, our eyes and ears are present in the remotest corners of the world. We go there ourselves, to work, to learn, to help and to save. And that world is getting very close when people knock on our door to ask for help, looking for a safe haven in an often heartless world. It has put its mark on our society, which has become multi-ethnical.

That small big world opens our eyes for differences. Differences between cultures, religions, traditions in and between countries and peoples. Differences in development, socially, economically, and politically. A colourful diversity as we experience more and more through our own multi-ethnic society.

It is precisely this variety, this diversity that holds an important challenge for future emancipation policies. Nationally and internationally. Women and men should have the opportunity to build an independent life, based on equal rights, opportunities and liberties, despite any differences in sex, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

The message for future emancipation policies is to work towards conditions for a pluriform society in which diversity is the basic assumption and in which discrimination is not being tolerated. Freedom of choice for women and men is essential and should be assured in all phases of life. Each individual should have the option of an economically independent life and a fair distribution of labour, care and income, free of poverty and violence.

This vision does not allow any violations of human rights. Recently the Netherlands Government has published a policy paper "From Women's Lib to Inalienable Right", in which our vision in this connection has been presented. The rights based approach is also one of our main objectives during this Special Session of the General Assembly.

Diversity means doing justice to variety. But diversity is more. Diversity also implies that there are boundaries to some of the values and standards of people's cultures. Boundaries that are crossed when the universal rights of women, the human rights of women are violated. Therefore, diversity should always be regarded in a context of non-discrimination, of compliance with the universal human rights.

And there is no use in me concealing that there is still much to be improved in the world on this point. In fact, in all aspects of life.

An example. Five years ago, in Beijing, the relation was established between the human rights of women and water. We started working on that in the Netherlands. For instance, on the eve of the Second World Water Forum, I have organized an international conference on water and gender.

The importance of this theme became apparent even during the preparations for this meeting. Hundreds of millions of women daily experience that water and equal rights are inextricably connected with each other. For one thing is clear: wherever good water provisions are lacking, it is mostly the women and girls who are set to the task to go and get water every day. They are the ones who manage these scarce local water sources in a sustainable way. They are, above all, the ones who get contaminated by polluted water sources. In spite of this, the allimportant decisions with regard to investments that the international business community must make in this scarce global niche market are mostly taken by men. That is why it is important to break the glass ceiling in the water sector.

Another important thing is that internationally operating companies take socially sound enterprising seriously, that they take women's interests seriously. The actions all over the world against child labour show how effective and influential such an appeal can be. This sector is in need of changes. The Netherlands has therefore undertaken to organize an informal inter-ministerial conference, as a preparatory meeting to the Third World Water Forum in 2003, in order to discuss the actions in the field of water and gender.

When we speak of violation of human rights of women, we particularly have in mind violence against their sexual and reproductive rights and issues such as violence against women, sexual abuse, trafficking in women, female genital mutilation and so called honour crimes.

Recent figures show that on a global scale at least one in three women has been battered or sexually abused in her life. And then there are the consequences women and men have to suffer as a result of their sexual orientation and as victims of harmful traditional practices, victims of crimes committed in the name of honour.

Figures and practices that do not fail to shock us every day. That urges us to take further action.

Recent figures show that women are struck hardest by the catastrophe of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Netherlands gives money. Lots of money. We are the second largest donor country in the world regarding HIV/AIDS. And we do research, also into the area of women

and AIDS. Even so, we are aware that this is but a drop in the ocean. There is still a lot more to be done. Because the AIDS virus makes millions of victims precisely there where ignorance reigns, where no contraceptives are being used. In traditional societies, with traditional practices, where women are married off, even though their future husbands carry AIDS. Where women contaminate their children through breastfeeding.

What is required first and foremost is information, also to women and from a woman's perspective. But secondly, political leadership, full acknowledgment and a fully open public debate on the HIV/AIDS scourge are necessary. What is required is education, breaking taboos, stimulating the use of contraceptives. We know that this will work; we can see that from countries where a radical change for the better has taken place.

What is equally necessary is that women's rights, sexual rights, reproductive rights are respected and that women are also free to use them, free from the threats of coercion, discrimination and violence. Very often, this still is not the case.

This creates obligations. This compels us to take action.

I am referring, for instance, to female genital mutilation. Women trapped in superstition, living in a strict tradition, afraid to be expelled from society. They are often the most ardent advocates of genital mutilation. This calls for action, for information, for education and prosecution. Also in Western countries, now that many people who seek asylum settle elsewhere and bring along their traditions. Harmful traditional practices that violate the human rights of women can not be tolerated.

I am referring to action in the fight against so called honour crime. The killing and mutilation of women and men who are being accused of having blemished the family honour. Honour crime is a flagrant violation of the right that women have to organize their lives according to their own wishes. It is of great importance that honour crime be made punishable all over the world and that the perpetrators be prosecuted.

Sexual and reproductive rights also imply action for teenage mothers. To support them, so that they can make choices for their futures too. And let us seriously deal with sexual education to young people, so that pregnancies may be avoided. In the Netherlands we know that it works. The rate of abortions in the Netherlands is the lowest in the world.

Acknowledgement of diversity. Creating the conditions that enable freedom of choice for women and men in every phase of their lives. This calls for action, so that women and men, free of violence and discrimination, can truly choose the form of cohabitation that they wish, their sexual orientation not being any hindrance. That is why Dutch legislation includes registered domestic partnership for partners of the same sex. And right now, there is even a bill under discussion that must make marriage between homosexuals possible.

Action. That was the key word in Beijing, five year ago, when the Platform for Action came to be. As far as the Netherlands is concerned, it still is the key word. The Netherlands wants to strongly support this cause once again, even with increased urgency. A world rich of diversity, but based on equal treatment and the acknowledgement of the universal rights of women. That is what we all should aim for.