Review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”
Report of the Secretary-General
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Summary |
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The present report is a review and appraisal of the progress made in national level implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by Member States at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly in 2000. It covers the two themes mandated in the multi-year programme of work of the Commission on the Status of Women for its forty-ninth session: “Review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the twenty-third special session” and “Current challenges and forward-looking strategies for the advancement and empowerment of women and girls”. The report is based on responses to a questionnaire and other information provided by Member States. It consists of five parts: part one provides an introduction; part two outlines overall major trends in achievements and obstacles and challenges; part three covers achievements, obstacles and challenges in relation to the 12 critical areas of concern outlined in the Platform for Action as well as issues identified at the twenty-third special session; part four provides an overview of progress in institutional arrangements; and part five presents the priority areas and future actions identified by Member States. |
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Part Three
Critical areas of concern and other issues
I. Critical areas of concern
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C. Women and health
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3. Obstacles and challenges
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184. Insufficient funding constrains both health services for women and gender-sensitive health policies. There has been an overall reduction of social investment in some countries. Palestine and Uzbekistan discussed the difficulty of relying on international donors. … Lebanon noted access to insurance as a challenge for women.
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188. Malnutrition among women, as a result of gender discrimination or poverty, remains a challenge in many countries. In China and Palestine there is a high incidence of anaemia and iron deficiency. …
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D. Violence against women
1. Introduction
194. The Platform for Action addressed different forms of violence against women: physical, sexual and psychological violence in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation/cutting and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation; physical, sexual and psychological violence within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution; and physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State.53
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2. Achievements
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National level
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3. Obstacles and challenges
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235. At least 13 responses reported that male authority and women’s subordination are deeply rooted in society, including legislative bodies (Palestine) and the judiciary (Peru). Customs such as forcible feeding in Mauritania, bride theft in Kyrgyzstan, the dowry system and widowhood rites in the Central African Republic and early marriage in India and the Syrian Arab Republic perpetuate patriarchal attitudes. …
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E. Women and armed conflict
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2. Achievements
International level
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249. Since 2000, the Economic and Social Council has paid specific attention to the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. The Council also continued its regular review of the situation of Palestinian women. …
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National level
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259. Donor countries (including Belgium, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) have assisted women’s peace and conflict resolution initiatives in countries and regions in conflict (including Afghanistan, the Great Lakes region of Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Guatemala, Iraq, the Palestine territories, Sudan and Sri Lanka) either directly or through national and international NGOs and United Nations entities. They also encouraged women’s participation in rebuilding countries emerging from conflict.
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G. Women in power and decision-making
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3. Obstacles and challenges
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350. Barbados, Chile, Honduras, Lesotho, Mexico and Palestine specifically noted that women’s access to representative bodies is affected by the type of electoral system and the selection process of candidates within political parties.
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K. Women and the environment
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2. Achievements
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451. Several Governments carried out gender sensitization workshops and training for technical staff in Ministries, NGOs and the public. Kuwait nominated women environmental focal points to work with NGOs in promoting awareness of environmental issues. Palestine organized a training workshop on mainstreaming gender in environmental policies, plans and programmes. …
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Part Four
Institutional arrangements and mechanisms for the advancement of women
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II. Achievements
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5. Resources
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710. In a number of reports, including those from Ecuador, Kenya and Palestine, it was noted that line ministries had no dedicated budgets for gender mainstreaming. …
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Document Type: Report, Secretary-General Report
Document Sources: Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Secretary-General
Subject: Agenda Item, Assistance, Women
Publication Date: 06/12/2004