Recommendation
1716 (2005)1
Promoting
a United Nations 5th World Conference on Women
1.
On 4 March 2005, the United Nations commemorated thirty years of its
efforts to promote gender equality. The 1st World Conference on Women
(WCW) was held in Mexico in 1975, and marked the start of the “UN
Decade for Women”. However, it was not until 1995, when the 4th
WCW was held in Beijing, that the issue of gender equality became a
high-profile issue for the UN. The Declaration and Platform for Action
adopted in Beijing marked the transition from the concept of the advancement
of women to that of promoting equality between the sexes, something
which requires the participation of both women and men, and of society
as a whole. Accordingly, the Beijing Platform for Action required governments,
the international community and civil society to take strategic action
in 12 critical areas.
2.
Unfortunately, as early as the “Beijing +5” review process
held in New York in 2000 at the 23rd Special Session of the General
Assembly, it was apparent that governments were lagging behind in the
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. The “Beijing
+10” review process held in New York in March 2005, downgraded
to a technical evaluation within the framework of the 49th Session
of the Commission on the Status of Women, made clear that there was
not only a lack of implementation but also a lack of political will
to change this status quo.
3.
The Parliamentary Assembly considers that this is not the right moment
to give in to “gender equality fatigue” and complacency or
to give up on the Beijing Platform for Action and its important goals.
The reality of the situation of women in the world today is alarming
and in some areas even worse than in 1995. The backlash against women’s
rights and gender equality has taken many forms:
3.1.
a surge in domestic violence and gender-based violence in general,
including egregious violations of women’s human rights through
so-called honour crimes, female genital mutilation, trafficking,
forced marriages, “gynocide” and other such abominable
practices;
3.2.
the targeted victimisation of many women and girls in armed conflicts;
3.3.
a reluctance (if not downright refusal) to allow women to adequately
participate in decision making, be it in the political and economic
spheres or even in the family;
3.4.
a reinforced tendency to stereotype gender roles to the detriment
of women’s liberty to freely choose how to lead their lives;
3.5.
gender preferences for boys (and ensuing neglect of girls) with increasingly
worrying demographic implications in some countries;
3.6.
a bitter debate on reproductive health issues, especially abortion.
4.
While renewed vigour in the implementation of the Beijing Platform
for Action may help to combat some of these ills, it should not be
overlooked that by now, ten years after the last WCW, many new challenges
have emerged which were not covered in 1995. These challenges range
from the rising impact of the HIV/Aids epidemic on women and women’s
access to new information technology to trafficking in human beings
and the targeted victimisation of women in armed conflicts. To be effectively
faced, these international challenges require a concerted worldwide
effort and new political impetus.
5.
The Assembly considers that only a new WCW can bring about the required
worldwide effort and political impetus, and that the organisation of
such a conference is, in fact, overdue. However, a renegotiation of
the Beijing decisions needs to be precluded: the 5th WCW should be
called to deal exclusively with the new and emerging challenges to
women’s rights and gender equality.
6.
Some of the topics the 5th WCW should deal with are:
6.1.
violence against women, especially gender-based and domestic violence,
including trafficking in women and girls, forced marriages, so-called
honour crimes, “gynocide”, female genital mutilation and
rape;
6.2.
protection against governments which violate or do not adequately
protect the human rights of women;
6.3.
HIV/Aids, in particular the spread of the epidemic to women and girls;
6.4.
women’s access to decision making in all spheres, including
in conflict prevention and resolution;
6.5.
stereotyped gender roles and gender preferences, leading to discrimination
against women and neglect of girls;
6.6.
protection against media organisations which treat women as merchandise;
6.7.
women’s access to information and communications technologies
and their impact on women's day-to-day lives.
7.
The Assembly thus recommends that the Committee of Ministers:
7.1.
promote a United Nations 5th World Conference on Women, excluding
the possibility of reopening the Beijing Platform for Action for
debate, to take place no later than the year 2010;
7.2.
invite the governments of the Council of Europe member states to
support this initiative;
7.3.
organise a preparatory European regional conference no later than
the year 2007.
8.
Moreover, the Assembly encourages its members to take appropriate action
in national parliaments in order to promote the holding of such a conference.
1. Text
adopted by the Standing Committee acting on behalf of the Assembly
on 1 September 2005 (see Doc.
10643, report of the
Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, rapporteur: Mrs
Err).
