Looking Ahead to Beijing

UNITED NATIONS -- As a barometer for what is happening in the world of women, there is perhaps no better measure than the annual meetings of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

Created in 1946 by the Economic and Social Council, the Commission monitors and promotes the advancement of women worldwide, serving as a focal point for information and action.

The Commission focused on key on-going concerns, such as the disproportionate burden of poverty on women, the wide gap between the sexes in positions of power and decision-making, the frightful increase in reports of violence against women, and the overall inequalities in access to education and health for women.

Among the themes to emerge in this year's meeting, held here from 7 to 18 March, was the importance of forging a new partnership with men in the cause of women's advancement. The theme was a discernible thread running throughout the meeting, showing up in everything from comments by key speakers to the Commission to the small and evolutionary changes that were made in texts that were adopted by the body.


The Bahá'í International Community sponsored a workshop entitled "Men and Women as Partners" during the Commission. Shown, left to right, are several participants: Bernadette Palle, coordinator of the Reseau Sous-Regional Femmes Africaines et Droits Humains; Gianni Ballerio, representative of the Bahá'í International Community's Office for the Advancement of Women; and Miriam P. Ouedraogo, of Femmes-Action in Burkina Faso.

"The fact is, none of the critical areas of concern faced by women -- such as poverty, education, health, violence and personal security -- can really be addressed without men, because in most cases men continue to be in the major decision-making roles in society," said Mary Power, who chairs the New York NGO Committee on the Status of Women and is director of the Bahá'í International Community's Office for the Advancement of Women.

"That is why this concept of partnership is coming to the forefront," said Ms. Power. "It reflects a realization that at this point in time, men must also be enlisted in the process of change, because unless they change their attitudes too, society will be unable to reach its full potential."

The emergence of such a theme takes on special importance because of the Commission's role as the preparatory committee for the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Looking to Beijing

Scheduled to be held in Beijing, China, in September 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women seeks to review and appraise the advancement of women since 1985, when the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women were adopted.

The Beijing Conference is expected to adopt a "Platform for Action" that will spell out for the governments a concrete plan for removing the remaining obstacles to the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of life.

A draft Platform for Action was approved by the Commission. Its "statement of mission" emphasizes the major concerns of the Beijing Conference -- and includes the theme of partnership:

"The Platform for Action aims to accelerate the removal of the remaining obstacles to women's full and equal participation in all spheres of life, including economic and political decision-making, to protect women's human rights throughout the life cycle, and to mainstream women in all areas of sustainable development so that men and women can work together for equality, development and peace."

NGO Participation

More than 800 representatives of non-governmental organizations gathered for parallel meetings and workshops during the Commission -- the largest number ever and a sign of the building interest among NGOs in the Beijing meeting.

"At the last Commission meeting a year ago in Vienna, there were about 200 NGO representatives, and we had over 1,000 here in March," said Claire Fulcher, the United Nations representative of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women. "This reflects increasing activity and knowledge among women worldwide."

Representatives of NGOs met daily during the Commission to discuss the emerging Platform for Action, and then headed off to lobby delegates for changes.

"In terms of adding new language about sustainable development, the problem of trafficking in women, and issues of entrepreneurship and employment, I think those are the areas where language in the Platform was changed because of NGO input," said Sudha Acharya, the United Nations representative of the All India Women's Conference.

Ms. Acharya said the simple coming together of so many women from so many countries at NGO events also had an important effect. She noted that NGOs sponsored some 70 workshops. "These were organized by women's groups from around the world and the significant thing was that many of these were joined by like groups from different parts of the world," she said. "This shows how women around the world have common concerns -- and it shows that networking among women for Beijing has already started."

A number of the workshops focused on or incorporated the partnership theme. One, entitled "Men and Women as Partners" was sponsored by the Bahá'í International Community.

Ms. Fulcher and others said the theme of partnership also emerged in NGO consultations. At a 5 March meeting, the planning committee for the NGO Forum '95 agreed that the purpose of the NGO event in Beijing would be "to bring together women and men to challenge, create and transform global structures and processes at all levels through the empowerment and celebration of women. We are committed to equality, peace, justice, inclusiveness and full participation of all."

Keynote by the President of Ireland

The emergence of the partnership theme is timely, say its advocates. In the keynote address to the Commission, Mary Robinson, the President of Ireland, put it this way:

"The role of women in society is evolving. They are moving from being the mainstay of the family to take on new roles as equal partners with men in society in general.

"Both men and women have gained considerably from the new order. Men and women can reach a new and more balanced partnership, choosing for themselves as appropriate the roles of breadwinner and homemaker, or joint breadwinner."

"For the past few decades, the onus for behavioral change has been overwhelmingly on women and they have met this challenge in a positive spirit with courage and determination. It is fair to say that the demands on men for change have been less to date but are increasing," President Robinson concluded. "This makes demands on the individual and it is important that public policy measures should recognize and facilitate this kind of change and personal growth."


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