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CSD NGO Women's Caucus [ Full written statement / PDF ] ORAL
STATEMENT FROM THE WOMEN'S CAUCUS ECE
Ministerial meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable development, 241h
September 2001 I
am Valerie Evans of the United Kingdom's Women's National Commission
speaking on behalf of the Women's Caucus who met last night to produce the
document which has been circulated. I speak now only to the highlights of
that paper. We
women form a significant proportion of the work force in the countries of
the ECE and sustain the majority of the households of our societies. We are
consumers and producers. However the socio-economic position of women is not
equal to that of men and our perspectives, knowledge and visions are not
adequately taken into account. We are very concerned at the lack of
implementation of Agenda 21 as is shown in the ECE Assessments for which we
hold our governments responsible. Our
priorities are as follows: -
Gender Balance in the preparations for the World Summit should be
guaranteed. The proportion and participation of women in all decision-making
bodies related to sustainable development should be of key concern. -
Gender Specific Analysis should be part of all decisions taken in the
implementation of sustainable development. Gender disaggregated data need to
be generated at all levels and indicators for Sustainable Developments
should be gender sensitive. We expect you to include a strong gender
perspective in the Ministerial Statement from this meeting- -
Peace and Justice are prerequisites for Sustainable Development. In a world
that faces local, regional and global conflicts and in which hatred and lack
of understanding is growing between peoples, the fundamental basis for
future development and well being is being undermined. Women must playa
major part in conflict resolution and we will work together for a just
society, which respects the values of cultural diversity. We urge our
governments to support these efforts. -
Poverty, particularly that of women and the growing gap between the rich and
the poor must be addressed. The richer countries of the world have a major
responsibility in providing aid, financial and other resources, and to that
end 0.7% of GNP for development assistance should be guaranteed by our
governments. The more than one billion people living in extreme poverty must
be recognised as a major group in implementing Agenda 21, whose views and
perspectives should be taken into account. There should be a major focus on
women's poverty in all these efforts. -
Globalisation has brought the world into almost every household.
Democratically organised peoples and governments lose control over their
systems of production and distribution of resources, profit may be preferred
over core values such as sustainability and justice. A major international
effort is needed to review the social and environmental consequences of
globalisation and to develop a new economic and political system for
Sustainable Development- -
Health. Women have the right to conceive and give birth in an unpolluted
environment. Women and children's health is particularly effected by
pollutants so policies and monitoring strategies must protect all with
particular note taken of the most vulnerable This is an unnegotiable right. -
Our paper also refers to the ecological foot print, sustainable land use,
biological diversity and the many environmental conventions and protocols
which we wish to see ratified. I
will finish by pointing out the obvious, wherever you go in the world,
north, south, east, west, the rich, the poor, urban, rural, women as well as
all their other roles are the carers of the young and the old. Without us
there can be no future, no sustainable development, so with a place for
women at the decision making table and our concerns clearly and firmly
integrated into the prose of your weighty documents the world can only be a
better place for those who come after us. Women's Caucus, ECE September 24th 2001. [ Full written statement / PDF ] |