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You are invited to participate in an online discussion on “Women
in Leadership Roles” hosted by WomenWatch – the UN Internet Gateway
on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women.
The discussion, which will take place from 19 November to 15 December
2007, is organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, Department of Economic and
Social Affairs, in its capacity as Task Manager of WomenWatch, with
support from the Office of
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
The objective of this online discussion is to exchange data and promote
dialogue on good practices concerning women in decision-making positions in
the non-political spheres; and to suggest measures to promote increased
leadership by women in different areas. This online discussion will provide
an opportunity to contribute to the global debate and the development of new
policy recommendations on the roles and impact of women in decision-making
positions in different areas such as public administration (including the
judiciary), the private sector, academia, media and civil society, including
trade unions and professional associations.
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Registration
for the online discussion
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The full participation of women in decision-making
processes has been recognized as a human right in international human rights
conventions and global policy frameworks and as critical for the achievement
of gender equality. The Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women calls
upon States Parties to take all appropriate measures, including temporary
special measures, to eliminate discrimination against women in all areas,
including in political and public spheres.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women,
which monitors the implementation of the Convention, has repeatedly called on
States Parties to promote women to management positions in the public and
private sectors through special training programmes and sensitization
campaigns; and to promote changes in attitudes and perceptions held by both
men and women as regards their respective roles in society.
The outcome of the Fourth
World Conference on Women in 1995, the Beijing Platform for Action, considered the inequality
between men and women in the sharing of power and decision-making at all
levels as one of the critical areas of concern for the empowerment of women.
It also noted that women’s equal participation in decision-making is not only
a precondition for justice or democracy but is also a necessary condition for
ensuring that women’s interests and rights are taken into account. Without
the active participation of women and the incorporation of gender
perspectives at all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality,
development and peace cannot be achieved. The Platform called for the equal access
to and full participation of women in power structures and decision-making
and for increasing women’s capacity to participate in decision-making as
leaders.
In the five-year review and appraisal of the implementation of the
Platform for Action, Governments reiterated their commitment to the
involvement of women as full and equal participants in all areas of
development. The linkages between economic participation and political
representation were also recognized.
In the 2005 World
Summit, Member States reaffirmed that the full and effective
implementation of the goals and objectives of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was an essential contribution to
achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium
Development Goals. To put this commitment into practice will require that
women have equal opportunities to participate fully in all decision-making
processes.
The 2006 Commission on the Status of Women’s agreed conclusions
on “Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all
levels” expressed concern about the lack of sufficient information and
data disaggregated by sex on the participation of women and men in
decision-making processes in all areas and at all levels,” and called on “the
relevant entities of the United Nations system, other international and
regional organizations, including the international financial institutions,
national parliaments, political parties, civil society, including the private
sector, trade unions, academia, the media, non-governmental organizations and
other actors” to take a series of actions to improve the participation of
women in decision-making.
During the last decade, women’s participation in decision-making bodies has
been growing, albeit slowly. The introduction of policies and programmes,
including temporary special measures, at the local, national and
international levels, has resulted in an increase in women’s participation in
decision-making process. Women are increasingly assuming senior-level
positions in different areas, including the economy, the public and private
sectors, the judiciary, international affairs, academia, trade unions, the
media, non-governmental organizations and others.
Evidence suggests that women’s participation in and contributions to
decision-making processes has improved the quality of policy outcomes. In
many countries, for example, women inside the government and within civil
society organizations have played a critical role in passing laws and
developing policies that address women’s and children’s rights in areas
directly related to poverty reduction and violence against women. Women have
also been instrumental in the development of gender-responsive budgeting,
which aims to ensure that government budgets and allocations, and the
policies and programmes that underlie them, address the different priorities
and needs of women and men.
While data are increasingly available on women’s participation in
decision-making in political bodies such as parliaments and governments since
1995, there is a persistent lack of information, including quantitative data
and qualitative analysis, on the extent to which women are equally
represented in high-level positions in public administration (including the
judiciary), the private sector, academia, media and civil society, including
trade unions and professional associations. Little is known about women’s
leadership roles in civil society outside organizations dealing with women’s
and children’s rights and needs.
The objective of the online discussion is to improve understanding of the
factors affecting access and retention of women in decision-making positions
in a variety of areas; share available data; identify the different
constraints women face to participate in decision-making bodies; and learn
about alternative strategies and good practices to enhance women’s role and
participation in decision-making.
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Themes
of the Online Discussion
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- First
week: 19 - 25 November
Introduction: Overview of the current situation and impact
of women leaders in different areas (public administration,
judiciary, private sector, academia, media and civil
society, including trade unions and professional
associations)
- Second
week: 26 November – 2 December
Constraints: Institutional and individual factors that
influence and inhibit women’s access to decision-making
positions
- Third
week: 3 – 9 December
Strategies: Mechanisms and good practices that promote
women’s role in decision-making – international and national
perspectives
- Fourth
week: 10 – 15 December
Other issues, wrap up and recommendations
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Messages
should:
- Be
identifiable. Please include your name and organization (if
any) at the end of your message. Messages without this
information will not be posted;
- Pertain to
the subject of the week;
- Be in
English;
- Be limited
to three paragraphs or 500 words;
- Have no
attachments; all text has to be in the body of the posted
message;
- Contain no
insulting language or statements.
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»
Register now to participate in the online discussion
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