WUNRN
UN Division for the Advancement of
Women
UN
Expert Group Meeting
The Equal Sharing of Responsibilities Between Women
and Men, Including Caregiving in the Context of HIV/AIDS
Geneva, Switzerland
6 - 9 October 2008
In accordance with its multi-year programme of work for 2007-2009, the Commission on the Status of Women will consider “Equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS” as its priority theme during its fifty-third session in 2009. In order to contribute to a further understanding of the issue and to assist the Commission in its deliberations, the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women will convene an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the topic. The EGM will take place from 6 – 9 October 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland.
______________________________________________________________
11 September 2008
ENGLISH only
United Nations
Division for the
Advancement of Women
Expert Group Meeting
on “The Equal Sharing of
Responsibilities Between Women and Men, Including Care Giving in the Context of
HIV/AIDS"
6-9 October, 2008
Discussion Paper
Submitted by the
The NGO Committee on UNICEF: Working Group on Girls∗
Division for the Advancement of Women
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
United Nations,
Fax: (212) 963-3463
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw
∗ The
views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily
represent those of the United Nations.
We, Non-Governmental Organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC and members of the Working Group on Girls, reaffirm and call attention to the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of the girl child. We acknowledge the important step taken in Section L of the Beijing Platform for Action (1995) in emphasizing the girl child,[i][1] as well as the international legal architecture for girls, mainly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which mutually reinforce the principals of gender equality.[ii][2] We are also encouraged by the commitments reaffirmed at the 2002 General Assembly Special Session on A World Fit for Children[iii][3] and the 2005 World Summit, where Member States agreed to adopt comprehensive national strategies to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the end of 2015. We are concerned, however, that after more than a decade of policies, promises and programs the girl child remains powerless, invisible and neglected throughout her life-cycle. She is repeatedly denied her political, economic, social and cultural rights and is routinely subjected to cultural and legally sanctioned behaviors that hinder her development and empowerment, especially if she is a member of various disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.
The 2008 Expert Group Meeting with a focus on the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care giving in the context of HIV/AIDS, offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the implementation of the Agreed Conclusions adopted by the two previous sessions of the CSW.[iv][4] We are particularly concerned with how gender based inequality places an unequal burden on girls with respect to responsibility-sharing and how this burden increases in an HIV/AIDS context, and are pleased to have this opportunity to offer some of our observations to the Expert Group for consideration and discussion.
1. Gender Inequality and the Girl Child: The Role of Cultural Norms,
Gender Roles and Gender Stereotypes
Cultural norms, gender roles, and gender stereotypes are at the root of gender inequality. As a result of cultural traditions and social norms that perpetuate stereotypic attitudes and discrimination toward women and girls, gender inequality and discrimination continues to be pervasive.[v][5] A substantial body of research has shown that: (a) gender role development is socially constructed and learned from birth;[vi][6] (b) prevailing gender-specific attributes and socialization have a deleterious influence on child development whereby young girls and boys are forced into strict gender roles;[vii][7] and (c) prevailing gender stereotypes and less valued social roles associated with the more marginalized status of women relative to men continues to heighten the vulnerability of the girl child.[viii][8] Research has also demonstrated the profound influences exerted by race, socioeconomic status, rural/urban residence, migrant status, etc. on the inequalities experienced by girls and women.[ix][9]
Our present global reality continues to be characterized by severe and pervasive violence and danger to the lives and well being of girls on all continents. The girl child continues to experience many of the worst human rights abuses. She is too often denied her right to food, health, education and the freedom to choose her life partner and her life’s work. She is repeatedly denied her political, economic, social and cultural rights and subjected to cultural and legally sanctioned behaviors that hinder her development and empowerment. As a result, girls, particularly those in disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, are less able to participate fully in society, especially in terms of decision making. They also have fewer resources and opportunities. Young girls remain particularly vulnerable as a result of gender development processes that marginalize them from job opportunities (for example, the existing gendered division of labour and associated attributes, that relegate women, especially those from disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, to the unpaid care economy and men to the productive public sphere).[x][10]
Cultural norms, social roles, and the gender stereotypes associated with them also determine household roles for women and men and girls and boys and as a result, girls and women bear a disproportionate share of household responsibilities. The consequences for the girl child include: (a) less access to resources and income generating activities and opportunities; (b) lower income; (c) limited involvement in the public sphere; and (d) lack of education to prepare them for work and responsibilities in the public sphere. For example, in many parts of the world, educating girls is still viewed as a wasted investment.[xi][11] Females are less likely than their male peers to be able to read and write or to be enrolled in primary and secondary school. Furthermore, even when they go to school, discriminatory attitudes prevail. School curricula, policies and programs too often reinforce existing social roles and gender stereotypes and in too many instances girls are still subjected to harassment and abuse by classmates and teachers.[xii][12]
2. Gender Inequality and the Girl Child in the Context of HIV/AIDS
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has compounded the care giving responsibilities of women and girls. Girls and women provide the majority of care when families and individuals are affected by HIV/AIDS and in many cases, older daughters assume the full responsibility for the household. The disproportionate share of the burden imposed on women and girls was recognized by the CSW.[xiii][13] Girls and young women are expected to manage both educational and domestic responsibilities, often resulting in poor scholastic performance and early drop-out from the educational system. The unequal sharing of responsibilities when families are affected by HIV/AIDS has implications for the full participation of girls in decision-making in all areas, limiting their potential to find the time and develop the skills needed for their full participation. In addition, research on the “parentified child” – children under the age of 18 who provide care for a family member – indicates that they are at increased risk for adverse health and developmental outcomes and do so at the expense of their own developmentally appropriate needs and pursuits.[xiv][14]
In some cases, these girl child care givers also suffer from HIV/AIDS. The practice of having sex with a virgin to “cure” HIV still exists and girl children are all too often unable to protect themselves from unwanted sexual activity. They are also vulnerable due to early marriage to much older men and the transmission of the disease from their mother. This tragedy is compounded by the lack of medical care and access to HIV/AIDS drugs by the most marginalized of the sufferers.
The social stigma of
HIV/AIDS further magnifies low status for women and girls compromising their
ability to fulfill their traditional responsibilities. All too often, community
members fear people with HIV/AIDS and impose a social stigma.[xv][15] This
stigma is particularly costly for young girls because they are expected to
provide care to family members (regardless of their own health status), while
at the same time facing multiple sources of difficulty and discrimination. These
include lack of education and labor market skills because of early withdrawal
from the education system (in the case of young girls being pulled out of
school to care for affected family members) and direct discrimination by
potential employers, health care workers and community members because their
families have been affected by HIV/AIDS.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Empower the Girl Child through Mainstream Campaigns to Transform
Attitudes, Prevailing Norms and Gender Stereotypes, as these Intersect with Race,
Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, Rural/Urban Residence, Migrant Status and
other Categories of Social Experiences.
Since the situation of young girls is rooted in systems of social and cultural inequalities including gender politics, sexual inequalities, gender-based discrimination, and patriarchal structures, there must be a strong commitment to changing prevailing social norms and attitudes affecting the development of girls especially those in vulnerable groups. We recommend the launch of a worldwide mainstream campaign to transform attitudes and behavior, to combat gender inequality and eliminate stereotypes that prevent full partnership of women and men both in the household and in the public sphere.[xvi][16] This campaign should be launched and implemented at various levels including the family, community (building social capital), state (creating an enabling socio-economic environment, policy/legal framework) and the international level (fashioning a legal framework that compels states to address taxation, employment policies, budgeting, etc. from a gender perspective).
A Campaign focused on transforming attitudes must include the role of men and boys in establishing gender equality as an effective strategy. This strategy should be incorporated in national policies and programs at all levels. Failure to educate boys for equality will have devastating consequences not only for girls, but also for society as a whole. As long as the oppression of women is tolerated, men will continue to harbor harmful attitudes and habits that they carry from the family to the work place, to political life and ultimately to international relations.
The negative influence of the media, including the Internet, has been widely discussed. [xvii][17] Its positive potential, however, has gone largely untapped. The media’s responsibility in encouraging positive social values in boys and girls and to improve the ways in which women are portrayed must be valued and encouraged. There should be opportunities given for the media to participate in national consultations both to understand their crucial role in implementation of national policies and programs and contribute towards them.
2. Promote the
Participation, Visibility and Empowerment of the Girl Child
The skills, ideas and energy of all girls, especially those from disadvantaged groups, are vital for the full attainment of the goals of gender equality, education for all, sustainable development and peace. We have to ensure that girls have the opportunity to be heard and that their views are valued and incorporated into discussions and decisions, especially into those areas which affect their lives most directly both at the household level and in the public spheres. Therefore, the mechanisms must be developed for United Nations, governments and civil society organizations, to increase the participation of girls at the international, national and local processes to fully incorporate the concerns and recommendations of girls. Governments and communities can create safe spaces for girls to speak, to voice their concerns and to find assistance when violence is committed against them.
3. Promote Competence and Resilience of the Girl Child through
Education and Training
Effective strategies to achieve gender equality must include the social, political and economic empowerment of girls through education programmes and job training to prepare them for their critical roles in their families and communities.[xviii][18] Curricula need to be rights-based, gender sensitive and empowering. Promotion of gender-sensitive mentoring and training with appropriate materials and methods from the earliest years will assure that the girl child will become an empowered woman.
4. Promote and
Institutionalize the Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination of Data on Girls,
Disaggregated by Sex, Age, Race, Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status[xix][19]
Better qualitative and quantitative research will help all to understand the realities of girls, particularly those from the most vulnerable groups and how to best meet their needs. UN agencies, international UN conventions and agreements are best channels to initiate the institutionalization process. When policy makers have access to data that is disaggregated by gender, age, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, they can make appropriate resource allocations and better public policy.
We also urge the United
Nations, governments, civil society organizations and universities to engage in
research about girls worldwide, especially those in high risk settings. Such
research is critical to effectively measuring previously agreed upon goals and
targets designed to ensure girls’ rights and the degree of vulnerabilities
among girls. Data disaggregated in critical sectors inter alia health,
education, labor and protection will assist in creating an inclusive gender
perspective for the planning, implementation and monitoring of government
programs and benchmarking
across nations and communities.[xx][20]
5. Provide Resources
and Funding for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Girls
In view of the
disproportionate care responsibilities taken on by girls and young women in the
context of HIV/AIDS, and the low status afforded to them in many societies, a
key point of intervention would be expanding economic opportunities for them.[xxi][21] Such
opportunities would enhance their ability to meet the financial
responsibilities that so many take on after the death of their parents. We support the development of gender-responsive
budgeting that explicitly allocates monies for: (a) girls’ health programs,
including adolescent and HIV/AIDS issues; (b) programs to end the trafficking
of girls for labor and for sexual exploitation; (c) programs to end all forms
of violence against the girl child, including female genital cutting, incest,
prenatal sex selection and infanticide; and (d) education at all levels.
6. Strengthen the Role of Civil Society and
Organizations for Girls’ Participation and Empowerment
Partnerships with civil society are vital to ensure the promotion of equal sharing of responsibilities of women and men and to provide concrete policy recommendations for governments, United Nations, and other stakeholders. Tackling gender stereotypes, empowering girls to participate more fully in their families and communities, expanding educational and training opportunities for girls, and increasing research and expanding data collection and dissemination will require the active involvement of civil society groups. We encourage the secretariat and governments to welcome and support the active participation of their civil society partners as these organizations occupy a central place in society and can support efforts to ensure women’s and girls’ rights and full participation in the development of their communities.
We thank the Expert Group Meeting for your kind attention to these matters and for extending your review and consideration to the girl child. As we all know she is the key to the future.
Annex 1
Members of the
Steering Committee of the Working Group on Girls NGO Committee on UNICEF,
Signatories of the WGG
Discussion Paper in Preparation for the Expert Group Meeting.
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