WUNRN
HAVE GLOBAL LEADERS MISSED A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO STEP UP THEIR COMMITMENT TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS?
Womankind’s Policy Manager Abigail Hunt reflects on the commitments made at the global leaders’ event convened during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015.
A global leaders’ event, hosted by the People’s Republic of
China and UN Women, took place on 27th September 2015 to mark the 20th
anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA),
agreed in 1995 during the Fourth World Conference on Women.
The “Global Leaders’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s
Empowerment: A Commitment to Action” was the culmination of a global
review of the BPfA. It took place on the last day of the Sustainable
Development Goals Summit, during which UN Member States formally
adopted the policy framework which will guide development priorities to 2030 –
and which also includes a specific objective to ‘Achieve gender equality and
empower all women and girls’ known as Sustainable Development Goal Five (SDG5).
As we explain in our recent report, the BPfA is still considered by many
women’s rights activists to be the most comprehensive blueprint on the actions
needed to achieve gender equality and women’s rights. Whilst welcoming the
adoption by governments of SDG5, many also maintain that the more comprehensive
‘Beijing agenda’ must remain the definitive roadmap for action if women’s
rights are to be achieved in the years to come.
Global Leaders’ commitment event: A reality check
If there was a time for the women’s rights movement to take a
temperature check on the extent of current commitment to women’s rights and
gender equality by governments worldwide, the global leaders’ event was it.
Similarly, if there was an opportunity for governments worldwide to shine on
the world stage and spell out what steps they will take to put SDG5 into
action, this was also it. Many women’s rights organisations – including
Womankind Worldwide – hoped the event would be the moment when governments
would define in practical terms what new initiatives they would launch to
implement the SDG5 targets.
In other words: new agenda, new action.
The event started strongly with Xi Jinping, President of the
People’s Republic of China pledging $10 million USD to UN Women in his opening
address, as well as outlining women’s health and training projects. Many
throughout the day reiterated the urgent need to tackle violence against women,
ensure women’s full and meaningful participation in decision-making, and
support women’s economic empowerment – with various initiatives to this end
outlined.
Some even established women’s rights as front and center to
their government’s approach. Here, a special mention should be reserved for
Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, who opened his address by declaring, ‘I am proud to lead the world’s
first Feminist Government, guided by the principle of international
solidarity’, to a loud applause.
However by the end of the day, it became clear that many leaders
had dedicated their three-minute time allocation to highlighting actions
already taken by their government, instead of explaining how they would respond
to UN Women’s call to ‘Step it up’ on gender equality. Some focused
on the inequality of women in the global South and conflict-affected countries,
without clear reference to their role in tackling the discrimination
experienced by women in their own countries. Many lacked focus on the intrinsic
value of women’s rights, instead employing instrumentalist language focusing on
the benefits of women’s empowerment for the family, community and country.
Recognition of the vital role of women’s rights organisations
and movements in achieving women’s rights and gender equality was also few and
far between. It was left to Bandana Rana, President of Womankind partner
organisation Saathi, Nepal, to remind the room in a civil society address that, ‘the
contribution of civil society and women’s organisations at the grassroots level
will be key to the implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Agenda’, and that
financial support for their work is crucial.
Of course the numbers also tell the story. Even though some of
the declarations fell short on the high expectations which marked the start of
the day, it must be recognised that some 80 world leaders turned up to
acknowledge the importance of gender equality. When discussions on women are
often slide lined, or delegated to women’s ministers, securing the time of
state or government heads during the packed agenda of the United Nations
General Assembly is challenging, to say the least. Given the contestation
over the content of SDG5 in the recent Post-2015 negotiations, it came as no
surprise that not all UN Member States would be standing up to make progressive
pledges.
Yet even in this context some absences were particularly
noticeable. Despite being present at the UN General Assembly well over half of
the leaders of UN Member states did not make an appearance at the commitment
event.
As an organisation based in the UK, Womankind was extremely
disappointed that Prime Minister David Cameron did not attend, particularly
when his government leads on Women, Peace and Security at the UN Security
Council, and has repeatedly declared women and girls to be a priority area of
its international development work. The UK consistently championed gender and
women’s empowerment during the Post-2015 negotiations, and the International Development
Secretary Justine Greening co-hosted a high-profile event on women’s economic empowerment only two
days earlier. This is but one example demonstrating the long journey still
remaining to build support for gender equality and women’s rights at the
highest political levels.
Nonetheless, as the UN celebrates its 70th
anniversary and discussion takes place about its role in today’s world,
the convening power of UN Women was clearly demonstrated. Given the
organisation’s resources are already stretched to the limit this event was no
easy feat. This also serves as a reminder that UN Women is possibly the only
global entity able to to bring together so many of the key players essential to
achieving women’s rights and gender equality – even if many were missing on the
day.
At the crossroads in 2015: If not now, when?
The SDG Summit and Global Leaders’ Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment held this weekend were an unprecedented opportunity for governments worldwide to make the substantial, concrete commitments to the transformative agenda vital for the full realisation of women’s rights. Yet, while there has been much to celebrate, the ambitious agenda agreed in Beijing in 1995 has not been stepped up across the board. This has left many women’s rights activists asking: if not now, when?