Introduction to NCWC

INTRODUCTION: The National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) is an accredited NGO (Non Government Organization) with the United Nations. The NCWC has a long history of working internationally. NCWC has been a member of the International Council of Women (ICW) since 1897, and has consultative status at the United Nations, Category II. Each year we send a delegation to the meetings of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York in March.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Report on the 56th CSW, prepared by Elisabeth Newman, Board Member, ICW


REPORT ON 56TH COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
New York 27th Feb – 9TH March 2012

Priority Theme: The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger     eradication; development and current challenges.
Review Theme: Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women
Emerging Issue: Engaging young women and men, girls and boys, to advance gender equality
 
This year’s CSW seemed to have a slightly different atmosphere than previous years. There was not the high level of frustration with registration and access to the UN North Lawn Building. Registration has been streamed lined especially for those of us who are regular attendees. The system of issuing secondary passes and special tags to side events within the UN had also been improved though we were down to one secondary pass per organisation but passes to side events were more readily available There were many more young people and first time attendees.

The opening Ceremony was held in the General Assembly. Speakers included Mdm. Michelle Bachelet with the Chair of CSW, the President of ECOSOC and representatives from various aligned groups of Member States. Speeches, focusing on the themes, highlighted the inequality suffered by women, especially rural women and girls, their needs and challenges of which rights ,empowerment and gender budgeting are high on the list.

The ICW-CIF side event was held on Monday 5th March .Entitled “Empowerment Finance Poverty: Challenges for Rural Women” it focused on the priority and review themes. Marion Bὂker, from Germany spoke from the European perspective and Rachel James from PNG spoke from the PNG/Pacific perspective. The presentations where followed by group discussions. The event was well received and well attended attracting about 60 attendees from diverse nationalities and backgrounds. (Papers and group discussion outcomes to be circulated once available).

ICW-CIF was also a co-sponsor to five side events.
1 The Huairou Commission: “Empowering Caregivers to Build Healthy Sustainable Communities”. From an African perspective, we learnt of the hardships/difficulties face by caregivers, not only due to lack of infrastructure but also lack of support from governments. Any available funding seldom reaches the caregivers. Rachel James was to have spoken for ICW-CIF from the PNG perspective but regrettably she was unwell.
.2. The World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organisations: .One paper gave an account of the rapidly declining conditions in the rural areas. Much of the agricultural work remains hard manual labour, a legacy of the Soviet period, performed by women who also care for their household as well  own vegetable gardens to feed their families and make a little extra money selling excess crops. Only 10.9% of rural women say their health is good. One frightening statistic is the high maternal death rate during child birth. In one year, 2008-2009, it soared from 12.9% to 32.9% (UNDP 2010). Villages are dying as have few young people. The situation for rural women in the Ukraine is bleak. 
3. National Council of Women of Korea: In this side event we learnt much is done for the rural population of Korea, Taiwan as well as Japan., quite a contrast from Ukraine
4. Mata Amritanandamayi Math: This event consisted of testimonies about Wangari Maathai and her work. It gave a good over view of what this great woman did for women and girls.
5.   I was unable to attend the CoNGO Committee on Mental Health and wellbeing of rural women.

 I attended a number of other NGO  side events and some CSW programmes where all aspects affecting the lives of rural women and girls were raised. The NCW USA workshop highlighted conditions for rural farmers which have deteriorated since the financial crisis. Conditions for rural women are not good in many developed nations. The higher instance of violence against women in rural areas than urban as was illustrated in an Australian Mission event.  Early and forced marriages were the topic of the three events held by Plan International; they were also mentioned elsewhere. A Japanese Human Rights group gave a graphic account of the situation in Japan following the tsunami and nuclear accident of one year ago.  Gender budgeting was the basis of an interesting side event at the Swiss Mission which was complimented  by “The Role of Business in Empowering Women” a part of the CSW programme in the UN building. BPWI, in talking about the pay gap had a short video showing women in a super market leaving behind 17% of each item they purchased and taking 17% off the bill. Throughout the two weeks it was well illustrated that with education and training, women can be empowered to take on leadership roles and so overcome poverty but there is still a very long way to go particularly in gaining equality for rural women and girls. Peace is also fundamental.to the process.

ICW-CIF was called upon to give an oral statement. One of twelve from 100 who submitted to present an oral statement.

International Women’s Day was marked a day early by the UN. On the actual day, the NGO /CSW celebrated with a march, the first they have organised. We were all issued with yellow sashes on which we wrote slogans before marching along streets near the UN.

Sadly the end of what had been a good CSW was most disappointing. There was no agreement to the outcome document. The main stumbling blocks were sections relating to reproductive rights, also “gender. equality” was disputed; with “equality” being problematic. Of the seven resolutions the one relating to women, girls and HIV/AIDS was not adopted. The resolution relating to maternal and infant mortality was adopted but only after fairly extensive re-drafting. These moves to weaken language, especially around women’s reproductive health, are very worrying and need to be watched.  The Commission is to re-convene, as yet date unannounced, to come to a consensus on the outcome document. The UN Secretary–General has agreed in principle to a Fifth World Conference for Women, this has yet to be agreed by the General Assembly. If it becomes a reality we will need to guard our hard earned rights. We will, however, have the opportunity further advance the equal rights of women and the general well-being of society as a whole.

CSW57 Theme is to be: Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.

My thanks to all who participated in the CIW-CIF programme at CSW56 and assisted in making it a success

Elisabeth Newman
Board Member                                                                                                                       March 2012


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
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1 comment:

  1. According to the United Nations, rural women account for a great proportion of the world's agricultural labor force, produce the majority of food grown, especially in subsistence farming, and perform most of the unpaid care work in rural areas.

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