EUROPEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN CAUCUS STATEMENT

This Joint Statement of the European & Nth American Caucus to the Commission on the Status of Women in its 56^th Session recognizes that many issues of fundamental importance to rural women & girls are already included in the draft text. Yet this is not the first time CSW has addressed the rights & position of rural women & girls;  hence, action is all the more imperative. Here we emphasize issues & recommend language the Commission may like to adopt. Language is power and power effects change. Thus,

Recognising:

(1)        Empowerment of rural & remote area women can be achieved only through the full implementation & enforcement of women’s rights as human rights for all women.

(2)        Rural & remote area women & girls are disadvantaged in all member states, including developed & industrialized nations, and recognition of rural & remote area women & girls, including women & girl leaders, in all regions is vital.

(3)        A significant proportion of rural & remote area women & girls are constituted by migrant women, including refugees & asylum seekers, indigenous women & women of all minorities.

(4)        Marital status & particularly widowhood has a profound effect on women, and can negate or lessen seriously the rights of rural & remote area women.

(5)        The effects of climate change & environmental exploitation & degradation are seriously affecting the human rights of all women & girls, particularly rural & remote area women & girls & those from small island & coastal nations.

(6)        Natural disasters & disasters caused or exacerbated by human failures of commission & omission often have a proportionately greater impact upon rural & remote area women.

(7)        Environmental exploitation & abuses, whether engaged in by nation states or corporations & other private sector bodies, including claims of ‘ownership’ of the genome, plant & animal, violate human rights & can constitute crimes against humanity.

(8)        Military expenditure harms women& girls disproportionately and denies resources essential to eliminating violence against women and ending exploitation, abuse & discrimination against women & girls. 

Consequently, the Commission on the Status of Women in the 56^th session must:

First:  Incorporate into all its resolutions, reviews & outcomes issues (1)-(8) as requiring urgent attention & constructive measures for the improvement of the status of rural & remote area women & girls, to guarantee all women & girls’ full human rights.

Secondly: In its resolutions require that member states, with the participation of women’s NGOs & civil society:

a)     engage in constructive conversation with the United Nations in all its constituent bodies to formulate & advance policies to combat climate change and to end environmental exploitation & degradation, including environmental crimes and, within their own borders, formulate, implement & monitor policies accordingly;

b)     ensure access of all women & girls, including rural & remote area women, to publicly funded & delivered health services, clean water & sanitation services, comprehensive education at all levels, decent work & labour conditions, childcare, affordable housing, transport & communication services as a priority is recognized in determining the distribution of resources;

c)      affirm women’s reproductive rights and ensure women’s access to family planning services and girls’ access to education relating to health including sexual health;

d)     legislate to include non-discrimination on the basis of all attributes & identities used to deny women & girls’ rights, including but not limited to marital status as well as sex/gender, age, pregnancy, lactation & family responsibilities in all areas of activity including employment, education, services & housing/accommodation;

e)      end ‘land grabbing’ (by reference to CEDAW para 4.1), including the denial to separated & divorced women of their rightful entitlement to their share of marital or family assets, including real property;

f)      end the violation of young women & girls’ rights through early marriage;

g)     redirect military spending toward the goal of peace.

We urge the Commission to honour in this 56^th session and in all its work the full content & vital importance of all NGO statements made this day and during this session.