1975 First World Conference on Women

(Mexico)

Three issues were brought to Mexico:

• Equality – First World Women (USA, Canada, New

• Zealand, Australia, Western Europe)

• Development – Third World Women

• Peace – Eastern Europe

 1980 2nd World Conference on Women
(Copenhagen)
• Definition of Equality, Development and Peace
were expanded yet disagreement among the
women of the world as to these three issues
was noted
1985 3rd World Conference on Women
(Nairobi)
10,000 Women came to Nairobi
and UNANIMOUSLY said
YES to the
Forward Looking Strategies of Nairobi
EQUALITY
DEVELOPMENT
PEACE
 TWO ISSUES WERE NOT YET IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS
OF WOMEN OF THE WORLD in 1985

• FIRST – VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN – thus

in 1993 World Conference on Human
Rights in Vienna – this is the only issue
brought by women to Vienna

• SECOND – WOMEN in Decision-Making and

Politics – only IPU brought this issue
& women did not adopt it hence not
included in the FLS of Nairobi
1995 4th World Conference on Women (Beijing)
Gender as a Global Agenda:
Beijing Platform
• Women and Poverty
• Education and Training
• Women and Health
• Violence Against Women
• Armed Conflict
• Economy
• Power and Decision Making
• Institutional Mechanism and advancement of women
• Human Rights
• Media
• Environment
• The girl child
 Fourth World Conference on Women
China August-September 1995
“Beijing Declaration" and a
“Platform for Action”
Two Important Gains

FIRST :
CLEAR RECOGNITION OF THE RESPONSIBILITY Of GOVERNMENTS TO
WORK ACTIVELY
TO ACHIEVE

Equality between Women and Men

Second:
The establishment of the
overriding importance of Human Rights
 UN Millennium Goals

1. Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger

2. Achievement of universal primary education

3. Promotion of gender equality and empower of women.

4. Reduction of child mortality

5. Improvement of maternal health

6. Combat against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

7. Environmental sustainability

8. Global partnership for development.

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL
SESSION ON WOMEN 2000
UN General Secretary Kofi Annan:

While there has been progress on the goal for

women’s equality since Beijing “much remains to be
done.” Annan noted:
- that women still earn less
- have higher unemployment rate
- are more often unemployed
- generally poorer than men
- that most countries have yet to pass laws in
favor of women’s rights to own land and other
property
Annan continued...
He also noted that while these old challenges have
yet to be met, new ones have already emerged:
- the spread of AIDS particularly in southern
Africa “where 40% of pregnant women are
HIV-positive and more that one child in 10 has lost
its mother to AIDS
- the trafficking of women and children has now
become worldwide plague
He cited, however, the ff progress:
- Violence against women is now illegal
almost anywhere
 Annan continued …..

More progress:
- there is a worldwide mobilization against harmful
practices such as :”honor killings” or “shame
killings
- New health strategies have helped save
thousands of women’s lives
- More couples now use family planning than ever
before
 Annan continued ...
- A record number of women have become leaders
and decision-makers in both the government &

the private sector

- Above all more countries have understood that
women’s equality is a pre-requisite for
development
He recommends full implementation of BPC: “…I
believe that implementing BPC will be crucial in
achieving all the MILLENNUIM GOALS. I HAVE
ASKED THE WORLD’S LEADERS TO ADOPT ON
BEHALF OF THE WORLD’S PEOPLES”
 The Global Women’s Movement

• The growing strength of the SUFFRAGETTES

MOMENT was cut short by World War II
• By mid-fifties the United States economic boom
– with the GIs graduating from college; suburbia
developing - when everything was “Proper-
Proper”
• Yet the women could not understand themselves
came together in Consciousness Raising Groups
– to understand the “emptiness” they feel
 White, Middle-Class American Women’s Angst

• Thus the women’s movement began with the

cry, “Women’s Liberation” - with Media
against them: Bra Burning (which never
happened). FIRST ISSUE : EQUALITY

• Third World Women – who have their own

issues were accused of “imitating the First
World Women”
 The FEMININE MYSTIQUE –
BETTY FRIEDAN

• Published in 1960 – like a bomb – a

sociological study of the ANGST.

• Its FIRST CHAPTER :

THE PROBLEM WITHOUT A NAME

 NAMING THEIR PROBLEMS

• It is now acknowledged that the Women's

Movement gave names to their problems e.g.
Sexual Harassment

• Then PROBLEMS became ISSUES

But considered by the world as
FLOWER and SOFT ISSUES
 BY 1985 The Double Burden of
Women
was considered the Greatest Injustice
in the world
HOUSEWORK WAS DECLARED WORK
THUS THE SLOGAN
ALL WOMEN ARE WORKING WOMEN

ALL ISSUES ARE WOMEN’S ISSUES