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Socialist International
Women adopted, at its Bureau meeting in Rome, January 2003, a declaration
on holding a fifth UN World Conference on Women. Other UN Conferences
show that such large gatherings are a valuable public acknowledgement
of the issues discussed. Women demand and need the international
community to focus on the further development of real gender equality.
Socialist International Women believes that this can only be done
effectively in a conference.
Women NGOs have witnessed
the disastrous negotiations on Beijing plus 10 at the 2005 session
of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and realise that discussing
the Platform for Action would therefore be a grave mistake. However,
SIW like many other women NGOs all over the world, still firmly
believes that such a conference is needed. Together with many women's
organisations SIW is certain that the application of gender equality
to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) would be an appropriate
topic for such a conference.
Predictably but sadly,
the MDGs have failed to do that: to acknowledge women not only as
victims, but, more importantly, as actors in all those issues: the
fight against poverty and hunger, HIV/AIDS, child mortality, the
need for a responsible use of natural resources. Discussing women's
role in developing a global partnership for development and offering
women's creativity, their potential, their ideas would be a most
welcome opportunity - which a fifth UN World Conference on Women
would provide.
The social, cultural
and economic equality of women and men is an essential precondition
for overcoming and eradicating poverty and for sustainable development.
Equality means that women and men receive equal recognition for
their contribution to society and for their work; that they can
participate in and shape development on an equal footing; and that
they do have and make use of equal opportunities.
A fifth UN World Conference
on Women should discuss, inter alia, issues like better education,
health care and secure food for women and girls; legal equality
as well as economic and political strengthening of women; and fair
access to resources, e.g. land, water, income, energy and capital.
SIW therefore calls
on governments of UN member states to agree to hold a fifth UN World
Conference on Women. SIW will encourage - through its member organisations
- national governments to support this proposal.
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