Platform 51

News

Tuesday, 17 January 2012
The World YWCA at 56th CSW

February 2012 New York

The 56^th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to be held in February 2012 in New York promises to be an exciting and progressive event focusing on the empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and other current challenges.

The CSW will also provide the strategic platform to review the issue of financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women. The World YWCA, the YWCA Canada and the YWCA of Nigeria have submitted a joint statement [see below] specifically recognising the vital role of leadership and political participation by women and young women in the eradication of poverty in rural communities. The YWCA movement recommends the investment in policies, programmes and organisations that develop value and make visible women's, particularly young women's, leadership in rural communities. In particular, initiatives which promote women's leadership in peace building, conflict prevention and environmental protection in rural communities.

The World YWCA represents the voices of 25 million women, young women and girls in 125 countries worldwide; many living in rural communities. As a movement the World YWCA is strongly committed to the empowerment of rural women, which is critical to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and lies at the heart of organisations such as the YWCA. The twelve critical areas of the Beijing Platform for Action have informed the work of YWCAs as they provide services in over 22,000 communities around the world, while advocating with governments and other stakeholders for accountability to women and girls' rights and dignity.

Women in rural communities often experience conflict in a more traumatic manner than men. In many remote villages and communities there is little protection for women during the outbreak of conflict, since such communities may have limited access to communication; or easy access to services such as the police, schools or hospitals.  Internal displacement also exposes women and girls to greater vulnerability to sexual abuse, harassment and violence in refugee camps where there is inadequate protection and there are poor living conditions.  With war and conflict, many women become widowed and separated from their families. Such female headed households are vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights are a critical issue for women and young women living in rural areas.  In the absence of adequate infrastructure, education, trained professionals, facilities, medication and transportation, thousands of women die each year due to violations of sexual and reproductive rights. Furthermore, harmful traditional practices and beliefs in some rural communities create horrific realities, and barriers to the true realisation of sexual and reproductive health rights for women and girls. Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, World YWCA General Secretary said "Women and girls in rural communities are often marginalised with limited access to services, economic opportunities and a place at the decision making table. As a movement for over a century we continue to provide a safe and empowering space for young women to develop their leadership and build capacity for women to claim their rights. Investing in developing the skills of and empowerment of rural women is crucial to development as the world seeks a life free of violence and women enjoy their sexual and reproductive health and rights".

Rural women can play a vital role in the prevention of conflict as trained community leaders to build peace in vulnerable situations, ease ethnic tensions and avoid the outbreak of conflict. The World YWCA is currently collaborating with Y-Global and FOKUS on a joint multi-country capacity building project Women, Peace and Justice, designed to implement the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR1325). The initiative focuses on Sri-Lanka, Southern Sudan and Palestine, all countries in conflict and post conflict situations. UNSCR 1325 is an essential tool for the international community to ensure women are included in conflict prevention, peacemaking and post conflict recovery processes including in local communities. The World YWCA, therefore, calls for the financial and technical resources necessary to guarantee that the needs of women are addressed in peace negotiations and that their leadership is integral in these processes.

The World YWCA will be using the CSW platform to advance its new Strategic Framework 2012-2015 by advocating for continued implementation of global commitments on women, including CEDAW and UNSCR 1325, with a particular focus on engaging rural women in the peace building process. The World YWCA and member associations will be hosting sessions around key issues including 'Sexual Reproductive Health Rights of Rural Women' and 'UNSCR 1325 and Rural Women'. As well as a women's intergenerational dialogue, which has become a trademark of the YWCA's participation at the CSW over recent years. In order to progress the climate change resolution adopted at the 2011 World Council the association will be hosting a side event on the impact of climate change on women in rural communities in collaboration with partners. Furthermore, the World YWCA will host the Young Women's Caucus in collaboration with WAGGGS.

The World YWCA has participated in the CSW since its establishment in 1948 and in fact, was one of the lead organisations advocating for its creation. As the leading global platform for advancing women's human rights, CSW continues to be an important and strategic annual event for the World YWCA.

Platform 51, formerly YWCA in the UK, is part of The World YWCA.

[With thanks to A Celebration of Women Inc for the photo which depicts Yemen's poorest women and children]

 

VIEW THE FULL WORLD YWCA STATEMENT BELOW .....

 

Commission on the Status of Women 

Fifty-sixth session        27 February - 9 March 2012 

Item 3 (a) of the provisional agenda* 

Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session

of the General Assembly entitled 

"Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace 

for the twenty-first century": Implementation of strategic 

objectives and action in critical areas of concern, and 

further actions and initiatives 

 

Statement submitted by World YWCA, YWCA Canada and YWCA 

Nigeria, non-governmental organizations in consultative status with 

the Economic and Social Council 

 

 * E/CN.6/2012/1. 

The Secretary-General has received the following statement, which is being circulated in 

accordance with paragraphs and of Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31. 

 

Statement  

 

The World YWCA movement represents the voices of the 25 million women, young women and girls who are YWCA members and service users in 108 countries worldwide; many living in rural communities. We recognize the role played by rural women in poverty eradication, development and climate justice, and are strongly committed to the empowerment of rural women, which is critical to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and lies at the heart of community based organizations such as the YWCA.   

Access to education in rural areas for girls lags behind that of boys. Without adequate education, women remain behind men in employment, income, promotions and pensions, perpetuating gender inequality throughout the life cycle. Without education, women are less likely to be aware of their rights and their self-worth and are more vulnerable to rights violations. 

We call upon the Commission to promote increased investment in education for girls, more qualified teachers in rural communities and measures to ensure that girls stay in school so as to reach their full potential.  

For every year a girl remains in school, she avoids early marriage, which affects millions of girls worldwide.  It is estimated that every day, more than 25,000 girls under the age of 18 are married.  Girls from rural communities face increased vulnerability, particularly as legislation against child marriage is difficult to enforce in these areas, legal rights awareness is low, and traditional practices prevail.  Child marriage is a human rights violation that impedes development and directly prevents the achievement of the MDGs.  

Sexual and reproductive health and rights are a critical issue for women and young women living in rural areas.  In the absence of adequate infrastructure, education, trained professionals, facilities, medication and transportation, thousands of women die each year due to violations of sexual and reproductive rights.  In line with the MDGs, the CSW must prioritize increased investment in basic health services in rural communities to prevent these violations.  Health education, including comprehensive information about sexual and reproductive health and HIV, is an essential component of the empowerment of rural women and is necessary for the prevention of HIV infection. High levels of stigma in rural communities results in the denial of sexual and reproductive rights of women living with HIV.  YWCAs also express concern over the effects of nuclear radiation in rural areas on women and girls' sexual and reproductive rights, including gene damage, cancer and birth defects. 

Violence against women comes in many forms and is represented in both the public and private spheres. Rural women and girls face increased vulnerability to violence due to isolation and a lack of support services, employment and access to education. Violence against rural indigenous women is of particular concern. This group not only lacks access to economic and social resources, but their security is at increased risk due to isolation and the lack of police presence, including in developed countries. It is important for the Commission to respond to violence as it affects the lives of women in rural communities. Ensuring legislation is in place to prevent violence against women in all its forms, as well as increased awareness and community engagement in ending violence in rural communities.  

Women in rural communities often experience conflict in a more traumatic manner than men.  In jungle areas or remote villages, there is little protection for women during the outbreak of conflict.  Internal displacement also exposes women and girls to greater vulnerability to sexual abuse, harassment and violence in refugee camps where there is inadequate protection and poor living conditions.  War results in many women being widowed, and female headed households are also more vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse in remote areas. 

Rural women can play a vital role in the prevention of conflict as trained community leaders to build peace in vulnerable situations, ease ethnic tensions and avoid the outbreak of conflict.  UNSCR 1325 is an essential tool for the international community to ensure women are included in peacemaking processes, however local implementation is needed.  The Commission needs to propose mechanisms to meet UNSCR 1325 and ensure the financial and technical resources needed to guarantee that needs of women are addressed in peace negotiations and that their leadership is integral in these processes.  

The World YWCA emphasizes the importance of volunteer based organizations in rural areas, which have vast knowledge of local needs and are community based. Volunteer organizations fill the void left by inadequate government funding and infrastructure in rural areas, providing local women with essential services from education to access to basic healthcare.  Especially in rural areas, where facilities are insufficient to meet the needs of isolated women, volunteer services are essential to the achievement of the MDGs and should be recognized. 

Every day, rural women and girls face issues that occur as a result of institutionalized discrimination and lack of empowerment.  Through targeted and sustained investment, many issues facing rural women could be tackled.  The MDGs cannot be achieved without the input and participation of rural women who are vital to development issues such as food security, climate justice, peace building and the economic security of families and communities.  

Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women is inextricably linked to rural women's possibility to claim their rights and lead community change.  Recognizing that rural women are faced with many challenges to their rights and well-being, and that women are at the heart of the sustainable development process, YWCAs calls on the Commission of the Status of Women to:   

Recognize the vital role of leadership and political participation by women and young women in the eradication of poverty in rural communities and encourage investment in policies, programs and organizations that develop, value and make visible women's, particularly young women's, leadership in rural communities. In particular, we encourage initiatives that promote women's leadership in peace building, conflict prevention and environmental protection in rural communities.  Specific recommendations include: 

1. Increase funding and access to education and training for women and girls in rural areas in order to decrease the disproportionate levels of illiteracy and economic insecurity, and follow through on commitments in the Beijing Platform for Action.   

 2. Develop and fund policies and programs to support access for rural women and young women to obtain decent work, diversified employment options, and economic participation as a means of decreasing women's poverty and supporting women-led development in rural communities.  This includes access to drought assistance, agricultural resources and income, land ownership, land inheritance rights and environmental education.  

 3. Ensure that responses to the global economic downturn address the disproportionate impact on women and girls in rural areas, particularly in the context of access to health, employment, education and community services. 

 4. Prioritize increased investment in health spending for women, young women and girls in rural areas to ensure realization of the right to health, especially sexual and reproductive health and rights.  Responding to the prevalence of HIV among rural women with free, voluntary testing and support services, and access to treatment is essential, as well as preventing thousands of unnecessary deaths each year due to the absence of maternity healthcare in rural areas.  

 5. Scale-up investment to tackle violence against women, young women and girls in rural areas, which infringes on empowerment and undermines human rights. We call for resourcing of programs, including violence prevention, rights education and legal aid, which are responsive to the vulnerabilities of rural women. Safe houses are also required in rural communities for women, young women and girls escaping violence. 

 6. Promote legislation and law enforcement to criminalize child marriage; invest in programs that engage with cultural norms that allow the continuation of harmful practices against girls in rural areas; and ensure that disaggregated data on births in rural and urban areas is collected

 7. Ensure that royalties and economic benefits that flow from mining and extractive industries in rural communities are equally distributed between women and men, including equal employment in these sectors. Recognize that mining and extractive industries can have harmful impacts on women's access to housing, food security, community services, the environment and infrastructure in rural areas; and develop mitigation strategies. 

 8. Harness the potential of emerging technologies to reduce social isolation among women in rural areas and improve access to health services, training and education opportunities; invest in the skills and leadership of rural young women; and embrace the application of new technologies as a mechanism for empowerment and poverty reduction.