UNITED NATIONS ENTITY FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN (UN WOMEN) Description of the Committee

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1 UNITED NATIONS ENTITY FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN (UN WOMEN) Description of the Committee In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women. The United Nations merged four pervious groups that focused on gender equality which include the Division for the Advancement of Women, International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, and United Nations Development Fund for Women. The committee consists of forty-five members elected by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for four-year terms. The committee follows three main rules. First, it assists the Commission of the Status of Women and other inter-governmental bodies to create global policies and standards. Second, it aids UN member states implement the above standards, provide financial support, and form effective partnerships. Lastly, the body holds the UN system accountable for its own 1 Introduction TOPIC: EXPANDING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN GOVERNANCE Throughout history, women have had no or little roles in government. Although have advanced, women are underrepresented and marginalized in the political arena. One of the In many parts of the world, women fall into traditional gender roles. Women are less likely than men to receive an education in their family, and in many places laws or cultural norms bar their growth as leaders. Traditional gender roles make it difficult for women to rise to positions of Copyright 2014 Global Classrooms 1

2 power in politics, especially when women receive little encouragement to strive for those roles. groups have started tackling this problem, but there is still much progress to be made. 2 Organizations like the UN Women and the National Democracy Institute have created structures to help expand women in politics at an The world is wasting a precious resource today. Tens of thousands of talented women stand ready to use their professional expertise in public life; at the same time, they are dramatically underrepresented in positions of leadership around - Madeline Albright, Executive Director of UN Women Source: international, national and local level. These organizations fund endeavors to improve women empowerment, leadership training, improvement of policies, gender equality, increase in quotas, and participation in civil society. Background History of Female Participation in Government The lack of female political participation began in the ancient Greek political system, and these ideas existed from nearly 500 B.C. until the Enlightenment. Many political thinkers such as Plato, Locke and Hobbes only considered women fit for private roles of society. The creation of this public-private divide, also known as separate spheres, contributes to the government norms now. Only in the last century have women exercised their right to vote and enjoy equal rights under the law. national parliaments around the world only grew 5.5 percent between 1999 (13.1 percent) and 2009 (18.6 percent). 3 These statistics show A group of Afghan women working across party lines, discussing political issues at a conference Source: in- politics- afghanistan Currently there are only nineteen female world leaders, and Switzerland as the only country in the world that has had more than 3 female leaders. 4 When women are involved in the political system, everyone benefits. They bring a different perspective on social issues and are. Research shows that having women at negotiation tables can result in a more sustainable peace process and a better chance at long-term success. Women also are more likely to reach across the aisle or cross party lines like the cross-party caucus made in Rwanda (Forum of Rwandan Copyright 2014 Global Classrooms 2

3 Women Parliamentarians) in They tend to work in a more participatory and collaborative manner. Furthermore, when women are political leaders, they address more social or domestic issues like increasing health standards or education infrastructure. Research from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development states that an increase in women political leaders results in an 5 Current Situation CRITICAL THINKING Many developed countries claim that women have access to all rights in their country. If these countries make this claim, why has the country never had a female leader? Why has a female never lead a political party? In these countries, why is parliament still dominated overwhelming by men? Why are higher government positions still dominated by men? In order to engage and expand the number of women in government from the local level to the international. These engagement tools range from leadership and training programs to increases in quotas and policies. The three main areas include education, policies, and gender roles. Education broadly includes training sessions, increase in higher education for girls, workshops to teach leadership skills, and encouraging civil participation by women. Policies include changing government laws and stances to increase female participation in government, including setting quotas. The last area includes changing gender norms through cultural means rather than legal. In order to make progress on the issue, a multi-faceted approach is integral. Education In order to expand in government roles, women themselves need to believe they can fill those roles and show leadership. Through training programs and workshops to teach leadership skills, women will understand the importance of their participat Leadership Institute in Bolivia launched a six-week program, which taught strategic planning, negotiations, advocacy and conflict resolution for 35 women representing different political parties. 6 These types of programs give women the skills to succeed and the support network to execute their leadership goals. Policies A quota system is one of most popular and easiest strategies for increasing female participation in government. Many countries have used quotas effectively to increase women participation in parliaments and ministries around the world. There are several types of quotas including the nomination of empowerment workshop in Bolivia Source: female candidates, increased representation in government institutions like the bureaucracy through promotion or appointment, and using internal quotas for parties or governing boards. These quotas range from being implemented by a constitution to a specific political party. This Copyright 2014 Global Classrooms 3

4 can be difficult to implement if the parliament or political party is already male dominated. 7 women can be empowered through political parties and laws. For example, the Scottish Labour Party self-regulates and achieves parity in representation through the nomination of many women in constituency and list races. 8 In many countries women are neglected in the involvement, preparation or coordination of policies and projects. This leads to a cycle of participation and involvement never being addressed. 9 Gender Roles QUOTAS Data shows that 20 African countries have adopted mandatory or voluntary quotas. Below are the most common type of quotas and example countries: Constitutional mandates for quotas in Tanzania and Rwanda Political party quotas in South Africa and Mozambique Legislated quotas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: un.org/womenwatch Women not only find it difficult to participate in government at a high level but also on a local level (e.g. voting). Women either have little amount of time available for to participate in government due to their role in the home or are barred or discouraged from voting due to sexist cultural norms. Due to the household responsibilities and limited resources available, women are at a great disadvantage in civic participation. 10 It is important to focus on tackling the challenge of gender disparities while also fostering an leverage for women in politics, a shift in gender roles is needed. International Action Although the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations (NGO ) have taken international steps to combat this issue, most actions are limited to national governments. The United Nations first major step was the Beijing Platform for Action in This was the fourth world conference on the status of women wherein countries created national plans of action to improve gender equality cabinet ministers and one- fifth of all sub : Trends and Statistics Source: The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women also known as the International Bill of Rights for Women was adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. The convention defines discrimination against women and outlines a plan of national action for each nation to eradicate it. The only countries that have not ratified the convention include Iran, Palau, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tonga, and the United States. Copyright 2014 Global Classrooms 4

5 The Convention is controversial among the previous nations and others whom have previously ratified. Issues include conflict over abortion and other female reproductive disputes. The Convention also does not discuss maternity leave and benefits as a special protection. 12 This convention is the legal protection behind more equality for women in school, government, and the economy. Non-governmental Organizations, on the other hand, promulgate these laws and carry out the services those laws stipulate. 13 Additionally, the Millennium Development Goals have called for gender equality and equal political participation through its target and goal oriented approach. These form the basis of actions and initiatives taken by UN Women. 14 The United Nations and national governments are not the only rout to success. Non-governmental organizations success. In 2006, the Rwandan Association of Local Government Authorities partnered with the National trainings to increase local political participation. The training prepared more than 2,300 female candidates for the constitutional quota. Women were able to win 30 percent of the seats in the district government. 15 Other initiatives include the Faso. The manual included important information about council administration, the political process, and responsibility of the councilor. These two examples are only a little part of what 16 Recommendations for Creating a Resolution parties is dominated by male chauvinism. The access to training and funds is discriminatory towards women. [Women] are portrayed as wife, mistress, girlfriend or mother; [thus] illustrating how strongly the role of women is affected by the existing retrograde patriarchal mentality. - Marie- Claire Faray, DRC Source: Countries have had varying degrees of success in achieving gender parity in government. This makes is difficult to take international action towards the issue because some countries would like to keep the status quo, and some want to work harder to achieve this goal. It is imperative to find a balance between ensuring the solutions can be applied to all countries and staying on policy find some aspects intrusive. Due to the broad nature of this topic, breaking up solutions by regions or sub-topics could ensure progress is made broadly but also that blanket solutions are not created for all types of countries. Solutions should focus on practicality and be creative. Remember, although there are great existing resources to draw upon, sometimes a brand new committee, treaty, or idea could also work. Copyright 2014 Global Classrooms 5

6 Questions to Consider: 1. In your country, do women and men have the same rights?? Can they participate in political and civil issues? 2. Has your country had female heads of state or high level government positions? How many women are in the legislator or parliament? 3. What percentage of the female population of your country votes? 4. any quotas in place? Or are there laws to hinder their participation? 5. What initiatives or projects has your country created or implemented to increase political participation or higher education for women? Research Aid the advancement of women UN Women, UN Women Watch is an arm of UN Women that promotes the body and assists in promoting them to the public. UN Women Watch, The World Fact Book provides information and statistics about a country, and social issues. World Fact Book, The National Democracy Institute has specific projects and reports focused on w political participation. National Democracy Institute, Copyright 2014 Global Classrooms 6

7 Terms and Concepts Non- Governmental Organization: usually a non- profit organization that operates independently of a government on the local, national or international level. Gender Equality: the treatment of men and women equally. Political Participation: the mechanism for people of country to make decisions about social and political issues. National Democracy Institute: a non- profit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. Quotas: a fixed number or amount of people or items. References. 2 National Democracy Institute, May 23, 2013, 3 United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, November 3, 2005, Division for the Advancement of Women of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. September 4, 2007, 5 The Institute for Inclusive Security, 6 National Democracy Institute, 7 rated through quotas- UN News Centre. March 2, ep 11, UN News Centre. March 2, us/aboutun-women/. 10 The Institute for Inclusive Security, 11 UN Women, "Fourth World Conference on Women." 12 UN Women, "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women." 13 Ibid. 14 The Institute for Inclusive Security, SANGONeT, July 21, 2010, Copyright 2014 Global Classrooms 7

8 16 Ibid. Copyright 2014 Global Classrooms 8