COMMITMENTS AND PROGRESS A fieen-year journey implemenng the Beijing Plaorm for Acon Shirkat Gah WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTRE asr resource centre 1 Copyright © Shirkat Gah and ASR 2011 Edited by Shahina Hanif Designed by Muhammad Asim Printed by Art Impact Printers Published by Shirkat Gah - Women’s Resource Centre, P.O. Box. 5192, Lahore - Pakistan E-mail: Lahore: [email protected] Karachi: [email protected] Peshawar: [email protected] Web: www.shirkatgah.org This publication has been made possible through the generous support of UNIFEM (now part of UN Women). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of UN Women, the United Nations or any of its affiliated organizations. 2 Acknowledgements This dynamic and integrated process would not have been possible without the active involvement and support of all those who participated. Their enthusiasm played an essential role in maintaining the continuity and momentum. ASR and Shirkat Gah would like to acknowledge the generous support of UNIFEM (now part of UN Women) for the international processes. We would also like to acknowledge EED (Germany) for their support to ASR, and The Royal Norwegian Embassy, Oxfam-Novib and SDC for their support to Shirkat Gah for national mobilization and national consultations. This publication has been made possible with the generous support of UN Women. UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. 3 Contents 1. Acronyms . 7 2. Introducon . 9 3. Secon I: Beijing +15 in Pakistan . 13 1.1 The Process . 13 - Weaving Wisdom: Where Are We Now? A Naonal Survey 1.2 The Naonal Consultaon on Confronng Crises and Forging the Future . 14 - Beijing +15: Pre and Post the Fourth World Conference on Women - Connuing the Journey: 1995-2000 - 2000: The Beijing +5 Review - 2005: The Beijing +10 Review - 2010: The Beijing +15 Review - Naonal Consultaon ‘Weaving Wisdom, Confronng Crises, Forging the Future’ Lahore, September 2009 - Beyond Beijing +15 - The Process and the Outcome of the Naonal Consultaon 4. Secon II: Asia Pacific NGO Forum on Beijing +15 . 39 The Plenary Sessions The Pakistani Conngent: Through the Process and Feedback 5. Secon III: High-level Intergovernmental Meeng to Review the Regional Implementaon of the Beijing Declaraon and the Plaorm for Acon . 43 6. Secon IV: South Asian Regional Consultaon on Beijing +15 in Delhi, India . 47 7. Secon V: NGO Global Forum and the 54th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, USA . 49 8. Secon VI: Naonal Meeng on Beijing +15: Moving Forward Together . 53 ANNEXURES: Annex 1: Template for the Survey on Acvies in BPfA’s crical areas . 68 Annex 2: Praccal Needs of Women . 69 Annex 3: Begum Nusrat Bhuo’s Address at Internaonal Women’s Year Moot . 70 Annex 4: Agenda of Weaving Wisdom, Confronng Crises, Forging the Future: Naonal Consultaon on Beijing +15 . 74 Annex 5: List of Speakers . 75 Annex 6: Press Release . 76 5 Annex 7: List of Parcipants . 77 Annex 8: Agenda of the APWW-NGO Forum, Manila . 78 Annex 9: Keynote Address by Dr. Noeleen Heyzer (Under-Secretary-General of the United Naons and Execuve Secretary of UNESCAP) . 80 Annex 10: List of Parcipants . 85 Annex 11: Agenda of the High-Level Intergovernmental Meeng to Review Regional Implementaon of the Beijing Plaorm for Acon and Its Regional and Global Outcomes . 85 Annex 12: Welcome Address by Dr. Noeleen Heyzer (Under-Secretary-General of the United Naons and Execuve Secretary of UNESCAP) . 87 Annex 13: Eliminang Gender-Based Violence: Lessons from Pakistan and Beyond (Presentaon by Farida Shaheed) . 91 Annex 14: Bangkok Declaraon for Beijing +15. 100 Annex 15: Highlights of Progress and Challenges in Implemenng the Beijing Plaorm for Acon: Good Pracces, Obstacles and New Challenges . 107 Annex 16: Press Release . 125 Annex 17: List of Parcipants . 126 Annex 18: Agenda of the South Asia Consultaon on Beijing +15, Delhi . 127 Annex 19: South Asia Statement adopted at the South Asia Consultaon on Beijing +15 Weaving Wisdom, Confronng Crises, Forging the Future . 129 Annex 20: List of Parcipants . 131 Annex 21: Statement by Anis Haroon Chairperson Naonal Commission on the Status of Women and Head of the Pakistan Delegaon at 54th Session of the United Naons Commission on the Status of Women: New York 3 March 2010 . 132 Annex 22: Declaraon on the occasion of the fieenth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women . 135 Annex 23: Asia Pacific Caucus Statement . 136 Annex 24: Agenda of the Naonal Meeng on Beijing +15: Moving Forward Together . 138 Annex 25: Press Release . 140 6 Acronyms AJK Azad Jammu and Kashmir AMP Anjuman Muzareen Punjab APDC Asia Pacific Development Centre APWW Asia Pacific Women’s Watch ASR Applied Socio-Economic Research BPfA Beijing Platform for Action CBO Community Based Organisation CCB Citizen Community Board CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women CONGO Conference of NGOs CSO Civil Society Organisation CSW Commission on the Status of Women DAW Division for the Advancement of Women FATA Federally Administered Tribal Areas FWCW Fourth World Conference on Women GB Gilgit-Baltistan GEAR Gender Equality Architecture Reform GMO Genetically Modified Organism GRAP Gender Reform Action Plan HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome IDP Internally Displaced Person MDGs Millenium Development Goals MNA Minister of National Assembly MPA Minister of Provincial Assembly MOWD Ministry of Women’s Development NAWO National Alliance of Women NCSW National Commission on the Status of Women NFLS Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women NGO Non government organisation NIC National Identity Card NPAs National Plans of Action OSAGI Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues 7 PEMRA Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority PODA Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy SAARC The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SAPs Structural Adjustment Programs SAWW South Asia Women’s Watch SG Shirkat Gah UC Union Council UNESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific UNGASS United Nations General Assembly Special Session UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women UN-INSTRAW United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women UNSCR United Nations Security Council Resolution VAW Violence Against Women WAF Women’s Action Forum WCW World Conference on Women WEDO Women’s Environment and Development Organisation WG Working Group WIPSA Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia WWHL Women Workers Help Line 8 Introducon The 15-year review of the Beijing Platform of Action in Pakistan was undertaken as a collaborative programme by Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre and the ASR Resource Centre to bring together national, regional and international processes. The Beijing Platform of Action for Equality, Development and Peace was adopted in 1995 at the Fourth UN World Conference on Women. This document served as a guideline through which a Manifesto and blueprint for the empowerment of women was presented. The Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) addresses twelve critical Areas of Concern from a women’s perspective with strategic objectives and proposed actions. It entails a sustained and long-term commitment from governments requiring them to develop national plans of action (NPAs). Structured within the framework of equality, development and peace, the NPAs are devised at national levels to create equality between men and women as a fundamental human right, to remove obstacles and to ensure women’s active participation in public and private spaces by making them equal partners in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. The process of reviewing the progress on the implementation of BPfA at a regional level has been an ongoing one. The continued and persistent lobbying and advocacy by women’s movements and civil society organisations of the Asia-Pacific region has been relentless. Despite these efforts, women and girls continue to face enormous challenges particularly in the sectors of health, education and agriculture. Democracies in distress, political crises, unstable governments, frequent military rule, a sharp rise in extremism, the violation of human rights with impunity, violence against women and discriminatory customary practices impact adversely on the security, livelihoods, displacement and well-being of women. Additionally, women now also have to contend with the consequences of inter and intra-state conflicts fuelled by globalised militarization. The vested interests of international finance agencies and UN bodies play a major role in impeding developmental endeavours. The combined forces of a market driven economy, the ecologically destructive activities of foreign corporations and climate change negatively affect sustainable development and nutritional security. Fifteen years after governments of the region committed to the BPfA the situation of women remains largely unchanged. In the face of these challenges, the women of the Asia-Pacific region stand united and demand of their respective governments equality of citizenship; policies and programmes focussed on sustainable development; security in the home and workplace; education and health facilities; livelihood security; political leadership and