There are many examples worldwide of women rising to the top in the workforce and in politics – but the struggle for equality and human rights for all women everywhere has not yet been won. That was the message from Juliet Colman, President of UNIFEM UK, addressing a Greencoat Forum at the IofC centre in London on 10 October.
Colman gave an in-depth analysis of the world-wide work of UNIFEM, the women's agency at the United Nations. UNIFEM works in partnership with other UN agencies, governments, NGOs, the media and the private sector to promote women’s rights and provides ethical expertise and funding for projects to further women’s development. Its budget is a modest $US 50 million but this year its work will reach women in more than 100 developing countries.
Colman said the four main strategic areas in which UNIFEM worked were: achieving gender equality in democratic governance; reducing feminised poverty; ending violence against women; and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS. She said that in the West, since the 1960's, there has been a surge of women into employment, higher education and positions of political leadership. “We have women heading up FTSE 100 companies and a while ago we had a Prime Minister who was a woman, even though she thought she was a man,” she said. She reported that since 1970 women have held two out of three new jobs. In the 1950s only one third of women worked - now it is two thirds. This applies to Sweden, France and the US as well as the UK. The trend is spreading to other parts of the world. In South-East Asia economic success is due primarily to women, who hold two thirds of the jobs in the export industry, the region’s most dynamic sector. Gender equality and the empowerment of women in developed countries are because of equal opportunities in education, health and the work place. This has led to a rise in the power of women, who are increasingly becoming directors, managers and entrepreneurs. “This is just the beginning,” Colman said. “The potential for women is huge and yet there is constraint. Is it because women don't have the skills, the experience, or is it because in their own minds the top is unachievable, or is just not desirable?” Although there are many heartening examples of women claiming power – in Afghanistan’s elections a year ago a quarter of all parliamentary seats were reserved for women and in Iraq a 25 per cent female representation was secured in the elections – there are many obstacles to women in developing countries moving out of poverty. This is due to discrimination in education, training, hiring, access to credit and the right to own and inherit property and land. Two thirds of the world’s estimated 876 million illiterates are women and it is estimated women own a mere one to two per cent of all titled land worldwide. Colman quoted the UNIFEM report on Women, Work and Poverty 2005 as concluding: “Unless efforts are made to create decent work for the global informal workforce the world will not be able to eliminate poverty or achieve gender equality.”
She also spoke about the ending of violence against women, including domestic violence, honour killings, dowry murders and acid attacks. UNIFEM offers grants to innovative projects which work to combat violence against women. Referring to Jack Straw's controversial comments about the wearing of the veil, she emphasised that there was no requirement for this in the Koran and said: “It could be too easy to hide a bruised face behind the black material.” Colman also highlighted the work of UNIFEM on reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS amongst women and girls. In sub-Saharan Africa young women account for three out of four of all 15- to 24-year-olds living with HIV and the numbers are rising. Colman concluded by stating that the issue, from UNIFEM's point of view, was how to implement strategies and practices on a scale large enough to turn the tide for gender equality and women’s rights. The evening ended with a lively discussion on women’s rights and empowerment not only worldwide but also in Britain.
Pam Jenner
English