with Dr. Gertrude Mongella, Secretary General of the Beijing Conference

on 14 April 1999, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the UN Conference Hall

There were brief introductions about the emergent UNDAF’s focus on reducing gender inequalities and decentralisation and the gender related changes that have occurred in India since Beijing. A summary of the areas supported by the UN Inter-Agency Working Group on Gender and Development in India was also presented.

Dr. Mongella reminded the gathering that Beijing did not seek to create a blissful world but one that recognises both men and women and deals with the change of relationship between them aimed at enabling both to be treated as human beings. She felt that the 5-year time frame since Beijing had been too short to take adequate stock of the achievements made and tackle all aspects (e.g. while focusing on the election of women we forgot to train to be able to function in positions of power). However, she felt it had been a crucial period for laying the foundations. What should be measured is how much work on the commitments made in Beijing has already been done.

In the context of the foundations that had already been laid in India, Dr. Mongella stressed that one should not deal in the realm of the individual but try to change the political, social and economic systems that placed one at a disadvantage. Such an approach would allow greater access for women to a number of different areas. She said that men and women are both victims of society (men = positive victims and women = negative victims) and that decentralisation in India should devolve power to both men and women. She suggested that the value of the Panchayati Raj system be closely examined and that the UN system should work to improve and support the PRI system, helping to bring more women into it.

In terms of economic empowerment, Dr. Mongella saw India’s population as a long-term benefit as a powerhouse of human resources and in terms of a domestic market for small enterprise to raise incomes of the marginalised. In deciding where to make development interventions Dr. Mongella stressed the need to look at the situation holistically and through a lifestyle approach. Change should occur while one is socialising the new generation in a different way. There should be linkages at all levels and one must look where the most impact can be garnered. She said that laws should also be changed to provide the basis for people to be able to speak out. She also commended gender budget initiatives being undertaken in several countries. She summarised by asking the question, how can we rectify and speed up the opportunities lost in the past 5 Years since Beijing?

• Gender thinking should be decentralised within the UN System by solving gender inequalities within the UN System worldwide.

• The roles played by the UN System, Government and NGOs since Beijing need to be looked at and there needs to be better collaboration and coordination between these three groups. The UN system is seen to have a catalytic and advocacy role. The roles of these three groups should be reconsidered and their comparative advantages should be brought out to strengthen the synergies and impact. The UN System should fulfil the major need for advocacy and to highlight what has worked and what hasn’t for gender equality in order to strengthen links and apportion credit and blame where it belongs.

• The methodology and concept of any gender mainstreaming strategy should be clear on what "gender" really is and build on the commonalties of people, not their differences (i.e. class, caste, etc.).

• Equality between men and women still needs to be addressed but so does equality between women themselves (urban/rural, haves/have nots).

• Incorporating the Gender perspective in every initiative and entity is important, to change male mindsets (including through programmes for men).

• Political, economic and social empowerment of women are all important. Political reservations in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) were the first step. Education is most important for social empowerment but money is not the only factor in economic empowerment, the priorities and mindsets must change.

• Elected women Panchayati Raj Institution members are the first generation of beginners and already there are some very positive examples. Women’s participation at the National level should be encouraged.

• Solving gender issues requires sensitisation of men and women in decision making, administration and the MEDIA and the recasting of structures so that women are can take maximum advantage of the system and from the relatively recent sharing of power. This requires training and empowering women in political structures. Additionally, work on the wider issues of war and peace should be encouraged.

• To give women members of local governance institutions space to speak, a rule should be enacted to ensure that only elected members attend district and other meetings.

• Look at the PRIs through the lifecycle approach and you will find that building self-confidence is most important for empowerment (especially for women suffering from violence). Something should be done to instil pride in women and women PRI representatives should be trained and encouraged.

• Grassroots women’s movements should be strengthened and supported to make them stronger.

• SAARC alliances should be strengthened to enable them to address cross-border issues like trafficking etc.

• Economic change marginalises women especially in the small scale and domestic sector. Women must be empowered to be economically independent and a system must be created to allow for and achieve this.

• Strong backward and forward linkages (including product marketing) are required to help motivate and strengthen women’s Self-Help Groups.

• The barriers that are holding women back should be identified and removed. There is a need for integration and convergence of a variety of areas. This process should be strengthened by awareness building and with interventions to empower people (i.e. literacy) and NGOs should be strengthened and supported with information and a resource base in order to enact social change.

• Awareness should be created as well as education imparted.

• The women’s equality component in the National Education Policy seems to have been forgotten.

• Participatory approaches are important as is the need to build awareness from the tribal point of view.

• The Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), Government of India, with Mr. A.K. Sinha representing the Secretary, Mrs. Kiran Aggarwal, sees the possible areas of cooperation with the UN System as the three focus areas of the 3 UN IAWG on Gender & Development Sub Groups: capacity building and sensitisation, mainstreaming, gender data, social mobilisation through Self-Help Groups. They requested the UN system to document events since Beijing and the unfinished agenda (including action points for NGOs) by sponsoring a study. The UN System was also seen as the appropriate platform for interactions between the DWCD and representative NGOs.

• Women NGO confederations should be given consultative status with the Government both at National and State levels.

Implications for UNDAF

• The UN System should continue to follow-up on Beijing by helping to document events, achievements and unfulfilled commitments since Beijing. They should also catalyse and facilitate collaboration and convergence/integration (including Regional) between the UN system, Government and civil society towards achieving the goals set at Beijing.

• In addition to reducing gender inequalities, the UN should work towards equality among women.

• The UN System should assist with the sensitisation and training of men and women decision-makers, implementers, and the media. Special attention should be placed on the training of women PRI representatives and NGOs and community-based organisations working for women (including confidence building and to protect themselves against violence).

• The UN System should continue to advocate for changes in policies (including women’s political participation at the National level) and laws and about gender issues in general. They should work towards the education of females throughout their lifecycle, supporting the most impactful interventions and the use of participatory approaches. The UN System should continue to facilitate civil society/Government interactions and dissemination of good practices and lessons learned.

Perhaps the single most important outcome of the rich discussions (including helpful interventions by the five Members of Parliament present, as well as by leading activists and civil society representatives) was the conclusion that significant progress HAD been made in India on the gender front as a direct result of the Beijing process. The reservations for women at the PRI level (the announcement of which preceded Beijing) has been the most important development for India and the impact is being concretely felt in the post Beijing 5 years so far. It must therefore not be denigrated at any cost, especially by spreading the generally unsubstantiated view that women coming into the local governance process were "unempowered mouthpieces" of a masculine nexus. Let us celebrate and build on the big step forward, not pick holes in it!     
         

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