Ann Marie's Blog

Let’s Talk About It and Then Step It Up: UN CSW59 Review

by Ann Marie Morrow, AWC Finland

I remember when I was about 8 years old being asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I answered, “A boy!”. Why did I give this answer? I remember thinking that if I could just be a boy, then I could be anything I could dream of. I could be an astronaut, a football player, a baseball player or even the president! Nothing could hold me back. I knew even back then that gender mattered. Now in 2015 it matters less than it did back then, especially in Western countries, but it still matters. That is exactly why we still need organizations like UN Women to help track and support gender equality around the world.

Thanks to FAWCO, a participating UN NGO, my daughter and I were privileged to be able to attend a conference at the United Nations in New York City in March that addressed the Status of Women. UN CSW59 2015 was the official name - the UN’s 59^th Commission on the Status of Women. This is a follow-up conference every year that brings together governmental and non-profits from around the world to reaffirm the UN’s and therefore the world’s commitment to making sure that all of the world’s population has the same economic, political and social rights. This year was especially important because the 15 year Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be built upon into new 15 year Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Many times we heard the quote, “Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights.” Hillary Clinton said this in 1995 as she addressed the 4^th World Conference on Women in Beijing, and it is a mantra for those addressing gender inequalities. Another famous American woman quoted at the conference was Susan B. Anthony. She stated, “To men, their rights, and nothing more; to women, their rights, and nothing less.” Another quote from a Kenyan MP I heard that I loved was, “One woman can represent all women better than all men can represent one woman.” These quotes represent the spirit that permeated the two-week conference.

My daughter commented that it was amazing that we were in a room where virtually someone from every nation on Earth was represented. It was an intoxicating atmosphere. The cornucopia of cultures, languages and dress was overwhelming. The fantastical headwear of some women from Africa amazed me. Everyone was so open, warm and happy; they were hugging, kissing, taking pictures and videos together. I heard that this is the most popular conference at the UN all year. I learned how even one small country that had only four staff at their consulate in NYC was overwhelmed with 70 delegates coming to attend the conference. This is clearly a hopping place to be.

While everyone acknowledged that progress on gender issues has been uneven and sometimes has even fallen short of MDGs and no country has achieved gender equality, the overriding feeling was of positivity and solidarity amongst the women and men attending.

I have to say that it seemed that the female MPs from African countries were amongst the most optimistic I met there. Americans were much more pessimistic about the state of affairs and progress. “Africa Rising!” was heard many times at a session we attended given by KEWOPA, a group of Kenyan Women Parliamentarians. Did you know that it is in the 2010 Kenyan Constitution and Bill of Rights that no more than 2/3rds of any legislative or decision making body can be made up of one gender? This rule has passed a Supreme Court test there too. Several female Kenyan MPs were there to share their best practices and the story about how they got this instituted and how they are striving towards gender equality. During that session, we saw MPs from South Sudan and Zimbabwe stand up and tell about their own stories of success with this same kind of rule in their countries. Female MPs from Morocco and other parts of the world clamored for cooperation with these strong Kenyan pioneers. It truly was an inspiring session where progress towards gender equality was tangible.

Why in the West do we sometimes feel like we have achieved equality when the statistics show we haven’t? Domestic and sexual abuse is still rife; as many as 1 in 3 women and girls will be affected. Women lead only 5% of Fortune 500 companies and only 3% of Scandinavia’s largest companies, women on average are paid less for the same work, only 9% of peace negotiators are women, and the list goes on and on. My daughter suggested that because we in Finland and the US have had legal equality about important issues for so long (voting, citizenship and property rights, etc.); we do not remember to keep fighting for the other issues of gender equality. There is more work to be done for sure, and I think reminding everyone of it and talking with our friends, our daughters and sons about it, is an important step in achieving it.

The new goal for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls agreed to at the closing of this conference is Planet 50:50 by 2030! If we can achieve that, then childhood dreams will depend only on what you can dream of and not what gender you are born. So, let’s step it up for Planet 50:50 by 2030!