By Tara Scott (AW Central Scotland)
The UN brings into focus issues which need to be discussed, analysed and resolved, as they are affecting people on a global level. The Beijing+25 Regional Review meeting was focused on the current status of women. The consensus is that while progress has been made during the last 25 years, there is still a long way to go to reach gender parity, respecting women the same as men are respected for their multitude of contributions to society, and giving women their full rights to make decisions from the direction they wish to take with their lives to what they need to do to protect their own wellbeing.
While governments around the world include more female politicians, and there is more legislation to increase gender equality and protect women, some individuals would like to reverse previously made progress, made evident at a recent UN Security Council meeting by member states campaigning to exclude any references to ‘sexual and reproductive health’.
Asa Regner, UN Women Deputy Executive Director, stated that more funding is needing to progress towards gender equality. Even progressive governments do not yet have gender parity, and equal pay for equal work as well as disparity in pensions continue to stand out in nations striving for equality. Women who believe whole-heartedly in improving living conditions for women and girls in their countries risk their lives to advocate for changes.
Women have much to contribute when it comes to the global stage; they just need the door to be opened as fully as it is for men. The Azerbaijan representative stated that her country is trying to encourage more girls to go into computer science. She stated that there is an increase in the number of women who are financially autonomous, as the number of female entrepreneurs has increased to 35%. Uzbekistan has taken a closer look at improving equality within its borders by creating and strengthening laws which give women protection and improve equal rights. Uzbekistan’s representative stated that there needs to be a change in the mindset of its society to help make full equality a reality there. Sweden, which is leading all other nations in gender equality, would like to address the issue of fewer women in STEM occupations by training school counsellors to encourage girls/young women to go into this field. It has centres of rehabilitation which provide women with legal training so they can be aware of their rights, budgeting, and conflict management with a strategy to help women believe in themselves.
This is true the world over: there needs to be a change in mindsets. Women should not be subjugated to an outdated patriarchal way of thinking. Women belong in politics, deserve to be safe, their needs respected, and they deserve to be seen and treated as equals to men.
I attended a session on Violence against Women and Girls and how to support women and girls who have been assaulted. I was impressed with Belgium’s centres for rape victims. They try to reduce women experiencing additional stress after a horrific experience by providing holistic treatment in one place. People who are specially trained to work with abused women and girls take them through the process to first receive emotional support, assess physical injuries and collect evidence in the least invasive manner as possible, provide forms to report the incident, and then answer questions by the police as well. Victims continue to receive support as they need it from the centre.
Hearing Civil Society representatives speak when the floor was opened, I was reminded how others are not only dealing with discrimination due to gender, but to another degree because of being of a different race. Two women in particular spoke of the struggles women who are minorities face that are not faced by others. I feel that for all women to attain gender equality, racial inequality needs to be addressed at the same time. The representative for Indigenous People at the conference reminded me of how many indigenous women throughout North American are abused, abducted and murdered. I am glad she mentioned it as I feel that more attention needs to be given to this issue as well.
It is important for gender equality to become a reality in order for the other SDGs to become a reality. Women are key players in bringing the SDG goals to fruition, they need to be given an equal voice within government and be empowered to act to make the necessary changes this world needs.