Statement of Ms. Elaine Conkievich, Head of UN Women MCO Central Asia, on the occassion of UN Day celebration in Kazakhstan
Date:
Dear Deputy Minister,
Dear Mr. Tull,
Dear Ambassadors,
Dear Colleagues and friends,
As I have recently rejoined the UN family again, I am honored to address you today on this very special day for us, UN Day, in effect the birthday of the UN. As one gets older birthdays are a time to reflect on the past and to make wishes for the future.
As we reflect, I would like to note that the UN brought into the international development agenda, and remains seriously focused, on promoting gender equality and women’s human rights as principles to ensure sustainable human development. Yesterday UN Women with its partners completed 2 days of intensive consultations from the 5 Central Asian countries - women activists, NGOs and partners from governmental institutions – where we assessed progress reached by each of the Central Asiancountries in the area of promotion of gender equality and women’s human rights. We referred to progress and challenges of implementation of the international commitments introduced by the UN Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, otherwise known as CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action adopted in 1995 for which next year Beijing +20 will be a core focus of our common work.
Our discussions over the last 2 days, showed that there are still serious gaps and obstacles in regardsto progress in Central Asia, expected 20 years after the Beijing conference, including:
A review of indices that measure progress towards gender equality provides a useful snapshot of the Central Asian region as a whole. The various indices present a similar picture: high achievements in female education are characteristic for the region, but they are offset by a relatively high maternal mortality rate, low level of women’s political empowerment and women’s limited economic opportunities. The Gender Inequality Index (GII) places a value on disparities between females and males based on five indicators in the areas of reproductive health, the labor market and empowerment. The 2013 Gender Inequality Index values for the Central Asian countries indicate that there is a more than30% loss in development achievements due to gender inequalities.
In addition, the Central Asian countries face threats of internal and cross-border conflicts arising from a scarcity of natural resources, in particular, conflicts over water, gas and energy supplies; organized crime, which is linked to trafficking in illicit drugs, arms and people; religious radicalization, sometimes in parallel with “anti-gender” movements and campaigns; and economic insecurity.
One of the most important outcomes of the meeting UN Women organized over the past 2 days was to provide women activists from the 5 countries with the space to develop a joint vision on how to improve accountability for the gender related commitments that each country has made at the international level. The participants agreed that thestates and the international community must transform their declarative commitments into practical actions, which will yield results. They pointed out that without the allocation of financial resources, these commitments on improving the status of women and girls cannot be achieved. They highlighted the fact that increasing women’s participation in political office - meaning, the number of women in national parliaments, is only the first step, and by itself this achievement does not necessarily improve women’s role in decision-making.There is a critical need to ensure women’s meaningful participation in setting priorities in their countries. The participants also called for increasing prosecution of cases of early and forced marriages, recognition of sexual violence within the national legislation, andthe introduction of a system of family courts to protect the rights of women and children. Participants appealed for the inclusion of women, and especially attention should be paid to the situation of female labor migrants and stateless women, when new inter-state agreements, such as customs and economic unions, are developed, to ensure that women’s rights are protected.
By sharing these women’s position and concerns with you, I would like to point out that the new post-2015 international development agenda is expected to include a stand-alone transformative goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment, plus a commitment to the comprehensive integration of gender equality measures across all the goals. The year 2015 forces us to revisit these issues and to re-energize our determination to make gender equality a reality.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is our most comprehensive implementation strategy and the most progressive blueprint ever, for advancing women’s rights. You can help us to implement it and use it as your guide in your parliament. It remains a powerful source of direction and inspiration.
In March next year, at the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, a detailed report on the status of women 20 years after the Beijing Declaration, based on reports submitted by 154 countries will be presented. At the session, each Head of State will be asked to commit to a better future for women, 20 years after Beijing and to indicate how the new commitments will be resourced. We encourage Kazakhstan, which last year was elected as a member of the Commission for the period 2014-2018, to be a leader in the attainment of true gender equality.
Kazakhstan is well placed to lead this process as it has shown political will to promote gender equality and women’s human rights in line with international standards as it has translated these standards into national action plans and legislation on domestic violence and gender equality. We encourage Kazakhstan to move forward in the development of a National Action Plan to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
Kazakhstan is a country of huge potential, as can be seen by the fact that Kazakhstan provides financial contributions to UN Trust Funds on Gender Equality and Eradication of VAW as well as technical and financial assistance to countries in the region.
Thus in conclusion, my wish on this UN Day, that we celebrate together, is that Kazakhstan be the driving force in the achievement of gender equality not only in Kazakhstan, but also in the region.
Thank you.
Dear Mr. Tull,
Dear Ambassadors,
Dear Colleagues and friends,
As I have recently rejoined the UN family again, I am honored to address you today on this very special day for us, UN Day, in effect the birthday of the UN. As one gets older birthdays are a time to reflect on the past and to make wishes for the future.
As we reflect, I would like to note that the UN brought into the international development agenda, and remains seriously focused, on promoting gender equality and women’s human rights as principles to ensure sustainable human development. Yesterday UN Women with its partners completed 2 days of intensive consultations from the 5 Central Asian countries - women activists, NGOs and partners from governmental institutions – where we assessed progress reached by each of the Central Asiancountries in the area of promotion of gender equality and women’s human rights. We referred to progress and challenges of implementation of the international commitments introduced by the UN Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, otherwise known as CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action adopted in 1995 for which next year Beijing +20 will be a core focus of our common work.
Our discussions over the last 2 days, showed that there are still serious gaps and obstacles in regardsto progress in Central Asia, expected 20 years after the Beijing conference, including:
- Clear differences between rural and urban areas in terms of women’s ability to access key resources and opportunities. Progress made in creating employment opportunities for women and providing services to survivors of domestic violence, for example, are slower to reach women in rural settings; likewise, gender stereotypes are often more entrenched in rural areas as compared to large cities.
- The Central Asian countries recognize the fact that some women and girls face greater marginalization than do others, for example women with disabilities. According to a survey conducted by an NGO among almost 600 women with disabilities in Tajikistan, almost two-thirds of respondents (64%) had no education. Inclusive education is not well-developed in Central Asia, and many children with special needs remain at home. Girls with disabilities are less likely to receive education due to negative attitudes and discrimination based on both gender and disability.
- Women are generally employed in unskilled work, in agriculture and service industries, including in domestic work, where they are at risk for labor exploitation.
- According to data collected by the Russian Federal Migration Service, women from Central Asia account for 14% of all labor migrants, but experts place the figure at closer to 30%. Female migrants are vulnerable to exploitation and often cannot access state services, such as healthcare, due to their lack of official residency status.
- Although there have been a variety of initiatives to address gender stereotypes, concepts about the “appropriate” roles for women and girls continue to impact many areas of their lives, including the decision to take up leadership positions, educational choices and their ability to balance formal employment with domestic responsibilities.
- Advocates for women’s rights have raised specific concerns about the influence of religious extremism and patriarchal norms, which reinforce gender stereotypes and areseen to have led to a revival of practices that subordinate women, for example, early or polygamous marriages.
A review of indices that measure progress towards gender equality provides a useful snapshot of the Central Asian region as a whole. The various indices present a similar picture: high achievements in female education are characteristic for the region, but they are offset by a relatively high maternal mortality rate, low level of women’s political empowerment and women’s limited economic opportunities. The Gender Inequality Index (GII) places a value on disparities between females and males based on five indicators in the areas of reproductive health, the labor market and empowerment. The 2013 Gender Inequality Index values for the Central Asian countries indicate that there is a more than30% loss in development achievements due to gender inequalities.
In addition, the Central Asian countries face threats of internal and cross-border conflicts arising from a scarcity of natural resources, in particular, conflicts over water, gas and energy supplies; organized crime, which is linked to trafficking in illicit drugs, arms and people; religious radicalization, sometimes in parallel with “anti-gender” movements and campaigns; and economic insecurity.
One of the most important outcomes of the meeting UN Women organized over the past 2 days was to provide women activists from the 5 countries with the space to develop a joint vision on how to improve accountability for the gender related commitments that each country has made at the international level. The participants agreed that thestates and the international community must transform their declarative commitments into practical actions, which will yield results. They pointed out that without the allocation of financial resources, these commitments on improving the status of women and girls cannot be achieved. They highlighted the fact that increasing women’s participation in political office - meaning, the number of women in national parliaments, is only the first step, and by itself this achievement does not necessarily improve women’s role in decision-making.There is a critical need to ensure women’s meaningful participation in setting priorities in their countries. The participants also called for increasing prosecution of cases of early and forced marriages, recognition of sexual violence within the national legislation, andthe introduction of a system of family courts to protect the rights of women and children. Participants appealed for the inclusion of women, and especially attention should be paid to the situation of female labor migrants and stateless women, when new inter-state agreements, such as customs and economic unions, are developed, to ensure that women’s rights are protected.
By sharing these women’s position and concerns with you, I would like to point out that the new post-2015 international development agenda is expected to include a stand-alone transformative goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment, plus a commitment to the comprehensive integration of gender equality measures across all the goals. The year 2015 forces us to revisit these issues and to re-energize our determination to make gender equality a reality.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is our most comprehensive implementation strategy and the most progressive blueprint ever, for advancing women’s rights. You can help us to implement it and use it as your guide in your parliament. It remains a powerful source of direction and inspiration.
In March next year, at the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, a detailed report on the status of women 20 years after the Beijing Declaration, based on reports submitted by 154 countries will be presented. At the session, each Head of State will be asked to commit to a better future for women, 20 years after Beijing and to indicate how the new commitments will be resourced. We encourage Kazakhstan, which last year was elected as a member of the Commission for the period 2014-2018, to be a leader in the attainment of true gender equality.
Kazakhstan is well placed to lead this process as it has shown political will to promote gender equality and women’s human rights in line with international standards as it has translated these standards into national action plans and legislation on domestic violence and gender equality. We encourage Kazakhstan to move forward in the development of a National Action Plan to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325.
Kazakhstan is a country of huge potential, as can be seen by the fact that Kazakhstan provides financial contributions to UN Trust Funds on Gender Equality and Eradication of VAW as well as technical and financial assistance to countries in the region.
Thus in conclusion, my wish on this UN Day, that we celebrate together, is that Kazakhstan be the driving force in the achievement of gender equality not only in Kazakhstan, but also in the region.
Thank you.