Background and Context
With the recognition that gender equality is essential for achieving global peace, security, and sustainable development gender issues remain a critical area of focus. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted in 1948, laid the groundwork recognizing women’s rights as human rights, emphasising equality and non-discrimination as universal principles. The UDHR’s focus on equal rights for all people, regardless of gender, has shaped subsequent international treaties and declarations, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Ratified by 189 countries, CEDAW is one of the most widely endorsed treaties globally, addressing gender equality and women’s rights.
Another landmark event was the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), which emphasised the need for gender equality across all aspects of life, including political participation, economic development, and social inclusion. Since then, each and every international agreement including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Paris Agreement have reinforced the necessity of gender equality in global policy and practice.
Despite these advancements, significant challenges remain. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024, achieving full gender parity globally will take 134 years, far beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. Educational attainment faces a 20-year gap, while political empowerment lags 169 years behind. In South Asia, six out of seven nations rank below the top 100 in the Global Gender Gap Index 2024, with notable gaps in economic participation (38.8%) and political empowerment (26%). These figures reflect persistent disparities in leadership and labour force participation for women across the South Asia region.
Compounding these challenges is the traditional understanding of gender as a binary concept, limited to male and female. Contemporary perspectives now recognize gender as a diverse spectrum that includes identities such as non-binary, genderqueer, and transgender individuals. While global agreements have increasingly committed to inclusive development and the eradication of inequalities, those whose sexual orientation or gender identity and expression (SOGIE) deviate from societal norms are often excluded from development policies and international relations.
The SDGs emphasise the principle of leaving no one behind, underscoring the critical need to address the inclusion of SOGIE populations in international relations and development discourse. It is essential to recognise and integrate the unique challenges faced by these groups to ensure that development efforts truly encompass all individuals, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation
Gender in this broader sense is often overlooked in policy and practice frequently shaped by patriarchal norms and structures. This oversight not only undermines the rights of women, girls and SOGIE populations, it hampers the effectiveness of international policies, overall practice of governance. Global challenges of today, such as climate change, migration, and pandemics, have gendered dimensions requiring specific attention. For instance, the economic impact of COVID-19 on women has been profound and disproportionate. According to the UN, women globally lost more jobs and income during the pandemic due to their overrepresentation in sectors heavily affected by lockdowns, such as hospitality, retail, and informal work. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that women’s employment decreased by 4.2% in 2020, compared to 3% for men. Similarly, according to a report that was commissioned by Westminster Foundation for Democracy to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on LGBT+ activists and individuals in Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia found that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected LGBT+ individuals, making it more difficult for them to access financial resources, healthcare services, and other forms of government support after losing their jobs due to the pandemic.
While the global treaties for ensuring gender equality have been in place for nearly a century, the question remains: How effective has their implementation been? And with whom and where accountability lies. Despite significant progress in enshrining gender equality in the international agreements, practical implementation often continues to fall short. This gap highlights the need for stronger mechanisms that call for accountability in advancing gender equality.
Session Objectives
- Revisit key international treaties and agreements and review how they support advancing gender equality in the South Asia region
- Assess the progress made under these treaties and identify persistent challenges.
- Examine mechanisms for ensuring accountability and more effective implementation with specific reference to elements of governance
Session Plan
Duryog Nivaran aims to facilitate an interactive session that examines the role of international agreements in promoting gender equality from a South Asian perspective. This session will review the progress made under key treaties, identifying the challenges that have impeded significant advancements in the region. The session seeks to uncover enforcement gaps specific to South Asia and discuss strategies for overcoming obstacles to achieve more effective, inclusive, gender-responsive governance.
While we acknowledge the importance of addressing the broader spectrum of gender identities to ensure inclusive and equitable outcomes, this session will center on the progress and challenges related to women’s rights and gender equality.
Key International Treaties and Agreements that will be discussed
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Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995): The Beijing Declaration is a landmark global policy framework adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women. It outlines 12 critical areas of concern and calls for action to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. The declaration commits governments and the international community to strategic objectives, including eliminating violence against women, ensuring women’s access to education and healthcare, and promoting women’s rights in political and economic spheres. It remains a powerful reference point for advancing gender equality worldwide.
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Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in ASEAN (2004): Signed by the ten ASEAN member states, this political declaration underscores the region’s commitment to eradicating violence against women. Aligned with CEDAW and the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, it promotes regional and bilateral cooperation to address and eliminate gender-based violence. This declaration represents ASEAN’s unified effort to uphold women’s rights and reinforce gender equality across the region, emphasising the importance of collaborative action in combating violence against women.
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The SAARC Regional Action Plan on Gender Equality, adopted in 2008, is a strategic framework designed to promote gender equality and address gender-based violence across South Asia. This action plan highlights critical gender aspects by focusing on enhancing women’s legal rights, improving institutional support, and fostering regional cooperation. It aims to strengthen mechanisms for preventing violence against women, ensure equitable access to resources, and promote gender-responsive policies. By addressing these key areas, the plan seeks to advance gender equality and empower women in the South Asian region, reflecting a commitment to tackling persistent gender disparities and fostering inclusive development.
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The Paris Agreement – Adopted in 2015, the Paris Agreement is a landmark international treaty under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with efforts to keep it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The agreement emphasises the importance of gender-responsive climate action, recognizing that the impacts of climate change are not gender-neutral. It calls for gender equality, women’s empowerment, and the inclusion of women in decision-making processes related to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
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The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) is a global agreement aimed at reducing disaster risks and enhancing resilience. Emphasising the need for comprehensive and inclusive disaster risk management, the framework highlights gender equality as a crucial element. It recognizes that women and marginalised groups often face heightened vulnerabilities in disasters and stresses the importance of their active participation in disaster risk reduction efforts. By promoting gender-sensitive approaches, the Sendai Framework seeks to ensure that disaster resilience measures are equitable and effectively address the diverse needs of all communities.
Session Format
The session will use a combination of roundtable and lightning talk formats, featuring five experts who will delve/critique into the gender aspects embedded within key international treaties. Seating will be a horseshoe arrangement. The first speaker will give an overview in 10 minutes, and set the tone for the discussion, after which a Lightning Talk format will be used, where the other four presenters will make their presentation taking 5 minutes each. Each expert will present on the progress achieved, the challenges encountered, and the way forward, keeping it concise. Following the presentations, an engaging and thought-provoking discussion will be facilitated by a moderator among all participants. The format is designed to be informal, fostering active engagement and critical examination of these treaties, encouraging participants to contribute meaningfully to the dialogue. The idea is to ensure everyone, or as many as possible in the room, engages, however small their engagement might be.
Alignment with BCIS Festival Theme of ‘Where is Gender in International Relations”.
Date: 8 November 2024, from 1.00-3.00 PM
Venue: Bandaranaike Center for International Studies, Bauddhaloka, Mawatha, Colombo 7 The proposed session aligns seamlessly with the festival theme “Where is Gender in International Relations” by critically examining how treaties for gender equality ratified by the member States are translated into practice, and what are the persistent implementation challenges. The session will explore the current state of gender inclusivity in global governance, in international relations. By highlighting both progress and persistent challenges, this discussion will lead to identifying possible strategies for the way forward.
Organisers & Collaborators:
Lead organiser: Duryog Nivaran is a network of organisations and individuals united by a deep commitment to addressing root causes of risk and vulnerability and strengthening disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the South Asian region. Operating as a collaborative structure, DN comprises members, both individuals and organisations, across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Governed by a seven-member steering committee, DN advances its efforts towards realising its mission of promoting an alternative perspective on disasters and vulnerability as a basis for disaster mitigation in the South Asian region through research, advocacy and networking. Duryog Nivaran Website – https://duryognivaran.org/
Contact persons:
Madhavi Malalgoda Ariyabandu- member, Board of Directors Duryog Nivaran
Email: [email protected]
Theekshana Weerakkodi
Email: theekshana@duryognivaran@org
Phone:+94 768487922
Registrations are now open – https://bit.ly/3AbjfSn
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