INTERNATIONAL: Gender in Times of Crisis: New Development Paradigm Needed

Social Watch, an International Network of Civil Society Organizations (NGOs) monitor and report on all issues which; have impact on social justice all over the world. This is one of Social Watch Reports published in 2011.

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The Arab region: economic empowerment for women

Contrary to the myth of a single homogenous “Muslim World,” women's groups in the Arab region have been pushing for transformation from within their communities, fighting against conservative interpretations of Islam that deny gender equality and for gender justice at the local level. Despite the common culture, there is a marked difference among Arab countries in terms of implementing the Beijing Platform. This can be traced back to several factors, including the way in which different countries interpret religious texts in relation to women, which are reflected in the personal status laws and the responsibilities that they are allowed to exercise outside the boundaries of home and family.
Although all Arab States have signed and ratified the CEDAW, they have done so with so many reservations that the purpose of the convention is defeated. Other countries, such as Afghanistan, for example, have ratified the Convention but have never submitted a report to the CEDAW Committee.
Much has been said about the role religion plays in the region especially in terms of the advancement of women. The use of the word “fundamentalisms” to refer to conservative interpretations of Islam has long
been debated by feminists in the region14 and new initiatives are emerging that seek to reform Muslim Family Law from within.15 Women's groups in the region acknowledge that a lack of political will – rather than religious tradition – is the main obstacle to increasing women's participation in positions of leadership.
In December 2009, a number of women's organizations held a regional consultation meeting in Cairo to evaluate the achievements and challenges faced in the Arab region since the adoption of the Beijing Platform. The regional meeting included 235 women's rights leaders and civil society representatives from 14 countries and concluded by outlining future priorities in the Arab region towards the fulfillment of the Beijing Platform.

Although women's labour force participation has increased in this region, it is still very low compared to other regions, and there is a high level of economic dependency with all the social consequences this implies. Women are often employed in the informal sector, and when they own their own businesses, they usually do not actually manage them, having to leave this to a male family member.

When they are in formal employment, they typically are paid less than their male colleagues, although few countries collect this data.

The Arab region is by no means immune to the effects of the global economic crisis which resulted in economic slowdown and affected people's ability to exercise their human rights. Some women's rights advocates argue that the current crisis has given governments the chance to change their macroeconomic policies to facilitate greater investment in advancing gender equality. Others have questioned this strategy arguing that in Muslim contexts, policies and programs to support women's empowerment cannot be effective if their implementation is blocked by forces located between women and the State institutions – such as traditional and religious customs and practices.

Asia Pacific: progress and pending issues

In October 2009 organizations and networks from the Asia Pacific region representing a broad section of women and girls gathered at the NGO Forum on Beijing +15 and reaffirmed the Beijing Platform as a strategic document for women and girls' empowerment, human rights, peace, human security and gender-inclusive development. The Forum also identified the concurrent crises in development, debt, climate change, food security, conflicts and finances, and increasing violence against women as having the most severe impact on the rights of women and girls across the region.

The Forum also highlighted the ratification of the CEDAW in all but four countries – Brunei Darussalam, Nauru, Palau and Tonga – as a positive step.

Additionally, several countries in the region such as Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines in South-east Asia; and India, Nepal and Bangladesh in South Asia now have National Action Plans to combat violence against women. Laws and policies are being adopted to strengthen women's economic security and rights in such vital areas as decent work and access to credit and markets. Some countries adopted quotas or other affirmative measures to increase women's representation in political decision-making in a number of countries, such as Afghanistan, Indonesia and Timor Leste, while others took steps to improve health outcomes for women and girls and implement measures to reduce gender gaps in literacy and in primary and secondary education.

Despite these advances, the Forum recognized the enormous and complex challenges still facing women and girls in the region and the struggle to cope with recurrent crises. Participants were especially concerned about the impact of these crises on women's rights. Participants called for sub-regional economic integration and national development plans that rest on the principles and practices of ecological sustainability, food sovereignty, financial inclusion, universal social protection, economic solidarity and fair trade.

Conclusion

The needs of women and girls today go beyond advancing the Beijing Platform for Action and implementing CEDAW to include sustainable development planning that places human well-being at the core.
Regional forums such as the Asia Pacific NGO Forum point out to the need for sub-regional economic integration and national development plans that rest on the principles and practices of ecological sustainability, food sovereignty, financial transparency, universal social protection, economic solidarity and fair trade.
This global recession is a perfect time to create a new model of development in which gender equality and social inclusion must be a key priority. It is necessary to rethink macroeconomic models based on keeping inflation low and deficits in check and recognize that a growing economy demands livable wages and the contribution of all people to economic productively. This also requires the recognition that a productive economy depends on an extensive care economy in which the main workforce is female. The time has come for a new development paradigm with equal rights and equal opportunities for everyone.