International: Time for Governments to Account for their Actions on Gender Equality

Fifteen years after the signature of the Beijing Platform for Action, women representing European governments and civil society organizations met last week in Cadiz, Spain, to assess progress made and point out new challenges on the way to gender equality. UNIFEM highlighted the need for accountability for action on commitments made by governments at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.

Coinciding with the Spanish Presidency of the European Union (EU), the city of Cadiz hosted the second European Summit of Women in Power on 3 February, followed by the European Women's Forum: Beijing +15 on 4-5 February.

At the Summit, 23 women ministers representing 17 EU countries signed the Cadiz Declaration, a commitment to further mainstreaming gender equality at national and international levels. During the Forum, representatives from EU governments and women's organizations analyzed the degree of compliance with the strategic objectives and measures established in the Beijing Platform for Action.

Participants in the Forum agreed that progress had been made in certain areas, such as women's access to higher education and improved awareness and implementation of policies against gender-based violence. However, much remained to be done on many points, such as women's access to decision-making, sexual and reproductive health rights, gender stereotypes, equal payment for equal work, and male involvement in domestic and care work.

UNIFEM Executive Director Inés Alberdi said at the closing ceremony of the Forum that the time had come for governments to account for their actions on the commitments made in Beijing. “We need to assess what has been achieved until now and strengthen our efforts to obtain results in all areas of concern of the Beijing Platform, in order to enable all women – especially poor women – to share the benefits of gender equality.”

Alberdi highlighted the need for funding to implement gender equality and expressed concerns about the effects of the current economic crisis on women. “We need to guarantee that women have the same opportunities as men to benefit from economic stimulus measures, from access to employment and domestic investments to cash transfers to impoverished households,” said Alberdi.