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UNGASS Declaration Champions Women's Empowerment New York (Unifem) - Perhaps the most pervasive message that is woven into the Declaration of Commitment unanimously signed at the UN Special Session of HIV/AIDS in June 2001, was that gender equality and women’s empowerment are a pre-requisite to stemming the tide of the epidemic. As the preamble stresses: ''[Gender] equality and the empowerment of women are fundamental elements in the reduction of the vulnerability of women and the girls to HIV/AIDS. '' The preamble also notes that while people in developing countries are the most affected, it is ''women, young adults and children, in particular girls, [who] are the most vulnerable”. The Declaration steers well away from categorizing women as victims, and identifies gender inequality and the lack of women’s empowerment as a key causal factor. And so we find under the section heading, “Reducing Vulnerability”, for instance, a direct link between gender inequality and the spread of HIV: “Empowering women is essential for reducing vulnerability.” Many of the goals and targets - both implicitly and explicitly – incorporate gender issues. For instance, under the heading, “Leadership”, national governments are asked, inter alia, to address by 2003, gender and age-based dimensions of the epidemic and to ensure the full participation of people living with HIV/AIDS. It notes women and young people in particular in the context of vulnerable groups and those at risk, and calls for the integration of a gender perspective. One of the goals under the heading “Prevention”, includes the need to intensify effort to “...challenge gender stereotypes and attitudes, and gender inequalities in relation to HIV/AIDS, encouraging the active involvement of men and boys.” This latter is a key approach to over coming gender approach. For example, by 2005 to “promote the advancement of women and women’s full enjoyment of all human rights; promote share responsibility of men and women to ensure safe sex; and empower women to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality to increase their ability to protect themselves from HIV infection; ensure the reduction of women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS through the elimination of all forms of discrimination, as well as all forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful traditional and customary practices, abuse, rape and other forms of sexual violence, battering and trafficking in women and girls.” A different goal under this heading implicitly addresses women’s rights under such caveats as “inheritance.” The lack of legal provisions for women to inherit land and assets from the deceased husbands, leaves widows destitute in many parts of Africa. Legal reform backed by implementation mechanisms will go a long way to prevent the downward spiral of poverty experienced by women and children. It is hoped that governments will pay due attention to the goals and targets when apportioning funding for the epidemic, and that the concept of “gender budgeting” will be incorporated, in order to ensure that adequate funds are allocated in order to match and implement policies that incorporate a gender perspective. The Declaration is marred by the absence of adequate attention to reproductive rights, and the lack of emphasis on government to develop and put in place sexuality education in schools, clinics, community outreach programmes etc. In
addition, government delegates failed to reach consensus on identifying
vulnerable groups by category, such as sex workers or men having
sex with men. This lack
of recognition of the different groupings that constitute the “vulnerable,”
means that governments can choose to ignore one or another, thereby
limiting or even violating their enjoyment of human rights. In the final analysis, however, the Declaration of Commitment provides an important and major step towards the realization of human rights throughout the world for women, both infected and affected. Follow up is now the key. This is helped immeasurably by the clarity of the goals, and provides entry points at many levels to implement and monitor progress towards achieving their ambitious but absolutely critical goals and targets.(END/UNIFEM) |