Women Outline Vision of the Future

By Qurratul-Ain-Tahmina

Sharp. Reflective. Fiery. This was the panel comprising more than half a dozen veterans of the Women's Action Agenda 21, the platform which insisted on the inclusion of gender perspectives in the official agreement of the 1992 Rio Summit.

The women launched a five-point agenda on the opening day of the Johannesburg Summit.

Coordinated by the New York-based Women's Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO) and the Brazilian Network of Human development (REDEH),
women's organisations from across the globe worked to update the chapter on women in Agenda 21, which they described as “the spark of activism” that had led them through the last ten years. Now, through this 'Women's Action Agenda for a Healthy and Peaceful Planet 2015' they seek more and effective involvement of women in the decision-making process for sustainable development.

Participants were also sharply critical of the Johannesburg Summit, complaining about a lack of access by NGOs and fearing that it would be overtaken by a "corporatist and trade agenda".

The organisers said they regarded U.N. development goals to be the very minimum required for a better world.

“It's a moment to celebrate our journey since 1992,” said Thais Corral, the chair, as she opened the discussion.

The women see the summit as an opportunity to raise their voices for the causes without which they believe, sustainable development is unattainable. These are, in short, peace and human rights, globalisation for sustainability, access and control of resources, environmental security and health, and ultimately governance for sustainable development.

June Zeitlin, the executive director of WEDO described the document as the “embodiment of women's ideas, views, and solutions”.

The panelists, however, were rather disappointed with this summit. While introducing these issues, activist Vandana Shiva, one of the drafters of the 1992 agenda, said this summit was a regression from all that was achieved in 1992.

“For example, the rich and the powerful are getting rid of all the legally binding commitments secured in RIO. In the changing scenario what we need now is not just an Action Agenda,” she said “but to make it a vision-agenda.”
Referring to President Mbeki's opening speech she said: “A whole new concept of apartheid is palpable not just in terms of rich and poor, but also in terms of who is getting access to this very conference.”

“We need an agenda,” said Shiva, “with a vision that everyone has a right to minimal sustenance -- to equitable sharing of earth's resources. The Agenda 21 of Rio was conceived on these principles. But now in this summit a trade and commerce agenda overrules.” Criticising the “lack of transparency of the partnerships that are being promoted and forged between corporations and governments behind the people's back”, she called this summit “an ultimate example of corruption”.

One of the major issues in the agenda is gender mainstreaming, but with a new vision of a gender sensitive society. While charting out the issue of access and resource control, the agenda says the World Trade Organisation should undertake a gender and social impact assessment of all intellectual property rights regimes and instruments.

While implementation was the ultimate goal, the women's platform will now try to incorporate their views and points in the declaration of the summit. The discussants pointed out that these were not new demands, and that some of them have already been decided on, but what is lacking is action.

“To me, the most important thing is for women to get organized in pushing for a better world for our children. This is an agenda for a better world for all of us. And we need commitment. Commitment in vision, for clarity of that vision, and for resolution of purpose,'' said Jocelyn Dow from Guyana, the president of WEDO.