Marilyn Thomson Presentation - Irish Consortium on Gender Based

The Post-2015 Agenda Dr Marilyn Thomson

Guiding Research Questions What are the limitations of the MDG framework in terms of addressing GBV? What lessons can be drawn from the MDG experience? What are the key opportunities and obstacles to ensuring GBV is addressed through a new framework? What are the current debates in relation to effectively and meaningfully addressing GBV post-2015? What type of framework would be most suitable to ensure that GBV is included?

The Millennium Development Goals GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL

1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8:

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other disease Ensure environmental sustainability Develop a global partnership for development

Goal 3 - Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women Target:

Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005, and in all levels of education by 2015

Indicators:

• Ratio of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary

education • Ratio of literate females to males of 15-to-24-year-olds • Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector • Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments

Strategic priorities to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment 1. Strengthen opportunities for post- primary education for girls while meeting commitments to universal primary education. 2. Guarantee sexual and reproductive health and rights. 3. Invest in infrastructure to reduce women’s and girls’ time burdens. 4. Guarantee women’s and girls’ property and inheritance rights. 5. Eliminate gender inequality in employment by decreasing women’s reliance on informal employment, closing gender gaps in earnings, and reducing occupational segregation. 6. Increase women’s share of seats in national parliaments and local governmental bodies. 7. Combat violence against girls and women. UN Task Force

GBV – The Missing Dimension Violence reinforces gender inequalities Violence is a result of unequal power relations Violence restricts women’s ability to use their capabilities and take advantage of opportunities

Examples of gender based violence One woman in four has been physically or sexually abused by her intimate partner. 70 million - 140 million girls and women have undergone some form of female genital mutilation/cutting( FGM/C). Over 64 million young women 20–24 years old were married before aged 18, the majority in South Asia. At least 800,000 people are trafficked across borders every year: 79% are women and girls. Trafficked women and girls are often raped, drugged, assaulted or threatened with violence. The brutal murder of women solely because of their gender is on the increase in many countries. In a backlash against the women’s movement, women human rights defenders are increasingly being targeted. In the aftermath of conflict and during post-conflict transition women and girls face particular challenges as a result of gender based violence.

View from the front line “In Pakistan there has been a limited interpretation of the MDGs – even the specific Goal 3 is restricted. Gender equality goes beyond education and poverty and gender roles are critical regarding women’s control of land and the division of labour. Gender based violence is very important in every sector.” Ishrat Jabeen Programme Manager Trócaire, Pakistan

GBV – an obstacle to reach MDG3 Girls who are victims of violence are less likely to attend and complete school. Sexual harassment of school girls by teachers, peers, and others can lead to parents keeping their daughters out of school. Early marriage is a barrier to secondary school progression for girls.

Proposed Core Dimensions in a new post 2015 agenda Inclusive social development Environmental sustainability Inclusive economic development Peace and security The UN Task Team

Recommendations for the Post 2015 Agenda 1: A framework based on human rights 2: A twin-track approach 3: Benchmarks and indicators 4: Increased gender analysis and disaggregation of data 5: A global partnership for development 6: Ensuring that women’s voices are heard

1. Based on Human Rights The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) The Beijing Platform for Action UN Security Council Resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889

2. A twin-track approach A standalone gender equality domain with targets on ending violence

Integrating a gender focus into other development goals; including addressing violence.

3. Benchmarks and Indicators on different forms of violence Killing of women by intimate partners Economic-emotionalpsychological violence as part of intimate partner violence Female infanticide Crimes committed against women in the name of “honour”

Dowry-related violence Forced marriage Sexual harassment Conflict/crisis-related violence against women sexual exploitation Trafficking Femicide

4. Gender Analysis & Disaggregation of Data National surveys should include all ethnic and population groups, including migrant and refugee women and girls Data are disaggregated according to gender and a range of characteristics such as: ethnicity, age, disability, legal status and location

A global partnership for development Financial resources for women’s organisations Increased support and funding for gender based violence initiatives globally Listening to women Women’s empowerment Engaging men and boys to end violence

Finance for Development Gender budgeting: to identify spending priorities for governments and track resource allocation for GBV programs in the health, education, welfare, and judiciary sectors Increased funding should be made available internationally for initiatives to tackle GBV, especially prevention work, women’s participation and advocacy activities

Empowering Women “Women on the ground have to be at the centre of a new framework, but often the women who are affected by violence haven’t been empowered enough to be engaged as agents of change in the process. We need to support and empower women on the ground to get access to resources, access to justice and services.” Salome Mbugua, CEO AKIDWA, Ireland