Integrating gender equality issues in the post-2015 framework
African CSOs are joining hands with the UN and governments to define the post-2015 development framework. The African co-chair of the Post 2015 High Level Panel, President Sirleaf of Liberia, has expressed her personal commitment to bringing women's voices onto the process. What is the role of a new development framework in ensuring sexual and gender based violence is prevented and eliminated in Africa and globally?
During the upcoming 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), an emerging issue for discussion is: Key gender equality issues to be reflected in the post-2015 development framework. As an NGO with special accreditation with the UN-ECOSOC, ACORD will be hosting a parallel civil society event dealing with this topic.
CSW57 parallel event on integrating gender equality issues in post 2015 development framework
When: Monday 11 March 2013 at 2.30 p.m.
Where: Chapel 1st Floor, Church Center for the UN, 777 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017.
Speakers and topics
Sering Falu Njie, Deputy Director Policy, United Nations Millennium Campaign Opportunities for civil society engagement |
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Ousainou Ngum, Executive Director, ACORD |
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Ngone Diop, Chief, Gender and Women in Development, African Centre for Gender and Social Development Building on achievements and lessons learnt from the MDGs |
As the 2015 deadline for the MDGs draws ever closer, a range of stakeholders are mobilising to formulate their successor, a new defining framework for international development. Meanwhile many countries are making notable progress towards MDG3- especially on gender parity in primary school education and number of seats held by women in parliament. For sustained advances, cultural transformation aimed at addressing the negative perception in society to gender equality and women's empowerment is required.
How could a new
international development framework from 2015 onwards contribute to more
focused efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women
and girls?
Current proposals
from gender advocates say that for sexual and gender based violence to be
integrated, the new framework must be rights-based. Governments should be
expected to implement into national law international agreements and human
rights conventions on gender issues. Beyond this, there is the challenge of
proposing specific targets and indicators for gender based violence. It is also
important that gender equality and women's rights be mainstreamed in all
development interventions.
How could we ensure the
post 2015 agenda brings out the needs of the grassroots and citizens
themselves, in particular women and girls?
Different from the
way the MDGs came about, there is the wish that the development of the post
2015 framework be participatory. Civic driven change explores and communicates
a perspective of change in societies that stems from citizens - social
movements - rather than markets or states; and advocates for locally-owned solutions
to poverty eradication and social justice, beyond aided development;
positioning civic-driven change as a positive alternative methodology for the
post-2015 agenda process. What
implications and opportunities does a citizen-based development framework have
for SGBV? How could the post-2015 framework include provisions for women and
girls to shape development policy aimed at preventing and mitigating SGBV?
A Monrovia African CSO Forum in October 2012 concluded with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf accepting to host a CSO
Secretariat within her office, mandating ACORD to set this up. The CSO
secretariat is aimed at facilitating African CSOs' entry into high level spaces
and optimally contributing to strategic documents and processes of the Post
2015 consultations. The secretariat, through its CSO
members, will facilitate widespread consultations with grassroots communities
across Africa, with the aim of bringing marginalized voices to the fore in
debates over a new framework. President Sirleaf, co-chair
of the Post-2015 High Level Panel, has a solid understanding of women's rights
and SGBV given her country is coming out of war.
The event will share feedback from consultations that
have taken place in communities affected by SGBV, explore the implications for
a new framework and give an update on ongoing post 2015 processes. It
will look at how African CSOs are working in partnerships to leverage, opportunities
for promoting some proposals for integrating GBV into a post-2015 framework,
while ensuring a wide and meaningful participation of the grassroots themselves.
ACORD is presenting a total of 5 parallel events during the CSW57th. Get list of events with time and location here.