|
ANNEXE-I
Minimum
Eligibility Criteria for External Credit linkage for an SHG
- Group in active existence for
over 6 months.
- Group size in the range of
12-20 members
- Minimum of two meetings
per month with minimum attendance of 75%
- Group (not individual members)
not a defaulter of bank loans
- Recovery, of both internal and
external loans, not less than 85%
- Availing of internal loans by
not less than 50% members
- Regular savings by all members
- Proper maintenance of books of
accounts.
Annexe
- II
Platform for
Action (PFA) - the Beijing Declaration
1.We, the Governments
participating in the Fourth World Conference on Women,
2.Gathered here in Beijing in
September 1995, the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the
founding of the United Nations,
3.Determined to advance the goals
of equality, development and peace for all women everywhere in the
interest of all humanity,
4.Acknowledging the voices of all
women everywhere and taking note of the diversity of women and
their roles and circumstances, honouring the women who paved the
way and inspired by the hope present in the world's youth,
5.Recognize that the status of
women has advanced in some important respects in the past decade
but that progress has been uneven, inequalities between women and
men have persisted and major obstacles remain, with serious
consequences for the well-being of all people,
6.Also recognize that this
situation is exacerbated by the increasing poverty that is
affecting the lives of the majority of the world's people, in
particular women and children, with origins in both the national
and international domains,
7.Dedicate ourselves unreservedly
to addressing these constraints and obstacles and thus enhancing
further the advancement and empowerment of women all over the
world, and agree that this requires urgent action in the spirit of
determination, hope, cooperation and solidarity, now and to carry
us forward into the next century.
We reaffirm our commitment
to:
8.The equal rights and inherent
human dignity of women and men and other purposes and principles
enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, to the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights
instruments, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on
the Rights of the Child, as well as the Declaration on the
Elimination of Violence against Women and the Declaration on the
Right to Development;
9.Ensure the full implementation
of the human rights of women and of the girl child as an
inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms;
10.Build on consensus and
progress made at previous United Nations conferences and summits -
on women in Nairobi in 1985, on children in New York in 1990, on
environment and development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, on human
rights in Vienna in 1993, on population and development in Cairo
in 1994 and on social development in Copenhagen in 1995 with the
objective of achieving equality, development and peace;
11.Achieve the full and effective
implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the
Advancement of Women;
12.The empowerment and
advancement of women, including the right to freedom of thought,
conscience, religion and belief, thus contributing to the moral,
ethical, spiritual and intellectual needs of women and men,
individually or in community with others and thereby guaranteeing
them the possibility of realizing their full potential in society
and shaping their lives in accordance with their own aspirations.
We are convinced that:
13.Women's empowerment and their
full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of
society, including participation in the decision-making process
and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of
equality, development and peace;
14.Women's rights are human
rights;
15.Equal rights, opportunities
and access to resources, equal sharing of responsibilities for the
family by men and women, and a harmonious partnership between them
are critical to their well-being and that of their families as
well as to the consolidation of democracy;
16.Eradication of poverty based
on sustained economic growth, social development, environmental
protection and social justice requires the involvement of women in
economic and social development, equal opportunities and the full
and equal participation of women and men as agents and
beneficiaries of people-centred sustainable development;
17.The explicit recognition and
reaffirmation of the right of all women to control all aspects of
their health, in particular their own fertility, is basic to their
empowerment;
18.Local, national, regional and
global peace is attainable and is inextricably linked with the
advancement of women, who are a fundamental force for leadership,
conflict resolution and the promotion of lasting peace at all
levels;
19.It is essential to design,
implement and monitor, with the full participation of women,
effective, efficient and mutually reinforcing gender-sensitive
policies and programmes, including development policies and
programmes, at all levels that will foster the empowerment and
advancement of women;
20.The participation and
contribution of all actors of civil society, particularly women's
groups and networks and other non-governmental organizations and
community-based organizations, with full respect for their
autonomy, in cooperation with Governments, are important to the
effective implementation and follow-up of the Platform for Action;
21.The implementation of the
Platform for Action requires commitment from Governments and the
international community. By making national and international
commitments for action, including those made at the Conference,
Governments and the international community recognize the need to
take priority action for the empowerment and advancement of women.
We are determined to:
22.Intensify efforts and actions
to achieve the goals of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for
the Advancement of Women by the end of this century;
23.Ensure the full enjoyment by
women and the girl child of all human rights and fundamental
freedoms and take effective action against violations of these
rights and freedoms;
24.Take all necessary measures to
eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and the girl
child and remove all obstacles to gender equality and the
advancement and empowerment of women;
25.Encourage men to participate
fully in all actions towards equality;
26.Promote women's economic
independence, including employment, and eradicate the persistent
and increasing burden of poverty on women by addressing the
structural causes of poverty through changes in economic
structures, ensuring equal access for all women, including those
in rural areas, as vital development agents, to productive
resources, opportunities and public services;
27.Promote people-centred
sustainable development, including sustained economic growth,
through the provision of basic education, life-long education,
literacy and training, and primary health care for girls and
women;
28.Take positive steps to ensure
peace for the advancement of women and, recognizing the leading
role that women have played in the peace movement, work actively
towards general and complete disarmament under strict and
effective international control, and support negotiations on the
conclusion, without delay, of a universal and multilaterally and
effectively verifiable comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty which
contributes to nuclear disarmament and the prevention of the
proliferation of nuclear weapons in all its aspects;
29.Prevent and eliminate all
forms of violence against women and girls;
30.Ensure equal access to and
equal treatment of women and men in education and health care and
enhance women's sexual and reproductive health as well as
education;
31.Promote and protect all human
rights of women and girls;
32.Intensify efforts to ensure
equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for
all women and girls who face multiple barriers to their
empowerment and advancement because of such factors as their race,
age, language, ethnicity, culture, religion, or disability, or
because they are indigenous people;
33.Ensure respect for
international law, including humanitarian law, in order to protect
women and girls in particular;
34.Develop the fullest potential
of girls and women of all ages, ensure their full and equal
participation in building a better world for all and enhance their
role in the development process.
We are determined to:
35.Ensure women's equal access to
economic resources, including land, credit, science and
technology, vocational training, information, communication and
markets, as a means to further the advancement and empowerment of
women and girls, including through the enhancement of their
capacities to enjoy the benefits of equal access to these
resources, inter alia, by means of international cooperation;
36.Ensure the success of the
Platform for Action, which will require a strong commitment on the
part of Governments, international organizations and institutions
at all levels. We are deeply convinced that economic development,
social development and environmental protection are interdependent
and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development,
which is the framework for our efforts to achieve a higher quality
of life for all people. Equitable social development that
recognizes empowering the poor, particularly women living in
poverty, to utilize environmental resources sustainably is a
necessary foundation for sustainable development. We also
recognize that broad-based and sustained economic growth in the
context of sustainable development is necessary to sustain social
development and social justice. The success of the Platform for
Action will also require adequate mobilization of resources at the
national and international levels as well as new and additional
resources to the developing countries from all available funding
mechanisms, including multilateral, bilateral and private sources
for the advancement of women; financial resources to strengthen
the capacity of national, subregional, regional and international
institutions; a commitment to equal rights, equal responsibilities
and equal opportunities and to the equal participation of women
and men in all national, regional and international bodies and
policy-making processes; and the establishment or strengthening of
mechanisms at all levels for accountability to the world's women;
37.Ensure also the success of the
Platform for Action in countries with economies in transition,
which will require continued international cooperation and
assistance;
38.We hereby adopt and commit
ourselves as Governments to implement the following Platform for
Action, ensuring that a gender perspective is reflected in all our
policies and programmes. We urge the United Nations system,
regional and international financial institutions, other relevant
regional and international institutions and all women and men, as
well as non-governmental organizations, with full respect for
their autonomy, and all sectors of civil society, in cooperation
with Governments, to fully commit themselves and contribute to the
implementation of this Platform for Action.
Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW)
The year 2000 will mark twenty
years since the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was opened for ratification.
The Preamble links women’s rights to human rights.
The preamble of the CEDAW
Convention recalls that the basic principles of the United Nations
include faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity of the
human person, and in the equal rights of men and women. It reminds
the international community that all human rights treaties
concluded by the United Nations and its specialized agencies
entitle men and women to enjoy equally the rights they enshrine.
It notes that specific instruments have been adopted to promote
the principle of equality between men and women. It acknowledges,
however, that extensive discrimination against women continues to
exist and emphasizes that this discrimination violates the
principles of equality of rights and respect for human dignity. It
further states that discriminatory practices impede the
participation of women in all aspects of the life of their
countries on an equal basis with men, which hampers the increased
prosperity of their society and families. CEDAW defines
discrimination against women. The Convention concerns
discrimination against women rather than discrimination on the
basis of sex. Discrimination against women includes any
distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex
that affects women’s enjoyment of political, economic, social,
cultural, civil or any other rights, irrespective of marital
status, on an equal basis with men. It obliges states to take
concrete steps to eliminate discrimination against women. States
that ratify CEDAW are obliged not only to condemn all forms of
discrimination against women, but also to implement various
measures towards its elimination. Ratifying states must also
embody the principle of equality in their national constitutions
or other laws and adopt legislative and other measures, including
sanctions, as appropriate. States must establish legal protection
against discrimination through national tribunals and other public
institutions. Public authorities and institutions in ratifying
states are to refrain from discriminatory practices. States must
modify or abolish existing laws, customs and practices that
discriminate against women, as well as penal provisions that
amount to discrimination against women. The state must do all it
can to ensure the full development and advancement of women so
that they can exercise and enjoy human rights and fundamental
freedoms equally with men. Unlike other human rights treaties,
CEDAW does not solely address actions by the state or its
agencies. States are obliged to take all appropriate measures to
eliminate
discrimination against women by
any person, organization or enterprise. This provision makes CEDAW
unique, because international human rights treaties are usually
limited to the conduct of the state or its agencies. CEDAW allows
for temporary affirmative action measures. States are entitled to
adopt temporary special measures to accelerate equality for women.
This allows for the introduction of affirmative action or positive
discrimination until the objective of equality has been
achieved. In any event, special
measures aimed at the protection of maternity will not be regarded
as discriminatory.
It recognizes the role of culture
and tradition, and calls upon states to eliminate sex role
stereotyping. The Convention recognizes the influence of culture
and tradition in restricting women's enjoyment of rights. It
provides, therefore, that states are to take appropriate measures
to eliminate sex role stereotyping and practices that stem from a
concept of the inferiority or superiority of one sex over the
other. Family education should teach the common role of both men
and women in the upbringing of children, which must, in all cases,
be governed by their best interests. CEDAW requires states to
suppress all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of
prostitution. States must take all measures, including
legislation, to suppress all forms of traffic in women and
exploitation of prostitution. The Convention defines traffic in
women broadly to include sexual slavery, generally and by the
military, the deception of migrant women, and "mail
order" and false marriages. States are obliged to take
measures to prevent women and girls from resorting to prostitution
for survival.
The Convention addresses
discrimination in political and public life. States must eliminate
discrimination against women in the political and public life of
the country. Women must be entitled to vote, to be eligible for
election, to participate in the formulation of government policy
and to hold office on an equal basis with men. Women must be
eligible to participate in non- governmental and other
associations, including political parties, trade unions and
professional associations, on an equal basis with men. Women must
be given equal opportunity to represent their governments and to
participate in the work of international organizations, such as
the UN and its specialized agencies. CEDAW addresses the rights of
women and their children in relation to nationality.
Women must be granted equal
rights with men to acquire, change or retain their nationality.
Women’s nationality should not be automatically changed, nor
should they be forced to change their nationality nor be rendered
stateless if they marry an alien or if their husbands change their
nationality. Women shall also have equal rights with men where the
nationality of their children is concerned. In obliging states to
eliminate discrimination in education, CEDAW deals not only with
access to education, but also with its substance. Discrimination
against women in education is to be eliminated. Women and girls
should receive career and vocational guidance at all levels, in
rural as well as urban areas, access to curricula, examinations,
teaching staff, premises and equipment on the same basis as men
and boys.
Stereotyping shall be eliminated,
by the active encouragement of co-education and particularly
through the revision of textbooks and school programmes and
adaptation of teaching methods. Women shall have the same
opportunities to benefit from scholarships and other study grants
and for access to programmes of continuing education, including
adult and functional literacy programmes. Efforts are to be made
to reduce the numbers of female students who drop out and to
provide programmes for those who
have left school prematurely. The same opportunities to
participate in sports and physical education is to be provided as
well as access to specific educational information to ensure the
health and well-being of families. It recognizes the right to work
as a human right. Women are to be ensured equal rights with men in
employment. The right to work is declared to be an inalienable
right of all human beings. Women have the same rights as men to
free choice of profession and employment, job security, benefits
and vocational training and retraining. States must ensure the
right to equal pay and equal treatment for work of equal value, as
well as equal social security benefits and paid leave.
Women shall have the right to
protection of health and safety at work, which must include
safeguarding reproduction. Special protection shall be provided
for women during pregnancy, but any protective legislation with
regard to employment shall be reviewed periodically and revised,
repealed or extended as necessary. States must prohibit
discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy, maternity leave or
marital status; they must introduce paid maternity leave, without
loss of employment, seniority or social allowances. States should
encourage the provision of social allowances and support services,
such as child-care facilities, that enable parents to combine
family life, employment and participation in public life. CEDAW is
the only international treaty whose provisions cover family
planning. The first of three provisions, which concern
reproductive choice, constitute the only international treaty
obligations relating to family planning. States agree to provide
educational information and advice on family planning. States are
required to provide women and men equal access to health care and
family planning. Women shall also be ensured pregnancy,
confinement and post-natal services, free of charge if necessary,
and adequate nutrition during pregnancy and lactation. The
Convention addresses discrimination in economic, social, and
cultural life. It requires states to eliminate discrimination
against women in areas of economic life not touched on by other
provisions of the Convention. In particular, women are to be
granted the same rights as men to family benefits, bank loans,
mortgages and other forms of family credit. Women are to have the
same rights as men to participate in recreational activities,
sport and all aspects of cultural life. CEDAW is unusual in
obliging states to eliminate discrimination in the areas of
financial services and recreation: it imposes on states the duty
to regulate the activities of third parties that, in many cases,
are not state agencies. It addresses, in particular,
discrimination against rural women.
States undertake to eliminate
discrimination against women in rural areas so that they may
participate and benefit from rural development equally with men.
Specifically rural women are ensured the equal right to
participate in development planning, to have access to health care
facilities, to benefit from social security programmes, to obtain
formal and non-formal education and training, to organize
self-help groups and co- operatives in addition to participating
in community activities. Rural women are ensured equal rights to
adequate living conditions, including housing, sanitation,
electricity, water supply, transportation and communications.
CEDAW guarantees equality before the law. Women are to be accorded
the same legal status as men in civil matters. Women shall have
the same right to enter into contracts, administer property and
receive equal treatment in courts and tribunals. Any contract or
private agreement that limits the legal capacity of women shall be
null and void. Women are ensured freedom of movement and the right
to choose their residence and domicile on an equal basis with men.
"Equality before the
law" includes marriage and family law. States shall ensure
equality in marriage and family relations. Women shall have the
same right to enter marriage as men on the basis of free and full
consent and have equal freedom to choose their spouse. States are
obliged to set a minimum age for, and registration of, all
marriages. The betrothal of a child shall have no legal force.
Women shall be accorded equal rights with men during marriage and
at its dissolution. Women shall have equal right to their children
and in the number and spacing of their children, as well as the
access to information and means to make decisions in this area.
They shall have the same rights
as men in guardianship, wardship and adoption. Women will also
have the same rights as their husbands in choosing a family name,
profession or occupation and in ownership, management and disposal
of property. CEDAW creates a 23-member committee to implement its
provisions and monitor compliance. The implementation of the
Convention is monitored by the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women. The CEDAW
Committee is composed of 23
experts of high moral standing and competence in the fields
covered by the Convention. Committee members are nominated by
their governments, and are elected by secret ballot by state
parties to the Convention. In this election, consideration is
given to equitable geographical distribution, as well as to
representation of different civilizations and legal systems. These
experts serve in their personal capacity, not as delegates or
representatives of their countries of origin. States are required
to report to the Committee on their efforts to meet CEDAW’s
goals. Within the first year of ratification or accession, and
every four years thereafter, states are expected to submit a
national report to the Committee, indicating the measures they
have adopted to carry out the provisions of the Convention. During
its annual session, the Committee shall discuss these reports with
the Government representatives and explore with them areas for
further action by the specific country. The Committee also makes
general recommendations to the states parties on matters
concerning the elimination of discrimination against women. States
are entitled to ratify or accede to the Convention with
reservations. Reservations may not be incompatible with the object
and purpose of the treaty.
Reservations may be withdrawn at
any time. Any dispute between states regarding the interpretation
of the Convention may be submitted to arbitration or, if the terms
of the arbitration cannot be agreed upon within a six-month
period, to the International Court of Justice.
BACK
|
