SETTING GLOBAL STANDARDS FOR GENDER EQUALITY

·
Jumai Ahmadu argues that gender equality is central to good governance and economic growth

· Gender equality remains the cornerstone of good governance and a strong foundation for economic growth and the importance of women’s inclusion in enhancing Africa’s political, social, and economic development.

· Founded in 1946, the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), is the biggest global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to promoting gender quality and empowerment of women.

· This year, this biggest gathering of gender quality advocates in the world, the annual session of the CSW convened ministers, high-level government officials and civil society representatives at the UN in New York. It was held for two weeks in March to discuss progress, identify challenges, set policies and also set global standards on gender equality and the rights of women and girls.

The gathering is dedicated to feminists and women rights activists and advocates, to move the needle on gender quality and bring to the fore the power and potential of women and girls everywhere.

· The CSW is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Helpline Foundation for the Needy Abuja is also in consolidation status with Ecosoc Arm of the United Nations. This year’s parallel event is focusing on the priority theme of the Africa Women Conference 7th Edition in Addis Ababa titled “Reviewing the Economic, Social and Political Inclusion of Women and Girls in Africa’s Development Agenda” to deliberate on ways to achieve the following resolutions made:

· Build synergy and collaborations between governments to promote knowledge sharing and gender equality as a means to enhance the overall well-being of women and girls and opening up access to learning opportunities.

· The necessity to challenge cultural, religious, and societal norms that limit women’s educational and economic progress, particularly in the context of advancing the women’s agenda.

· Promoting Digital Technology for Gender Equality and encourage women to take online courses for economic empowerment and leadership capacity building.

· The importance of women’s access to quality healthcare and family planning, as well as their position to contribute to the economy.

· The NGO CSW Forum however, which runs parallel to and complements the UN CSW, and is a separate process with separate organizers, is organized by and for global civil society, non-governmental organizations, and feminists to connect them with the official UN CSW process.

· Since 1996, the CSW has also played a role in monitoring the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted by the United Nations in 1995, which to date forms the most progressive international agenda for advancing women’s rights and gender equality.

· The CSW notably focuses on the protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). In 2014, during its 58th session, the Commission affirmed “to ensure the promotion and protection of the human rights of all women and their sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights, recognizing that human rights include the right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free from coercion, discrimination and violence”.

· These rights include, among others, access to safe and modern methods of contraception, emergency contraception and safe abortion.

· Focus 2030, which will be represented on this 68th CSW occasion, has identified several initiatives.

· These game-changing issues are being addressed at the 2024 CSW session, where its 45 members and thousands of participants from around the world will be focusing on the theme “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”.

· The provisional agenda and Zero Draft conclusions of the 68th CSW call on governments to integrate a gender perspective into all development financing, notably through the adoption of gender-sensitive budgets and the equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes. The expansion of national fiscal space to favour investments aimed at eliminating poverty among girls and women is also encouraged, particularly through the reform of multilateral development banks, the strengthening of national and international tax policies, and the fulfilment of the commitment to allocate 0.7% of the gross national income of industrialized countries to official development assistance.

· Since 2018, CSW has addressed such challenges as climate change, gender-based violence, and ensuring women’s full participating in decision-making and in sustainable development strategies.

· Adopting multi-year programmes of work to appraise progress and make further recommendations to accelerate the implementation of the Platform for Action, CSW sends its negotiated agreed conclusions to ECOSOC for action.

· With a view to reaching all women and leaving no one behind, the Commission also contributes to the follow-up to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to accelerate the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

· Solutions to end women’s poverty are widely recognized. From investing in policies and programmes that address gender inequalities and boosting women’s agency and leadership to closing gender gaps in employment. Doing so would lift more than 100 million women and girls out of poverty, create 300 million jobs and boost the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 per cent across all regions.

· Countries must endeavour to review their electoral laws and ensure the voices of women and girls are heard.

· Dr.Jumai Ahmadu, Ag. Director, FCTA, is Founder of Helpline Foundation for the Needy