Engendering Course of Actions
Reflecting the Beijing Platform for Action 1995: Through VAWIP lens
The Beijing Platform for Action is a broad-based agenda which seeks to promote and protect women’s human rights worldwide, simultaneously establishing the principle of shared power and responsibility between men and women in all forums and arenas. 197 governments adopted the Platform, which was elaborated at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. The 12 Critical Areas of Concern addressed by the Platform include women and poverty; education and training of women; women and health; violence against women; women and armed conflict; women and the economy; women in power and decision-making; institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women; human rights of women; women and the media; women and the environment; and the girl child.
Pursuant to the category Women in Power and Decision-Making Diagnosis, commendable recommendations and action points are made by the Platform in an effort to ensure women’s equal access to and full participation in power structures and decision-making, as well as to increase women’s capacity to participate in decision-making and leadership. In the category “violence against women” the definition of violence against women is provided, as well as several suggestions for combating the issue. However, while both these issues impact are relevant to women in politics, nowhere in the Platform is the issue of VAWIP directly addressed.
In one study conducted on the implementation of the Platform by Licuanan it was noted that globally, women’s representation in the legislature, judiciary and policy making bodies has remained low. Globally there is a small increase in the presence of women represented in government offices. Only 16 countries in 2004 were able to reach the target of 30% government representation; only a few women have gained senior leadership positions and continue to lack the support they need to advocate women’s concerns. The report noted that women officials continue to be assigned stereotyped roles in the government, such as children’s or women’s affairs, social affairs, education and health, and rarely hold senior positions in the defence, finance ministry or foreign affairs.
