Gender, the MDGs, and Womens Human Rights in the 2005 Review Processes

1
Gender, the MDGs, and Womens Human Rights in the
2005 Review Processes

• GAD Network
• Members Meeting
• 7 October 2004

2
Background and Context

• Lots of talk about linkages
• But question posed by GADN has not been answered
  elsewhere
• Huge amount of material available
• Range of expertise among GADN members found in
  interviews

3
Why we need to change the debate on gender, human
rights MDGs

• Arguments around gender MDGs
• Gender is important central to achievement of
  MDGs
• Gender is an efficient way of achieving MDGs
• On the margins a radical feminist critique
• Major point of confusion are MDGs a tool, a
  process, an indicator, all, none?
• What matters about the MDGs is how they are used,
  by whom and for what purpose

4
Conceptual Approach
Development Gender Equality are Human Rights
Human Rights Gender Equality are part of
process to achieve Development
Human Rights Gender Equality are tools to
achieve Development
States have treaty obligations to pursue human
rights development is the result of the
realization of human rights
Development enlarges choices and leads to
realization of human rights
Development leads to economic growth
MDGs
Debate about Means
Conflict about Ends
5
The Millennium Declaration the MDGs

• Human rights treaties and the Millennium
  Declaration are the birthplace of the MDGs
• BUT
• Indicators a narrow definition of development
• Monitoring a narrow definition of progress
• Development model conflict and incoherence
  development as economic growth
• Gender model women as instruments

6
Cautious reasons for optimism regarding the MDGs

• More nuance and debate within development policy,
  planning and practice
• They have captured global attention and political
  will
• Civil society is engaging

7
The 2005 Reviews Mapping Engagement
8
The 2005 Reviews Opportunities Threats
9
Linking MDGs, Gender, and Human Rights
Conceptually
ICESCR
CEDAW

• Immediate Obligations
• Gender equality and non-discrimination
• To pursue a policy of non-discrimination gender
  mainstreaming

• Immediate obligations
• Non-infringement of enjoyment of rights
• Non-retrogression on rights
• Non-discrimination
• Take steps towards progressive realization
• Meet core obligations

BPFA

• Core obligations
• Housing
• Adequate Food
• Basic Education
• Primary Health Care
• Water

Substantive analysis of the rights guaranteed
under CEDAW
10
MDGs Core Obligations
11
Linking MDGs, Gender, and Human Rights In Practice
Monitoring
Political Will
Analysis
Accountability
Policy Analysis
Description
Policy-making
Participation
12
A Way Forward Reframing the MDGs as human rights
obligations

• States have defined obligations on the
  achievement of human rights
• Non-discrimination and equality ? discrimination
  (de jure and de facto), indivisibility of rights,
  in public and private sphere
• Non-infringement
• Non-retrogression
• Take steps towards progressive realization ?
  gender mainstreaming
• Meet core obligations
• Empowerment of people to participate in
  development processes
• Established process of monitoring progress and
  holding governments to account