As an acknowledgement to the increasing role of NGOs in the development processes, The United Nations Development Fund for Women, (UNIFEM), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Center for Arab Women Training And Research in Tunisia (CAWTAR) have collaborated in the production of the Arab Regional report on 10 Years after Beijing: The Role and Contribution of the Arab NGOs. The report aims to highlight the involvement of NGOs in development with particular emphasis on their contribution to the implementation of the Beijing Platform for action mainly in the areas of: Gender based violence, legal rights, women’s health and reproductive health, political participation and economic security . In addition to the major successes, the report sheds light on some of the constraints and challenges facing the region and civil society organizations.
International Women’s Day this year marks a crossroad for women. A decade after the Beijing Conference in 1995, the signs of progress are many in the Arab Region and Jordan in particular. There is growing recognition that gender equality is a prerequisite for the eradication of poverty and the promotion of reproductive rights and health, and sustainable development, as stated in the Millennium Declaration. Women’s Human Rights – monitored and upheld by the convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, including combating gender-based violence and other harmful practices (CEDAW) is now on every major agenda in the region as many countries have signed and/or ratified the convention.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Beijing Conference, the United Nations General Assembly held its 49th session during the period 29th of February – 11th of March of 2005, to review the progress achieved in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action as reflected from the national reports submitted by the various governments and NGOs.
Ensuring the human rights for women is essential to achieving all of the internationally agreed goals for development and peace including those contained in the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set women’s empowerment & gender equality as a standalone target to be achieved by 2015. The other MDGs covering poverty eradication, achieving universal education, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases and environment sustainability are also crucially important for women.