Monday, 9 September 2013 00:00
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Preamble
We, the women from, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, gathered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 23 and 24 August 2013, for the Fifth Annual Conference of the South Asia Women’s Network (SWAN), dedicated to the theme ‘Gender Equity for Peace and Sustainable Development for the Women of South Asia,’ and organised in partnership with the Sri Lanka Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC), Colombo, with the support of the South Asia Foundation (SAF) and Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi;
Recognise the common problems that women of South Asia face, irrespective of their religious beliefs and ethnicities. They include poverty, poor maternal and child health, low educational achievements and illiteracy, violence, social injustice, economic discrimination, lack of ownership or inadequate control over resources, tremendous vulnerability during and after environmental disasters and armed conflicts;
Recognise the overlapping financial, economic and ecological crises have seriously weakened the capacity of our governments to overcome the issues they face; and agree that even though the UN’s Millennium Development Goal targets made some contribution to change, their inability to take a holistic approach or to go beyond the simple growth-oriented model of development to address issues of inequality has led to the persistence of these crises, and failed to address the problems faced by women.
In this context, we emphasise that gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment are central and fundamentally important, even a prerequisite for bringing in sustainable development through the post-2015 Development Agenda.
Vision, Mission and Strategy
Vision is to achieve sustainable development for South Asia, where women play equal and equitable roles with men in the socio-political, economic, technological and environmental sectors. SWAN believes in gender equality, justice, respect, dignity, and inclusive and democratic governance at the individual, family, community and society, national and regional levels.
Mission is to promote and support a sustainable future for all through collective civil society action with women taking the lead in advocating for a new paradigm of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that recognises the centrality of women’s role and women’s rights in finalising the post-2015 Development Agenda.
Strategic approach towards bringing in sustainable development for the women of South Asia is based on developing partnerships across South Asia to make policy recommendations, nurture leadership and build capacity for change.
SWAN’s methodology of implementation is through intervention programs in identified sectors, that to create consensus among the women of South Asia on policy recommendations, and which will be the building blocks towards implementing SWAN’s Roadmap for Sustainable Development for the women of South Asia. SWAN works through eight sectoral networks, also called SWANs, dealing with the Environment; Arts and Literature; Women in Peacemaking; Health, nutrition and food sovereignty; Education; Crafts and Textiles; Finance, livelihoods and entrepreneurship development; and Women in Media. These networks will be grouped to work on interventions that will lead to socio political, economic and ecological sustainability.
The SWAN structure for implementation is outlined in the Roadmap for Sustainable Development for the Women of South Asia.
I. The New Socio-Political Order
South Asia is richly endowed with an ancient cultural, spiritual, intellectual and civilisational heritage, combined with a young population that can yield tremendous demographic advantage. Yet, the many of the countries in the region are faced with low human development indices, and deep structural and socio-cultural conflict. SWAN is convinced that patriarchy and the discrimination and non-participation of our women is at the core of this situation and seeks to empower the women of South Asia to enable them to realise their full potential as equal citizens in their respective countries.
SWAN’s New Socio-Political Order emphasises:
=Enhanced women’s capacity to lead and to play a constructive role in governance at all levels; including increasing women’s political participation and grassroots political activism.
=Women playing a strong role in peacemaking and conflict-resolution; especially finalising the South Asia Women’s Peace Charter, increasing women’s involvement in peace dialogues and conflict resolution processes and addressing the particular needs of conflict-affected women and children
=A social order that has eliminated violence against women (VAW) in all its different forms and manifestations, including the trafficking of women and children. SWAN will focus on changing the perception of violence against women as a ‘private matter’ in the process of implementing legislation and work on improving women’s access to justice.
=A policy commitment by all South Asian governments to the education of the girl child and to maintaining an appropriate level of state investment in all levels of education, including adult education for women; a school curriculum that mainstreams gender issues, avoids gender stereotyping and provides knowledge on youth sexuality and a school environment that has appropriate facilities for girls and boys and is free from harassment.
=The preservation of the cultural diversity of the region and the implementation of development strategies that are culturally sensitive, but which do not reinforce patriarchal norms; recognising that the preservation of and promotion of cultural values is one of the four pillars of Gross National Happiness, first enunciated in the South Asian Kingdom of Bhutan
=Electronic and social media that promotes women’s empowerment, and supports women’s issues including the elimination of gender based violence. Capacity building of mid-career and junior journalist and media content that does not stigmatise, victimise or portray women as sex objects.
II. The New Ecological Order
SWAN’s objective in proposing the New Ecological Order is to ensure the most effective and equitable balance between development, human well-being and environmental sustainability. SWAM emphasises that unlike the MDG 7 that failed to recognise and address women’s issues or to link women’s empowerment as an essential criteria to achieving environmental sustainability, the post 2015 agenda must acknowledge women’s rights as an essential prerequisite for environmental sustainability.
SWAN’s New Ecological Order has the following core goals:
=Ensuring equitable access to nature and natural resources for all women, including the conservation and resilience of ecosystems, ecological cycles and functions, and biodiversity. As the essential first step, women must be empowered to ensure the integrity of natural ecosystems, wildlife populations, and biodiversity for the wellbeing of future generations.
=Providing all women with the opportunities to dignified and safe livelihoods and lifestyles that are ecologically sustainable, culturally sensitive and socio-economically equitable.
=Ensuring adequate, safe and nutritious food for all women through women-centred ecologically sustainable production and distribution systems. This will require changing existing intra-family patriarchal systems as well as emerging global structures of corporate control over agriculture through GMOs and patents on seeds
=Ensuring adequate, safe water and sanitation for all women, through ecologically sustainable and equitable harvesting and distribution systems and access to efficient and sustainable disposal systems.
=Ensuring conditions for prevention of disease and maintenance of good health for all women,
=Ensuring equitable access to energy sources for all women in ways that are ecologically sustainable, technically and economically viable.
=Ensuring equitable access to learning and education for all women in ways that enhance ecological sensitivity and knowledge,
=Ensuring secure, safe, sustainable, and equitable settlements for all women, including adequate and appropriate shelter, sanitation, civic facilities, public transportation
=Acknowledging that women are disproportionately affected by climate change.
SWAN will work towards achieving these goals through intervention programs on:
=Climate Change and Gender that will ensure that women’s rights and concerns are central in the search for adaptation and mitigation strategies in solution of the climate crisis; and that recognises that capital, chemical and fossil fuel intensive agriculture is displacing biodiversity, depleting water resources and contributing to green house gas emissions leading to climate stability.
=The Environment and Women’s Health: that will address issues of food and malnutrition, the increase in non-communicable diseases and women’s exposure to the widespread and indiscriminate use of hazardous chemicals.
=Energy and Gender: that will tackle the issue of energy poverty in the South Asia region which disproportionately disadvantages women
=Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH): that will ensure that all national governments will respect that the right to water and sanitation is a basic human right and that women are not discriminated against in the provision of water and sanitation, This will require that water and sanitation is available, accessible, safe, affordable and acceptable, and that there is non-discrimination, participation, accountability, impact, and sustainability of the WASH facilities.
=Waste Management: focused on providing local solutions to the ravages of the environment that has left thousands of marginal women deeply deprived, and to the use and disposal of materials that contain toxic additives that can affect the health of women and their families.
III. The New Economic Order
Experience shows that despite MDG 3s focus on women’s empowerment, feminisation of poverty remains entrenched across this region. Across South Asia, women’s work is overwhelmingly in the unorganised, non-formal sectors of the economy, with poorly paid and precarious jobs, with no social protection or contributory benefits of any kind (such as income security and guaranteed minimum living wage, access to essential services and formal employment-related benefits). Unemployment and underemployment are serious barriers to women accessing health, housing, education, clean water and improved sanitation, and dement work and a living wage for all women in South Asia is yet to be achieved. Women’s work is systemically devalued. Recognising the economic value of women’s household and reproductive work will increase visibility and recognition of women’s contribution to the national economy.
South Asian women are increasingly migrating to work in low skilled low waged occupations. Their remittances have become an important source of national income, but little has been done to reduce the physical, sexual and labour exploitation at the destination country.
SWAN’s new economic order calls for:
=A substantial increase in decent work and environmentally friendly jobs
=A reduction in the unemployment rate for women
=A reduction in the gender pay gap
=A better deal for women labour migrants in their destination countries
=Substantial increases in upgrading women’s skills
=Increasing women in decision-making positions in both the private and public sphere.
The Crafts and Textiles Sector
South Asia has a strong tradition of home based work that has brought into the world exquisite craftsmanship and woven textiles. Patriarchal attitudes and gender role expectations have fostered this tradition, which has also created a class of invisible contractual labourers, mostly women.
SWAN has always upheld that craft and textile making, offer women not only an opportunity to express themselves, but to pass on traditional wisdom, skill, culture and secure their identity. Production of crafts and textiles keep women near to their homes, near to local resources and brings earning directly into their hands. When money is in their hands, they allocate it where it is most important in food, health and education of their children.
SWAN’s intervention programs will foster the positive aspects of home-based work with the expected outcomes of increasing the earning capacity of women and also their confidence and economic self reliance and human dignity; conserving indigenous knowledge and demonstrating sustainable development through women’s work.
Financial access for women’s empowerment, economic growth and sustainable development
The neo-liberal economic model has stressed millions of households in rural, tribal and urban South Asia, expanded the already existing gap between the rich and the poor, and has deepened the marginalisation and violence against weaker sections especially women and children. Governments while committed to the liberalisation growth model, try addressing the stressed population by developing welfare schemes under the public policy agenda, which ignore the basic entitlements of the poor and undermine their indigenous capacities and entrepreneurial exertions.
SWAN expresses its serious concern that women have little or no visible economic capital, despite being responsible for creating huge social capital. While participation of women in the labour force has increased, there are still significant gender gaps in participation rates, occupational levels and wages women continue to assume the largest share of unpaid work. Universal access to mainstream financial services may need to be prioritised among the core areas of development, Poor households are almost invariably remain outside the purview of formal finance and women from these poor households are doubly disadvantaged.
Financial inclusion interventions in their design assume a space for women to articulate and reflect on their future plans and actions. These interventions are taking place in the public policy arena where state is leading such interventions. At the same time civil society institutions are also shaping many of these interventions. Several countries have implemented interventions to improve the financial access of poor and marginalised women and their enterprises.
SWAN, through its program on Financial Access for Women’s Empowerment, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development, would focus on:
=Creating platforms for sharing interventions in the sphere of regulatory and supervisory framework,
=Sharing of innovations in the institutional design and product development for micro enterprises
=Sharing of interventions for universal financial inclusion and collaboration between various stakeholders
=Sectoral initiatives for client protection practices and responsible finance
=Initiatives in the sphere of Capacity building of the community for participating in the formal finance sphere
=Interfacing livelihood interventions and access to financial services
Maternal, reproductive and women’s health and gender concerns
The current economic order promotes the corporatism and privatisation of health services, makes health a commodity and health care an enterprise. It leads to the marginalisation of indigenous knowledge and traditional health care systems. SWAN challenges the exploitative nature of this approach to health, and is committed to comprehensive health care that includes determinants of good health.
SWAN considers that
=All policies need to promote and protect public health, and health policy and programs should be gender sensitive, culturally appropriate, affordable, accessible and maintaining quality of care and the dignity and respect for women.
=Adequate budgetary allocations providing comprehensive health care should be ensured and distributive justice in health care achieved.
=Essential and life saving medicines for maternal, reproductive, women’s health, non-communicable diseases, should be made available
=That the misuse of medical technology for sex determination, assisted reproductive technologies (e.g. commercial surrogacy), and the commercialisation of women’s sexuality should be eradicated.
The SWAN intervention program on Maternal, Reproductive and Women’s Health and Gender aims to:
=Train women to take the lead in prioritising issues for collective action and policy influence
=Address newer threats to women’s health
=Build links with likeminded individuals and organisations working on these issues
=Share and exchange knowledge
Integrated secure livelihood and food security from the farm, forest and off-farm environment
Households in South Asia integrate the opportunities for income, employment and survival at the farm household level through a natural process of holistic integration of opportunities around their environment. As mentioned in other sections in this chapter and elsewhere in this document, commercialisation and depletion of natural resources that hand over women’s control over resources and production processes to a market led system dependent on corporate sectors,
SWAN will challenge these systems and work with an integrated approach and understanding of farm-forest-livestock and off-farm nexus. The Interventions Program will best practices in improved household economy, food security and secure livelihood, which will lead to women centred regional economies in South Asia.
Conclusion
In conclusion, SWAN recognises that, in South Asia, issues of gender equality and gender equity are often ignored or downgraded in importance as being of interest only to women, combined with mounting resentment against women and organisations that seek to challenge the status quo. SWAN strongly supports the inclusion of gender sensitive and non-patriarchal members of society, men and boys included, in the mission for sustainable development for the women of South Asia. Sustainable development is common cause for all of us. SWAN’s emphasis is on pointing out that this shared objective is unachievable without the focus on ameliorating the abject condition of women across South Asia. SWAN will work towards inclusive solutions for achieving our objective of sustainable development for the women of South Asia.
Signatories
1 Professor Veena Sikri, Convener, SWAN (South Asia Women’s Network), Ford Foundation endowed Chair, Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi
Afghanistan
2.Honourable Shinkai Zahine Karokhail, Member of the National Assembly of Afghanistan, Kabul.
3.Manizha Wafeq, Board Member, Afghan Women’s Network (AWN).
4.Zulaikha Rafiq, Executive Director, AWEC (Afghan Women’s Education Centre), Kabul.
5.Jawida Ahmadi, Director, Suboot News Agency, Kabul.
Bangladesh
6.Rokia Rahman, President, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka.
7.Khushi Kabir, Coordinator, Nijera Kori, Dhaka.
8.Bibi Russell, Fashion for Development, Bibi Productions, Dhaka.
9.Farida Akhter, Executive Director, UBINIG (Unnayan Bikalper Nitinirdharoni Gobeshona, Policy Research for Development Alternatives), Dhaka.
10.Professor Afsana Kaosar, Director Health, Nutrition and Population, BRAC, and Professor, James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka.
11.Suraiya Chowdhury, Director of Design, Prokritee, Dhaka.
12.Tasneem Athar, Deputy Director, CAMPE (Campaign for Popular Education), Dhaka.
13.Tamanna Khan, Journalist, The Daily Star, Dhaka.
Bhutan
14.Kesang Chuki Dorjee, Managing Director, KCD Productions, Thimphu.
15.Wangmo Choden, Marketing Officer, Tarayana Foundation, Thimphu.
16.Pema C. Wangchuk, Assistant Curator, Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan, Thimphu.
India
17.Dr. Vandana Shiva, Navdanya (Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology), New Delhi.
18.Dr. Mira Shiva, Director, Initiative for Health, Equity and Society, and founder member, Diverse Women for Diversity. Coordinator for the South Asian Women’s Network on Women’s Health and Nutrition.
19.Jaya Jaitly, Founder President, Dastkari Haat Samiti, New Delhi.
20.Nandini Sahai, Director, The International Centre, Goa.
21.Seema Guha, Senior Journalist, New Delhi.
22.Dr. Sabiha Hussain, Associate Professor, Dr. KR Narayanan Centre for Dalit and Minority Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia University.
23.Bhavana Gadre, Management Coordinator, TARA (Technology and Action for Rural Advancement), Development Alternatives Group, New Delhi.
24.Bharati Chaturvedi, Director, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, New Delhi.
25.Achla Savyasachi, Vice President, Sa-Dhan, New Delhi.
26.Sohaila Kapur, Theatre Director and Playwright, New Delhi.
27.Usha Ganguli, Theatre Director, Rangakarmee, Kolkata.
28.Shri Sunil Binjola, COO, South Asia Foundation (SAF India), New Delhi.
29.Dr. Shikha (delegate for SWAN/ Practical Action Roundtable)
Maldives
30.Dr. Mariyam Shakeela, Minister for Environment and Energy, Government of Maldives, Male.
31.Fathimath Afiya, Chairperson, SWAD (Society for Women Against Drugs), Male.
32.Sheeza Imad, President, Association for Maldivian Women’s Economic Development (WED), Male.
33.Asiyath Mohamed Sayed, Online Editor (In Charge), Haveeru Daily News, Male.
34.Mohamed Shujau, Executive Member, Maldivian Network on Women’s Rights, Male.
35.Shaira Saleem, Vice President, SCWEC (SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneurs’ Council).
36.Dr. Abdul Sattar Yoosuf, Executive Director, International Centre for Environment, Development and Operational Research, Maldives.
Myanmar
37.Susanna Hla Hla Soe, Chairperson, Women Organisations’ Network of Myanmar (WON) and Director, Karen Women’s Action Group (KWAG) for Capacity Building and Empowerment of Women.
38.Shwe Shwe Sein Latt, Founder and Director, Phan Tee Eain (Creative Home), NGO focused on capacity for Women’s leadership development and advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality.
39.Cherie Aung Khyn, CEO and Designer, Elephant House Co. Ltd, Yangon
40.Mimi Aung, Elephant House Co. Ltd., Yangon.
Nepal
41.Yankila Sherpa, Former Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of Nepal; Owner and Managing Director, Snow Leopard Treks P Ltd.
42.Sharada Rijal, President, WEAN Cooperative (Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Nepal) (Crafts and Textiles sector).
43.Indira Shrestha, Member Secretary, Executive Committee, Shtrii Shakti, Kathmandu.
44.Manisha Ghimire, President, Initiatives of Media Women (IMW) (Media sector).
45.Deepak Tamang, Chief Executive Officer, SEARCH-Nepal, Kathmandu.
46.Dr. Indira Shakya, Program Coordinator, Rainwater Harvesting Capacity Centre (RHCC), Nepal (delegate for SWAN/Practical Action Roundtable)
Pakistan
47.Mariana Baabar, Diplomatic Editor, The News, 27 A, Harkey Street, Rawalpindi
48.Abida Malik, Senior Vice President, Behbud Association of Pakistan, Rawalpindi.
49.Madeeha Gauhar, Artistic Director, Ajoka Theatre, Lahore.
50.Madiha Kazi, Textile Designer, Thardeep Rural Development Program, Karachi.
51.Ambareen Imran, Director Asasah, Lahore.
52.Mome Saleem, Research Coordinator, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad.
53.Rukhsana Zuberi, Chairperson. Women in Energy, Pakistan, (delegate for SWAN/ Practical Action Roundtable).
54.Hina Lotia, General Manager, LEAD Pakistan, Islamabad.
Sri Lanka
55.Dr. Saroshi Dubash, Group Director of Abans, President, WCIC
56.Mano Alles, Company Director, Co-Chairperson Conference Committee
57.Renuka Fernando, Deputy Director Ladies’ College Department of Vocational Studies, Co Chairperson Conference Committee
58.Rohini Nanayakkara, Chairperson of the Lanka ORIX Leasing Company PLC.
59.Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane, Justice of the Supreme Court.
60.Vidyani Hettigoda, Company Director for Siddhalepa Group of Companies, Immediate Past President of the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
61.Dr. Vishaka Hidellage, Country Director, Practical Action Sri Lanka.
62.Uchita de Zoysa, Chairman of Global Sustainability Solutions (GLOSS), Executive Director of Centre for Environment and Development (CED)
63.Nishani Dissanayake, Editor of the tabloid paper ‘Samudura’ and Foreign News Editor of Lakbima.
