INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GENDER MAINSTREAMING AND MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

By Jasmin Mehovic, SARID, April 2, 2005

The International Conference on Gender Mainstreaming and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), hosted by the Pakistani Ministry of Women Development and coordinated by All Pakistan Women's Association (APWA) and several UN agencies, including UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNESCO, was held in Islamabad, Pakistan from March 28 to 30. The organizers' vision was to initiate an effective partnership between civil society, governments, the United Nations, the private sector and the donor community in order to reduce poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, ensure environmental sustainability and develop global partnerships for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015.

Pakistan, as signatory to the Millennium Declaration that was adopted in New York in September 2000, called on the world community to move faster and fulfill the commitments made here, as well as to meet the deadlines agreed at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China in September 1995. Addressing the conference, President Pervez Musharraf said that his government has taken various steps for women empowerment in all walks of life. He noted that Pakistan is determined to carry out a comprehensive strategy that involves providing primary education to women across the country and reducing poverty in the coming years by securing more job opportunities for women and people at grass roots level. President Musharraf emphasized that gender imbalance is totally against the preaching of Islam and that empowerment of women in Pakistan will help eradicate misconceptions against this religion.

"There is dire need to change the mindset of our people and to make them more liberal and enlightened so that they could not be able to use the customs and traditions in a negative way," President Musharraf said. He asked all the NGOs and CSOs not to present negative image of this country and play positive role in their respective fields. President Musharraf also hailed the efforts of the developed countries, noting that they have realized the need of MDGs, but urged them to extend their promised assistance so the developing nations can realize their millennium development goals. He also praised the role of ministry of women, APWA and UNSP in organizing this event, asking them to continue their exceptional work in future in order to improve health, legal and educational empowerment of the women of Pakistan. The president noted that
women in Pakistan "have been empowered in the public and private sectors like never before," pointing out that more than 40,000 women now sit in political authority at various tiers of the government including provincial and national assemblies.

Mr. Shaukat Aziz, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, have also stressed that this country is commited to eliminating gender disparity and to providing women with their fundamental rights, such as access to quality education, health care and economic opportunities. While referring to Pakistan's 120th position out of 177 countries in the Gender Development Index, he pointed out that this country ranks 64th in the Gender Empowerment Measure index, and that the female labor force participation rate was 16.8 percent while the female literacy rate was 41.8 percent. "The Honor Killing Bill has been enacted. It will certainly help combat the deplorable practice," Mr. Aziz noted at the inauguration ceremony. "Women's rights are human rights. Let us today promise that we will strive to eliminate the significant disparity between the rights laid down in our respective constitutions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as compared to ground realities," he concluded.

Special Assistant to U.S. President and Senior Director for Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations, Ambassador Ms. Shirin Tahir-Kheli noted that women participation without any gender imbalance is essential for the democratization and development of Pakistan. This country, she said, has moved towards achieving this goal, although there is much more to be done. Ms. Shirin Tahir-Kheli also praised the recent enactment of a law banning the practice of honor killing. Actions of Pakistani government were also praised by Pakistani Primer Minister's advisor on women development, Ms. Nelofar Bakhtiar, who lauded the present government efforts for the empowerment of women, noting that by making exceptional changes in education, politics and governance, President Musharraf has turned around the destiny of the Pakistani women. Ms. Akhtiar presented Islamabad Plan of Action, which calls for elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. The plan was adopted by the Conference and also endorsed by the President.

The three-day conference was attended by over 300 delegates from international, national, local governments, parliamentarians, scholars, business leaders, as well as by dozens of women activists. The idea of holding this conference came from APWA to honor the 100 years of birth anniversary of its founder and patron, Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, a champion of women's rights, and wife of Pakistan's first Prime Minister, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan. This Conference, organizers note, will contribute to the high-level ECOSOC Session that will take place in July 2005 in Geneva.