Final Report of the Asia-Pacific NGO Symposium: Part A
Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace

Foreword

The Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium was held in Nakornpathom, Thailand at Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsaen campus on August 31-September 4, 1999. With the theme "Asia Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-first Century", the Symposium provided a forum for women from all over Asia and the Pacific to join forces in the review and assessment of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

Truly the spirit of Beijing was alive and well and hovered over the meeting---in the workshops on the 12 critical areas of concern, the special interest groups, the plenaries, the forums and panels, the exhibits, the informal caucuses and yes, at the bazaars and the socials.

With a lot less logistic support than five years ago but with the same passion and commitment, about 350 delegates reviewed gains and gaps, shared best practices and problems, looked back and charged forward.

There were familiar names and faces and many new ones. There were veterans of Beijing and Nairobi and others much younger to whom these were just part of living legend and history.

The regional review and assessment of progress since Beijing brought good news and bad news. In general, the Symposium concluded with agreement that while some progress has been made these have been disappointingly limited and slow. So much more remains to be done.

This report summarizes the discussions and recommendations of the Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium. Through this report we call on governments, the United Nations, international agencies, non-state actors, and the NGO community to renew their commitment to the promises made in Beijing and to bring action for equality, development and peace into the new century and the new millenium.

Patricia B. Licuanan, Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij
Co-Chairperson of Steering Committee

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DECLARATION OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC NGO SYMPOSIUM
Asia-Pacific Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace

We, the women of the Asia Pacific, claiming our place as sixty per cent of the world's women, declare our determination:

To strive for societies based on individual and social dignity in which women feel strong, active, creative and empowered; where the vital power of our bodies' functioning and healing remains intact; where our diverse abilities and talents are valued; and where we may make decisions and choices, express ourselves and move about freely and confidently without fear of violence;

To help build a region in which militarism is replaced by peace and where mutual respect between nations ensures that measures are taken to rectify the gross inequalities and disparities which have resulted from globalisation;

To celebrate those elements of our regional cultural diversity which enrich and strengthen the role of women in society and to transform those cultural practices which discriminate against women and which, at times, cause irreparable physical, psychological and social damage to women and girl-children;

To work for a world in which resources are sustainably used, equally shared between women and men and equitably distributed within and between States; and

To demand a world in which women are fully empowered and participate equally in the definition of structures, systems and policies which determine the framework of our lives.

We recognise that the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) has given some impetus to our struggle towards achievement of this vision.

We reaffirm our commitment to the principles and to the general framework for the achievement of equality, development and peace contained in the BPFA but we deplore the lack of comprehensive, integrated implementation of the BPFA by governments within our region.

We acknowledge that some gains have been facilitated by the BPFA process, many of which can be attributed to the important contribution of non government organisations (NGOs) and the vibrant women's movement.

While we note these gains, we view with concern:

The continued existence of regressive elements and attitudes towards women's empowerment in our region;

The failure to provide high quality, affordable services addressing the primary health needs of women and the persistent, narrow approaches to reproductive and sexual health which have resulted in the failure to ensure effective programs in these areas by many governments in the region;

The lack of comprehensive, gender sensitive educational policies that would contribute to the elimination of attitudes towards women which act to limit their role in society;

The persistence of a culture of violence against women and the escalating commodification and exploitation of women and girl-children;

The continued degradation and depletion of the environment and the failure to develop effective national, regional and international policies to protect natural resources and ensure their sustainability;

The actual and potential effects of modern biotechnology and information and communications technology which lead to health and environmental hazards, the globalisation of western, consumer culture and value systems and the concomitant exploitation of our lands and resources;

The inadequate attention given to the needs of women and girls who are marginalised because of their disability, or because of race, language, ethnicity, culture, religion, or socio-economic status or because they are indigenous people, refugees or displaced persons, migrants or migrant workers, or because of their sexual orientation, reproductive choices or marital status.

The inadequate mechanisms for ensuring that governments are responsive and accountable to citizens for the fulfillment of their international obligations to implement commitments to social and economic development that involves, benefits and empowers women, eradicates poverty and safeguards natural resources;

The lack of political will to empower women beyond statements of policy and legislation and to truly redress systemic and structural imbalances, which is reflected in insufficient resource allocations and support mechanisms to achieve these objectives and the all-too- frequent reliance on micro-schemes and initiatives to address macro, systemic or structural problems.

We recognise the challenges posed by new trends that perpetuate injustices, threaten world peace, and impede women's empowerment. These include:

The negative impact of globalisation and structural adjustment programmes on all the Critical Areas of Concern which act to threaten gains made so far. These include the damage caused by the restructuring of economies to maximise profit without adequate safeguards for the resulting impacts on populations; health sector reforms that reduce women's access to quality, affordable health care; the transformation of the media from a public utility to a transnational enterprise; the increased feminisation of poverty; declining work conditions, wages and labour rights resulting from deregulation and the failure of governments to monitor and control foreign investment;

The increasing influence of multi- and trans- national corporations in international, domestic and local arenas and the failure of the international community to develop mechanisms for their regulation and accountability;

The wresting of economic, legal and political control from local and indigenous communities and the progressive control of natural resources, science and technology including the patenting of life forms by multinational and transnational actors;

The alarming increase in armed and other forms of violent conflict and the perpetuation of the systematic use of violence against women, including rape, mutilation, forced pregnancies and sterilisations, trafficking and forced prostitution and other forms of violence by State, para-State and non-State actors;

The increasing militarisation and nuclearisation of the region;

Among political systems in the region, an escalation in the use of religious, ethnic, cultural and other forms of identity-based constructs to deny women equality, enjoyment of rights, access to resources and a voice, particularly through the use and threat of violence.

Despite these challenges, we draw strength from:

A growing acceptance and commitment towards addressing women's needs by groups within civil society, governments and international organisations;

The growth of NGOs and citizens' movements working for women's empowerment and the variety and creativity of their initiatives, as well as the strengthening of alliances and networks amongst them, and;

The partnerships which have developed between NGOs working for women's empowerment facilitated by the BPFA and other actors in civil society, governments and the UN system.

We therefore commit ourselves to translating our vision for the world, our region and ourselves into a living reality.

To achieve these goals, we must:

Acknowledge the diversity of our circumstances as women and communities, celebrate and find strength in the richness of our plurality and ensure meaningful spaces for each of our voices;

Ensure that our differing realities replace an abstract, undifferentiated concept of women and that these differences are reflected in legislation, policies and interventions and in the articulation of human rights issues;

Ensure that the areas of concern addressed by the BPFA are informed by a holistic approach to women's human rights rather than fragmented, sectoral views;

Ensure that women have access to the power of science and technology;

Ensure that States and civil societies recognise women's entitlement to the full range of personal and social rights available to men;

Ensure that governments, societies and individuals adhere to non-violent forms of conflict resolution and respect the human dignity and rights of women affected by conflict and violence.

Towards this end, we further commit ourselves to finding the means to ensure the full participation of women in our movement, to enhance the solidarity among us and to consolidate our linkages.

Furthermore, we call upon governments, the UN system and civil society:

To reaffirm their commitment to equality, development and peace through the effective implementation of the BPFA, CEDAW and other human rights instruments;

To ensure that women have control over all aspects of their lives including their sexuality as well as equal representation in decision-making at all levels and in all spheres, including leadership positions and governance structures;

To re-examine and re-orient macro economic and development policies to ensure the protection of women's human rights and to redress the growing feminisation of poverty.

Finally, as we leave this century of turmoil, rapid change and development, we call upon the governments of the world to have the courage and commitment to translate the high hopes of the Beijing Platform for Action into concrete actions that help us move from the conflict, inequality and injustices which characterise our region towards the principles of mutual respect, equality and justice reflected in the vision shared by the women of the Asia Pacific region.

ADOPTED ON THIS 3RD DAY OF SEPTEMBER NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE IN NAKHON PATHOM, THAILAND.

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INTRODUCTION

"The Fourth World Conference on Women is not about the difference between affluence and poverty, the "haves" and the "have nots". It is about the status of women everywhere, and raising that status until the difference between the "haves" and the "have nots" will disappear" (Gertrude Mongella, Secretary to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, 1993)

In 1995, the United Nations held the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, from September 4 to September 15. A Non Government Organisation (NGO) Forum was held from August 29 to September 8 at Huairou, a town some 60 kilometres from Beijing. Planning and intensive preparations for these events took place for four years before the meetings. They included both Governmental and NGO meetings in each of the five United Nations (UN) defined regions of the world.

The stated objectives of the Conference were:

• to evaluate the work already done in the implementation of the 1985 Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,
• to address the key issues which have been identified as representing a fundamental obstacle to the advancement of the majority of women, such as effective participation in decision making, poverty, health, education, violence, women's human rights and peace,
• to create impetus in society for women to move forward, well equipped to meet the challenges and demands of the 21st Century for political, economic, scientific and technological development.

(United Nations Guidelines to Governments and NGO's in relation to preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995, issues September 12, 1993)

The conference adopted a concrete and concise Platform for Action, the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) to provide the blue-print for feasible, effective and immediate action in order to achieve women's equality, development and peace.

The BPFA was agreed on and signed by all member states of the United Nations although some nations placed reservations on certain paragraphs of the Declaration. This document was continually amended and refined during the four year preparatory process. It contains input from Government Reports, Expert groups meetings, input from the five UN regions of the world, both Government and NGO, and two meetings of the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW).

As the title implies, the Beijing Conference was fourth in a series of World Conferences on Women organised by the United Nations. The first conference was held in Mexico in 1975, the second in Copenhagen in 1980, and the third in Nairobi, in 1985.

In Preparation for Beijing

The preparation for the Conference and Forum began in earnest in 1993. An officially sponsored International NGO Committee was convened and a Forum Secretariat established at the United Nations. As part of the official NGO planning, the United Nations appointed Regional NGO Planning Groups, and gave each of these a budget to plan regional activities and input into the International process. Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij, International President of the Pan Pacific and South East Asia Women's Association (PPSEAWA) was invited to serve as focal point for Asia and the Pacific. In this capacity, Thanpuying Sumalee brought together a group of NGO's and started a series of consultative meetings in the Asia and Pacific region to prepare for the Fourth World Conference on Women. The group became known as the Asia and Pacific Non Government Organisation Working Group. (APNGOWG)

The main objective of the working group was to consolidate the Asian and Pacific NGO's position on issues confronting women in the region and to ensure that these were accurately reflected in the document produced at the Beijing Conference.

A UN Governmental meeting was held in each region, and the official document from those meetings contributed to the Platform for Action, and also provided direction to governments which signed it off.

Preparatory meetings:

1. The Regional NGO Planning meeting in Manilla, November 1993
   The efforts of the APNGOWG were concentrated on the planning and coordination of the Asian and Pacific Regional Symposium of NGO's on Women in Development convened by the UN Economic and Social Commission in Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Manila 1993 More than 500 women activists from across the region gathered to discuss and define the issues of women from the Region.
   APNGOWG summarised the recommendations from this meeting into "The Yellow Book", which became the major NGO lobbying tool for the Second Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference in Jakarta.

2. The Regional Expert Group Meeting, Bangkok, February 1994
   Several members of APNGOWG took part in this important meeting and represented the views of women in the region.

3. CSW 38, incorporating planning for the Beijing Conference, March 1994, and a concurrent International NGO Planning meeting
   NGO's from the region were well represented at this meeting.

4. The UN the Second Asian and Pacific Ministerial Conference in Jakarta. June 1994,
   At this meeting Thampuying Sumalee made a formal presentation on behalf of Regional NGO's. This presentation was based on the Yellow Book.

5. Regional NGO Planning Group Meeting, Bangkok, November 1994
   At this official NGO Regional Planning group, discussion was held on the distribution of funds made available for women who could not otherwise afford the expense to be funded to go to Beijing. A structure was put in place to enable this to be done in an equitable manner, and a scheme, "Send a sister to Beijing", aimed at fundraising to augment the money already available was started.
   Planning also began for the Asia Pacific Regional Tent at the Forum. An NGO Response to the Draft Platform for Action was prepared for CSW 39. The Yellow Book continued to be a major lobby tool for NGO's from the Region

6. CSW 39, incorporating planning for the Beijing Conference, March 1995, and a concurrent International NGO Planning meeting
   There were be 1400 women at the NGO Consultation (13-14 March 1995) representing 900 organisations. The Asia Pacific NGO working group document was very well received and much of the content was included in the Platform for Action. This was particularly exciting because an NGO document had never reached a preparatory meeting before.

7. Regional NGO Planning Group Meeting, Bangkok, June 1995
   This last NGO Planning group before the Forum finalised plans for the Asia Pacific Tent, and for activities in Beijing.

THE NGO FORUM AND CONFERENCE, HUAIROU SEPTEMBER 1995

Women from around the world made the Forum a huge success. It was an enormous "exchange mart" for information, ideas and materials. Each day there was a plenary session, where major issues were identified. The Plenary sessions covered issues relating to the globalisation of the economy, media, culture and communications, increased conservatism in its various forms, and institutional mechanisms and financial arrangements for women. In addition over 300 daily workshops covered themes including Human Rights, Legal Rights, Education, Lesbian Issues, Environmental issues, Religions, Science and Technology, Race, Ethnicity and Youth. A technology centre had women "on-line" and sending e-mail messages around the world.

APNGOWG organised the Regional Friendship Tent, which hosted non stop displays, entertainment, and refreshments from countries in the region. It organised a number of events such as Asia-Pacific women weaving the world together, a Multi Media Festival and many workshops and panel discussions.

THE FOURTH UN CONFERENCE ON WOMEN

At the conference, APNGOWG played a leading role in various caucuses, and in lobbying governments to ensure that issues of concern to women in this region were addressed in the Beijing Platform for Action. There were three main arenas at the Conference, the Plenary Session, the Working Groups and the Caucus Groups.

The Plenary

The Plenary was the main conference area, where Governments, UN Agencies and Key NGO's give reports and where the outcomes of the meetings were ratified by member states While this was an important arena, in terms of lobbying work, it was not always the most busy. Except for the opening and closing sessions and the main voting sessions, there was often only a small audience for the Country and NGO speeches.

The Working Groups

The major work of the Conference took place in working groups, where the final draft of the Platform for Action was worked on day after day, governments argued about the language which would go into the final document, and NGO's worked and lobbied to influence language to reflect the will of the people as well as the will of governments. NGO's played important "brokerage" roles between governments and were often used to undertake tasks which protocol prevented government delegates from undertaking. The "Yellow Book" was an invaluable lobby document.

NGO Lobby Caucuses

There were 24 formal lobby caucuses, which included women from all over the world, many experts in their field. Each day a one hour planning meeting was held, during which the gains or losses of the previous day were discussed, and strategies for the next round of work were planned. Suggested "Language "was changed as appropriate, and often this suggested language was prepared, printed and distributed widely throughout the Conference by NGO's.

There was also a strong level of support between caucuses, and members would lobby for other issues while their particular item was not being debated. It was not unknown for official Government delegates (not NGO's) from many nations to quietly slip into caucuses to particpate in an informal role.

The Conference of Commitments

A major success at the Conference was the proposal to make Beijing a "Conference of Commitments" . All governments attending the conference were requested to present commitments about the actions that they would take to improve the status of women within their countires. It was hoped that this would be included as an appendix to the main document, but consensus could not be reached on this move. 65 countries made commitments of varying strength and value. There was some disappointment from NGO's that a monitoring mechanism was not put in place to ensure that the commitments were implemented.

THE BEIJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION

The Beijing Platform for Action is not a legally binding document, it is a statement of principles and intent, and strategies for action. The strongest value it has is that of moral imperative.

Some NGO's were disappointed because the issues for which they had lobbied for were not included in the document. We have to remember that this Conference was not just a one off event, but part of a long process. This includes past World Conferences on Women, regular meetings of CSW, and all of the Regional activity which takes place.

At the Conference, many contentious issues were discussed at length. Governments took part in these discussion and now realise that these things are on the world agenda. Issues that we now take for granted were not allowed to be discussed at the First World Conference on Women. It is part of the process of consciousness raising which over time has brought about positive changes.

Post Beijing

After the conference, the efforts of APNGOWG were directed towards the monitoring of the BPFA. It was transformed into Asia and Pacific Watch, under the able direction of Dr Pam Raijput of India, Dr Anjana Shakya of Nepal and Thampuying Sumalee Chartikavanij of Thailand.

As part of the International monitoring of the BPFA, the United Nations has called a special session of the UN General Assembly in June 2000. The official title of the meeting is Women 200, Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the 21st Century, although it is often referred to as "Beijing plus Five".

The purpose of the meeting is to identify good practices and positive actions linked to the BPFA and the twelve critical areas of concern. It will examine lessons learned over the past five years, and will review obstacles encountered in implementing the BPFA, and the key challenges remaining. It will also examine new and emerging issues which are impacting on the lives of women in the world.

In preparation for Women 2000, high level government meetings are being held in each region of the world. The Asia Pacific Regional meeting will take place from October 26 - 29, 1999 convened by ESACP. It was decided to hold a Regional NGO Symposium to prepare our Regional NGO input to both the ESACP meeting, and to the special sitting of the General Assembly (Women 2000).

A planning meeting of those women who had already instigated sub-regional preparatory activities was held in June in Penang, hosted by the Gender and Development Programme of the Asian and Pacific Development Centre (APDC). It was a coming together of the Asia Caucus, PPSEWA, SEAWatch, Regional Monitoring Groups and Thai women's groups who had already started to consider a Regional meeting. A management committee was formed, o-chaired by Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij and Patricia Licuanan, and the NGO Symposium, Asia-Pacific Women 200: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty First Century was organised, and took place.

It was an exceptionally successful meeting, attended by over 385 women from 28 countries in the Region. The atmosphere was positive, the energy levels and enthusiasm was high, and women worked together across national boundaries and across ethnic and cultural differences to focus on issues of mutual concern and solutions to problems which affect us all.

This is the report of that meeting.

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SUMMARIES OF THE WORKING GROUPS ON THE TWELVE CRITICAL AREAS OF CONCERN IN THE BEIJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION

SECTION A: WOMEN & POVERTY

The Working Group noted that some progressive policies and programs have been enacted to generate self-employment as a means of countering the adverse effects of structural adjustment programs. While these efforts have increased women's access to resources, the high cost of loans, low levels of credit and the need for training of women in managerial and marketing skills remain as challenges which need to be addressed.

The working Group stressed that poverty is increasing throughout the region and that the manifestations of the impact of globalisation continues to be felt. The working group identified a number of policies that aggravate and contribute to the feminisation of poverty. These include privatisation of public services, trade liberalisation, deregulation of economies, withdrawal of subsidies, downsizing of government, substitution of food production by cash crops and the inflow of foreign capital and enterprise. The Working Group indicated these measures have led to unemployment, under-employment, retrenchment, and the shift of labour from the formal to the informal sector and from regular to unprotected, sub-contracted labour of women workers.

While mechanisms have been developed to monitor the implementation of National Plans of Action within countries, the Working Group noted that lobbying and advocacy strategies for these plans are still in their infancy.

The working Group proposed that UN agencies and other donor bodies address the need to create mechanisms to monitor the effects of WTO, World bank and IMF policies.

SECTION B: WOMEN & EDUCATION & TRAINING

The Working Group noted the efforts of governments and other actors within the region to address gender-based inequalities in relation to access to equal, adequate education. Despite these efforts, women continue to experience inadequate access to higher education and vocational training opportunities. The development of non-discriminatory curricula at all educational levels and the allocation of resources for the formulation and monitoring of educational reforms remain outstanding issues to be addressed. Gender disparities in education are further heightened among socio-economically disadvantaged groups of people, indigenous and ethnic minorities in all countries and internally and externally displaced groups.

The Working Group emphasised that increased poverty due to globalisation, the Asian economic crisis, ongoing armed conflict within the region and irresponsible development practices threaten to undermine the gains made in relation to educational opportunities for women and girls.

The Working Group called for free, compulsory gender-sensitive basic education (up to 9 years of schooling) as both a right for all and a government responsibility, with special measures for ethnic minorities, indigenous people, people with disabilities and refugees. They also called for the revision and reform of current curricula to ensure holistic, non-discriminatory content that integrates indigenous and new scientific knowledge.

SECTION C: WOMEN & HEALTH

The Working Group welcomed the introduction of a number of policies, programmes and laws on reproductive health in the region since Beijing. These include reproductive healthcare programmes such as services for sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive tract infections. Education for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and young people's health needs is also receiving an increased focus. The Working Group were however, disappointed that these advances have been limited to a few countries and that attempts to operationalise the new policies have been poor.

The Working Group also noted shortcomings in approaches by governments to women's health. In a number of cases, a focus on areas such as contraception, family planning and HIV/AIDS has diverted resources away from basic primary healthcare services including infectious diseases. This has contributed to a lack of services for older women, adolescents, women with disabilities, lesbians, indigenous women, marginalised groups such as lower castes, women in armed conflict and migrant women. The feminisation of poverty and globalisation has also reduced women's access to affordable, quality healthcare.

The continuation of unsafe abortions has led to high rates of maternal mortality. The Working Group also noted the need for increased mental healthcare services and services for women who are victims of violence. The Working Group considered that there is a need for increased sex education for both women and men particularly in the areas of contraception and safe sex.

SECTION D: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

The Working Group noted that since Beijing, Governments have addressed violence against women through the development of national action plans, passage and enforcement of legislation, public education campaigns, recognition of trafficking as a form of violence against women (VAW) and support of the work of NGOs.

Despite these gains, the Working Group noted a general lack of political will on the part of national governments to take action against VAW. Gender bias in both the legal and policing systems and negative community attitudes militate against the prevention and eradication of violence against women.

Persistent issues include a continued lack of access to VAW information and support services particularly for marginalized groups of women. In addition, education and training campaigns continue to be inadequately resourced and implemented. There also remains an under-reporting of violence against women. The vulnerability of trafficked and migrant women to violence has increased since the regional economic crisis. The increased use of internet-based technologies has increased the number of women and girls trafficked and used in pornography.

The Working Group considers that Governments must undertake substantive work to create and/or strengthen existing national and local mechanisms, education and training programs, funding and legislation addressing violence against women. The Working Group strongly recommends that the United Nations create a comprehensive mechanism for addressing violence against women to work in conjunction with the existing Special Rapporteur on the Prevention of Violence Against Women. This mechanism must have the power to systematically monitor how national governments define, prevent and redress violence against women.

SECTION E: WOMEN & ARMED CONFLICT

The Working Group identified the decision by the International Criminal Court in 1998 to recognise rape in conflict situations as a war crime as a significant gain. The Working Group was concerned however, to ensure that the standards established in the statute creating the International Criminal Court are retained in the adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the Court.

Identified gaps were the absence of adequate concern for the civil and political rights of refugee and displaced women including their right to travel and to possess valid travel documents. Although the gender dimensions of armed and other conflicts are outlined in the BPFA, this has not been translated into any specific strategic objectives. The use of the forced labour of women in situations of conflict and the recruitment of children into armies and para-military groups has also not received attention in the BPFA.

The persistent issues that were identified included the continuing lack of protection of the reproductive and sexual health rights of refugee and displaced women; the continued use of 'tradition' to justify various forms of aggression and violence against women; the continuation of forced prostitution and sexual slavery of women in conflict situations; the inadequate representation of women in conflict resolution at decision-making levels; and the failure of both States and non-State actors to adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law with regard to the treatment of civilians in conflict, especially women and children.

The Working Group called on the international community to adopt guidelines to ensure gender sensitive and human treatment of internally displaced persons.

SECTION F: WOMEN & THE ECONOMY

The Working Group noted with disappointment that women of the region continue to struggle for access to finance and other economic resources at both micro and national levels. At the micro level, women still lack equal control of household expenditure from the income that they now largely generate from their own labour. Cultural practices favouring men in inheritance and property ownership remain widespread.

At the macro level, prevailing business practices even in industrialised economies continue to marginalise women's enterprises and small businesses from sources of capital and information. The access of low income women in particular to capital, credit and technology remains poor despite the claimed success of micro credit programs.

Provision for social security benefits for women workers remains inadequate in many countries particularly those with developing economies. The privatisation of basic utilities and public services has also reduced the access of low income women to these services.

The regional economic crisis has led to women's paid work becoming more under valued and vulnerable to exploitation, particularly the work of migrant women. The economic crisis has also led to the erosion of protections on wage levels and labour conditions, exposing women to a range of work-related risks including physical and sexual abuse.

SECTION G: WOMEN IN POWER & DECISION-MAKING

The Working Group reported that the adoption of legal and policy instruments such as the CEDAW and the BPFA by many countries have been of assistance in encouraging women to participate in decision-making and hold political positions. Women from rural and low income backgrounds however, remained uninformed on political participation. The Working Group also stressed that across the Asia Pacific, women's political representation remains low and in some cases is in decline. It was noted that quotas set by political parties on women's representation are rarely met and many political parties do not have a women's platform. Women's participation rate in senior positions in the corporate sector also remains low.

The Working Group noted that persistent patriarchal attitudes, traditional gender roles and religious fundamentalism remain the major obstacles to women's full political participation and representation.

The Working Group emphasised the need for the UN to convene an international forum on "Women and Politics". Furthermore, governments, NGOs and civil society were called upon to include politics in women and girls' education; develop political awareness-raising campaigns targeted at women; make training available to women in areas such as leadership, advocacy and negotiation; improve women's access to technology; and establish pro-active regional links among women involved in power and decision-making. The Working Group also called upon the international community to facilitate women's involvement in local level assemblies as a means of developing women's political skills.

SECTION H: INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

The Working Group noted that although the majority of countries in the region formulated national Plans of Action (POA) after the Beijing Conference, these plans have not been fully implemented.

The Working Group reported that although governments in the region had strengthened national machineries for the advancement of women, most were still not located at the highest possible level of government. As a result, gender perspectives have not been systematically mainstreamed throughout government policies and programmes. National machineries need a clear mandate to act as a catalyst for gender mainstreaming and to closely monitor the implementation of gender sensitive policies and programmes. National machineries also need to better coordinate the efforts of both governments and NGOs and promote collaborative approaches.

The Working Group expressed great concern about the failure of governments to allocate a percentage of their national budgets to gender mainstreaming.

The Working Group recognised that in order to achieve gender mainstreaming, there is a need for institutionalisation of gender sensitisation training for government and other stakeholders, the development of a methodology and curricula for gender sensitisation to meet the needs of people at the grass roots levels, and the dissemination of information and awareness of gender issues to grassroots women.

SECTION I: HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN

The Working Group welcomed the work of the UN in the development of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW and the adoption of the Charter for the International Criminal Court as major achievements for the promotion and protection of women's human rights since the adoption of the BPFA.

However, the Working Group expressed considerable concern over the general lack of implementation of the strategic objectives, in particular the reluctance by some governments in the region to ratify the CEDAW, the continued existence of substantive reservations to the CEDAW by governments in the region, the failure to adopt legislation to implement the provisions of CEDAW in domestic settings and the failure to implement legislation aiming to give effect to the provisions of CEDAW in domestic settings, particularly the absence of accountability mechanisms to ensure the implementation of such legislation.

Furthermore in the period since 1995, the impact of global economic trends and policies have negatively impacted on the promotion and protection of women's human rights, reflected in trends such as the increase in trafficking of women for economic exploitation and the collapse of social structures in countries within the region.

Two other factors of concern have emerged: a backlash against civil society actors, particularly women's and human rights NGOs, which has placed activists at risk in their own countries; and a resurgence of right wing political movements where women's rights are denied in the name of culture, religion or other identity-based constructs.

SECTION J: WOMEN & MEDIA

The working group noted that in contrast to the unprecedented expansion and development of communications technology, women in media continue to face a number of challenges. Foremost among these challenges is the impact of globalisation in transforming the nature and structure of media from a public trust to private and transnational corporations. Other challenges include a lack of access to decision-making positions in the communications industry and in governing bodies that influence media policy; the stereotyping and negative portrayal of women in the media; the lack of self-regulatory mechanisms and professional codes of conduct; and the use of sexual harassment to hinder women's full participation in the media.

The Working Group commended the initiatives of women's groups and women media practitioners in areas such as media monitoring, increasing women's participation in all forms of media production, training and networking.

Recommendations of the Working Group include: to establish an international institute on women, media and communication, which would coordinate all existing initiatives and achievements of women in the media and ensure the simultaneous pursuit of research, monitoring, training and policy advocacy; the development and adoption of an international Convention on Women and Media which would address human rights, diversity and gender issues in media; to ensure that all regulatory mechanisms on media are guided by contemporary values and principles such as gender justice, preservation of human rights, and diversity; to represent the various voices, identities and realities of marginalised groups in the media; and to address barriers to gender equality in design, implementation, access and use of new information and communication technologies.

SECTION K: WOMEN & ENVIRONMENT

The Working Group acknowledged a number of positive measures which have been taken to implement the BPFA. These include the allocation of government funds for environmental and gender-awareness education and training; the adoption of policy changes which have, in some degree, increased women's participation in local councils and environmental programmes; and the growth of gender disaggregated research on women and the environment.

The Working Group noted however, a number of impediments to the implementation of the BPFA. These include the failure to fully assess the impact of new technologies on the environment, the non-recognition of traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous women, exclusion of women in environmental decision-making at all levels, and the lack of coordination between governments and NGOS.

The Working Group also noted that a number of issues addressed by the BPFA remain unresolved. These include the impact of environmental degradation on women, women's role in soil conservation and women's lack of access and control over natural resources.

Based on their findings the Working Group called on governments, NGOs and civil society to: promote environmental education and awareness; collaborate and develop a database on gender and the environment; promote and develop renewable energy sources and improved waste management technologies; and ensure women's participation in all levels of environmental protection.

SECTION L: THE GIRL-CHILD

The Working Group acknowledged the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) by all countries in the Asia Pacific Region as a major step towards the promotion and protection of the human rights of the girl child. It was also noted that immunisation efforts as well as compulsory primary education had achieved positive results for girl children.

The Working Group observed however, that the concerns of the girl child (comprising 40% of females in the region) have received insufficient attention in national plans of action.

The Working Group noted that global economic trends and policies have negatively impacted on the situation and status of girl children, reflected in the increase in child prostitution and trafficking, child labour, child homelessness, child marriages and sexual exploitation in the name of religion/culture. Rising armed conflict, militarisation and fundamentalism have also generated new forms of violence and risk in the lives of girl children.

Cultural preferences for male children continue to result in the abandonment of girl children and denial of their access to opportunities available to boys.

The Working Group considered the lack of gender and age disaggregated data as a major stumbling block to assessments of the problems of the girl child and recommended improved data as a pre-requisite for plans of action focussing on girl children.

ANALYSIS OF THE TWELVE CRITICAL AREAS OF CONCERN IN THE BEIJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN A: WOMEN AND POVERTY

GAINS

The following gains linked to the BPFA were identified:

• Most governments in the region have focused on poverty eradication with special measures for women, and have created minimum mechanisms to implement policies. (Strategic Objective A.1, Action 58 c and j)
• Funds for micro-credit programmes for women have been increased by governments, multilateral and bilateral donors. [Strategic Objective A.3, Action 63 and 64]
• There has been a recognition of women specific poverty issues and a willingness to address the issues of gender based economic inequalities [Strategic Objective A.1, Action 58a].
• Some National banks have introduced policies to extend loans to women cooperatives and self-help groups to create more self employment opportunities. [Strategic Objective A.3, Action 63]
• National Commissions, Women Commissions and other similar mechanisms have examined the specific issues of poor women including home based workers, migrant labour and some other disadvantaged groups (S.O. A.1, Action 58 k).
• Laws has been enacted in some countries to provide child raising allowance to unmarried mothers, child development programmes to provide support to working mothers, and to improve health and education indicators of children including the girl child. [Strategic Objective A.2, Action 61 c]
• Collaboration between governments and NGOs on poverty and macroeconomic issues has increased at the policy making and implementation levels. [Strategic Objective A.1, Action 60 a and d]
• NGO networks have been strengthened increasing solidarity and collective lobbying on the issues of the feminisation of poverty. (S.O. A.1, Action 60 b).
• Women's NGOs and their networks are playing active roles in the implementation of poverty programmes, as well as lobbying for inclusion of women's concerns in government programmes (S.O. A.1, Action 60 a).
• Research has been undertaken by NGOs, academic institutions and some governments to establish gender segregated data for marginalised groups of women and related issues of poverty, employment and economy. [Strategic Objective A.4, Action 68a]
• Opportunities for education and marketable skill development for women, in-country and abroad has increased. [Strategic Objective F.3, Action 173 c]
• Women's cooperatives have been actively encouraged in some countries [Strategic Objective F.3, Action 173 c].
• UN organisations have mainstreamed gender policies and programmes.

GAPS

The following are identified as gaps in the BPFA:

• The adverse affects of the World Trade Organisation's policies have not been addressed.
• The need for rehabilitation of those affected by natural disasters must be included in poverty programmes.

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

While included in the BPFA. Recommendations to address some issues have not yet been implemented. Challenges and Obstacles to this occurring are listed below.

• National micro credit policies and programmes often do not have proper implementation plans, nor do the application criteria address social and gender inequalities within and outside the household (S.O. A.1, Action 58 n).
• The effectiveness and sustainability of micro credit programmes have several constraints such as high cost of loan disbursement, small loan size, labour-intensive production methods, and the lack of marketing and managerial skills training (S.O. A.3, Action 62 a).
• Resources are budgeted for poverty programmes but are not disbursed properly and so do not reach to the target groups of poor and marginalised women (S.O. A.1, Action 58d).
• The proportion of women under the poverty line is increasing due to globalisation policies such as the withdrawal of subsidies, export based production, depletion of resources, and the shrinking of government programmes (S.O. A.1, Action 58 b).
• Lack of good governance, transparency and accountability has increased corruption leading to ineffective implementation of poverty programs at the local level.
• Nuclearisation, militarisation and increasing armed conflicts are being used to justify increasing defence budgets that consequently reduce resources for social and human development.
• Globalisation is negating the positive work of NGOs in micro-credit due to difficulties competing with larger companies in the marketing and quality of products (S.O. A.3, Action 64 and 66).
• There is a need to control increasing consumerism and the influence of multi-national companies, to enhance consumer rights and the satisfaction of basic needs at a household level.
• In order to prevent financial crises, there is a need to control the movement of illegal funds used for speculative purposes.
• There is a need to control the adverse affects of indiscriminate privatisation, trade liberalisations and deregulation of economy on women, the poor and marginalised groups (S.O. A.1, Action 59 f)
• There is a need to ensure that women's needs are systematically integrated into decentralisation policy and implementation.

PERSISTENT ISSUES

The following have been identified as persistent issues in the region:

• There is inadequate political will, and limited capacity of governments to provide for basic needs and protect disadvantaged groups (S.O. A.1, Action 58c).
• Globalisation through structural adjustment programmes and the increasing role of multi-national companies leads to the continuation of the cycle of poverty of vulnerable groups of women (S.O. A.1, Action 58b and 59e).
• Continued environmental degradation threatens the resources, livelihood and housing of many poor and marginalised women throughout the region(S.O. A.1, Action 59g).
• Most countries still practice strong inequalities and gender disparities in resource ownership and power sharing (S.O. A.1, Action 60 f and S.O. A.2 , Action 61 b).

EMERGING ISSUES

The following issues have emerged since 1995:

• Genetic engineering in agriculture has increased dependence on developed countries for hybrid seeds and fertilizers in the region.
• The East Asian economic crisis is leading to devaluation, inflation, lowering of real wages leading to unemployment, underemployment, sub-contracted labour and the retrenchment of women.
• New technologies are increasingly displacing women from jobs.
• Investment in export sector is causing food insecurity rather than production of home consumption goods.
• Rapidly changing markets are causing confusion and complexities in the economy.
• There are increasing gaps between those who are familiar with technology and those who are left behind.
• Inequalities are increasing between men and women, between north and south, and between regions within the countries and across countries.
• Growing fundamentalism, ethnicity and communalism is leading to conflict, violence and sex related crime resulting in more poverty for women.

FUTURE ACTIONS

The following actions were identified as necessary to achieve further gains in Critical Area of Concern:

• NGO networks and other civil society organisations must put more pressure on the governments to implement National Plans of Action addressing the issues of women and poverty.
• All national and international institutions must develop the holistic definition of poverty so that comparisons over time and across regions can be made.
• Lobbying by women groups must be done for implementation of Social Summit recommendations through NGOs and government.
• Governments must protect agricultural lands and the environment to safeguard the livelihood of people.
• International conventions for the protection of migrant workers must be enforced and governments should monitor the exploitation of workers through their diplomatic missions.
• NGOs must increase their lobbying efforts with government and international agencies for debt reduction.
• Financial institutions and other credit institutions must provide breakthrough credits to women for increasing their income on a continuous basis.
• Poverty eradication programmes must address gender inequalities within and outside households.
• Research must be carried out to identify the structural causes of poverty in order to design more relevant and strategic poverty eradication programmes by both NGOs and government.
• Governments must enact the laws to protect equal property rights of women.
• Sex-tourism must be abolished through government policy enforcement.
• Monitoring of enforcement of labour laws in export processing zones must be ensured by the government and ILO.
• The UN must develop a mechanism to monitor the impact of policies and programmes of the WTO, the World Bank and the IMF to protect the livelihood and food security of women and households.

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN B: EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF WOMEN

GAINS

The following gains linked to the BPFA were identified:

• Governments implemented educational reform resulting in increased access by girls and women to formal and non-formal education at all levels; Strategic Objective B.1 , Action 80b; Strategic Objective B.3, Action 82 b; Strategic Objective Action 84b)
• Increase in access to non-formal education by girls as a result of increased advocacy by NGOs and increased funding by UN agencies and donors;
• (Strategic Objective B.4, Action 83 r)
• Increase in number of females in traditionally male-dominated courses, including vocational courses; (Strategic Objective B.3 Actions 82 c,e,f,g,h, and, Strategic Objective B.5, Action 85 b)
• Increased donor and government funding for scholarships for girls and women; (Strategic Objective B.1, Action 80 c and f)
• More educational institutions in the government, non-government and private sectors are offering programmes and courses in women's studies and/or gender studies as well as setting up women's studies centers/institutes; (Strategic Objective B.4, Action 83 g)
• Noticeable increase in funding from governments and donors for research on women and gender; (Strategic Objective B.5, Action 86 a and b)
• Increase in use of mass media for lifelong education for girls and women; (Strategic Objective B.4, Action 83 i)
• Training and educational programmes in political and voters' education for women and, training in human rights, women's rights and rights of the child carried out by NGOs; (Strategic Objective B.4, Action 83 j)

GAPS

The following are identified as gaps in the BPFA:

• Recognition of indigenous knowledge bases, their contribution in modern science and technology and in informing mainstream and alternative philosophical discourse;
• Recognition of women's intergenerational knowledge base in relation to sustainable agricultural, health and other practices, as well as ways of communication and knowledge transfer;
• Recognition of the declining quality of education;
• The 'hidden curriculum' that determines the socialization of girls and boys;
• Lifelong education for women is not related to empowerment or employment opportunities, but is limited to home management;
• An emphasis on the use of information technology does not take into account how this might lead to the marginalisation of women;

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

While included in the BPFA. Recommendations to address some issues have not yet been implemented. Challenges and Obstacles to this occurring are listed below.

• An assumption that education for first world men is appropriate and relevant for women in the South;
• Decreasing budget allocation for education from kindergarten to university by many governments resulting in declining quality; (Strategic Objective B. 5, Action 84 a)
• Economic crisis results in the losing of gains in the increased access of girls to education (Strategic Objective B. 2, Action 81 b)
• Globalization and structural adjustment programs reinforce unequal access to education because in cases of limited resources, boys are given priority for education; (Strategic Objective B. 1, Action 80 f)
• Higher illiteracy and gender disparity in education among ethnic and religious minority groups; (Strategic Objective B. 1 Action 80 a; Strategic Objective B.3, Action 82 k; and Strategic Objective B.4, Action 83 n)
• Documentation and incorporation within the curricula of indigenous traditional knowledge that has been suppressed and devalued by colonial and neocolonial processes; (Strategic Objective B. 4, Action 83 n, o and p)
• An emphasis on increased participation by women in decision-making in income generation activities and not just on skills training; (Strategic Objective B. 3, Action 82 j)
• Lack of entrepreneurship training in microcredit programs that target women, specifically resulting in their unsustainability and overburden on women; (Strategic Objective B. 3, Action 82 j)
• Use mass media as a tool for education for women and awareness-raising on gender issues; (Strategic Objective B. 4, Action 83 I and q)
• Lack of coordination among many ministries handling/responsible for education resulting in their ineffectiveness; (Strategic Objective B. 5, Action 84 b)
• Increase in armed conflict and violence resulting in more disabled people, including girls and women; thus, there is a need for a special education program for disabled girls and women; (Strategic Objective B.3, Action 82 k

PERSISTENT ISSUES

The following have been identified as persistent issues in the region:

• Education continues to be informed by colonial legacies, top-down development paradigms, and globalisation processes leading to the devaluation and suppression of the knowledge base and technologies possessed by Third World and indigenous peoples including women; (Strategic Objective B.4, Action 83 and o)
• An overall lack of commitment by governments to address within education inequities resulting from gender and other factors, including class and ethnicity; (Strategic Objective B.1, Action 80 a)
• Low budget allocation for education, especially higher education, by governments; (Strategic Objective B.5, Action 84 a)
• Socio-cultural attitudes towards women that affect their access to education and training; (Strategic Objective B. 1, Action 80 a)
• Increasing rural-urban gap in education and training opportunities for girls and women; (Strategic Objective B. 4, Action 83 q and r )
• Continuing gap between policy and implementation that leads to further decrease in access to education and training by women from ethnic and religious minorities; (Strategic Objective B. 3, Action 82 k)
• Inadequate teacher training programmes with little or no focus on equity, human rights, peace and gender issues; (Strategic Objective B. 4, Action 83 c,e and j)

EMERGING ISSUES

The following issues have emerged since 1995:

• Due to globalization, there is increasing privatization of education as governments pass on to the private sector the responsibility to provide education to citizens; (Strategic Objective B.1)
• The nuclearisation of weapons results in ever decreasing budget allocation for social development, including for education; (Strategic Objective B.5)
• Armed conflicts and violence are a threat to the particpation of girls and women in education and teaching; (no PFA reference)
• Increasing gap between boys and girls as a result of their changing perceptions towards their roles and opportunities, which causes a backlash on girls; (Strategic Objective B.4)
• Recognition and use of non-formal education as a tool and strategy for increasing girls and women's access to education; (Strategic Objective B.1)
• Variation in access to education on information technology among countries in the region; poor countries, rural areas have limited access; gender gap in access in richer countries; (Strategic Objective B.1)
• Inclusion of education on sexual abuse and harassment in regular curriculum in some countries; (Strategic Objective B.4)
• Increasing interest amongst men regarding training on GAD due to requirements in development work; (Strategic Objective B.4)
• Increased networking among various sectors to advocate education for women; (Strategic Objective B.1)

FUTURE ACTIONS

The following actions were identified as necessary to achieve further gains in this Critical Area of Concern :

• Governments, NGOs and academic institutions should develop a gender sensitive curriculum incorporating a holistic human rights based approach which recognizes cultural diversity and balances modern science and technology with local knowledge bases; Funding agencies (whether they be government, donor institution, academic institution) should require that gender be addressed in research grants;
• Governments should provide resources for the revision of textbooks to make them more gender-sensitive;
• Governments, NGOs, and academic institutions should provide feminist and women-centered education for teachers from primary to post-graduate level;
• Governments, NGOs, and academic institutions to provide community education and gender sensitization training for males;
• NGOs must increase their advocacy of the use of mass media as a tool for gender awareness and education;
• Governments, NGOs, the UN and civil society must develop indicators to measure the gender impact on education emerging through a participatory process with concerned communities;
• NGOs must increase their lobbying for governments to increase budget allocation for education;
• Governments, NGOs, and civil society must increase their dialogue and engage in partnership for education for girls and women;
• Governments must increase funding for women, gender and feminist studies;
• Governments must include NGOs as advisers in women and gender studies;
• UN and donor agencies must provide funding for regional/sub-regional level women and gender studies;
• Governments and donor agencies should increase incentives for men to take up women and gender studies.

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN C: WOMEN AND HEALTH

GAINS

The following gains were identified which flowed from, or are linked to the BPFA. However, gains noted here are not common to all countries in the region.

• Passage of the Anti-Rape Laws and supporting laws for rape crisis centres [C.1 106 (d) and 107 (q)]. Incorporation of VAW into health policies [C.1 106 (s) and 107 (q)].
• Piloting of models of treatment and post-trauma services to meet the social, legal, medical and psychological needs of survivors of domestic violence, rape and child abuse [C.1 106 (c)].
• Gender-sensitive indicators which can be used for monitoring have been developed by NGO's [C.5 110 (d)].
• Expansion in the range and access of health services in both rural and urban areas in several countries. [C.1 106 (c) and (e)]. Voluntary rather than coercive consent to contraception has been encouraged in some countries. 1996 [C.1 106 (g)]. There has been an attempt to include the community (and therefore women) in identification and planning of healthcare priorities through the Community Needs Assessment Approach (1998) [C1 106 (c)].
• In some countries, trained midwives and a three-tier service provision are strengthening maternal and child health, and hygiene and sanitation has been especially focused on [C.1 106 (i) and (x)].
• NGOs have lobbied for or tried out innovative sex education programs to be integrated into the formal education curriculum [ C.2 107 (g) and (e)].
• Some Governments have integrated poverty alleviation programs/credit and savings scheme with reproductive health services/IEC programs on reproductive health [C.2 107 (b)]. GAPS

GAPS

The following have been identified as gaps in the BPFA:

• Nowhere has the right to health been specifically outlined. The emphasis is on the right to attain health.
• The repeal of existing laws and policies which contradict or negate new policies and laws which promote women's health and rights has not been addressed in the BPFA This creates confusion and loop holes in some countries. For example, an existing policy on prevention of abortion would violate a government's pronouncement on women's health rights.
• Strategic Objective A.1 60 (b) does not include the need for governments to establish a monitoring mechanism on the feminisation of poverty with agreed upon indicators or a framework in discussions/agreement with international and national NGOs and women's groups.

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

While included in the BPFA. Recommendations to address some issues have not yet been implemented. Challenges and Obstacles to this occurring are listed below.

• Feminisation of poverty has worsened with the globalisation of economies and national financial crisis. Decrease in public health spending has cut health coverage for poor women, home-based/ informal sector women workers, women farmers and women heads of household, especially if individuals/employers are expected to bear the health costs. Government health budgets are decreasing to well below the WHO recommendation of at least five per cent of GNP [C.5 110 (a) and 111 (a)].
• There is insufficient will to address the full range of reproductive health and rights issue. For example, abortion remains illegal and ignored although it is commonly practised [C.1 106 (j)]. Funding is being restricted to only family planning and contraceptive services in place of all primary health/reproductive health needs of women [C.5 110 (a)].
• Lack of laws that specifically address abuse of women in prostitution and trafficking of women [C.2 107 (q)]. Poverty/loss of livelihood is exacerbating trafficking in women but this has not been addressed [C.2 107 (q)]. Due to lack of information for young people/adolescents on their sexual and reproductive health and rights, they become more vulnerable to trafficking, rape and child prostitution [C.99 and I.1 230 (n)].
• Lack of an integrated multi-sectoral approach to VAW; lack of gender-sensitive network of healthcare providers, legislators, media, police and legal practitioners
• [ D.1 124 (g)].
• There is a lack of data and statistics on all types of violence against women including "honour" violence, and especially concerning domestic violence [D.1 129 (a)]. Governments have not done gender-sensitive impact assessments using qualitative data on women's health [C.5 110 (d)]. Monitoring and research on economic causes of women's health problems and economic research on the effect of gender inequalities on women's health has not been done [C.4 109 (d) and (f)].
• There has been no policies or programs or legislation to address women's occupational health hazards [C.1 106 (p)]. Services for aging women and osteoporosis have not been provided [C.1 106 (n) & C.2 107 (l)]. There are not enough women healthcare providers in remote areas [C.1 106 (f) and (c)].
• The impact of globalisation and privatisation in the health sector has led to unnecessary medical interventions in women's life events, such as ultra-sound scanning etc. Clinical trials by private companies are either absent or do not conform to ethical standards. There is inappropriate or over-medication of women due to weak policing and regulatory mechanisms of governments, which are also unable to ensure the safety of, drugs [C.1 106 (h), (g) and (u)].
• No partnership or transparency of agenda with NGOs by government [C.1 106 (s)].
• Forced sterilisation/abortion in situations of conflict have not been stopped and need to be recognised as human rights violations and crimes against women [C.1 106 (k) and (q)].

PERSISTENT ISSUES

Some issues have not improved despite mention in the BPFA and the implementation of some of the recommendations.

• Despite skill training of healthcare providers, gender sensitivity and "cultural orientation" has not occurred; the orientation is predominantly medical. Reproductive health has not been understood from a woman's development and rights perspective. Despite the modesty code for Asian women, privacy and confidentiality of services are lacking. Ethics and human rights are not taught in the medical curriculum [C.1 106 (e), (f) and (g)].
• Programs have still not been able to incorporate the realities of women's lack of money, mobility, decision-making and knowledge and where to seek healthcare. Attention to rural areas is definitely lacking in contrast to urban areas, and the health needs of women are not being addressed through a life-cycle approach [C.1 106 (c)].
• Women's need for accurate information on HIV/AIDS is not addressed [see C.3 108] in contrast to needs of men and adolescents. Despite women having recurrent/chronic vaginal infections and pelvic inflammatory disease, no protocol exists for doctors to detect HIV/AIDS at an early stage.
• Essential drugs for women's health, which should be affordable, available, and in rational compositions [ C.1 106 (u)]
• Programs and policies need to be in place to address men as responsible partners in contraception and not just for disease prevention as inadequately outlined in [C.3 108 (l)].
• Primary healthcare including care for infectious diseases continued to be under-budgeted compared to HIV/AIDS and contraception/family planning [C.1 106 (i) and C.5 110 (a)]. Scarce resources available for reproductive health are being channeled into population control and contraception, neglecting the broader but critical areas like comprehensive reproductive health services, male responsibility and violence against women. Despite announcing a gender-sensitive approach, men have not been adequately addressed/educated about their responsibility for safer sex and contraception, including within marriage. [C.3 108 (e) and C.2 107 (d)].
• Emergency obstetric care is still insufficient [C.1 106 (e) and (i)]. Access to safe abortion is still limited in most countries and are not considered a reproductive rights issue [C.1 106 (k)]. Access to minimum nutrition still remains elusive for women [C.1 106 (w)]. Women are generally uninformed and even denied access to PAP smears, especially if they are unmarried and young [C.2 107 (m) and C.4 109 (e)].
• There is persistent social pressure on women to either bear or not bear children (e.g. treatment for infertility to ensure population growth) [C.1 106 (k)]. Women's contraceptives without unpleasant side-effects are still unavailable [C.1 106 (u)]. Female barrier methods have been researched but are not yet available [C.3 108 (o) and (p)].
• VAW is not recognised as a women's health issue [C.1 106 (q)]. Reporting procedures at the police station and subsequent legal procedures are cumbersome and unfriendly to women [D.1 124 (g), (h) and (i)]. Crisis centres have been established but there is a lack of funds and lack of training for caregivers [C.1 106 (s) and D.1 125 (a)].
• The dominant information campaigns on HIV/AIDS still tend to address/mention high-risk groups when it should be high-risk behaviours [C.3 108 (n)]. HIV and STDs are being addressed through preventive education rather than service provision [C.3 108 (f) and (m)]. The information campaigns on single-partner sex as a means of preventing HIV transmission are leading to complacence among married women [C.3 108 (e)].
• There is a need for accurate and unbiased information on sexual and reproductive health for young people, which would take into account gender differences [C.2 107 (e) and (g)]. Healthcare services for young people/adolescents are lacking. There is a need for more research on reproductive healthcare needs of young people which would lead to reliable and effective health services for them [H.3 206 (i) and L.273].
• The wealth of experience and expertise among women's health NGOs of the region has been inadequately used by governments in planning and monitoring women's health programs [C.1 106 (c), (s) and (t)].

EMERGING ISSUES

These are issues which have emerged since 1995:

• Private companies, especially MNCs, are appropriating the indigenous healthcare knowledge and practices which once belonged to women, and making women pay high prices for access to their own resources [see also C.4 109 (j)].
• Governments' responsibility for social welfare has been seriously eroded, and progressive ideas and models of national health services are in danger of being demolished or not have a chance to even become reality. The belief that no one should be required to pay for healthcare at the point of service is fast disappearing, making it more difficult to reduce existing inequities and injustices.
• Healthcare system reforms without a concept of equitable, efficient and high quality health services being demanded by a strong consumer movement.
• The women's movement in Asia need to take up the issue of Female Ggenital Mutilation (FGM) as a health issue in order not to negate the work and efforts of NGOs in abolishing FGM in other countries.

FUTURE ACTIONS

• Governments must to reassess their viewpoints and acknowledge the benefits of a rights approach to women and to their health status. More dialogue between governments, NGOs, health professionals, and UN agencies on human rights, women's rights and health, has to be initiated, particularly at a regional level, which will help expand national perspectives. Nationally, governments must develop detailed plans/monitoring indicators and/or establish commissions to implement the Women's Convention and the Cairo and Beijing as a matter of urgency.
• Women NGOs must develop a clear framework on women's rights to health and increase their advocacy and networking strategies with government, health NGOs, health professionals and human rights lawyers and activists. They must also represent grassroots women's experiences of health services and obstacles faced in acquiring their health rights.
• NGOs need to develop stronger peoples/consumer movements that believe in the right of civil society to be provided comprehensive, affordable and quality healthcare services.
• There is a need for national policies to take on a more balanced approach to globalisation within the framework of health as a human right. These must ensure that (1) a good balance of promotive, preventive and curative services and between primary, secondary and tertiary care exists/persists; (2) equitable access to a well-functioning healthcare system; (3) efficiency in providing services at reasonable costs; and (4) financial viability in generating revenues through a mix of different approaches.
• There is an urgent need to develop a monitoring framework of specific financial indicators which differentiates primary healthcare, maternal health, family planning, screening for reproductive cancers, HIV/AIDS services, etc. within the reproductive health budget [C.5 110 (b)], and women's health status should be assessed in relation to health sector reforms and privatisation of health utilities [C.4 109 (a), (d) and (f) and C.5 110 (d)]. In order to make the vulnerable more visible, monitoring data should be disaggregated by sex, caste, religion, class, race, age and geographical location (rural/urban) [C.5 110 (d)].
• Government research institutions and NGOs and women's groups must document women's experiences of their health problems, and access to health services [K.3 258 (b) (iv)]. Existing plans must be reviewed to assess the extent to which women's rights to health are unconditionally clearly expressed and operationalised [C.1 106 (c), (s) and (t)]. Each country needs to review its existing data, facilities and experience to determine what is ready for intervention/piloting, upscaling, implementation and what still needs research, in consultation with and involvement of health workers, women's groups and women themselves.
• Access to reproductive and sexual healthcare services must be ensured by either a one-stop gender-sensitive/women-centred healthcare centre, or home delivery of services or through the periodic camp approach so that even rural and remote areas can be served. In all these, the physical setting and the staff-patient relationship should reinforce privacy, dignity and the right to complete information [C.95 and C.1 106 (f)].
• Governments must reorient health service programme designers and providers to make them stakeholders in gender-sensitive reproductive healthcare programs in collaboration with women's groups [Para.19 and C.1 106 (f)]. Government reproductive health programs should appoint male staff and sensitise them to address men as responsible partners in contraception and safer sex [C.3 108 (e)].
• Health professionals and their respective associations must continue to work on incorporating women's rights in the ethics or charters of their health practices, and then on improving their interaction with women clients and women's access to health information and gender-sensitive services, as well as advocacy with the government [C.1 106 (f), (g) and (h)].

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN D: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

GAINS

The following gains were identified in some countries in the region which flowed, or are linked to the BPFA :

• The development of action plans to address violence against women at national and local levels, including increased coordination of responses to the issue [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 124j]
• The adoption of legislation for sanctions against violence against women (ie, rape laws; sexual harassment laws) [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 124c]
• The adoption of legislation to eliminate violence against women [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 124d]
• Public education campaigns to increase community awareness of issues surrounding VAW [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 125e]
• Provision of well-funded relief support for girls and women subjected to violence [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 125a]
• Recognition of trafficking of women as violence against women and development strategies to address such issues [Strategic Objective D.3]
• Support for NGOs in their campaigns to eradicate violence against women [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 125d]
• As a result of these types of strategies there has been an increase in the reporting of violence against women.
• NGOs in the region have indicated an increased cooperation with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, particularly through the provision of information [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 124r]

GAPS

The following are identified as gaps in the BPFA:

• While issues of child labour are addressed in the BPFA [Strategic Objective L.6], recognition is growing that elements of the practice constitute a form of violence against women
• Violence against lesbian and bisexual women on the basis of sexual orientation is not recognised as a form of violence against women
• The need for strategies to address violence against rural women and violence against indigenous and Dalit women is not recognised in the BPFA
• Specific recognition of the forms of violence against women resulting from economic policies which preference productivity over workers rights issues
• Diplomatic immunity impinges on rights and safety of women, therefore a mechanism for holding those with diplomatic immunity accountable for committing acts of violence against women must be developed.

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

The Working Group noted the following challenges and obstacles to the implementation of the Strategic Objectives:

• The lack of political will on the behalf of governments to effectively address issues of violence against women continues as the most pressing challenge/obstacle to the implementation of the Strategic Objectives. Lack of political will can be seen in the following issues:
• The continued failure of governments to provide resources to address issues of violence against women [i.e., Strategic Objective D.1., Actions 124d, g, h, j, l; Strategic Objective D.1., Actions 125a, b, d, e, g, I; Strategic Objective D.1. Action 126c; Strategic Objective D.2., Action 129a; Strategic Objective D.3., Action 130d].
• The failure of government policies to support effective intervention mechanisms [Strategic Objective D.1. Actions 124d, h; Strategic Objective D.1., Actions 125a, b, c].
• The refusal by some governments to recognise domestic violence as an example of violence against women [Strategic Objective D.1]
• The attitudes and practices of some law enforcement agencies and officers (ie, participation in trafficking of women; failure to respond to call-outs on domestic violence; failure to investigate rape allegations) negatively effects the capacity of the law to respond to issues of violence against women [Strategic Objective D.1., Actions 124n and o]
• The gender bias of the legal system perpetuates discrimination against women who have experienced violence [Strategic Objective D.1., Action 124d and g]
• Negative community attitudes, particularly within families, towards issues of violence against women hamper the capacity for women to take action against the violence [Strategic Objective D.1 Actions 124k and l]

PERSISTENT ISSUES

The Working Group also noted that despite mention in the BPFA, the following persistent issues remain:

• Women with disabilities continue to have inadequate access to information and services addressing issues of violence against women. [Strategic Objective D.1., Action 124m].
• Marginalised women, including migrant women, young women, refugee and internally displace women, lebians and women migrant workers continue to have inadequate access to information and services in the field of violence against women [Strategic Objective D.1., Action 125b and c, 126d].
• Despite evidence that research into violence against women is an effective tool in the fight against VAW, research is inadequately funded, and in some countries in the region, is not funded at all [Strategic Objective D.2 Action 129a]
• The failure of the legal system to provide protection and redress to women survivors of violence contributes to the under-reporting of incidences of violence against women [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 124c]
• Effective education campaigns on VAW continue to be inadequately resourced and implemented [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 124k and n]
• Effective training campaigns on VAW continue to be inadequately resourced and implemented [Strategic Objective D.1 Action 124n and o]

EMERGING ISSUES

• There is increasing awareness in the region of the practice of honour killings; parallel to this is a distortion of the notion of what constitutes an honour killing (i.e., the distortion of 'honour' from concerning simply transgression of sexual norms, to the transgression of social norms of feminine behaviour; the use of 'honour killings' to hide other criminal activity)
• The economic crisis has contributed to an increase in levels of violence against women, particularly:
• Anecdotal evidence of an increase in the level of domestic violence
• An increase in levels of migrant workers
• Related to the above, is an increase in the trafficking of women for participation in the formal and non-formal labour sector, including the commercial sex sector; and
• The failure of social support mechanisms in the face of global economic changes and the specific impact on women, who are still primary care givers in most of the region
• The increased use of internet-based technologies has promoted trafficking of women and children and increased the use of women and girls in electronic forms of pornography. The regulation of these sectors poses challenges, nationally and internationally.

FUTURE ACTIONS

The Working Group reaffirmed the commitments made by the Governments in the BPFA and called on the governments in the region to implement the actions. In particular, the Working Group called for the following actions to be implemented as soon as possible:

• We recommend that national and local institutional mechanisms be strengthened and made accountable in order to ensure that all the points of contact for women survivors of violence be protected in order to provide a safe environment for survivors.
• Governments, in collaboration with NGOs, must develop a definition of violence with guidelines for a framework necessary for legislation which should cover training, standardisation and strategies for addressing violence against women. These strategies should focus on prevention, early intervention, remedial measures and legal redress.
• Governments, in collaboration with NGOs and other civil society actors must develop and review educational materials at all levels, starting from pre-school and including vocational training and university, from a gender perspective. In order to break the cycle of violence against women and children, educational materials, especially those created for young people, should include the explicit philosophy that violence against women and girls is a violation of human rights.
• The Working Group recognizes that a lack of funding at all local, national, regional and international levels impedes implementation of the Strategic Objectives outlined in the Violence Against Women Chapter of the BPFA. Therefore, we recommend that UN Agencies ask governments to prioritize funding for survivors of violence against women and supporting NGOs which work on VAW.
• Governments mustuse Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a guide by governments to determine the percentage to be allocated to tackle the issue of violence against women, including funding for research, shelter operation, training, and support operation.
• Governments must enforce legislation regarding trafficking, particularly regarding the punishment of traffickers and the elimination of forced repatriation of women by recipient countries.
• The United Nations, with the support of national governments, must create a comprehensive mechanism for addressing violence against women, that will work with the Special Raporteur on the Prevention of Violence Against Women. This mechanism must have the power to do the following:
  * Set benchmarks by which governments and civil society are measured in how they address violence against women
  * Set definitions of violence
  * Set strategies for the prevention and redress of past and present violence
  * Provide guidelines to assist governments in the implementation of policies preventing violence against women
  * Institutionalize mechanisms for monitoring the progress of government and civil society in terms of violence against women
  * Recognizing the work done by the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women in articulating guidelines for frameworks require to address different forms of violence against women, governments should develop mechanisms to systematically track national progress in eradicating violence against women.

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN E: WOMEN AND ARMED CONFLICT

GAINS

• Rape has been recognised as a war crime and a crime against humanity (Strategic Objective E.3; Action 145 d)
• The Ottawa Convention on Landmines has been signed and ratified by some governments (Strategic Objective E.2; Action 143 e)
• The gathering of women throughout the world in the Hague in March 1999 to mobilise peace movements at a national, regional and international level. This Hague appeal for peace involved a petition campaign on conflict resolution. (Strategic Objective E.4; Action 146 b)

GAPS

• Any acknowledgment of the effects of the presence of foreign military bases for a long-term period of time.
• Lack of machinery to ensure that governments respond to the demands, aspirations and rights of people and in resolving conflict and implementing laws that render justice.

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

While included in the BPFA. Recommendations to address some issues have not yet been implemented. Challenges and Obstacles to this occurring are listed below.

• The failure to provide to for the protection of civil and political rights of refugee and internally displaced women.
• The use of women and men as forced labour in conflict situations.
• The recruitment of children in to the army.
• The gender dimensions of armed and other conflicts has not been translated into any specific strategic objective. (Action 135)

PERSISTENT ISSUES

Some issues have not improved despite mention in the BPFA and the implementation of some of the recommendations.

• The use of blockades by some states or particular hostile communities as a means of political pressure (Strategic Objective E3; Action145h)
• Lack of guarantee on the reproductive health rights of refugee and displaced women in armed conflict situations (Strategic Objective E5, Action147f)
• Continuation of the issue of aggression against women in the name of tradition in armed conflict situations (E3; Action145h and D1; Action124 a)
• The continuation of forced prostitution and sexual slavery of women in armed conflict situations (E3 145 e
• Persistence of the continued inadequate representation of women in conflict resolution at a decision making level. (Strategic Objective E 1; 142 a)
• Failure to adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law with regard to the treatment of civilians in conflict, especially women and children (E.3 144b)
• Lack of commitment by states to consider violence against women in conflict as a war crime; inadequate action taken to investigate such crimes,, prosecute perpetrators and provide redress and justice for victims; (E.3 145 d and e)
• Lack of clear measures to reduce military spending and allocate funds for social development, including the advancement of women (E.2,143b)
• Lack of commitment to curtail production of weapons and ammunition including anti-personnel mines (E.2 143 a) and to control global traffic in illicit arms (E.2; 143d)

EMERGING ISSUES

These are issues which have emerged since 1995

• The emergence of more countries in the region with nuclear technology and capacity, and lack of adequate safeguards and controls.
• The changing nature of armed conflict, which has taken the arena of war into civil society and local communities.
• Growing militarization of civil society in the region.
• New global and regional defense cooperation agreements that contribute to the development of super-powers.
• Backlash against human rights defenders.
• Continuing marginalization of UN's role as a peacekeeper.
• Reinforcement of traditional and feudal values, with state support.

FUTURE ACTIONS

• Non-Government organisations must take a stronger role as part of civil society in order to build their capacity to resolve conflict situations (Strategic Objective E4; Action 146a)
• The UN must re-evaluate the existing definition of refugees and of existing protection mechanisms for refugees in view of changing global circumstances, and in keeping with accepted standards of gender-sensitivity;
• Guidelines on the treatment of internally displaced persons that are gender-sensitive must be developed.
• Awareness must be created about the effects on civil society of the control by superpowers and multinationals with regard to economic and military dependence. (Strategic Objective E6; Action149 b).
• Continuing work on the ICC, in particular to guarantee that the standards established in the statute are retained in the adoption of the Rules of Procedure in collaboration with the the Women's Caucus for Gender Justice at the ICC.
• A network of NGOs with ECOSOC status must be established work with the Commission on the Status of Women, on peace initiatives.
• Internet linkages to be maintained on issues related to women and conflict.
• Women's NGOs to educated about moves to expand the UN Security Council and to work together with other groups that are concerned on issues of peace and security.
• Mobilisation of resources to enable exchange of experiences in documenting incidents of violence against women in conflict situations, to provide protection for witnesses and defenders and to provide rehabilitation for victims of violence in armed conflict.
• Monitoring and documenting military budgets.
• Strategies for peace education based on human rights principles and strengthening community-based capacities for conflict resolution must be established.
• Women's NGO's must lobby and campaign against the existence of military bases and defense corporation agreements that contribute to super-power dominance;

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN F: WOMEN AND THE ECONOMY

GAINS

The following gains were identified which flowed from, or are linked to the BPFA

• Several countries have enacted legislation to ensure equal pay for equivalent work for both men and women (Strategic Objective F.1 Action165 a).
• Some countries have adopted laws to improve working conditions for women (eg: longer paid maternity leave, protection for home-based contract workers and provision of food and clothing allowances) (F1b). Some governments have made attempts to provide working women with facilities such as child care and parental leave (F6c).
• Some NGOs have been set up to serve to monitor transparency and accountability of governments (F1I).
• Steps are being taken to assess the value of women's unpaid housework and include it in the national accounting of GNP (F1g).
• NGOs have started to audit large multinational companies on their compliance with labour laws, ILO Conventions and codes of conduct for greater protection of working conditions of women. (F1).
• There has been an increase in micro credit programs for women (F2d).
• NGOs have undertaken research on the problems faced by women's small businesses and entrepreneurs and formulated recommendations to further support and strengthen them. (F2a).
• Access of some women to new technologies such as computers has facilitated networking and communication among women's groups (F3e).

GAPS

No specific gaps in the BPFA in relation to Women and the Economy were noted.

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

While included in the BPFA. recommendations to address some issues have not yet been implemented. Challenges and Obstacles to this occurring are listed below.

• Governments lack political will to enforce existing legislation and ILO Conventions already ratified, to safeguard the rights of workers and enhance their working conditions and well-being (F1a).
• Certain cultural practices and traditions of patrilineal societies negate gains achieved by legislation giving inheritance and property rights to women (F1e).
• The recent financial and economic crisis in Asia has rapidly eroded the rights of women workers, exacerbated the lack of welfare support for them, and worsened their working conditions and general well being (F1a, b).
• New concepts and strategies of land development have further displaced indigenous communities and peoples, taking away their customary rights and land (F2).
• Lack of rural employment opportunities have pushed young women to migrate to urban areas where they are exploited as workers in difficult and demanding jobs with low wages and poor working conditions (F3).

PERSISTENT ISSUES

Some issues have not improved despite mention in the BPFA and the implementation of some of the recommendations.

• Existing modern land and forestry laws undermine customary laws of indigenous communities that recognise the equal rights of women and men to access, control and use of resources, particularly land (F2). * Migrant women workers continue to be denied their human rights and face harsh working conditions such as low pay, long working hours and inadequate protection of their health and well-being ( F 158). * Existing tradition and cultural stereotypes deny women their rights to own and inherit land and property ( F 156). * The globalisation of economies continues to exacerbate inequalities between women and men in employment opportunities, wages, and occupational categories.( F 157 ). * Women continue to receive unequal pay for equal work, and work longer hours for less pay and in worse jobs than men ( F 158, F1a). * Trade unions continue to be dominated by men and fail to support for women workers' rights and enhancement of their welfare and well being (F5). * Women's reproductive and community roles as well as tasks in farming, fisheries, and forestry remain unrecognised as contributing to the economy and thus go unremunerated (F1c,g). * Women continue to be pushed into the informal sector of the economy thus remain without any social security and protection (F2d). * Gender discrimination persists in the workplace with women facing unequal hiring and promotion standards, unequal access to training and re-training, and unequal participation in economic decision making (F1b ). * Women continue to face unequal access to information, technology, and other productive resources to enhance small businesses and entrepreneurship (F4).

EMERGING ISSUES

These are issues which have emerged since 1995

• The rapid pace of globalisation has given rise to the phenomenon of sub-contracting and casualisation of labour, thus subjecting women to further exploitation and lack of access to any form of social protection and benefits.
• Globalisation and the recent Asian financial and economic crises account for the growing feminisation of migration, within and outside countries, thereby making women bear the greater burden of sustaining families and at the same time subjecting them to continued abuses and other forms of exploitation.
• The recent Asian financial and economic crises have deprived workers, especially women, of decent and just wages and many have lost their means of livelihood.

FUTURE ACTIONS

The following actions were identified as necessary to achieve further gains in Critical Area of Concern F:
Governments, UN Agencies, Multilateral bodies, NGOs must:

• Re-examine the impact of micro-credit and income generating programmes in genuinely empowering women, economically and socially.
• Evaluate women and men's work in every sector accordingly, whether in the formal or non-formal sectors, including agricultural and household work, as well as migrant women workers' contribution.
• Governments, Multilateral bodies, Financial Institutions must:
• Rapidly expand the provision of credit and capital to the poorest of poor women and provide support infrastructure.
• Work for the creation of economic platforms where women may have control over financial resources, to enhance their empowerment. Laws discriminating between women and men on rights to property, land inheritance and other resources need to be abolished.
• Ensure that women are adequately represented in key decision-making bodies concerning economic, financial, fiscal and monetary policies at various levels.
• Governments, Civil Society must:
• Ensure that new technologies do not destroy local and indigenous livelihoods of women.
• Governments must:
• Provide adequate facilities and support mechanisms to harmonise work and family responsibilities for women and men.
• Review social security systems to ensure women are equally and adequately protected as men.

NGOs and Civil Society must:

• Continue to advocate for a human centred development paradigm at all levels in all important fora of world leaders.
• Organise labour in all sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, commerce as well as informal sectors.

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN G: WOMEN IN POWER AND DECISION MAKING

GAINS

The following gains linked to the BPFA were identified:

• Women's consciousness about the need to hold political positions is growing. In some countries there has been an increase in the number of female candidates which has translated into more women winning seats (Strategic Objective G.1; Action 192 e).
• Women are growing in self-confidence in transformative politics (Strategic Objective G.2; Action 194 a).
• There is an increase in public attention and public awareness of the role and importance of women in politics and other decision-making capacities. (Strategic Objective G1; Action 192 e).
• Women are a major force at the grassroots level where their emerging leadership is taking place (Strategic Objective G. 1; Action 192 a).
• There is a growing volume of examples of legislation and legal protection in many countries to ensure women's position in the political process:
• ratification of CEDAW (Strategic Objective G. 1; Action 192 b)
• constitutional representation and protection (Strategic Objective G.1; Action 190 c)
• constitutional amendment (Strategic Objective G.1; Action 190 c)
• ratification and introduction of quotas on women's representation in political parties and other power/decision making structures (Strategic Objective G.1; Action 190 a)
• ratification and law-making on the enshrinement of women's rights (Strategic Objective G. 1; Action 190 a)

GAPS

No specific gaps in the BPFA in relation to Women in Power and Decision Making were noted.

CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES

While included in the BPFA. Recommendations to address some issues have not yet been implemented. Challenges and Obstacles to this occurring are listed below.

• Ensuring that political parties are held accountable for meeting quotas on women's representation (Strategic Objective G. 1; Action 191 a)
• Ensuring that large NGOs/political parties/unions look at their own power structures to achieve a gender balance (Strategic Objective G.1; Action a)
• Providing sufficient education to make women voters aware that they have power as a constituency (Strategic Objective G.1; Action 194 a)
• Addressing the training needs of women to ensure their full participation in power structures and decision making. Necessary training areas include leadership, skills in negotiation and advocacy, awareness of good governance, transparency and accountability in power sharing. ( Strategic Objective G.1; Action 194 a)

PERSISTENT ISSUES

The following persistent issues were identified:

• Power structures continue to be dominated by men (Strategic Objective G.1; Action 190 a). Representation of women in politics is very low across the whole region and in some cases is declining.
• Quotas set be political parties on women's representation are rarely met.
• Women's participation rate in senior positions in the corporate sector remains low.
• Many political parties do not have a women's platform.
• There is a lack of good data on women's participation in power and decision making.
• Women in rural and remote areas remain uninformed about opportunities for political participation.
• There is a chronic lack of support services to assist women to take on leadership roles.
• The maintenance of gender inequality, discrimination and traditional values which make women subordinate in the family and in the community are major issues that constitute continuing barriers to women in taking on political roles (Strategic Objective G 1; Action 190 ).
• These structures and values mean that women are forced to combine traditional duties with a political role, which represents an onerous work burden (Strategic Objective G. 2; Action 195 d).
• Women often see themselves as inferior and as lacking the capability to hold positions of power (Strategic Objective G. 2; Action 195 a).
• Electoral systems are not conducive to women's involvement in electoral politics (Strategic Objective G.1; Action b).

EMERGING ISSUES

The following issues were identified which have emerged since 1995:

• The rise in religious fundamentalism is acting to prevent women from seeking public office.
• Similarly, the threat of and use of violence is being used to intimidate women from seeking office.
• Women's lack of access to new technology is a factor in limiting their participation in power and decision making.
• There is a need to educate men in positions of power about the value and role of women in the political process and the responsibility of governments and parties to assist women to be elected such as by allocating them safe seats.

FUTURE ACTIONS

The following actions were identified as necessary to achieve further gains in Critical Area of Concern G:

• The UN was called upon to convene an international forum on "Women and Politics".
• Governments were called upon to include politics in girls' education.
• Governments, NGOs, universities and other educational institutions, unions, the business sector and political parties were called upon to develop political awareness raising campaigns targeted at women as well as public education campaigns stressing the value of women's political participation.
• The need for more pro-active links and networks across the AP region among women involved in power and decision making was stressed.
• A reinterpretation of religious teaching is necessary to overcome the adverse effects of religious fundamentalism on women's attempts to more fully participate in power and decision making.
• The international community was called upon to facilitate women's involvement in local level assemblies as a means of developing women's political skills.
• Timeframes need to be set and monitored for countries to meet quotas on women's representation in politics.

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN H: INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

GAINS

The following gains linked to the BPFA were identified:

• The majority of national governments in the region have strengthened existing national machineries since the Beijing Conference through for example, upgrading national machineries to Ministries and developing gender policy focal points in ministries and departments (paragraphs 201a, 201b, Strategic Objective H.2 Action 204e).
• Some local governments have made efforts to include grassroots organisations in their processes for the advancement of women (paragraph 201b).
• Laws to promote gender equality, to prevent domestic violence, rape, violence against women, forced prostitution and trafficking were formulated in some countries in this region following Beijing. Existing laws and constitutions were also amended to promote gender equality in several countries [Strategic Objective H.2 Actions 204b, c, and d].
• The majority of countries in the region developed national plans of action in order to eliminate obstacles to the exercise of women's rights and eradicate all forms of discrimination against women [Strategic Objective H.2 Action 204c].
• In some countries in the region national development plans were reviewed and evaluated in order to integrate gender concerns [Strategic Objective H.2 Actions 204b and 205d].
• Throughout the region, efforts have been made to increase information available to women on institutional mechanisms available to assist them [Strategic Objective H.3 Actions 206 b and c]
• Projects were established to collect and make available gender disaggregated data and to develop policies for women [Strategic Objective H.3 Actions 206 a, b, c, d, and e]

GAPS

No specific gaps in the BPFA in relation to Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women were noted.

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

While included in the BPFA. Recommendations to address some issues have not yet been implemented. Challenges and Obstacles to this occurring are listed below.

• There is a lack of accountability for implementation of machineries to advance women.
• There is a lack of continuity in policies for the advancement of women.
• Governments in some countries have failed to appoint women to leadership positions in the institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women.
• There is a lack of information sharing between governments on best practice for national machineries for the advancement of women.
• Institutional mechanisms do not adequately address the diversity of women's experiences in particular, failing to reflect the experiences of marginalised and minority women.
• There is a need for a more a transparent and accountable process for the selection of NGO representatives on national machineries.
• There is a continued need to raise women's consciousness regarding the importance of institutional mechanisms to advance women.

PERSISTENT ISSUES

The following persistent issues were identified:

• There is ongoing gender insensitivity among government officials in particular, high ranking officials, grass roots communities and people in traditional institutions [Strategic Objective H.2 Action 205f]
• While national machineries for the advancement of women have been created throughout the region, their effectiveness has been hampered by the following;
• failure to position national machineries at the highest possible level of government [paragraph 201a]
• inadequate allocation of financial and human resources to the national machineries [paragraph 201c]
• failure to develop and implement staff training on designing and analysing data from a gender perspective [Strategic Objective H.1 Action 203c]
• failure to encourage and promote the active involvement of all actors for advancement of women [Strategic Objective H.1 Action 203f]
• failure to develop mechanisms for the accountability of national machineries.

EMERGING ISSUES

The following emerging issues were identified:

• The economic crisis affecting the region has resulted in budget cuts to women's national machineries
• The economic crisis has resulted in the reduction of funding available to NGOs to facilitate the implementation of women's national machineries.

FUTURE ACTIONS

The following actions were identified as necessary to achieve further gains in Critical Area of Concern H:

• Qualitative and quantitative indicators for gender equality must be developed and implemented on a universal level by governments, the UN system and civil society.
• Government funding should be made available to develop and distribute accessible mechanisms for grassroots participation in processes for the advancement of women.
• Government, UN and civil society information networks for women should be strengthened at local, national, regional and international levels to facilitate the sharing of best practices in institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women.
• Political will, including the allocation of funding, must be directed towards the development of effective modules for gender sensitisation training across government; and for the development of strategies to effectively mainstream women's issues in all areas of national and local government.

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN I: HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN

GAINS

The following gains linked to the BPFA were identified:

• adoption by the CSW of the Draft Optional Protocol to CEDAW [Strategic Objective I.1 Action 230k]
• adoption of the Charter of the International Criminal Court [Strategic Objective E.3]
• ratification of international and regional human rights treaties by some countries [Strategic Objective I.1 Action 230a];
• ratification of CEDAW by a number of countries in the region [Strategic Objective I.1 Action 230b];
• constitutional reform, legislation supporting and furthering women's human rights, including the areas pf domestic violence, rape, family law, property rights, sexual harassment and protecting the rights of unborn children with disabilities have been implemented in some countries [Strategic Objective I.2 Actions 232 a, b, c, d, i and p];
• the lifting of reservations to CEDAW and implementation of CEDAW in domestic legislation has occurred in some countries[Strategic Objective I.1 Action 230g];
• development of National Action Plans to improve the promotion and protection of women's human rights [Strategic Objective I.1 Action 230d]; and
• establishment of women specific national machineries and mechanisms including Women's Ministries and gender sensitive policing strategies [Strategic Objective I.2 Actions 232e and 232k].

GAPS

The following gaps in the BPFA concerning Critical Area of Concern were identified:

• While the human rights chapter of the BPFA addresses gender as the causal factor for women's human rights violations, for some women, other circumstances are also relevant to violation of their human rights. It is considered that the BPFA needs to address these circumstances more specifically in the context of human rights. These circumstances include:
• women with disabilities [identified in the context of health care needs - Strategic Objective C.1 Action 106c]
• indigenous women [indigenous issues raised only in the context of the Draft Declaration of Indigenous Peoples - Strategic Objective 1.1 Action 230o]; and health care needs identified in Strategic Objective C.1 Action 106c]
• migrant women including migrant women workers [raised in VAW context - Strategic Objective D.1 Actions 125b and c]; raised in legal literacy context [Strategic Objective I.3 Action 233i]
• lesbians and bisexual women [sexuality issues raised in the context of health concerns: Paragraph 96 and Strategic Objective I.2 Action 232f]
• internally displaced persons and refugees [covered in Critical Area of Concern E]
• marginalised women (ie Dalit women); minority women (i.e. religious and ethnic groups).

CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES

The following challenges in implementing the BFPA were identified:

• At a grassroots level, particularly for marginalised and minority women, it is difficult to access (for both financial and political reasons) international and domestic human rights mechanisms [Strategic Objective I.2 Actions 232 e, n and Strategic Objective I.3 Actions 233 a, b, c, e, f g]
• There is a lack of independent national machineries for monitoring human rights and providing redress for human rights violations [Strategic Objective I.2 Action 232e]
• There is a lack of resources to produce accessible information and education programs on human rights [Strategic Objective I.3 Actions 233 a, b, c, e, f and g]
• Because governments have failed to review national laws and policies when they have ratified CEDAW, contradictory and discriminatory laws regarding women remain in force [Strategic Objective I.1 Action 230g]
• The political mobilisation of culture and tradition is continuing to deny women's human rights.

PERSISTENT ISSUES

The following persistent issues were identified:

• the reluctance by some governments in the region to ratify CEDAW [Strategic Objective I.1 Actions 230a, b, and g];
• the continued existence of substantive reservations to CEDAW by governments in the region [Strategic Objective I.1 Action 230c];
• the failure to adopt legislation to implement the provisions of CEDAW in domestic settings and the failure to implement legislation aiming to give effect to the provisions of CEDAW in domestic settings [Strategic Objective I.2 Actions 232a, b, c, d, and i].

EMERGING ISSUES

The following emerging issues were identified:

• In the period since 1995 the impact of global economic trends and policies have negatively impacted on the promotion and protection of women's human rights, reflected in trends such as the increase in trafficking of women for economic exploitation and the collapse of social structures in countries within the region.
• In this same period, a stronger lobby for a human rights framework for the following groups of women has emerged: women with disabilities; indigenous women; women migrant workers; lesbian and bisexual women; marginalised women (ie Dalit women); minority women (ie religious and ethnic groups); refugees and internally displaced people
• Two other factors of concern have emerged: a backlash against civil society actors, particularly women's and human rights NGOs, which has placed activists at risk in their own countries; and a resurgence of right wing political movements, where women's rights are denied in the name of culture, religion or other identity based constructs.

FUTURE ACTIONS

The following actions were identified as necessary to achieve further gains in this Critical Area of Concern :

• Governments should ratify CEDAW, remove reservations from CEDAW, adopt the CEDAW Optional Protocol, ratify the International Criminal Court Charter and other international human rights instruments by the end of 2000. NGOs should campaign vigorously for these objectives to be achieved.
• Governments, the UN system and civil society should work to develop an understanding of women's human rights issues which addresses the wide range of discrimination and forms of oppression faced by women throughout the region.
• Governments and member states of the Commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Human Rights should work to develop independent national human rights machineries, improve accountability mechanisms for existing machineries and strategies and establish national targets for the achievement of these objectives. These targets should be included in the Beijing Plus Five Action Plan to be adopted at the June 2000 review.
• An effective UN mechanism for reviewing the achievement of these targets should be developed for use by the CSW and HCR.
• Governments should ensure 50% representation of women in machineries and mechanisms for human rights at the local, national, regional and international level, through the adoption of affirmative action legislation and policies; the provision of training programs for women including mentoring programs; and the development of career paths for women in these fields.
• Governments, the UN system and civil society should: work towards the elimination of discrimination against lesbians and bisexuals and the decriminalisation of homosexuality; introduce legislation to protect sexual human rights at local, national, regional and international levels; and develop and implement campaigns to change discriminatory community attitudes and practices towards homosexuality.
• Governments, in partnership with NGOs, should develop innovative and accessible human rights education programs and strategies.

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN J : WOMEN AND MEDIA

GAINS

The following gains linked to the BPFA were identified:

• There has been an increase in the initiatives of women's media groups and women in the media at the local, national and regional levels. These initiatives include media advocacy, media monitoring, participation in various forms of media production, training and networking (Strategic objective J.1, 242 (a); 242 (b); 242 (c)).
• New information technologies (ICT) have allowed women to link and network with each other more effectively and share information and resources faster [Strategic objective J.1, 241 (a-b)].
• The convergence of popular mediums of communication such as community radio with new information and communication technologies has resulted in the development of new, local media initiatives and models (Strategic objective J.1, 239 (b) (c)).

GAPS

The following gap in the BPFA was identified:

• The need to develop codes of conduct in media consistent with minimum international standards.

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

The following challenges in implementing the BFPA were identified:

• The principle of freedom of expression is increasingly being used to justify the negative portrayal and representation of women (Strategic objective J.2, 244 (a); 244(b))
• Globalisation acts a barrier to more participatory forms of ownership and control of the media.

PERSISTENT ISSUES

The following persistent issues were identified:

• Negative representations of women in the media persist (Strategic objective J.2, 243 (d ); 243 (e)).
• The cultural diversity and varying realities of women's situations continues to be absent from media representations of women (Strategic objective J.2, 243 (a)).
• Women continue to have limited participation and access to decision-making in the media and to new information and communication technologies. (Strategic objective J.1).
• Media codes of conduct at the national level have not been effective in ensuring the positive portrayal of women in the media.

EMERGING ISSUES

The following emerging issues were identified:

• The convergence of new media technologies and owners, especially in the context of globalisation, is increasingly changing the nature and structure of the media industry. Media has become a transnationalised business enterprise tied to international trade bodies/agreements (WTO, GATT) whose main purpose is profit generation rather than to provide public service. As such it is difficult to regulate the movement of media even by governments.
• Trafficking in women and pornography has proliferated on the Internet, exacerbating the exploitation of women.
• There is a need to document with a view to eliminating the widespread practice of sexual harassment within media organisations which serves as a means to control and exclude women from occupying key positions within the media industry.
• There is a need to document women's efforts in improving and changing the status of women within the media.

FUTURE ACTIONS

The following actions were identified as necessary to achieve further gains in Critical Area of Concern J:

• UN bodies like UNESCO and ESCAP were called upon to establish an international institute on women, media and communication. This institute would bring together all the existing initiatives and achievements of women in the media all over the world, and would act as a coordinating mechanism to ensure the simultaneous pursuit of high quality research, monitoring, training, policy, advocacy, media production and lobbying for the advancement of women in the media.
• Governments, NGOs and other civil society actors should ensure that all regulatory mechanisms on media at the national and international levels are guided by contemporary values and principles such as gender justice, preservation of human rights, respect for diversity of cultural expression, sexuality and lifestyle; and sustainable development. In particular, national media codes of conduct need to be consistent with minimum international standards.
• The international community was called upon to develop an international Convention on Women and Media which addresses problems of diversity, human rights and gender issues using existing international conventions and instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as models.
• The international community should work towards ensuring that the voices and realities of the all marginalised groups are heard and reflected in the media.
• Governments should develop strategies to overcome the barriers to gender equality in the design, implementation, access and use of new information and communication technologies. Governments and ICT bodies should increase the representation of women in policy decisions and frameworks that regulate these technologies.
• Women's groups and other civil society actors should work towards exposing the commodification of women on the Internet.
• In view of the lack of access of many women to new technologies, governments need to continue to support community radio, alternative video and access television, public calling stations, community internet and computer networking and alternative print media.

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN K: WOMEN AND THE ENVIRONMENT

GAINS

The following gains linked to the BPFA were identified:

• Some governments have increased funding for environmental education, training and gender consciousness raising (Strategic Objective K. 2; Action g)
• At the local level, women's participation in environmental management issues and progarmnmes and ecological activities has increased in both rural and urban areas (Strategic Objective K. 1; Action a).
• Collaboration between governments and NGOs on enviornmental issues has increased (Strategic Objective K. 3; Action d).
• Research on women and the environment has increased including the development of gender disaggregated data (Strategic Objective K.3; Action b).
• Gender sensitive policies on environmental issues have been formulated in some countries(Strategic Objective K.3; Action a).
• Environmental education and awareness has been promoted by some governments and NGOs (Strategic Objective K.2; Action h).

GAPS

The following gap in the BPFA concerning Critical Area of Concern K was identified:

• There is no reference to the possible impact of globalisation on environmental issues which particularly affect women.

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

The following challenges in implementing the BFPA were identified:

• NGOs lack of access to information limits advocacy and resource mobilisation on environmental issues of concern to women (S. O. K. 1; 255: Action a ).
• Lack of coordination among NGOs and between NGOs and governments acts to limit effective action on environmental issues of concern to women (Strategic Objective K.3; Action d).

PERSISTENT ISSUES

The following persistent issues were identified

• Women continue to be excluded from environmental decision making at all levels and in all areas including soil conservation, soil erosion, community forestry, waste and garbage management (Strategic Objective K.2; Action f, Strategic Objective k. 1; Action a)
• There is an ongoing failure to harness women's knowledge on environmental management based on their experience and practices (Strategic Objective K. 1; Action c)
• There is a lack of focus on environmentally hazardous activities which are particularly threatening to women's health, resulting from the use of new technologies (Strategic Objective K.1; Action d)
• Women continue to experience negative impacts from: environmental and natural resource degradation including air, noise and water pollution; poor sanitation and industrial hazards, toxic chemicals and pesticide residues (Strategic Objective K.3; Action a.ii)
• Women's environments continue to be degraded by the dumping of waste including toxic waste in violation of relevant international conventions (Strategic Objective K.3; Action c)
• Obstacles to women's access to and control of natural resources persist.

EMERGING ISSUES

The following emerging issues were identified:

• The impact of globalization on environmental issues which particularly affect women needds to be assessed.
• The impact of new trade regulations and patents on women need to be assessed.
• There is a need for greater gender sensitization of bureaucrats in environmental agencies at all levels.
• There is an uneven provision of budgetary resources for women's involvement in environmental management in the region
.
• There is a need for increased attention to the intellectual property rights and patents associated with the knowledge and practices of women from indigenous and local communities (Strategic Objective K.1; Action c).
• There is a need to make service delivery of environmental agencies more gender responsive (Strategic Objective K).
• There is a need for more information dissemination about persistent and emerging environmental issues.
• There is a need to ensure appropriate action by governments which have not implemented the environmental provisions of the BPFA.

FUTURE ACTIONS

The following actions were identified as necessary to achieve further gains in Critical Area of Concern J:

• Governments, universities, research institutes and NGOs should develop a data base on gender and the environment.
• Governments, NGOs and UN Agencies should promote and conduct training in the development of renewable energy sources and waste management technologies.
• Budgetary allocations for environmental programmes and the development of renewable sources of energy and waste management should be increased..
• Increased networking between NGOs and government at all levels is needed.
• Environmental laws and policies need to be reviewed in an international framework.
• Environmental laws need to be more effectively implemented and the dissemination of information on these laws increased.
• Further bodies should be established to evaluate environmental impacts and recommend strategies to overcome negative impacts.
• More women need to be involved in management and policy decision making bodies on environmental protection and promotion of sustainable development.

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CRITICAL AREA OF CONCERN L: THE GIRL-CHILD

GAINS

The following gains linked to the BPFA were identified:

• Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by all countries in the Asia Pacific region. Child immunisation efforts have achieved high levels of success in many countries. The CRC has been integrated into government policies. Strong action for the rights of the child and the girl child through youth/student and child-focussed organisations have been initiated. (L1-274a, L2-276d].
• Enrolment of the girl child in schools has consistently maintained an upward trend. Special measures like boarding facilities in secondary schools in rural Thailand have helped girl children to continue their education.
• The literacy rate of girl children is improving in some countries [L4-279a/b]
• There is a growing recognition of the problems of discrimination and exploitation of girl children (child marriage, rape, prostitution, street children, child labour, reproductive health, victimisation during armed conflict) [L3-278a].
• There have been increased controls over child labour in some countries [L3]
• The practice of girl child circumcision and female genital mutilation has been outlawed in at least one country [L7-283d]
• There are increasing legal controls over child sexual abuse [L7-283a] and the creation of child-protection centers [L7-283b].
• A gender-sensitive audit of school curricula has been commenced in several countries [L2-276c].
• Special incentives for girls' enrolment in primary schools and higher education have been created in some countries [L4-279b].

GAPS

The following gap in the BPFA concerning Critical Area of Concern L was identified:

• The BPFA does not recognise that girl children fall into distinct age blocks, each with its own set of needs and that girl children also fall into specific demographic groups such as child workers, migrants, refugees, victims of armed conflict, street children, children in prostitution, minorities, ethnic groups, children with disabilities or children facing special risks due to exploitation or abuse. Targeted approaches are needed to address the individual real needs of these groups.

CHALLENGES/OBSTACLES

The following challenges in implementing the BFPA were identified:

• Incentive programmes initiated by governments do not reach vulnerable groups among girl children (the rural poor, conservative sections of society). L1-274f
• There is an absence of or non-implementation of sex education curricular in schools. (L2-276b, c and L2-281e and B4 and A3k)
• Gender-disaggregated and age-wise data is generally unavailable (including health, education and nutrition) L1-274g.
• There is an absence of policy or loopholes in laws address the trafficking of girl children, its prevention and the rehabilitation of trafficked girls in some countries.
• In some countries, caste hierarchies, religious and cultural practices and taboos results in culturally sanctioned sexual exploitation and child marriage. (L1-274f).
• Rising fundamentalism is leading to an abridgement of the rights of the girl children (L2-276d).
• Budgetary allocations for girl children in areas such as health and nutrition, education and social development, and protection against exploitation and abuse are significantly lower than the proportional representation of girl children in country and regional populations.

PERSISTENT ISSUES

The following persistent issues were identified:

• The continuing cultural preference for male children results in discriminatory practices against girls at home and in society. (L2-276d, 277c), the denial of opportunities to allow girl children to become self-reliant, independent individuals (L2-277c) and a lack of focus on the specific needs of the girl child (L9-285b,c). The notion of the girl child as an economic burden persists (L8-284a, b).
• Discriminatory/exploitative practices towards girl children (child marriages, child labour, child prostitution and trafficking and lack of access to education, health services, nutrition, inheritance and property rights) persist [L2-276c,d and C1-106, C2-107, C4-109, C5-110a,d and C5-111b].
• Laws against child marriage, child labour and violence against children are not effectively implemented [B69-72, B74-76].
• In some countries girl foetuses are aborted following sex determination tests.
• Anti-abortion laws continue to result in unwanted pregnancies. There is a lack of access to safe health services for adolescent girls wanting to terminate their pregnancy. (K, B4-83c)
• In some countries girl children act as surrogate mothers looking after their siblings and household work. There is a lack of access to support services like childcare and flexitime in schools [B69-72, B74-76]
• There is a denial of refugee status to girl child prostitutes (L7d, a and E5-147c)
• Girl children have no active role in informing policy relevant to their needs.
• There is a lack of effective monitoring mechanisms in NGOs, governments, UN agencies and donors for programs, policies and laws on the girl child.

EMERGING ISSUES

The following emerging issues were identified:

• Social stereotypes for girls and women are creating health problems for girl children like anorexia and bulimia. Young girls are increasingly seeking plastic surgery.
• There is an increase in child-prostitution and child labour due to the rise in poverty and unemployment caused by globalisation
• There is increasing victimisation of girl children in situations of armed conflict and use of girl children as messengers/arms carriers [E133, 135, 136, 142c].
• Malnutrition among girl children is increasing due to armed conflict/displacement.
• New forms of violence (acid attacks) against girl children are emerging [D1-124c, i, l].
• The problem/trend of sexual, emotional and economic dependency of young women on men and the social pressure to marry at a very young age, is resulting in teenage pregnancy, unprotected sex and date rape.
• There is an increasing number of girl children in the flesh market [Strategic Objective L.7 Action 283d]
• The age of child prostitutes, married girl children and girl children having pre-marital sex is getting lower. (L7-283d)
• Girl children are increasingly a focus of pornography on the internett, comic-pornographic books and telephone sex (D-118).

FUTURE ACTIONS

The following actions were identified as necessary to achieve further gains in Critical Area of Concern L:

• The Convention of the Rights of the Child requires review. There is a need for a focus specifically on the girl child in the Convention.
• National government policies and programmes need to specifically address the needs of girl children.
• National budgetary allocations should ensure that funds for services for girl children are equivalent to the proportion of the population that they represent.
• The international community is called upon to creating national/international commissions for the girl child.
• Girl children should be active partners in raising awareness of the problems concerning the girl child (drug abuse, discrimination, trafficking, prostitution) and participate in formulating policy and its implementation.
• There is a need for gender-sensitisation through education/training of boys, parents, educators, media, judges, lawyers, and law enforcement authorities.
• Sex education needs to be introduced at the primary- instead of secondary-school level in order to combat misinformation.
• Laws protecting the girl child and their method of enforcement require review by many countries. (L-274a]
• Laws requiring the compulsory register of births, marriages and death must be more effectively enforced [PFA ref L1-274].
• Monitoring mechanisms on programs for the girl child conducted by NGOs, governments, national and international organisations need to be established and/or improved.
• Organisations working for the interests of the girl child need to network more effectively.
• There is a need for improved collection of gender/age-disaggregated data by UN bodies, governments and NGOs.
• Rehabilitation/support programs are needed to support children escaping from child labour; HIV positive girl children; girls who are victims of violence, abuse and drug addiction; unwanted girl children.

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Acknowledgments

The Asia Pacific Regional NGO Symposium would not have been possible without the commitment, hardwork and generosity of many groups and individuals. We thank them all for their contributions.

For the planning and regional organizing, we thank Asia Caucus, Asia Pacific Watch, Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD), Asian Women's Resource Exchange (AWORC), ISIS and SouthEast Asia Watch (SEAWatch). The Asia and Pacific Development Centre (APDC) deserves special mention for organizing and hosting the Planning Meeting held in Penang, Malaysia.

For efficient and gracious organizing and hosting of the activities in Thailand, we are grateful to the Pan Pacific and South East Asia Women's Association of Thailand, Thai Women Watch, Kasetsart University particularly the National Agricultural Extension and Training Center where the Symposium was held.

In Thailand, many government agencies and private sector organizations provided support and cooperation: the Tourist Authority, the Ministry of foreign Affairs, the Airforce, the Army, Thai Airways International, Thai Song Dum Village, the Telephone Organization of Thailand, the Communication Authority of Thailand, the Post and Telegraph Department, Siam Commercial Bank (Public)