Major achievements in 2005
Activities focused on mainstreaming gender into economic cooperation
in central Asia within the UN Special Programme for the Economies
of Central Asia (SPECA) and the process of building the Information Society.
They reflect priority actions identified by the 10-year review of the
implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in the UNECE region,
and in particular the need to “engender” macroeconomic
policies, reverse negative trends in women’s position in the economy
in CIS countries and address the gender digital divide.
A High-level Round Table “Women in the Information Society: Building a
gender sensitive Knowledge-based Economy” at the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) (Tunis, 16 November) raised awareness and discussed
the experiences of various regions. The event, coordinated by UNECE and UNESCWA,
was a joint venture of the regional commissions, UNCTAD and the UN-ICT Task
Force.
Participants agreed that despite progress in many countries with diverse
levels of development and gender equality, such as Finland, Jordan,
Philippines and Slovenia, the gender digital divide prevails across
all regions. There is a need to ensure women’s rights in the information society, improve women’s
education and ICT skills, open ICT related employment opportunities and change
the traditional views on women’s links to technology.
In conclusion, the participants called to strengthen the gender dimension
of the WSIS process including through closer cooperation among
regional commissions and other organizations. In this context the Tunis
agenda for the Information Society was critically evaluated, in particular
its part on financial mechanisms and concrete implementation measures
which, in contrast to the part on principles, has only a few general
references to gender (paragraphs on building ICT capacity, training
and education and gender disaggregated data).
Major challenges for 2006
A major challenge is to make gender a priority cross-cutting theme
for UNECE activities as recommended by the Work Plan for UNECE
reform. This needs more discussion in the context of the economic
and often highly technical work of the organization. Concrete
activities under relevant subprogrammes need to be identified as well
as mechanisms and resources to implement the mainstreaming process. Knowledge-sharing
seminars and training are among measures to be taken in addition
to increasing women’s participation in the process of decision-making
on programmes of work. Undertaking this challenge is an opportunity to build
up the UNECE’s position in a niche in gender work related to economics
and thus improve the political visibility of UNECE and its contribution
to the regional implementation of the outcomes of global UN Conferences and
Summits.
Mainstreaming gender into economic cooperation in central Asia
will be carried out by a new SPECA Working Group on Gender
and Economy, established at the initiative of Kazakhstan
as a follow-up to the round table discussion at the International Conference on Strengthening Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation and the Future Role of SPECA (Astana, 25-27 May 2005). The preparatory meeting in December 2005 - attended by all SPECA member countries including its new member, Afghanistan - concluded that gender equality was essential not only to ensure equal opportunities for women and men but also to effectively use the countries' economic
potential for sustainable development. The group will take a multi-stakeholder
approach, gathering together not only representatives of national gender
machineries but also line economic ministries (economy, finance, SMEs)
and NGOs working on economic issues, especially women’s business
associations.
The main areas of work will be (a) raising awareness on gender and economy
issues through policy oriented analysis and development of gender disaggregated
data as well as training on mainstreaming gender into economic policies;
(b) support for women’s entrepreneurship; and (c) developing synergies with other SPECA
activities, such as water and energy, trade, ICT and statistics. Activities will
draw on existing good practices and lessons including those learned from international
assistance programmes in the region. The work of the new group will be supported
jointly by UNECE and UNESCAP in cooperation with partner organizations, which
include UN agencies as well as OSCE/ODIHR.
Two training workshops will be held on micro-credits and the use of ICT
for women’s
entrepreneurs, organized by the Government of Israel (3-10 April and 16-26 October
2006), gender training for economic line ministries in SPECA member countries
will be organized, and a contribution made to the SPECA Economic Forum (Baku,
Azerbaijan).