Copenhagen hosted High-level Conference on MDG3

In the lead up to MDG Summit in September 2010, the Danish Government hosted an international High-level Conference on “Women’s Empowerment and Employment” on 25 March in Copenhagen. The Conference aimed to provide recommendations on accelerating the achievement of UN Millennium Development Goal 3, which will feed into the preparations of the UN High-level Meeting.

At the conference, the importance of MDG3 was underlined, mainly because empowering women can bring potential multiplier effects for the achievement of the other MDGs. Keynote speakers were Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank Group, Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator, Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director UNFPA and Bangladeshi State Minister of Women and Children Affairs, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

In his welcoming remarks, Søren Pind, said “I would like to make it crystal clear that for me freedom in itself is a value and an independent means for combating poverty. Without personal and economic freedom, there will be no economic progress for the individual, woman or man…. And yet the notion of freedom is often neglected and even forgotten.” Embedded in this freedom and rights concept, is the priority given to gender equality by the Danish government. Mr. Pind also explained the rational behind this conference: “In many countries women face a number of constraints, barring them for utilizing their economic potential and providing essential contribution to economic growth….This conference will discuss how to overcome three barriers – legal, social and cultural, and health.”

During the opening session, Robert Zoellick provided the audience with some disturbing figures about the impact of the various crises (food, fuel and financial) on women’s empowerment and employment opportunities. He noted that “Women are more likely to suffer direct employment losses caused by the drop in developing country exports” and provided examples of Kenya and Cambodia. “In Cambodia, where nearly 90% of garment industry workers are women, garment exports dropped by 30% last year. The fall meant lost jobs and cuts in pay,” he said. “High food prices are continuing to strain the poor in developing countries – especially women, who often assume responsibility for the family’s food security,” he also noted, while strengthening his argument by stating that “We estimate that an additional 30,000 to 50,000 infants died in sub-Saharan Africa in 2009 due to the crises. An analysis of child mortality in 59 developing countries shows that a majority of the infants who die are girls.”

Making a more positive note, he emphasized that women are not necessarily victims per se. “Given the opportunity, women can be powerful agents of opportunity and hope,” while referring to the fact that women usually tend to invest a higher portion of their earnings in their families; in children’s nutrition, health and school attendance; and communities than man.

Helen Clark noted that 2010 is an important year in our efforts to achieve gender equality and reffered to the fifteenth anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, its review session, as well as the upcoming Annual Ministerial Review of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) (June). She also emphasized the multiplier effect that investing in women and girls can bring along:

 "Meeting a woman’s need for sexual and reproductive health services, for example, increases her chances of finishing her education, and breaking out of poverty.

 Providing a woman with just one extra year of schooling means that her children will be less likely to die in infancy or suffer from illness or hunger.

 Enabling women to hold land title and to inherit lifts their status in their family and community, and gives them the economic base from which to transform their own and their children’s prospects."

In her speech, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid highlighted that “All over the world, there is rising commitment and action to protect the right to sexual and reproductive health and improve the health of women, mothers and adolescents, especially adolescent girls,” but warned that MDG 5 (to improve maternal health) is the goal lagging the furthest behind, even though progress is being made in many countries. She therefore presented three main messages:

1. “The first is that life and death is a political decision and we need to make the health and rights of women a political and financial priority. We need to keep our promise to guarantee universal access to reproductive health by 2015.
2. The second is that leadership and resources will determine whether we fail or succeed. During the past decade funding for global health soared while funding for women’s health remained virtually stagnant so we need to increase funding for reproductive health.
3. And the third is that solidarity and partnership are the only way forward. We need to work together.”

Following opening statements and keynote speeches, the conference continued with three panel discussions. The first panel discussion focussed on the promotion of a favourable economic and legal framework to increase women’s employment opportunities. The second panel considered strategies to cross cultural and social barriers. The third took a less economic perspective, and aimed at ensuring good health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The panel discussions resulted in the following recommendations:

  “Ensure women’s equal economic rights by improving national legislative and administrative frameworks, especially those linked to land, inheritance and property rights, and not only by laws and regulations but also in implementation of laws and regulations.

  Mainstream gender in macro-economic policies and pursue inclusive economic growth policies, creating equal access to productive employment and decent work for all.

  Expand opportunities for women’s entrepreneurship, strengthen women’s access to information, technology, energy, risk capital, credit schemes and micro credits, and ensure equal access to technical and vocational skills.

  Promote an investment climate facilitating women’s participation in the private sector, including by analyzing investment climates through a gender lens. Focus on possibilities in the whole value chain, especially in the agricultural sector, moving female farmers from subsistence farming to agro business.

  Address traditional and stereotyped roles of women and men in all national and international development policies and programs and engage men in a serious debate of gender roles.

  Enhance awareness of the benefits for the family and community of women’s empowerment, professional training and non-traditional career choices, including the need of sharing the burden of unpaid care work.

  Promote girls’ education as the single most important factor for women’s empowerment and focus on the multiple challenges facing adolescent girls.

  Recognize the strong link between women’s employment opportunities and women’s access to health by increasing political leadership to ensure access to free and skilled maternal health services and effective health systems that deliver on women’s health.

  Strengthen implementation of national health plans and health systems as well as active community work to address neglected areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights, including unsafe abortion and the provision of expanded access to family planning.

  Underpin the need for women to be allowed to and be able to participate actively in political life – be it at national level or equally important in regional or local government.

  Support women in finding a clear voice in decision making, in the work to strengthen legal frameworks, create policy coherence, develop institutions, and roll out the practical programs, which will strengthen women’s rights and opportunities.”

Closing the session, Mr. Pind, reiterated that “Denmark will actively support the efforts by the UN Secretary General to establish a globally agreed action agenda in September 2010, not least to ensure women’s equal economic rights; expand women’s entrepreneurship opportunities; tear down cultural barriers to women’s employment; and prioritize women’s health.”

More information is available online.

In 2008, Denmark initiated the MDG3 Global Call to Action. For more information, click here.

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