Mercy Global Concern - 2003
Keeping Promises to Girls
As a member of the Working Group of Girls (WGG) I have followed
closely the Commission for the Elimination of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) to see how and if the Rights of Girls are being
implemented. As a follow up to the CEDAW process, the WGG has
produced the following report:
Promises Made to Girls
The 1990's were a decade of promises made to girls by the international
community. Girl's rights became visible and their special needs
were placed squarely on the world agenda.
- In 1990 - The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child specified
equal rights for girls and boys. The declaration of the historic
World Summit for Children affirmed "girls must be given
equal treatment and opportunity from the very beginning."
- In 1994 - The International Conference on Population and Development
declared, "the human rights of women and the girl child
are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal
human rights".
- In 1995 - The Beijing Platform for Action of the fourth World
Conference on Women identified the girl-child as one of the
twelve critical areas of concern for the advancement of women.
- In 1999 and 2000 - The five- year reviews of Beijing reiterated
their commitments to action on behalf of girls.
- In 2000 _ six of the eight Millennium Development Goals adopted
by the UN General Assembly had special implications for girls.
- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
- Achieve universal primary education.
- Promote gender equality and empower women.
- Reduce child mortality.
- Improve maternal health.
- Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
The Overall Situation of Girls
Nepal's report sums up the overall situation of girls in many
parts of the world.
"Gender discrimination poses numerous obstacles to achieving
the end-decade goals for children. Discrimination begins from
birth, with sons clearly preferred. Girls are seen as a financial
family burden; household tasks are unequally shared, and girls
are taught from early childhood that they should be less visible,
less mobile, and always subordinate to male relatives."
At the Special Session on Children held at the UN in May 2002
a commitment was made to eliminate discrimination against the
girl child and to promote and protect her human rights. Governments
pledged to promote equal access to basic social services, education,
nutrition and health-care, including reproductive healthcare,
and to mainstream a gender perspective in all development policies
and programs.
Promoting Healthy Lives
Very few countries addressed the overall health of girls and
none mentioned the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies, such
as anemia. About 15 countries expressed concern about the high
number of adolescent pregnancies, ranging from 20% in Ecuador,
Jamaica and Costa Rica to 60% in Malawi. They noted high health
risks to young mothers and varied forms of discrimination responsible
for adolescent pregnancies - forced marriages, rape, low social
and economic status, lack of access to critical information and
the overall young age of sexual activity.
Where is the Action?
In 1998, Costa Rica initiated a multi-pronged campaign to raise
awareness about and prevent teenage pregnancy. Two programs, Young
love and Constructing Opportunities deliver sex education for
young people aged 15-19 and promote networks of organizations,
schools and public institutions.
Providing Quality Education
The vast majority of the Special Session on Children (SSC) documents
that addressed girls, focused on education. These efforts are
necessary and commendable but do not eliminate the urgent need
for similar attention to girls' other needs and rights.
Gender Enrollment gap - The gender gap in primary school has
narrowed significantly in the two regions where it was particularly
large: the Middle East/ North Africa and South Asia; in sub-Saharan
Africa there has been little improvement.
Globally, the Primary school gender gap has been reduced to 6%.
In secondary school, the gap is 16%; in South Asia it is 36%.
"A male child from a poor family has much
greater chance of access to school than a female child from a
non-poor family." Mozambique
Countries where girls have caught up, even surpassed boys
In Guyana and Mongolia, more girls than boys attend secondary
school; in Mauritius girls perform better at examinations. In
Oman, increased girls' schooling has raised the age of marriage
and stimulated their entry into the paid workforce.
Where is the Action?
According to the World Bank, girls' education in developing countries
may bring the highest return on a society's investment.
Egypt's promotion of gender awareness in teacher training has
increased enrollment from 30% to 70% in many community schools.
In Benin's Girl-to-Girl program, older primary school girls mentor
younger girls at risk of dropping out. In Botswana, a project
called Diphalan provides parenting classes to pregnant girls and
fathers-to-be. In Jamaica, the Roving Caregivers program provides
infant day care to young mothers allowing them to attend counseling,
job training and classes focusing on academic subjects and self-esteem.
Protesting Against Abuse and Exploitation and Violence
Reports from only a dozen countries addressed violence against
girls. Gender based violence continues unabated. Studies in South
Africa suggest that most girls' first sexual encounters are coercive
and violent; sexual abuse is prevalent in schools from educators,
fellow learners and outsiders with access to schools.
Philippine Studies show that 96.5 percent of its child abuse
victims to be young girls. In 1997 an Indonesian assessment estimated
that 60 percent of the total rape victims to be girl-children.
Romania cited the alarming growth of prostitution and trafficking
of girls and women, a problem that is estimated to affect 3-4
million worldwide.
Estimates place the number of Indian girls sold to brothels at
about 5,000-7,000 annually and the practice has extended far beyond
the national borders.
Returning home from captivity as child soldiers, girls in Sierra
Leone face rejection and stigma for themselves and children conceived
during rape.
Despite laws, programs by governments, NGOs and police, harmful
cultural practices persist in many countries. Early marriage has
life-long harmful effects on girls as well as depriving them of
education and opportunity. Two million girls are at risk of female
genital mutilation (FGM) every year.
Prevalence of Domestic labor- there are an estimated 300,000
child domestic workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh; In Malawi about half
the female population between 10 and 15 years engages in paid
work or unpaid domestic help outside the home. The situation of
"Girls as Maids" is a problem in Kenya.
Where is the Action?
Laws and criminal codes in Ghana, Romania, Malaysia, India and
others, protect girls from sexual violence and abuse, including
FGM, early marriage, and 'customary servitude'.
The Philippine Department of Tourism has carried out meetings
in major tourist destinations to raise the awareness level of
tourists and travel guides, hotel and restaurant operators about
sex trafficking and exploitation of girls.
Several industrialized countries including France, Belgium, Norway
and Sweden have enacted programs protecting girls in their countries
from FGM. They also work with NGOs in Africa to eliminate this
practice.
Combating HIV/AIDS
The number of girls affected by HIV/AIDS is increasing every
year; in some areas, infection rates are five times higher than
among boys. Girls' low economic and social status leaves them
vulnerable to unwanted sexual activity and negates access to accurate
and adolescent-friendly sex and health information.
In addition, large numbers of adolescent girls become heads of
households resulting from the death of one or more parents from
AIDS. Yet, only a few country reports referred to the impact of
this epidemic on girls.
South Africa's report said that girls' lack of economic and physical
power renders them vulnerable to participation in unwanted sexual
activity with the risk of sexually transmitted diseases including
HIV/AIDS. In 1998, 21% of pregnant girls under the age of 20 were
HIV positive.
In the Philippines, the Department of Health reports increased
cases of girls infected by HIV/AIDS. The January report of 1999
shows that four out of every five HIV-positive patients are female.
Where is the Action
Although no country reports cited examples, some programs are
under way. UNICEF is supporting youth and peer education in a
number of countries, several of which have a specific focus on
girls.
PROMISES TO GIRLS EVAPORATED
- The situation for girls is not improving despite some positive
action. It is currently getting worse.
- Between 60 and 100 million females are missing from the world's
population, as victims of gender-based foeticide, infanticide,
malnutrition and neglect.
- 15 million girls 15-19 years old give birth each year.
- 64 million girls of primary school age are not in school.
- Nearly half of sexual assaults are committed against girls
15 years or younger. More than 6 million of the estimated 10.3
million young people infected with HIV/AIDS are girls.
The Missing Information
Boys and Girls have many different needs. The absence of data
broken down by sex and age obscures these critical differences
and leaves many violations against girls unnoticed and unaddressed.
WGG Analyzes Reports
To find out how girls have fared over the past decade, the working
group on girls (WGG) examined documents prepared for the Special
Session on Children (SSC) held in May 2002.
Only half of the country reports made more than a passing reference
to the situation of girls. Three addressed education; none addresses
reproductive health and while the document addressed sexual violence
and exploitation, the special vulnerability of girls was hidden
in the 'gender neutral' term "children".
Call to Action: How you can help
Every government attending the SSC promised to develop a National
Plan of Action by 2003 and to integrate its agenda into the national
development plans and poverty reduction strategies. Given the
little attention paid to girls' needs by the SSC, NGOs have a
particular critical role to play.
Focus on highlighting different needs of girls
and boys. Initiate or advocate for action that develops sex and
age disaggregated data. Refer to 'girls and boys' when talking
about children.
Read your governments report to the Secretary General
for the ten- year review. Did the report address the needs and
special situation of girls?
Develop strategies to strengthen your government's
action. Use available tools such as local media, education sessions,
informational and advocacy materials.
Track your governments report to CEDAW (Commission
to Elimination to Eradicate Against Women) Prepare an alternative
report on girls' rights -denied, violated and realized.
Contact UNICEF or MGC for additional help in whatever
you are planning.
Deirdre Mullan RSM
Director Mercy Global Concern
United Nations Plaza, New York
|
