Mercy Global Concern - 2006

Mercy Global Concern: Briefing paper 1, November 2006

ACTION for GIRLS Vol. II, Number 1, Jan 2006

Girls’ Rights are Human Rights

An Electronic Newsletter of the NGO Committee on UNICEF Working Group on Girls (WGG) and its International Network for Girls (INfG)

How did girls fare in the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document?

Working group on Girls.

Speaking at a meeting of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women in New York, a representative of the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Wariara Mbugua, reminded us that the 2000 Millennium Declaration committed leaders to promoting gender equality and empowering women through education as a way to combat poverty (MDG #3). How has the 2005 Summit Outcome Document furthered their thinking? Are girls going to be better served as a result of this new document? Will there be sufficient implementation of reforms?

Let’s take a look at the document itself. Paragraph 44 calls for the implementation of “free and compulsory primary education of good quality.” Further, the section also reaffirms commitments which support developing country efforts “to eliminate gender inequality and imbalance and to renew efforts to improve girls’ education.

Girls are specifically mentioned in two other sections of the document. In the section reaffirming the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Paragraph 58), leaders resolve to “eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and the girl child, including by ending impunity from prosecution and by ensuring the protection of civilians, in particular women and the girl child during and after armed conflicts….”

Finally, in Paragraph 116, which covers women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, the document acknowledges the “important role of women in the prevention of conflicts and in peacebuilding…We strongly condemn all violations of the human rights of women and girls in situations of armed conflict, and in the use of sexual exploitation, violence and abuse…” The section ends with a commitment to prevent and punish gender-based violence.

Ms. Mbugua was encouraged that the seven strategies needed to empower women suggested by UN Millennium Project under the leadership of Jeffrey Sachs, in “Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the MDGs” were all included in the outcome document. They include:

• Expanding girls’ access to post primary education, while simultaneously ensuring primary school completion
• Guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights
• Investing in infrastructure to reduce women’s and girls’ time burdens
• Guaranteeing property and inheritance rights
• Eliminating gender inequalities in employment
• Increasing women’s representation in political bodies International
• Combating violence against women

We don’t know whether girls will be better off in overcoming persistent generational gender disparities by the time world leaders meet again for the Millennium+10; we can only keep working to that end.


The General Assembly Resolution on The Girl Child

Resolution A/Res/60/141 on the girl child, proposed to the General Assembly by the Third Committee, and passed by voice vote, “urges States to take all necessary measures and to institute legal reforms to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by the girl child of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to take effective action against violations of those rights and freedoms.”

The Resolution urges States to promote gender equality and equal access to basic social services, such as education, health care and nutrition. Specified are sexual and reproductive health care, vaccinations, as well as protection from major killer diseases.

It also urges States to take special measures to protect girls affected by armed conflicts, such as the delivery of humanitarian assistance and disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation assistance and reintegration processes for former girl soldiers.

Many additional unique concerns of girls are spelled out. Overall, it is urged that all development policies and programmes mainstream gender concerns.

For complete details see www.un.org

Snakes and Ladders

The Working Group on Girls helped to bring Snakes and Ladders: the Game of Girls' Education to Central Park on September 13 during the lead-up to the United Nations World Summit. The game, developed by the Beyond Access Project in London, helps to raise awareness of what helps girls get into school around the world and the 'snakes' that often lie in their way.

The game is played on a specially created board. Players throw a dice and if they land on a snake or ladder, they move down the snake or up the ladder. If a lucky winner makes it to the smiling schoolgirl at the end of the board, the game is over and players can talk about the snakes and ladders they have encountered along the difficult road girls must travel on the road to education.

Early signs are that the countries of the world will not be able to deliver on their target for universal primary education – a key Millennium Development Goal (MDG) set in 2000. The first five-year target, is for the same number of girls as boys to go to school. This five-year target has not been reached in more than 70 countries. There are still more than100 million children out of school today—60% of them are girls.

As UN members states continue to debate development plans for poor countries, the NGOs are campaigning for urgent action so that all countries can deliver on the targets for gender equality and universal primary education.

Beyond Access would like to hear from others interested in hosting the game. Email Chloe Challender at the Beyond Access project, c.challender@ioe.ac.uk. Download the PDF leaflet for details about the game.