Why we shouldn’t need Beijing +15

The World Health Organization (WHO) initiated the ‘Health for All by 2000’ global campaign. While this slogan drew the world’s attention to problems relating to global health, the failure to meet the target was seen by many as a testament to unfulfilled good intentions. This however does not detract from the great effort made by the WHO in a globalised world, where the lives of the Inuit, the Maasai, the pygmies, the Ainu, the Corsicans, the Guedebursi, the Abenaqui, and all other indigenous peoples are inextricably linked.

In 2009, nine years later, malaria continues to kill thousands, diarrhoea devastates populations, and HIV/Aids is wiping out entire families. Hunger, long considered the source of all illnesses, continues to threaten and kill millions of children, women and men.

In the face of this multiple threat, there isn’t enough money or resources, and yet billions of dollars that would be better utilised in saving the peaceful inhabitants of the earth are spent on arms.

Therefore, we are to adopt the ‘Beijing + X’ formula for the status of women, we must not place an infinite value on ‘X’.

The idea behind ‘Beijing’ was not to get together every five years and count the victims of gender discrimination and violence. It was intended to be – and remains – a campaign to end these problems. A lack of will remains a key obstacle to achieving this – not just political will, but at all levels, to consider women as equal members of society, enjoying all inalienable rights accorded to men.

A husband must be willing to accept the rights of his wife, not just as a mother but also as an equal partner in family decision-making.

Parents must be willing to educate their daughters as they do their sons, not just send them to school for basic literacy before subjecting them to FGM and forced early marriage.

Families and societies must be willing to condemn all forms of physical and psychological abuse of women and children.

Legitimate religious leaders of all creeds must be willing to faithfully interpret the Sacred Texts that accord women equal rights, rather than use them as instruments of social and political domination.

Public authorities around the world must be willing to enact and apply laws against gender discrimination and violence, and not hide behind the fallacious risk of moral degeneration and cultural decline.

International aid organisations must be willing to put an end to rape and sexual abuse as a weapon in conflicts.

Governments must be willing to throw open the doors of leadership to women, and not relegate them to simple votes for men who are often oblivious to the right of the very same women, and continue to pillage public resources.

The international community must be willing to must for once earn its title, by placing women at the centre of development; and not eternal victims always in need of salvation from conflicts driven by hidden agendas.

I refer to ‘will’ in the faith that we shall all say ‘enough! Let us be just with regards to women’s rights.’ But considering the serious and blatant disregard for the laws governing the rights of women all over the world, I wouldn’t be so naive as to believe in a spontaneous rise of a generation of good men to end gender discrimination and violence.

In mathematical terms, our goal should be: Goal = Beijing + X, where X ≤ 15

People will no doubt say, ‘Certainly there has been progress, we have a female African president in one country, a female parliamentary majority in another, three more women ministers there, a female prime minister, two women ministers of foreign affairs, etc’. These are definitely gains, but they are just trees, in spite of the forest.

We no longer want to hear about ‘progress’, we want concrete and tangible results. After 15 years, we no longer want to hear talk about ‘processes’ – we are not in the diplomatic field, we are fighting for the rights of all women.

To all who are a part of this march towards achieving full rights for women; to those who dream of a peaceful and just world; to those who are ashamed of a world that denies its most valiant and important component, we say it is time we realize that HUMANITY is better off when all are included, and not just its self-proclaimed leaders.

Today we are all concerned about the environmental degradation, the damaged ozone layer, climate change, etc, and indeed, we need to be. But the most degraded environment, that which needs the greatest restoration, more so than even the ozone layer, is gender relations – whereby women are deprived of their natural rights and hence their ability to face the challenges of nature.

Beijing +5, Beijing +10, Beijing +15… Stop! No more of Fibonacci’s series in evaluating the status of women.

For our daughters, our sisters, our wives, our friends, colleagues, comrades, partners, and fellow-earthlings, let us fight for Beijing the Reality, and not Beijing the Illusion. Happy Anniversary, all the same!

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* Dr Morissanda Kouyaté is secretary-general of the Coordinating Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting Women's and Children's Health (CPTAFE) and operations director of the Inter-African Committee.
* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.