Project Updates
Women and Work
The Women and ESCR Working Group held a daylong strategy meeting on women and work on March 19. The discussions involved members of the Working Group who were present for the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and who are interested in advancing collective action in this area, as prioritized in our current two-year action plan. An outcome document was drafted with input from all members present at the meeting and circulated to the broader sub-group of WG members who have expressed interest in this action area. The main outcomes of the meeting with respect to common challenges were: (1) discriminatory practices that impact women, (2) lack of participation by women in political/economic decision making and (3) a prevailing neoliberal economic model that impacts human rights. In confronting these challenges, the following collective goals and strategies were proposed: (1) strategic exchange and resource sharing to strengthen women’s capacity to understand and advocate for ESCR in relation to work; (2) movement building to ensure intersectional and participatory approaches, as well as feminist agendas to include issues of work and economic policy; (3) action to strengthen the domestic and international legal framework and implementation in relation to women and work.
Next steps: We are happy to share this evolving strategy document for ongoing input. We would welcome comments and input from all members of the WESCR WG, particularly in reference to the following questions: (1) Where do we need to continue to deepen our collective analysis about issues related to work and the wider economic system facing women across different communities? (2) Building on the goals and strategies outlined in the document, in what areas would collective action by the WESCR WG have added value? (3) In what specific ways are you or your organization excited to engage and/or provide leadership?
In March 2017, the Women and ESCR Working Group (WESCR WG) also held two parallel sessions during CSW 61. The first interactive event focused on deepening strategic exchange between fellow grassroots and NGO advocates and the second event, held in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, consisted of presentations by members who highlighted the impact of global economic policies on women’s rights, shared specific cases and grassroots struggles of women directly impacted by various forms of injustice and systemic inequality (with a focus on domestic workers, the care economy and the exploitation of workers), and discussed strategies for utilizing the international human rights framework. In addition, Maria Virgínia Brás Gomes, the Chair of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), who co-authored General Comment 23 (April 2016) on the right to just and favorable conditions of work, contributed to the panel. Working Group members who participated in these parallel sessions and/or organized their own parallel sessions during CSW include: Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development; Association for Women’s Rights in Development; Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation; Center for Women’s Global Leadership; Collective for Research & Training on Development-Action; Defend Job; EnGender Rights; Escuela Nacional Sindical; Federation of Women Lawyers; Hakijamii; Instituto de Liderazgo Simone de Beauvoir; Initiative for Gender Equality and Development in Africa; International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific; Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre; and National Union of Domestic Employees.
Women's Rights and Natural Resources
ESCR-Net member IWRAW-AP, together with the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Centre and Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC), co-organized a “Regional Dialogue on Women’s Rights and Natural Resources” in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (30 May - 1 June 2017) to discuss key concerns for women’s rights and natural resources in the ASEAN region and to share strategies to promote and protect women’s rights to natural resources. During a panel with IWRAW-AP and Gender Equality Network Myanmar, WESCR WG program coordinator Aya Fujimura-Fanselow highlighted the collective work that the WESCR WG has undertaken and continues to prioritize on the topic of land and natural resources.
Next steps: There are several opportunities for members to contribute to ongoing work on land and natural resources. On September 7-9, the Third Asia Pacific Feminist Forum: Mobilizing in the era of authoritarian, patriarchal, late capitalism, organized by APWLD, will provide another space to discuss these issues, and the WESCR WG has proposed a session on housing, land and natural resources as well as security and protection issues, involving members from the region. Please let Thea Gelbspan, tgelbspan@escr-net.org, know if you are planning to/interested in attending the Forum, and if so, please let us know if you are interested in helping to shape this event and related discussions.
In addition, APWLD and AWID are working with members of the Corporate Accountability Working Group (CAWG), including PODER and AltSEAN Burma, as well as other allies, to strengthen a feminist approach to the evolving UN treaty on business and human rights; in October, CAWG, in conversation with the WESCR WG, will facilitate advocacy of members in different contexts. For those interested in deepening engagement in this process, please contact Alexandra Montgomery, Program Coordinator for CAWG, at amontgomery@escr-net.org.
Finally, the WESCR WG is supporting women’s leadership and gender analysis in specific cases in Kenya and the Philippines, facilitating exchange between indigenous and grassroots women leaders and exploring community-led documentation and mobilization in the face of development-induced displacement (again, please let us know if you’d like to get involved by emailing Daniela Ikawa, dikawa@escr-net.org regarding the Kenya case and Alexandra Montgomery, amontgomery@escr-net.org regarding the Philippines project).
Parallel Reporting Project
Building on the outcomes of our Joint Briefing for the UN CEDAW Committee and Committee on ESCR in November 2015, as well as regional workshops and strategy meetings focused on utilizing regional and international human rights mechanisms in advocacy, members have envisioned work to strengthen parallel reporting. PHRGE has gathered an initial series of guides on parallel reporting as well as examples of parallel reports integrating a gender analysis. A growing number of members have expressed an interest in developing advocacy tools on parallel reporting as well as collaborating with fellow members on different aspects of the parallel reporting process. We envision making these resources widely available on our website.
Next steps: Please respond to the message that was circulated on July 13, letting Susie Talbot (stalbot@escr-net.org) know if you would like to contribute to the parallel reporting project through any of the following means: development of advocacy tools related to parallel reports including existing resources and templates and/or facilitating connections between members on drafting parallel reports as well as collaborating on other aspects of the parallel reporting process such as interacting with treaty bodies and conducting follow-up to ensure implementation of recommendations issued by treaty bodies.
Women and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
On the topic of women and sexual and reproductive health and rights, we plan to bring together a strategy meeting over the next several months. In the meantime, we would like to amplify the efforts of Working Group members, particularly in the current context of increasing restrictions that impact women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights globally. A few of you have recently shared relevant resources via the Google Group. Please continue to do so and please also share any actions both through the Google Group, as well as with Sergio Rozalén (srozalen@escr-net.org) so that we can share your materials on the website. If you have ideas about spaces where the WESCR WG could add particular value, please also share these through the Google Group.
Additions to WESCR WG Website
The WESCR WG website is in the process of being restructured and redesigned to reflect the three substantive action areas of the Working Group: (1) women and housing, land and natural resources; (2) women and work; and (3) sexual and reproductive health and rights. Each sub-page will contain resources and other materials relevant to the substantive theme. A fourth section entitled “cross-cutting issues” will contain a range of resources including a section on parallel reporting.
|
