Jr. Model United Nations Preparatory Conference Gender Equality and Economic Development

1. Jr. Model United Nations Preparatory Conference Gender Equality and Economic Development Presented by: Mr. Alex Otieno, Arcadia University Wednesday, March 12 & Thursday, March 13, 2014 Temple University, Fox School of Business · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2. Gender Equality and Economic Development: Pathways to Progress Alex Otieno Arcadia University

3. The Concern- An Unfulfilled Obligation

4. Are Gender Equality and Economic Development Achievable? • What is gender equality and why does it matter to economic development? • How do we make gender equality both possible and desirable? • How do we sustain and expand on progress made in gender equality and development?

5. What are Millennium Development Goals? • 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger • 2 Achieve universal primary education • 3 Promote gender equality and empower women • 4 Reduce child mortality • 5 Improve maternal health • 6 Combat HIV / AIDS, malaria and other diseases • 7 Ensure environmental sustainability • 8 Develop a global partnership for development

6. What we know • UN Member States can make tangible impacts on all development goals • Gender equality requires ongoing commitment

7. Gender Inequality and Women’s Status • Are women and girls discriminated against in health, education, labor market and politics? • Gender Inequality Index (GII) measures how gender negatively impacts freedoms • Maternal mortality ratio • Adolescent fertility rate (birth rate/1000 15-19 yr olds) • Seats in national Parliament (% of females) • Population over 25 with at least secondary education • Labor force participation rate for 15 year olds

8. Growth as Path to Equality: Shifting into Gear • Create policies aimed at facilitating the link between economic growth and equality • Increase women’s economic opportunities • Through markets, formal and informal institutions • Increase women’s agency, endowments, and economic opportunities

9. Intersection of International and National Issues • Support equal opportunity laws and practices that reduce unequal participation in politics, education, and economics • Invest in infrastructure/increase women’s role in the labor market as a way of building capability and economic independence • Review national, regional and global progress in achieving equal opportunity

10. Protect and Promote Human Rights • Freedom and opportunity to maximize individual potential regardless of sex • Duty bearers to protect, promote and fulfill health and development rights • Responsibility to facilitate partnership for progressive realization of goals

11. Case: Gender Parity in Political Representation • You agreed on achieving 30% women in parliaments or national assemblies • Women still comprise only 21.4 percent of elected representatives worldwide • Latin America has more than 24% of women MPs — one of the highest shares in the world — the region still has a long road to travel towards gender parity

12. Impact of Quotas Mandated by Law

13. Priorities from Four-Year Review • Strategic thinking in reducing gender gaps and facilitating human development • A gender-based approach to MDGs has potentially large payoffs • Address limits of income-based approach and reorient public policies towards equity and empowerment

14. How Can Delegates Help? • Collaboration on poverty reduction in low income countries (global south) • Focus on partnerships among high, middle and low income countries • Work towards improved governance, peace, social justice and stability

15. "Equality for Women is Progress for All" • Include small farmers and the informal private sector in models of economic development • Create space/engage in dialogue fostering women’s participation in politics • Facilitate access to justice and use law and the judiciary to advance empowerment and equity

16. Reinforce Role of Institutions • Use law and justice system to enhance role of institutions in equality and sustainable development • Open spaces for women’s political involvement • Review current strategies with a view of ensuring gender equality

17. Link Equality, Development and Rights • Identify social and political action necessary for making gender equality and development urgent matters • Pursue social justice and accountability • Particular attention to women • Create structures for increasing access to justice and rule of law

18. Equality and Effective Economics • Integrate human rights into all important development policies • Use development assistance to promote women’s human rights • Invest in programs that foster gender equity and economic development

19. Way Forward- Share Knowledge and Information • Provide financial support and strategic partnerships for evidence-based action • Improve political participation, access to justice and rule of law • Use international and local evidence from reviews in advocacy for change • Prevailing inequities supported by norms and practices

21. References • Boserups, E. 1970. Women's Role in Economic Development. London: George Allen and Unwin. • Coontz, S. 2013. Why Gender Equality Stalled. The New York Times (February 17), SR1, SR6–7. • United Nations. 2010. Achieving Gender Equality, Women's Empowerment and Strengthening Development Cooperation. Available online at http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/pdfs/10-50143_(e)_(desa)dialogues_ecosoc_achieving_gender_equality_women_empowerment.pdf • United Nations 2012. Dialogues at the Economic and Social Council. Online at http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/pdfs/dialogues_at_ecosoc_2012.pdf • Wasserman DL.2010. Using a systems orientation and foundational theory to enhance theory-driven human service program evaluations. Eval Program Plann, 33(2):67-80. • http://www.economist.com/node/6800723 Discussion on the impact of women being part of the education system as well as the economic system as a way of increasing countries outputs. Relates to child birth and participation in work.