Presentation by Ms Saniye Gülser CORAT Head of the Section for Women and Gender Equality

1. Gender Mainstreaming in UNESCO Presentation by Ms Saniye Gülser CORAT Head of the Section for Women and Gender Equality Bureau of Strategic Planning 28 February 2007

2. Facts and Figures on Gender Inequalities 640 of the 960 million adults who cannot read are women. Women provide 70% of agricultural labour, produce over 90% of food, but are not represented in budget deliberations. Women comprise only 10 % of the world’s economy in terms of asset holding and own less than 1 % of the land and real estate. 16,8% women in elected parliaments; ranging from 6,8% in the Arab States to 39,7 in the Nordic countries. Gender-based violence on the increase. In many countries, rape is not considered a crime, goes unpunished and continues to be used as a tool of war.

3. What are our commitments ?

4. 2005 Millennium Summit Outcome Document (10 June 2000); paras 12 & 59 “12. We reaffirm that gender equality and the promotion and protection of the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all are essential to advance development and peace and security. 59. We recognize the importance of gender mainstreaming as a tool for achieving gender equality.”

5. Conclusions of the High Level Panel on UN system-wide coherence • Gender equality is central to sustainable development that responds to the needs, rights, aspirations and talents of half the world’s people. • We propose a new way forward […]: • • We believe that a gender entity—based on the principles of coherence and consolidation—is required to advance this key UN agenda. • • But it is also our strong belief that the commitment to gender equality is and should remain the mandate of the entire UN system. • • And finally, in our recommendations, we seek to combine greater visibility for gender issues at the centre with enhanced results on the ground, where the UN’s performance will be assessed.

6. Key normative documents supporting gender equality Convention on the Political Rights of Women Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age of Marriage and Registration of Marriages Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others

7. UNESCO’s Medium Term Strategy 2002 - 2007 Paragraph 32: “[…] a gender perspective will be integrated in policy, planning, programming, implementation and evaluation activities in all areas of UNESCO’s competence with a view to promoting empowerment and achieving gender equality.”

8. UNESCO’s Medium Term Strategy 2008-2013  175th Session of ExB “Gender Equality 29. [The executive Board] Strongly underlines the paramount need of promoting gender equality through action in all of UNESCO’s domains, in line with the provisions of the 2005 World Summit Outcome document, and requests the Director-General to continue capacity strengthening for gender mainstreaming as well as to pursue the objective of gender equality within the Secretariat.”  Draft 34 C/4 (2008-2013) moves away from « women’s needs » to focus on Gender Equality, considered as 1 of 2 Organization « Priorities » along with Africa. Gender maisntreaming » recognized as preferred & most effective strategy to achieve GE.

9. Recent Commitments - UNESCO 171 EX/Decision 20; para 20 (and endorsed by GC) The Executive Board “requeststhe Director-General to implement staff capacity development and training programmes fostering women, gender and youth mainstreaming, drawing on corporate training funds.” Minutes of the Meeting of the Directorate, 22 November 2005 – Item 5: “BSP is training staff in the mainstreaming of gender issues in programming, implementation and evaluation. Gender mainstreaming was mandated by the UNESCO governing bodies and endorsed by the 2005 UN World Summit Document (para. 59)…. The Director General approved this training as mandatory for all professional staff including Directors.”

10. What does GENDER MAINSTREAMING mean? How can it be done ?

11. UNESCO’s Gender Mainstreaming Implementation Framework for 2002-2007 (GMIF) • Defines what mainstreaming is • Establishes basic principles for gender mainstreaming • Commits to capacity building • Establishes lines of responsibility and mechanisms for mainstreaming gender and monitoring progress in this area

12. What is Gender Mainstreaming ? • Gender Mainstreaming: • Is a process, or a strategy, or a method to work towards achieving the goal of gender equality • Is an approach to governance • Involves changing policies and institutions so that they actively promote gender equality • Is a long term process that involves re-thinking development goals and socio-cultural values

13. Why Is Gender Mainstreaming Important? • It is an important aspect of good governance • It leads to fairness and equity • It makes organizations and governments accountable to achieve results for all citizens

14. Critical Factors for Mainstreaming Gender • Political will and leadership • Policy framework • Structures, Mechanisms and Processes • Sufficient resources (human and financial) • Tools • Skilled and knowledgeable human resource base through capacity development • Effective communication networks and linkages • Demand from Member States

15. Capacity Development for Gender Mainstreaming • Capacity Development for gender mainstreaming involves strengthening technical skills and undergoing attitudinal change • Capacity Development is a long term process • Capacity Development takes place on different levels • Individuals • Organizations • Capacity Development involves individuals performing different functions • Leaders • Planners • Analysts • Implementers • Trainers • General Constituency

16. Institutional Arrangements in Place to Support UNESCO’s Gender Mainstreaming Process

17. Institutional Arrangements Currently in Place Women and Gender Equality section in BSP Network of Gender Focal Points (FO+HQ) Network of Gender Focal Points in UNESCO National Commissions

18. Clear Lines of Responsability Sector ADGs, and Field Office Directors must provide leadership in implementing the Organization’s mainstreaming policy, develop sector- and region-specific workplans as appropriate, monitor overall implementation within the sector/field office and facilitate the effective operation of gender focal points. The College of ADGs shall, in the context of its overall monitoring exercise of programme implementation, ensure that indeed sufficient attention is being paid in programme activities to gender equality objectives.

19. Role of the Women and Gender Equality Section BSP/WGE • Provide overall policy implementation guidancefor gender mainstreaming in UNESCO (HQ and FO) • Forge, within UNESCO, its Member States and at a regional and global level, political commitment to gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s and girls’ human rights; • Reinforce, stimulate and monitor gender mainstreaming in UNESCO’s programmes • Support capacity-building in UNESCO and Member States, particularly by developing holistic and multi-disciplinary approaches to gender issues; and by encouraging closer collaboration between National Commissions for UNESCO and ‘national machineries for Beijing follow-up’; • Increase co-operation with other United Nations entities, international and regional intergovernmental organizations, major international NGOs, private foundations and private sector partners and raise UNESCO’s profile and visibility in this context.

20. Role of the Gender Focal Points (HQ +FO) Have the responsibility to facilitate and monitor the integration of women’s empowerment and gender equality perspectives in the overall programme in the concerned Sector / FO.

21. Role of the Gender Focal Points in NATCOMs -Collect and share information, including sex-disaggregated statistics, that can help promote gender equality and gender-mainstreamed policies; -Stimulate and motivate national, governmental and non-governmental, institutions to integrate gender concerns throughout their programmes and projects, from the planning to the evaluation phases. -Support initiatives and give visibility to actions that are promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment and have effectively applied gender-sensitive approaches; -Support and encourage consultative processes and cooperation between your National Commission, NGO’s, civil society organizations (including the private sector) and national Women machineries that are promoting women’s empowerment, equal opportunities between women and men and gender equality.

22. Each Programme Sector is RESPONSIBLE for pursuing GENDER EQUALITY OBJECTIVES

23. Major Dates in 2007 34th session of the General Conference: adoption of the 34 C/5 Programme and Budget and 34 C/4 –Medieum Term Strategy for 2008-2013 Ongoing GC - Anything to signal..?

24. Discussion How can you support UNESCO’s gender equality policy nationally?

25. Join us for 8th of March 2007 Celebrations at UNESCO - Headquarters See programme