Relevant Literature on Human Rights in Africa
NGO PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE AFRICAN PLATFORM FOR ACTION
12-15 NOVEMBER 1994, DAKAR, SENEGAL
{{ Curly double brackets indicate proposed additions
<<Triangualar bracktes indicate proposed deletions
1. PREAMBLE
1. The 1985 Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women (NFLS) contained three interrelated and mutually reinforcing objectives: Equality, Development and Peace. The Nairobi Strategies defined equality within the context of economic, social and political participation by women in terms of their contribution to socio-economic activities and in terms of the benefits they derived from their participation and contribution and as key decision makers. Equality then is not defined merely by the absence of discrimination but also by the rights, responsibilities and opportunities enjoyed by women. Development is seen in terms of the overall well-being of the women, their full and active participation in all economic activities and their integration, mainstreaming and advancement, in all aspects of development.
Without peace, however, there can be no equality and no development. Neither can peace be achieved without the full involvement of women, as equal partners with the men, in the mechanisms for peace and reconciliation.
2. The Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies were adopted as the global blueprint for the advancement of women up to and beyond the year 2000. In Africa, this event coincided with one of the worst famines in recent history, which heralded the current era of socio-economic decline. Several factors combined to impede the implementation of the Nairobi Strategies, inter alia, lack of specific frameworks, structures and concrete plans of action with regard to women; economic policies. performance and reforms; continued vagaries of the weather; war and internal conflicts; imbalances in the terms of trade between Africa and its trading partners; the debt burden; and lack of strong political will.
3. The Abuja Declaration on Participatory Development: The Role of Women in Africa in the 1990s, assessed the current situation of women in Africa, within the context of the Nairobi Strategies and identified areas where the implementation of the Nairobi Strategies had been initiated with some success, as well as areas where progress had been slow. At this Conference, it was noted that the condition of African women had worsened and the gains made in the 1970s and 1980s had eroded, particularly in the fields of education, health, employment and economics. For example, the gross enrollment ratio at the primary level fell from 80.9 per cent in 1980 to 70.6 per cent in 1991. At secondary and tertiary levels. it fell from 41.2 to 38.3 per cent in the same period. Open urban unemployment has increased from 7.7 per cent in 1978 to 22.8 per cent in 1990. The labour force in the formal sector, already low, decreased from 10 per cent in 1980 to less than 8 per cent in 1990. In 1992, the maternal mortality rates reached 650/100,000 while the under-5 mortality rates reached 165 out of 1000 live births.
In all these developments, women and children have borne a disproportionate burden of the crises. Current estimates by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) show that in sub-Saharan Africa, the female labour force in 1990 was about 73 million which represented 38 per cent of the total labour force. However, current estimates reflect a decline of 2 per cent during the past two decades. About 75 per cent of agricultural work is done by women who produce and market up to 80 per cent of the food. {{Although women constitute a large proportion of the labour force their condition in the work place and in their homes has worsened. }} <<Despite the grave situation >> The Abuja Conference noted various areas where some progress had been made with regard to women.
{{However the grave situation demands that priority action be taken in the immediate term to address the increase in all types of}} poverty, {{the lack of}} food security, {{the need for employment}} and economic empowerment; education and training {{including life skills}}, science and technology; {{promotion of}} culture; {{equitable reconstruction of}} family {{relationships}} and socialization; {{prioritize}} population {{development}} and health {{care; ensure protection of the}} environment and {{effective}} natural resource management; {{the removal of conditions which endanger}} peace {{and security}}; the political empowerment and {{inclusion of women in decision making processes; ensuring sanctions for the violation of}} legal and human rights {{in respect of women; particular emphasis for the well being of }}women with special needs; and mainstreaming of <<gender>> {{sex-}}disaggregated data.
{{The immediate short term response to the crisis confronting women will not deal with the deep rooted problems with in the political economy. Inspite of evidence that the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) are inappropriate in addressing these problems they are still offered as the remedy. Women's voices across Africa are loud and angry about the increasing levels of poverty and social degradation which is the direct result of SAPs.
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in its African Alternative Framework to Structural Adjustment Programmes for Socio - Economic Recovery and Transformation (AAF - SAP) has proposed a new framework for structural adjustment with in the concept of the African political economy and mindful of the need to ensure growth with equity. It has emphasized the need for Assessment of the Principles and Policies of Orthodox Adjustment Programmes and put forward change in Policy Directions and Instruments which will help to reverse some of the social and economic problems created by SAPS.}}
Despite the grave situation, the Abuja Conference noted various areas where some progress had been made with regard to women and suggested priority action in poverty, food, security and economic empowerment; education, training and science and technology; culture, the family and socialization; population and health; environment and natural resource management; peace; political empowerment, legal and human rights and women with special needs; and mainstrearning of gender-disaggregated data.
4. A major gap still remains in terms of the concretization of this awareness and its reflection in the continued implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies. Nevertheless, since the Abuja Declaration, in the midst of these bleak scenarios, there have been some positive signs and encouraging developments, both globally and regionally.
5. During the last decade. a major achievement has been the overall sensitization of African leaders, policy makers and development agents as to the need to incorporate a gender perspective in all activities of the development process. The World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna. Austria, in 1993, the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994 and the World Social Summit to be held in Copenhagen in March 1995, are other examples of positive shifts toward accelerated advancement of women. On the African continent, 1994 ushered in major political changes highlighted by political developments in South Africa. The process of democratization is fast spreading in the region and women have become active participants and are at the forefront in various capacities. But for them to participate and contribute fully, there has to be an infusion of support measures for them particularly through {{an enabling environment guided by legislation, structures for participation, economic resources and capacity building through}} education. In order to accelerate the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, the countries of the African region are committed to the search and forging of a new ethic for sustainable development that must be reflected in all their activities for development, and whose primary objective is the improvement of the quality of life of all their citizens as well as their active participation as agents of change. Further, the ECA member States are fully aware of the necessity of:
(a) Balancing political, economic, cultural and social aims;
(b) Harmonizing and reconciling growth with equity; and
(c) Emphasizing the interdependence and partnership of the men, women and youth of Africa,in an atmosphere of peace and well-being.
6. The Platform for Action is based on the premises that the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies are still valid and serve as guidelines for action for the advancement of women at all levels.
7. It recognizes the serious obstacles that impeded the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies but proposes that women are a resource whose mobilization can provide part of the solution in removing some of the obstacles.
8. This African Platform for Action is derived from a regional country-based review of the progress of implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, as well as broad consultations at subregional and regional levels, with input from grass-roots communities, NGOs, governments and United Nations agencies. It is intended to provide firstly, the African common position and consensus on the advancement of women and secondly, a framework for committed and concerted action at the regional, sub regional and national levels for the accelerated achievement of the objectives of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies during the rest of the 1990s and into the twenty-first century. The adoption of the Platform for Action will be a renewed commitment by African women, men, youth and children, NGOs, governments and their United Nations and international partners, to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and other related conventions and declarations.