wfn.org | Presbyterian United Nations Office hosts seminar on Gender Justice

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Note #6231 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

24-October-2000
00370

Presbyterian United Nations Office hosts seminar on Gender Justice

Follow-up to Beijing  conference cites some progress in women's equality

by Jerry L. Van Marter

NEW YORK CITY -- A sell-out crowd of Presbyterians gathered at the
Presbyterian United Nations Office here Oct. 5-8 for a seminar on women's
human rights entitled Beyond Beijing: The Struggle for Gender Justice.

	The seminar was part of an ongoing response to a 1996 General Assembly
action which called for follow-up study and action on the United Nations
Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995. The seminar was
timed to coincide with the UN's five-year review (known as "Beijing+5") of
the original conference.

	Preaching at opening worship on Jesus' words in Luke 4: 18 ("He has sent me
to bring good news to the poor, to set the oppressed free and to proclaim
the year of the Lord's favor"), Jennifer Butler, associate for global issues
at the Presbyterian UN Office encouraged participants to be bold in
preaching the good news of Jesus Christ.

	"Those who are concerned about justice issues have been too timid about
evangelization," Butler said.  "It is not enough to act on Jesus' message --
we must also talk about why we do it. People need to know it is Jesus who
calls us to do these things."

	Speaking from her experience working with UN staff and human rights groups,
Butler said "The world is starving for religious voices that speak in the
name of justice and human rights."

	Speakers included United Nations staff and world leaders from women's
rights organizations.

	One of the foremost women's human rights leaders in the world today,
Charlotte Bunch, spoke of the importance of values that come from religious
communities and urged participants to maintain and protect that vision of
justice that is at the core of religious traditions everywhere.

	Bunch is the founder and director of the Center for Women's Global
Leadership at Rutgers University. She noted that both the 1995 Beijing
Conference and the five-year review of that conference drew the largest
number of people of any UN conference or review session, demonstrating, she
said, the power of the global women's movement.

	Dr. Nafis Sadik of Pakistan, world-renowned executive director of the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFP), talked about the great strides the
world has made in recent years towards addressing women's rights.

	However, she cautioned that still "nearly all societies have some
difficulty treating women and men equally, including developed nations. Many
women, particularly in the developing world, pay the price with their
lives."

	Despite continued high rates of maternal mortality, unequal access to
education and lack of economic independence, said Sadik, "we now see an
increase in the numbers of women in countries all over the world fighting
against the system that makes them second class citizens in their own
societies. They are now pointing out that no religion or culture or value
system worth its name denies them healthcare or education. They are
demanding equality with men and boys."

	Demonstrating the growing awareness at the UN and among non-governmental
organizations (NGOs)of the need for involving men in the struggle for gender
equality, Sadik said, "Men can be willing and enthusiastic partners in
women's empowerment."

	She lifted up examples of projects around the world that were educating men
about the benefits of gender equality for their families and communities.

	Panel presentations reflected some of the major areas of concern raised at
the Beijing+5 review session: violence against women, sex trafficking,
HIV/AIDS, war crimes against women, religious extremism, economic injustice
and teaching men and boys about gender justice.

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