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'South Asian Women invisible in gov
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?South Asian Women invisible in governance?
The Hindu (New Delhi)
October 13, 2000
NEW DELHI, OCT 12. Women in South Asia may work from dawn to dusk, but
their economic contribution is scarcely acknowledged at the national
level and their access to health, educational and other facilities lags
far behind that of men says this year?s Report on Human Development in
South Asia produced by the Mahbub ul Haq Centre for Human Development in
Pakistan. This year?s report concentrates on the theme of ?The Gender
Question?.
The report relies heavily on information provided by various agencies of
the United Nations and individuals. If there was any help from the
Indian official machinery for the indicators on India, it is neither
highlighted nor acknowledged.
The repot brought out and presented by Dr. Khadija Haq, president of the
Centre, was released by the Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha and UNDP?s
Human Development Ambassador, Mrs. Najma Heptullah, in the presence of
the former Prime Minister, Mr. I.K. Gujral and Dr. Brenda Gael
McSweeney, the U.N. Resident Coordinator and UNDP?s Resident
Representative. The report has been funded by the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA), the Norwegian Agency for Development
Cooperation (NORAD), the Aga Khan Foundation and the UNDP, the UNFPA and
the UNIFEM.
As Dr. Haq said in her presentation, many of the indicators in the
report have already been made but it only reinforces earlier findings:
South Asia has entered the 21st century with 515 million people in
absolute poverty, some 400 million illiterate adults and approximately
80 million malnourished children. Preventable diseases kill over 3
million children each year of which girls and women form a vast
majority.
The majority of South Asian women work in the informal sector or as
unpaid family helpers. The globalisation wave has benefited urban
educated women, leaving the vast majority of women in the agriculture
and informal sectors to cope with its negative impact. The region has a
?shocking profile? in educational deprivation of girls and women and
suffer from lack of health facilities. As a result women are mostly
invisible in governance in South Asia.
While lauding the reservation for women in panchayats in India, the
report says that in South Asia, women occupy only 7 per cent of
parliamentary seats, only 9 per cent of the women members are cabinet
ministers, only 6 per cent of the positions in the judiciary are held by
women, only 9 per cent of civil servants are women and only 20 per cent
members of local government are women.
The report calls for priority areas for women?s equality needing
attention in law, capability building, economic opportunity and in
governance.
Dr. McSweeney said for the U.N., the report has huge strategic
implications on how to address the gaps that still remain between
intention and achievement on gender equality agenda.
Referring to the reservation for women and the Bill before Parliament,
Mr. Gujral said the issues of gender equality acquired much more
importance than before.
Ms. Heptullah said although India has had women in power it had not
translated in women getting in positions. She suggested a system of dual
constituency wherein a man and a woman could be elected from 33 per cent
constituencies.
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<b><font size=+2>?South Asian Women invisible in governance?</font></b>
<p>The Hindu (New Delhi)
<br>October 13, 2000
<p>NEW DELHI, OCT 12. Women in South Asia may work from dawn to dusk, but
their economic contribution is scarcely acknowledged at the national level
and their access to health, educational and other facilities lags far behind
that of men says this year?s Report on Human Development in South Asia
produced by the Mahbub ul Haq Centre for Human Development in Pakistan.
This year?s report concentrates on the theme of ?The Gender Question?.
<p>The report relies heavily on information provided by various agencies
of the United Nations and individuals. If there was any help from the Indian
official machinery for the indicators on India, it is neither highlighted
nor acknowledged.
<p>The repot brought out and presented by Dr. Khadija Haq, president of
the Centre, was released by the Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha and UNDP?s
Human Development Ambassador, Mrs. Najma Heptullah, in the presence of
the former Prime Minister, Mr. I.K. Gujral and Dr. Brenda Gael McSweeney,
the U.N. Resident Coordinator and UNDP?s Resident Representative. The report
has been funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA),
the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), the Aga Khan
Foundation and the UNDP, the UNFPA and the UNIFEM.
<p>As Dr. Haq said in her presentation, many of the indicators in the report
have already been made but it only reinforces earlier findings: South Asia
has entered the 21st century with 515 million people in absolute poverty,
some 400 million illiterate adults and approximately 80 million malnourished
children. Preventable diseases kill over 3 million children each year of
which girls and women form a vast majority.
<p>The majority of South Asian women work in the informal sector or as
unpaid family helpers. The globalisation wave has benefited urban educated
women, leaving the vast majority of women in the agriculture and informal
sectors to cope with its negative impact. The region has a ?shocking profile?
in educational deprivation of girls and women and suffer from lack of health
facilities. As a result women are mostly invisible in governance in South
Asia.
<p>While lauding the reservation for women in panchayats in India, the
report says that in South Asia, women occupy only 7 per cent of parliamentary
seats, only 9 per cent of the women members are cabinet ministers, only
6 per cent of the positions in the judiciary are held by women, only 9
per cent of civil servants are women and only 20 per cent members of local
government are women.
<p>The report calls for priority areas for women?s equality needing attention
in law, capability building, economic opportunity and in governance.
<p>Dr. McSweeney said for the U.N., the report has huge strategic implications
on how to address the gaps that still remain between intention and achievement
on gender equality agenda.
<p>Referring to the reservation for women and the Bill before Parliament,
Mr. Gujral said the issues of gender equality acquired much more importance
than before.
<p>Ms. Heptullah said although India has had women in power it had not
translated in women getting in positions. She suggested a system of dual
constituency wherein a man and a woman could be elected from 33 per cent
constituencies.
<p> </html>
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