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U.N. women's conference drafts health, economic statement

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June 10, 2000
Web posted at: 2:27 a.m. EDT (0627 GMT)


In this story:

Agreement toughens stance on domestic violence

Document focuses on trafficking in people

RELATED STORIES, SITES icon



UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Delegates to the U.N. women's conference Friday agreed to language in a document calling for criminalization of domestic violence and for men to take more responsibility to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

The women negotiators from 180 countries continued negotiations over controversial issues on sexual rights, abortion and sex education for teenagers in the waning hours of the five-day "Beijing Plus Five" conference.

Sources close to the negotiations said one of the main sticking points on the language of the final document continued to be any recognition of "sexual rights" or "sexual orientation" -- promoted by more liberal delegates and scorned by conservative groups that say "sexual colonialism" by Western nations demeans developing countries.

In addition, countries like Cuba and Iran wanted the final communiquŽ to note the impact of economic sanctions on women and children. The United States opposes such a measure.

Agreement toughens stance on domestic violence

Angela King, the assistant secretary-general who deals with women's issues, was optimistic the final document would show considerable improvement over what was achieved in Beijing, a reference to the U.N. forum on women five years ago in the Chinese capital.

"There is no evidence based on the text that seems likely to be adopted that there has been any backward movement on any of the Beijing language," she said. "In certain areas, we are very heartened to see that there has been a strengthening of the Beijing language on HIV/AIDS and various other issues and new issues have been taken up."

Compared to Beijing, the New York delegates have agreed to more aggressive language on domestic violence, trafficking of women and children, health care and the positive and negative impact of globalization on women.

Negotiators have agreed to call for the criminalization of acts of domestic violence and for an end to discriminatory practices against women by persons or private sector enterprises.

They have also worked to broaden the discussion on violence against women, to include marital rape and so-called "honor killings" of women by male relatives who believe the women have disgraced the family.

Document focuses on trafficking in people

On health, they agreed on demanding total health care for women throughout the life cycle, a push for implementation of programs to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS, and stronger language calling for men to take more responsibility for birth control.

There is also an expanded section on trafficking of women and girls, which delegates say has exploded into an $8 billion annual industry over the past five years. The International Organization of Migration estimates that from 700,000 to 1 million men, women and girls are trafficked each year.

The document as negotiated would urge governments to appoint national bodies to report on trafficking of humans.

Education targets would be time-bound in the final document, sources said, calling for 50 percent literacy by 2015, the closing of the education gender gap by 2005 and free compulsory education for all girls and boys by 2015.



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Afghanistan: Still No Place for the Ladies
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RELATED SITES:
UNIFEM - Beijing+5 homepage -
United Nations
  • International Women's Day
  • WomenWatch/Regional and country information
  • Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
Human Rights Watch
  • Women's Rights Under Attack at U.N.
  • Women's Human Rights
Strategic Action Issue Area: African Women's Rights
Africa: Women Issues
Human Rights in China
Amnesty International On-line
  • Beijing + 5: No going back on women's human rights
Jewish Women's Resources In Israel
Women's Rights Chronology


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