Stree Aadhar Kendra in the Beijing +5 process

The FWCW espoused the Platform For Action (PFA), which had been in the process of being drafted for two years from 1993-95. The PFA had inputs from the participating nations after due deliberations at the national and international level. It focused on twelve areas of concern facing women including economic empowerment, environment, education, migration, human rights, participation in political processes etc. The participating members committed to a common programme and a line of action that would be implemented in their respective countries over the next decade or so. 

In the year 2000 the Beijing process will complete 5 years. In order to assess the progress the commitments made and the impact achieved in the field of gender justice by the member countries a special session of the United Nations General Assembly, titled "Women 2000" has been planned in New York in June 2000.  As is usually the norm the participating governments would be presenting their reports in the session. These papers are to be based on a structure provided by the United Nations in form of a questionnaire which covered various issues like special measures adopted, budget allocated, issues faced in implementation etc.  SAK has played an active role in obtaining and providing a copy of the questionnaire to the Maharashtra Government.  Constant follow-up was maintained with the Secretary - Women and Child Department as well as the Minister in charge.  SAK also maintained close contact with the central government, National Commission of Women and Central Social Welfare Board on the issue.

In a parallel development NGO women in the country decided to come together as a national core group of NGOs on a joint pledge of co-operation and collaboration to undertake a participatory review of what has really changed for women and girls in the country in the last five years following the FWCW.  This Task Force which was formed in June 1999 decided to undertake the preparation of an alternative report assessing implementation of the PFA in India. Around 20-25 NGOs are involved in the process in India.

SAK, in consultation with other NGOs, activists and academia developed a paper on the "Violence against Women". Other theme papers similarly developed by NGOs round the country included poverty alleviation, political participation, the girl child, media, education, migration and sexual exploitation and environment.  These papers were presented at a meet of the Task Forces / Focal Points in other countries from  South Asia which was held at Katmandu, Nepal in September 1999.  Based on the papers presented and the discussions a draft Alternative report for the region has been prepared.  The draft alternate report that sums up the issues facing women in South Asia focuses on three main themes viz. Globalization, Violence against women and Political Participation of women. Also three of the sub themes that were highlighted were issues of women in armed conflicts, the girl child and aged women.

In the last week of October 1999 a high level meet of nearly 250 government representatives from 40 nations in the Asia Pacific region was held in the UN Office at Bangkok.  Around 60 NGOs including SAK, also participated in the deliberations.  The meet covered four broad themes including

1.       Economic empowerment of women

2.       Empowerment of women with a Rights approach

3.       Political Empowerment if women and

4.       Strategies.

Apart from reports and papers presented on these themes discussions were held on participation of women in decision making processes, issues of migration and sexual exploitation and Government - NGO (GO-NGO) interactions. The ESCAP report presented at the meet was accepted and the regional process thereby completed. [1]

In the coming months that are a run up to the Women 2000 meet, SAK is planning to intervene in a variety of areas in order to strengthen the process and prepare itself for the meet.  It will continue its grassroots programme on two issues that it feels are central and very important in the gender justice movement and are also part of the post Beijing process in the country. The first is prevention of atrocities against women especially in context of trafficking of women and girls. The second relates to Mainstreaming of Gender Issues which is perhaps a better and more sustainable strategy than merely promoting women's involvement in decision making processes and structures. Some of the interventions that SAK plans include

1.       Study of gender justice processes that are underway in other states of India,

2.       Networking amongst women NGOs with ECOSOC status who are most likely to attend the CSW and Women 2000 meet 

3.       Analysis of the impact that the international processes including ICPD conference, Habitat II, Social Development Summit and FWCW could have on the women at the grassroots and dissemination of these findings

4.       Widespread dissemination in Maharashtra of the deliberations in the international forums

5.       Strategizing and promotion of a forum for women in politics in the country

It will be necessary to formulate and systematically follow a process that enables the NGOs in the India to make concerted efforts in preparing for the Women 2000 meet. This will ensure that India will be as prepared as other countries in presenting the issues that face women in the country.