The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing Sept. 4-13, was a groundbreaking meeting that could have positive effects for women throughout the world, Ginger Ehn Lew, general counsel at the Department of Commerce, told an audience of LC staffers on Dec. 15.
Ms. Lew was invited to speak by the Library's Asian American Association. Ms. Lew, who grew up in California, was one of 44 official U.S. delegates to the conference. While there she also attended the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Forum, which was held concurrently outside Beijing. The Forum attracted some 40,000 women and men from 189 nations, including 7,000 Americans, and made important headlines of its own.
Ms. Lew had visited China previously and she gave her impressions on recent changes there. The quality of life for China's citizens has improved, she said, and business efficiency and technological availability have increased throughout the country. On the other hand, she echoed the reports of U.S. media during the conference that the Chinese government was overly zealous in its security preparations, including delaying visa approval for NGO conferees who were already U.N.-certified and cordoning off conference areas from the local populace.
Despite the many serious logistical problems, Ms. Lew said, most of those participating in the conference believed that when its recommendations are implemented in the participants' home countries, they will have an impact on women around the world.
Women's rights are now viewed as converging with human rights issues -- a point that was emphasized at the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna. Ms. Lew quoted first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, honorary chairwoman of the U.S. delegation, in Beijing: "If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, it is that human rights are women's rights."
The energy, excitement and hope shared by those participating in the Beijing conference was undeniable, Ms. Lew said. The many official sessions -- plus the numerous informal meetings at the NGO Forum and other venues -- allowed for discussion of a myriad of issues.
Participants had the opportunity to speak with counterparts from around the world, whose occupations ranged from farmers and domestic workers to policy makers and heads of state. Ms. Lew herself has had followup meetings with individuals she met at the conference, she said, during subsequent visits to their countries in her work with the Commerce Department. The Platform for Action that emerged from the conference includes groundbreaking language, representing progress in awareness of women's issues and basic rights principles, Ms. Lew said.
The final platform (together with its preamble, the Beijing Declaration) was adopted by consensus of the delegations of all 189 participating nations at the close of the 10-day conference. Earlier drafts underwent round-the-clock discussion to sift out language deemed too controversial and to accommodate religious, cultural and ethical differences. Ultimately, Ms. Lew said, the document represents the strongest internationally agreed-upon statement on women's rights to date.
Ms. Lew highlighted some of the major points of the platform. Lifetime health care and education for women have direct benefits for their earning potential, the longevity of their children and the well-being of the elderly. Improving workplace conditions, strengthening employment equality and removing barriers to education and training for all girls are other important goals.
The platform also acknowledges women's contributions to the family, as the core unit of society, and to society as a whole. Finally, it condemns all forms of violence against women.
Ms. Lew pointed out that the platform is the first multilateral document to incorporate steps toward measuring the value of nonpaid work performed by women. There is also a focus on increasing women's access to credit, to promote their full participation in the economy.
"Nairobi was a compass, Beijing is a detailed map" for promoting women's progress, Ms. Lew quoted an NGO representative as saying at the conference. Ninety nations, including the United States, committed to carrying out the principles in the Platform for Action. Many, including the U.S. delegation, have since held meetings to plan followup actions.
Realistically, Ms. Lew said, budget constraints may call for redirecting nations' resources to new programs or for refocusing existing programs to address issues articulated in the platform. NGOs are important partners in translating principles into action at the community level, she added.
