Women Wise Up Symposium
- Using the UN to advance the rights of women
By Susan Halliday, Thursday 8 February 2001, University of NSW, Sydney Pavilion
Welcome
- Welcome to the
Women Wise Up Symposium
- It is a particular
pleasure to welcome you to the Symposium today as I enter the last 3
months of my three-year term as Sex Discrimination Commissioner.
- I recall the conference
held by NGOs during my first year as Commissioner, to prepare for the
Beijing + 5 Conference. This conference was crucial for gathering the
views and experiences of women, as well as informing Australians about
UN human rights processes. Today, we are at the other end of the processes,
assessing the outcomes of Beijing + 5, assessing Australia's record
on women's rights and looking forward to a better future for women.
- It is without
doubt that I am able to stand here today and say that without non-government
organisations, particularly the women's NGOs, women of the world would
not have the rights that they have today. The crucial role of NGOs in
the rights fabric has been all too clear during my role as Sex Discrimination
Commissioner. In particular, without the dedication and skill of women's
NGOs, the Beijing + 5 outcomes document that is the subject of this
conference, would have been a mere political glimmer of what was finally
adopted.
- It is therefore fitting tonight for me to reflect on some of what has happened in women's rights in Australia and internationally over the past three years. I hope that this brief analysis will inspire you all on the eve of this very important conference.
1. Optional Protocol
- On March 12, 1999,
after four years of negotiations, the 43rd Session of the Commission
on the Status of Women adopted an Optional Protocol to the CEDAW. CEDAW
is the only international convention that deals specifically with the
rights of women, yet it has the most reservations and some of the weakest
enforcement mechanisms.
- The Optional
Protocol will give women's rights more muscle - for the women who live
in the countries that sign it. It provides a communications procedure
allowing individuals or groups of individuals to submit claims of violations
of rights to the CEDAW Committee. It also provides for an inquiry procedure
enabling the CEDAW Committee to initiate inquiries into situations of
grave or systematic violations of women's rights.
- As of 31 December
2000, the Optional Protocol had 63 signatories. Australia, despite its
strong involvement in the negotiations for the Optional Protocol, announced
last year that it would not sign it.
- What does this
mean for Australian women?
- Undermines
Australia's commitment to women's rights in Australia and in other
countries by sending the message that the Optional Protocol is not
important.
- It leaves
Australian women without the additional protection of new international
law.
- The rhetoric
of the Australian government that our laws are fine the way they
are, ignores the fact that gaps exist; gaps that I have made known
to government both formally and informally. There are some Australian
women who do not for a variety of reasons have their basic rights
enshrined into Australian law or are unable to access fundamental
domestic enforcement processes.
- Undermines
Australia's commitment to women's rights in Australia and in other
countries by sending the message that the Optional Protocol is not
important.
- Since the announcement
that Australia would not sign the Optional Protocol, there have been
ongoing protests voiced by men and women of Australia. Indeed, every
relevant women's group across the country, including extremely conservative
women's groups, have called for the decision not to sign to be revisited
immediately. The demands of Australian's have been ignored. Foot-stamping
and disengaging from UN processes is not the way to reform the UN. Credible,
consistent participation through the ups and downs is the way to make
a difference.
- I congratulate you for your work in keeping the Optional Protocol on the public agenda and encourage you to continue to lobby the Australian government while simultaneously educating those around you about why it is so important to sign. Indeed, people need to know that the decision not to sign, punishes innocent women.
2. Beijing + Five
- The Beijing +
Five conference was definitely one of the more eventful activities during
my time as Sex Discrimination Commissioner. On many fronts, Australian
bureaucrats and NGOs did much to progress the state of play. I would
like to acknowledge the positive and committed work of
- the former
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women, Senator
Jocelyn Newman,
- The Australian
Ambassador to the United Nations, Penny Wensley,
- Jane Halton
from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet,
- the head
of the federal Office of the Status of Women, Rosemary Calder
- and the team
that worked endless hours negotiating, often till the break of dawn,
to progress the rights of women across the globe.
- the former
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women, Senator
Jocelyn Newman,
- Advances were
made, despite a constant battle with conservatism.
- It does concern
me, however, that the conservatism came from all sides, including Australia
on a number of issues. Indeed, I believe it is essential for me to raise
my concern about the fact that the position put by Australia at the
International level on several issues fell well short of the current
domestic policy and practice in areas of employment rights, sexuality,
special measures to promote women, women's health and abortion.
- I question the
point of this, it certainly did nothing to benefit women in Australia
and I challenge those responsible to consider the disadvantage internationally
for women who rely on Australia to take a leadership role. Ultimately,
as we all know, Australian women make up the majority of swinging voters
in this country and, as women, we know they swing on issues of social
conscience - one way or another, Australian women will make their views
known.
- Some of the greatest
disappointments for me, personally, were in the area of health, including
the right to safe abortion. Tens of 1000's of women die from unsafe
abortions around the world every year, but the government representatives
of these women gathered at the UN could not bring themselves to concretise
the simple right to safe health care that included safe abortion.
- One of the strongest
gains made at the conference was the mere bringing together of women's
voices from around the world - attesting to a true commonality of view.
The conference gave opportunities for information sharing, networking
and direct lobbying. The NGO's in particular have proven that they are
a powerful and committed force and that they will continue to work to
ensure that our human rights are properly safeguarded.
- I would also
like to publicly recognise the commitment that individual women from
within the Australian government made to ensure that Australia was properly
represented at the conference. In particular,
- the creation
and funding of an NGO coordinator,
- the regular
interaction with Australian NGOs,
- the in-depth
involvement of NGOs on the Australian delegation
- the inclusion
of HREOC on the Australian delegation.
- the creation
and funding of an NGO coordinator,
- The challenge that lies before all of us now is to use the Beijing + 5 document to advance our rights in Australia and create a better future.
3. Proposed limits to safe fertility services
- It is with great
sadness that I realise I may be the only Sex Discrimination Commissioner
to leave her post with a weaker Sex Discrimination Act than existed
when I started.
- The Sex Discrimination
Amendment Bill (No 1) 2000, listed now for debate in March, if passed,
will allow for discrimination on the basis of marital status in the
provision of safe fertility services.
- We can now record
in the Australian history books of the 21st Century, continued attempts
by men to control women's bodies.
- Once again, women's
groups have been incredibly strong in voicing their disapproval of the
Bill. And while many people voicing concern would not choose necessarily
to be a single parent, it's the issue of choice that prevails. The Bill,
let me remind you, has no impact on quality of parenting, it simply
aims to ensure that some women cannot become parents.
- Whether the Bill
gets through or not, let us reflect on this sad chapter in Australia's
history. It's a lesson to all of us - do not forget there are those
who believe they have the right to make decisions about what we as women
can and can't do. Never take your rights for granted. If the Bill gets
through, women will have more limited rights than they have had for
the last 16 years.
- I encourage you all, at this conference, to continue your dialogue and activism on this issue.
4. Community Support for Human Rights
- The extensive
community support I have enjoyed during my term has motivated me to
continue with a level of veracity and fire with which I have tackled
the most controversial issues under my portfolio. My three years will
have been one small part of what will need to be a continuous battle.
And I use the word battle as I read today of a Bill put forward in the
USA under the new regime in an attempt to greatly limit access to RU-486.
Rights won can be easily lost.
- Human rights do
not exist merely because of their imprint on paper. They exist because
we as individuals have fought for their creation, their enshrinement
into domestic laws and their enforcement.
- Human rights are constantly under attack from erosive forces or just ignorance and arrogance. I strongly urge you all to continue with your work particularly in this year of state and federal elections, where women have an opportunity through the democratic process to inform politicians of all parties what it is they need to prioritise and progress in order to work towards a better life for women. Let us not forget around 55% of the voting population is female, and despite what some still believe, they don't vote the way their husbands and fathers do.
5. Some final reflections
- In conclusion,
I'd like to leave you with some thoughts of my own about strategy and
the future involvement of NGOs in progressing the rights of women.
- Always look
for the common ground, even amongst those who previously you may
not have agreed with.
- Acknowledge
the work of state and federal governments when they do something
that is advantageous for women. And be specific about why its advantageous.
- Always ensure
constructive criticism when governments and policy makers fail to
consider the specific circumstances of women.
- Educating
the broader community is best done when we utilize personal experiences
and facilitate some ownership for the issues.
- Aim to be
well informed about processes and strategy
- Know your
allies, but be very clear about the mindset of those who oppose
you and like all women, gain ground by understanding your competition
rather than simply trying to obliterate it. If you understand it,
you have the power to manage and defeat it.
- Always look
for the common ground, even amongst those who previously you may
not have agreed with.
- I wish you every success for the conference and I look forward to your continued support in the final months of my role as Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner.
