Press conference on international women’s day

Suggesting that Norway’s newest law requiring that women occupy 40 per cent of the seats in company boardrooms by 2008 be duplicated worldwide, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Rachel Mayanja, said today at a Headquarters press conference that women still lagged behind in politics, in decision-making positions and in “this house”.

Joining Ms. Mayanja in a briefing to correspondents the day before International Women’s Day, the theme of which is “Women in Decision-Making: From Politics to the Private Sector”, were: Carmen Maria Gallardo (El Salvador), Chairperson, Commission on the Status of Women; Adekunbi Abibat Sonaike (Nigeria), Commission Vice-Chairperson; Anne Katherine Slungard (Norway), Chair, Statoil Board of Elections and former Mayor of the City of Trondheim.

The United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day on 8 March 1975. Two years later, the General Assembly proclaimed a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in keeping with their historical and national traditions. For the women of the world, the Day is an occasion to review how far they have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development.

Noting that the Women’s Commission was in its fiftieth session, its Chairperson, Ms. Gallardo, said that gender equality had been on the agenda for years, but the time had come to integrate it into the United Nations reform process. In today’s globalized world, women’s participation in decision-making made a difference in peace, security and democracy. Nevertheless, in many countries, the lack of education and training made it difficult for women to attain decision-making posts. Throughout the years, the Commission had been doing an extraordinary job in the United Nations system. Now alliances should be broadened to ensure gender equality, not only at all political levels, but at all judicial and financial levels, as well. The gender perspective also made a difference in peacekeeping. It was an interesting moment for the Commission, which was broadening its dimension and its perspective.

Commission Vice-Chairperson Sonaike stressed that education was especially vital when talking about increasing women’s participation in decision-making. The Commission was focusing on challenges and gaps facing women, and seeking to emphasize aspects of women’s important role in peace, development and security, not only in time of peace, but also in post-conflict situations. Every citizen was involved in rebuilding a nation, including its women, or 50 per cent of the population. She anticipated consensus texts on the equal participation of women in decision-making and women’s enhanced participation in development at the close of the Commission’s session on Friday.

Ms. Slungard, explaining that she had worked for 25 years in Norwegian politics and had been Mayor of the third largest city in Norway, said there was 50-50 representation of men and women on the city board, but only 11 per cent of the Norwegian mayors were women. She had been the first to take maternity leave a few years ago when her daughter was born. There was a new law now, which mandated that 40 per cent of board members of Norwegian businesses must be women. The companies had two years to make that happen, so the clock was ticking. Companies had to start recruiting women into the boardrooms, or risk being dissolved.

She added that, in Norway, there were a high number of women in paid work. Norwegian women were also highly educated; 65 per cent of university students were women. So, there was a large pool of qualified women in Norway. The problem was that only 17.8 per cent of the board members were women. Because of the new law, however, Norwegian businesses were actively recruiting women.

Responding to a question about gender inequality in the least developed countries in Africa, Ms. Sonaike said that the African Union, itself, had made it explicit that, especially at the political level, women should be represented at the level of at least 30 per cent. In Rwanda, the representation of women and men was almost 50-50. The political will had been established in Africa. Education was the key to exposing women to different areas and allowing them to realize their potential. Poverty remained a constraint, however, and its feminization must become a thing of the past. She believed strongly that women would soon take their rightful place in society.

Asked if microcredit had raised the standard of living and status among women in Africa, she said that, yes, it was having a tremendous effect, especially because not all women were employed in formal sectors or by Governments. It had been disclosed at the Commission’s high-level round tables that the Nigerian Ministry of Women’s Affairs would commemorate the International Day tomorrow by handing out checks to women to encourage microcredit. That was the essence of exchanging best practices.

Providing more details about the new legislation in Norway, Ms. Slungard said that it was unlikely that any company would be dissolved on account of the new law. Companies would adjust, she said, adding that the 40 per cent rule had been anticipated, and they now had two years to make that happen.

To another question, Ms. Gallardo said she had heard of some interesting cases of women in politics at the current session, including security ministers in areas of disarmament and diplomacy. Those were fields where a gender perspective, gender participation, could make a difference nowadays in coping with the global threats to peace, security and human rights.

* *** *