U.N. Beijing + 15 Conference and the 30% Solution

Fact Sheet: U.N. Beijing + 15 Conference and the 30% Solution The Fourth UN Conference on the Status of Women (Beijing, 1995) Goal: to elevate gender parity on the international political agenda The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Highlights women’s unequal share of political power among 12 critical areas of concern. Outlines strategic objectives “to ensure women’s equal access to and full participation in power structures and decision‐making,” which were to lead to fundamental change by the year 2000. Beijing + 15 15‐year review of progress on the Platform for Action by the Commission on the Status of Women Meeting in New York City, Mar. 1‐12, 2010 The UN Beijing Conference and the 30% Solution An excerpt from Women Lead the Way by Linda Tarr‐Whelan “ Immediately after the Beijing Conference, the Inter‐Parliamentary Union, an organization of national elected officials like our members of Congress, adopted the one‐third marker as the goal for national legislatures. 23 countries now meet or exceed the goal 101 countries have changed their constitutions, laws, or political practices to aim for it. The U.S. government under President Bush promoted change by adopting hard targets for women in office—but only outside U.S. borders. The government required the new constitutions of Afghanistan and Iraq to have quotas for women in their national parliaments. Afghanistan is now 28 th in the world in women’s legislative representation, Iraq is 35 th . In stark contrast, the United States has greeted the 30% solution with silence and inaction. It is barely halfway home to reach the one‐third mark for women in Congress, and ranks 74 th in the world.” –Linda Tarr‐Whelan Linda Tarr‐Whelan led the U.S. delegation to the Beijing Conference, and served as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. She is a Demos Distinguished Senior Fellow and author of the Women Lead the Way: Your Guide to Stepping Up to Leadership and Changing the World (Berrett‐ Koehler 2009). PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN NATIONAL LEGISLATURE From the Inter‐Parliamentary Union’s world ranking, as of November 30, 2009. 1. Rwanda 56.3% 2. Sweden 47.0 % 3. South Africa 44.5 % 4. Cuba 43.2 % 5. Iceland 42.9 % 6. Argentina 41. 6 % 7. Finland 41.5 % 24. Guyana 30.5 % 30. Afghanistan 27.7 % 39. Iraq 25.5 % 51. China 21.3 % 58. U.K. 19.5 % 65. Sudan 18.1 % 74. U.S.A. 16.8 % Data from the Inter‐Parliamentary Union, on the basis of information provided on November 30, 2009. 11.3 13.8 16.2 18.6 0 20 40 60 80 100 1995 2000 2005 2009 Percent Women in NaZonal Legislatures, World Average Although the 30% target for women's leadership remains a distant goal, women’s representation in national legislatures has steadily increased since the Beijing Conference and now rests at its highest historical level. The 30% Solution: The critical tipping point where enough women at power tables can be heard and heeded, positively affecting policy decisions, changing the terms of the agenda, and impacting the style of achieving goals. The 30% solution was a benchmark for women’s leadership at the 1995 UN Beijing Conference in 1995.

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Immediately after the Beijing Conference, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an organization of national elected officials like our members of Congress, adopted the one-third marker as the goal for national legislatures.The U.S. government under President Bush promoted change by adopting hard targets for women in office--but only outside U.S. borders. The government required the new constitutions of Afghanistan and Iraq to have quotas for women in their national parliaments. Afghanistan is now 28th in the world in women's legislative representation, Iraq is 35th.In stark contrast, the United States has greeted the 30% solution with silence and inaction. It is barely halfway home to reach the one-third mark for women in Congress, and ranks 69th in the world.

Transcript of U.N. Beijing + 15 Conference and the 30% Solution

FactSheet:

U.N.Beijing+15Conferenceandthe30%Solution

TheFourthUNConferenceontheStatusofWomen(Beijing,1995) Goal:toelevategenderparityontheinternationalpoliticalagenda

TheBeijingDeclarationandPlatformforAction Highlightswomen’sunequalshareofpoliticalpoweramong12critical

areasofconcern. Outlinesstrategicobjectives“toensurewomen’sequalaccesstoandfull

participationinpowerstructuresanddecision‐making,”whichweretoleadtofundamentalchangebytheyear2000.

Beijing+15 15‐yearreviewofprogressonthePlatformforActionbytheCommission

ontheStatusofWomen MeetinginNewYorkCity,Mar.1‐12,2010

TheUNBeijingConferenceandthe30%SolutionAnexcerptfromWomenLeadtheWaybyLindaTarr‐Whelan

“ ImmediatelyaftertheBeijingConference,theInter‐ParliamentaryUnion,anorganizationofnationalelectedofficialslikeourmembersofCongress,adoptedtheone‐thirdmarkerasthegoalfornationallegislatures.

23countriesnowmeetorexceedthegoal 101countrieshavechangedtheirconstitutions,laws,orpolitical

practicestoaimforit.TheU.S.governmentunderPresidentBushpromotedchangebyadoptinghardtargetsforwomeninoffice—butonlyoutsideU.S.borders.ThegovernmentrequiredthenewconstitutionsofAfghanistanandIraqtohavequotasforwomenintheirnationalparliaments.Afghanistanisnow28thintheworldinwomen’slegislativerepresentation,Iraqis35th.Instarkcontrast,theUnitedStateshasgreetedthe30%solutionwithsilenceandinaction.Itisbarelyhalfwayhometoreachtheone‐thirdmarkforwomeninCongress,andranks74thintheworld.”

–LindaTarr‐WhelanLindaTarr‐WhelanledtheU.S.delegationtotheBeijingConference,andservedastheU.S.AmbassadortotheU.N.CommissionontheStatusofWomen.SheisaDemosDistinguishedSeniorFellowandauthoroftheWomenLeadtheWay:YourGuidetoSteppingUptoLeadershipandChangingtheWorld(Berrett‐Koehler2009).

PERCENTAGEOFWOMENINNATIONALLEGISLATURE

FromtheInter‐ParliamentaryUnion’sworldranking,asofNovember30,2009.

1. Rwanda 56.3%2. Sweden 47.0%3. SouthAfrica 44.5%4. Cuba 43.2%5. Iceland 42.9%6. Argentina 41.6%7. Finland 41.5%24. Guyana 30.5%30. Afghanistan 27.7%39. Iraq 25.5%51. China 21.3%58. U.K. 19.5%65. Sudan 18.1%74. U.S.A. 16.8%

Data from the Inter‐ParliamentaryUnion,on thebasis of information provided on November 30,2009.

11.3 13.8 16.2 18.60

20406080100

1995 2000 2005 2009

PercentWomeninNaZonalLegislatures,WorldAverage

Althoughthe30%targetforwomen'sleadershipremainsadistantgoal,women’srepresentationinnationallegislatureshassteadilyincreasedsincetheBeijingConferenceandnowrestsatitshighesthistoricallevel.

The30%Solution: The critical tippingpointwhere enoughwomenat power tables canbeheard andheeded,positivelyaffectingpolicydecisions,changingthetermsoftheagenda,andimpactingthestyleofachievinggoals.The30%solutionwasabenchmarkforwomen’sleadershipatthe1995UNBeijingConferencein1995.