Gender equality at risk, Karondo warns
• Shortcomings, challenges hamper progress made
A report has urged the strengthening of administrative and legislative measures to ensure women's full, equal and safe participation in political decision-making.
Gains in women’s rights and gender equality are at serious risk of being reversed by multiple crises.
This according to the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Kletus Karondo.
He made these remarks while tabling a report in Parliament.
The report, by a parliamentary delegation, was on the ‘Role of parliamentarians in the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women’, based on roundtable discussions held in Geneva in June.
He said the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights jointly organised the parliamentary discussions on women’s rights in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Despite the progress and the near universal adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), no country can yet claim to have fully achieved gender equality, Karondo said.
Shortcomings and challenges
“Although some effort was made and positive results achieved in the world, including Namibia, there are still many shortcomings and challenges.”
He listed women’s full, equal and safe participation in political decision-making at all levels, women’s access on an equal basis with men to decent work, and gender equality in and through education and information systems as critical points.
According to Karondo, parliamentarians are key to promoting human rights, including those of women through legislative, representative, budgeting and oversight roles.
Recommendations from the report are that both houses of parliament must support the pledges made at the Geneva roundtable.
They must also strengthen administrative and legislative measures, procedures and practices and take action to ensure gender equality.
He added that the parliamentary standing committees responsible for gender equality must consider examining the discussions, views, comments made at the Geneva roundtable, implement the pledges, and report to the IPU.
This according to the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Kletus Karondo.
He made these remarks while tabling a report in Parliament.
The report, by a parliamentary delegation, was on the ‘Role of parliamentarians in the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women’, based on roundtable discussions held in Geneva in June.
He said the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights jointly organised the parliamentary discussions on women’s rights in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Despite the progress and the near universal adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), no country can yet claim to have fully achieved gender equality, Karondo said.
Shortcomings and challenges
“Although some effort was made and positive results achieved in the world, including Namibia, there are still many shortcomings and challenges.”
He listed women’s full, equal and safe participation in political decision-making at all levels, women’s access on an equal basis with men to decent work, and gender equality in and through education and information systems as critical points.
According to Karondo, parliamentarians are key to promoting human rights, including those of women through legislative, representative, budgeting and oversight roles.
Recommendations from the report are that both houses of parliament must support the pledges made at the Geneva roundtable.
They must also strengthen administrative and legislative measures, procedures and practices and take action to ensure gender equality.
He added that the parliamentary standing committees responsible for gender equality must consider examining the discussions, views, comments made at the Geneva roundtable, implement the pledges, and report to the IPU.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article