There is much to celebrate in progress toward gender equality, but also much at risk, a decade after the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in September 1995. This is the central message of the report
Gender Equality: Striving for Justice in an Unequal World, released by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) earlier this year.
The department for research co-operation of the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida/SAREC), one of the main funding partners of this report, organized a one-day seminar to discuss the review of the of Beijing+10 together with UNRISD, international researchers and Swedish scholars, as well as to debate future advances toward gender equality and empowerment. The seminar took place in Stockholm on Friday 14 October 2005.
09.00–09.30 Opening Session
·Welcome Remarks.
Maria Norrfalk, Director General, Sida.
·Official Opening.
Carin Jämtin, Minister for International Development Cooperation.
·Introductory Statements about the UNRISD Report.
Thandika Mkandawire, Director, UNRISD.
09.30–10.30 Session One:
Macroeconomics, Well-Being and Gender Equality
Chairperson:
Per Ronnås, Chief Economist, Sida.
·Rethinking Macroeconomic Policy for Gender Equality, Well-being and Social Development. Ann Zammit, Consultant, UNRISD.
·Gender Equity and Macroeconomic Policy: The Case of East Asia. Stephanie Seguino, Professor, University of Vermont, USA.
·Discussion
11.00–12.00 Session Two:
Gender, Armed Conflict and the Search for Peace
Chairperson:
Maria Stern, Research Fellow and Lecturer, Göteborg University and Swedish Institute of International Affairs.
·The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission: A Model for Gender Justice? Rashida Manjoo, Commission on Gender Equality in South Africa and Visiting Fellow, Harvard University, USA
·Joining Forces for Democratic Governance: Women’s Alliance-Building for Post-War Reconstruction in Central America. Ilja A. Luciak, Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA.
·Discussion
12.00–13.00 Session Three:
Women in Politics and Public Life
Chairperson: Drude Dahlerup, Professor of Political Science, Stockholm University.
·Gendered Spaces in Party Politics in Southern Africa. Onalenna Doo Selolwane, Professor, University of Botswana, Botswana.
·Political Liberalization, Islamism and Feminism in Algeria, Egypt and Jordan. Marnia Lazreg, Professor, Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, USA.
·Discussion
14.00–15.00 Session Four:
Women, Work and Social Policy
Chairperson: Per Knutsson, Chief Advisor, Department for Democracy and Social Development, Sida.
·Understanding Gender and Agrarian Change under Liberalization: The Case of India. Nitya Rao, Lecturer, School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, UK.
·Female Education: Achievements and Remaining Obstacles. Jyostna Jha, Advisor, Gender and Education, Commonwealth Secretariat.
·Gender and Social Policy in a Global Context. Shahra Razavi, Research Coordinator, UNRISD.
·Discussion
15.30–16.30 Session Five:
Synthesis, Evaluation and the Way Forward
Chairperson:
Berit Olsson, Head of Department, SAREC.
·Key Issues and Policy Implications of the Gender Equality Report. Signe Arnfred, Program Coordinator, Nordic Africa Institute, Sweden
·Panel discussion with Per Ronnås, Maria Stern, Drude Dahlerup, Per Knutsson.
UNRISD will be holding a series of international conferences in 2005-2006 to launch the report. To find out about these future events, we encourage you to subscribe to our free email alerts service.