Skip to main content

Intervention of The Netherlands in the CSW General Debate

Intervention of The Netherlands in the CSW General Debate; three March 2009

Let me first align myself with the statement presented by the Czech Republic on behalf of the European Union.

Mr Chairperson,

The discussion on the topic of this years’ CSW comes at a very timely moment. Equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men is on top of the agenda of many women’s organisations and it is intensely debated in The Netherlands.

The economic crisis underlines once again that stakeholders around the world need to invest in an equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men. When the economic position of families is under pressure, old patterns may turn out to be even harder to change and positive trends might reverse. Men may be less inclined to make use of parental leave or other forms of leave to make more time available for family and household responsibilities and the pressure and need to work longer hours may increase.

Mr Chairperson,

During the High Level Round Table discussion, I spoke about the dilemma that the Netherlands Government is currently facing. On the one hand we would like to raise the labour participation of women, but on the other hand we do not want to limit their freedom of choice. Stereotypical assumptions about women’s role as caregivers and men’s role as breadwinners, however, strongly influence women’s choices.

The Dutch Government is actively working towards a society in which responsibilities are more equally shared and women work more hours. In addition to measures to expand after-school-childcare and day-care I would like to highlight two new initiatives which we have introduced:

1) Tax measures.
By introducing additional tax advantages to discourage women and men to stay at home and to make employment more financially attractive, also for women. A transferable tax credit for the non-working partner will be phased out.

2) Creating male role models.
The Minister for Emancipation is actively promoting a model, in which both partners work 4 days a week. In this respect he initiated an award for organisations or persons who play a visible part in promoting the role of men as caregivers. Furthermore, he is creating a network of male role models as ambassadors for the promotion of the emancipation of men.

Through these (and other) initiatives the Netherlands Government hopes to both facilitate and persuade Dutch women to work more hours and Dutch men to take up their responsibility for caregiving.

Mr Chairperson,

Let me turn to the second part of this years’ theme which is caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDs. In the Netherlands, most people who live with HIV/AIDS have access to adequate health care, including medication, and are therefore able to continue to work and participate in society.

The promotion and protection of human rights, the empowerment of women and adequate prevention are key elements in the Dutch HIV/AIDS policy. It is impossible to take effective measures against the HIV/AIDS epidemic without taking into account the fundamental impact of gender inequality on the spread of the disease, its consequences and prevention. Gender inequality lies at the basis of the feminisation of the HIV/AIDS pandemic as women are less able than men to exercise control over their own bodies and lives.

In addition, women are the ones who bear the heaviest burden in food production and caregiving. The Netherlands recognizes the urgent need for robust policies and programmes to support households affected by HIV/AIDS. These have to be responsive to women’s gender-specific interests and needs. Women affected by HIV/AIDS risk to loose access to shelter, food and health care if their husbands die. In this respect, Governments have to promote and protect women’s equal rights to land, inheritance and property, thereby supporting women and reducing their workload. In this respect Governments should also ensure that legislation and policies to eliminate and prevent violence against women are implemented.

Mr Chairperson, as the persistently high maternal mortality rates demonstrate, women’s and girls’ reproductive health status remains unacceptably poor in numerous countries and violations of their sexual and reproductive rights are rampant. This situation is exacerbated in the context of armed conflicts and internally displaced people. Reducing maternal mortality rates and ensuring ‘reproductive health for all’ will remain among the key areas of Dutch development policy.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the ongoing debate on strengthening the UN gender system in order to be able to effectively deliver on the ground. For all the issues that I’ve mentioned today and achieving gender equality worldwide, the expedient conclusion of the reform process is crucial. In 2005 our Heads of States decided we should act and improve the current system. Let us wait no longer and do as Member States what we also expect from the UN agencies and organisations; that is to actually deliver!

Thank you Mr Chairperson.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Blog #4 by Sanne: We need progress on Loss & Damage!

Today the CSW’s main outcome document, the Agreed Conclusions, continued. At this CSW66, it is not only essential that we move forward on gender equality issues, but also on climate, environmental and disaster-risk reduction action! We need to connect to existing discussions in different UN-spaces to ensure that our discussions here in New York strengthen our intersectional, transformative climate action and that gender equality is central. Because we want this CSW to ensure that we deal with environmental & climate crises as coherently and strongly as possible. We can’t wait any longer!

Gender and the Energy Transition: the Hidden Face of Women in Energy Poverty

In the pursuit of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, it is imperative to acknowledge and address the multifaceted challenges they face, especially in a world where economic crises, such as energy shortages, disproportionately impact women and girls. This year’s theme of the CSW resonates deeply with the current global landscape, where women bear a disproportionate burden in the face of rising living costs and the connecting energy crisis.   As the institute 75inQ, our mission is to shed light on the hidden gendered face of the challenges to achieve a just energy transition . During times of economic turmoil, persistent gender inequalities, such as the income gap and limited financial flexibility, weigh more heavily on women. Consequently, women are more frequently impacted by energy poverty, especially in single-headed households, which are predominantly headed by women. Women based on their gendered roles in care responsibilities heav i ly depend on energy ser

The ABC of CSW58

By Zoe Nussy, Michiel Andeweg, Joni van de Sand, Heather Barclay This is an ABC of words you hear a lot here @ CSW58. Here goes: Abstinence - you'll hear this from the conservative opposition  - they're trying to promote this as the best way to address the HIV epidemic Beijing is a great landmark agreement for women's rights, but a lot has advanced since then. We're working to make sure that our rights are left not in 1995, and that the advances we have made have been recognised. Comprehensive Sexuality Education is the best way to give people the ability to make free and positive decisions about their sexuality. Now we are reminding member states of its importance so they keep it in the final document. Diversity - that is a word that you may not hear here. We are fighting hard to have "women in all their diversity" reflected in the text. And others are fighting to take it out. Elimination of violence and discrimination is central in the CSW negotiations a