IHEU Women’s Conference: Empowering Women<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

IHEU organized a successful International Conference entitled ‘Empowering Women’, on 15 and 16 November 2003, at Conway Hall, London, with participants from 17 countries. Men and women participating in the conference discussed the main global problems of women today, and agreed that empowerment of women was the route to achieving the United Nations Millennium Goals which 189 countries have pledged to achieve by 2015.

 

The conference examined the health, sexual, and reproductive rights of women, discussed progress in women’s civil and political rights, and remedies to violence against women. The conference highlighted the need to prioritize education of girls and the economic independence of women as critical steps for women to break through the vicious cycle of poverty. In view of the extremely conservative agenda pursued by many religious institutions, complete separation of religion and state was found to be an important precondition for progress in the status of women.

 

  Conference Resolution

The IHEU International Conference Empowering Women, meeting on 15 and 16 November 2003 at Conway Hall, London, at which participants from 17 countries (Belgium, England, France, Germany, India, Iran, Iraq, Nepal, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, The Netherlands, and the United States) were assembled, unanimously passed the following resolution:

 

 

This Conference expresses its grave disquiet that despite the claims of the government of the United States that the invasions and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq were carried out, at least in part, to liberate the people of those countries, the draft Constitution for Afghanistan reintroduces Islamic law in a form that falls far short of internationally accepted standards of human rights. The Conference is also deeply concerned that in Iraq, the American Administration is reported to be prepared to accept Islam as the state religion.

 

The Conference deplores the reintroduction of an Islamic constitution in Afghanistan while the memory of the brutality of the Taliban is still fresh. The Conference expresses its dismay that the Administration would countenance the introduction of a state religion in Iraq where none existed before the occupation by coalition forces. The principle of the separation of religion and state, a defining characteristic of the Constitution of the United States of America, is a necessary condition to guarantee freedom of conscience for all citizens, and to safeguard the welfare of women in any state.

 

The Conference urgently requests the government of the United States to ensure that the new constitutions for Afghanistan and Iraq conform to the standards set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

The Conference urged all the member organizations of IHEU to put gender on their political agenda; to look at the policies and practices of their own organizations to ensure that the gender imbalance is addressed; and to ensure that the voices of women are both heard and listened to, and that the leadership of women is encouraged, sustained and developed.

 

The Conference recommended that within the Humanist movement, the issues of women’s empowerment must be mainstreamed and agreed that in order to promote this agenda within the Humanist movement, a Humanist Women’s Empowerment Network should be set up:

Ï   To promote women’s rights, empowerment and development within the UN system and the international community;

Ï   To challenge women’s subservience in the world’s religions;

Ï   To promote and encourage Humanist women to participate in their national women’s lobby and governmental agencies;

Ï   To put gender on the agenda of Humanist organizations;

Ï   To promote and encourage women to take leadership positions within their national Humanist organizations.

 

This network will operate through the IHEU website, within IHEU member organizations and will hold meetings at IHEU Congresses, annual General Assemblies and other IHEU events.

 

Babu Gogineni