INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN

TOPICS:

• Violence against women
• Preparations for the World Conference of Women in 1995
• Regional Programs of the Inter-American Commission of Women
• Cooperation with the United Nations System
• Promoting the History of the Commission
• Seed Fund

Created by the Sixth International Conference of American States in Havana in 1928, the Inter-American Commission of Women serves as an advisory body to the OAS in all matters relevant to women in the hemisphere and reports to the governments on progress made and problems to be addressed, offering recommendations to solve those problems. It has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Its current President is Ambassador Dilma Quezada Martínez (Honduras), and its Vice President is the Deputy Minister of Justice of Peru, Miriam Schenone Ordinola. The member countries of the Executive Committee for 1994-1996 are Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the United States and Uruguay.

The Inter-American Commission of Women conducts its activities by complying with mandates received from the OAS General Assembly, the CIM Assembly of Delegates, the Executive Committee and those contained in the Plan of Action for "Full and Equal Participation of Women by the Year 2000". It takes into account the national priorities that each delegate indicates. The Executive Committee for 1992-1994 held two regular sessions. A Special Assembly of Delegates was held in April and the Twenty-seventh Assembly of Delegates was held in November, both at headquarters.

Violence against women

One of the Commission's top priorities continued to be violence directed against women and the need to finalize the process of approval of the text of the Draft Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence Against Women, pursuant to the mandate received in General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 1195 (XXII-O/92).

To complete the review of and consultation on the draft Convention and in keeping with AG/RES. 1246 (XXIII-O/93), at its Fourth Regular Session the Executive Committee convoked the Special Assembly of CIM to consider and approve the draft text that would then be presented to the General Assembly at its twenty-fourth regular session. The Special Assembly of CIM adopted the text of the Draft Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women. The resolution that transmitted that draft to the Organization's General Assembly was adopted by acclamation.

On June 9, 1994, during its twenty-fourth regular session, the General Assembly adopted, by acclamation, the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women, the "Convention of Belém do Pará".

By late 1994, the Convention had been signed by 14 member states, 2 of which had ratified it. This not only means that the Convention will enter into force in the near future, but also demonstrates the positive and very encouraging response that this international document, the first of its kind in the world, has received among the member States.

Preparations for the World Conference of Women in 1995

In 1995, in Beijing China, the United Nations will hold the Fourth World Conference on Women: "Action for Equality, Development and Peace".

To cooperate with the countries in preparing the national reports that will be presented at that Conference, the Commission helped fund those for which applications were duly submitted.

CIM has been present at most of the meetings of the officers of ECLAC's Sixth Regional Conference on the Integration of Women in the Economic and Social Development of Latin America and the Caribbean, during formulation of the proposed regional program of action that the member countries were to consider.

It also participated in the Sixth Regional Conference on the Integration of Women in the Economic and Social Development of Latin America and the Caribbean, convoked by ECLAC in preparation for the Beijing meeting. The venue for the ECLAC meeting was Mar del Plata, Argentina.

For its part, the Commission convened the regional meeting to evaluate the CIM Program of Action, which took place in Washington, D.C., October 24 through 27, 1994. The purpose of the meeting was to analyze the plan for "Full and Equal Participation of Women by the year 2000" in light of the progress made since its approval in 1986. The results of that meeting were presented at the Twenty-seventh Assembly of Delegates which, after considering those findings, approved the final document titled "Strategic Plan of Action".

That plan, which CIM will present at the Fourth World Conference on Women, highlights the general and specific progress accomplished in the region and the priority areas for the future, while proposing new strategies to continue to further the welfare and progress of women in all realms of society. Together with the "Plan of Action of the CIM: Full and Equal Participation by Women in Politics" (1988) and the results of the "Inter- American Conference on Democracy in the Americas: Women and the Decision-making Process" (1992), the strategic plan contains the fundamentals of the policy that CIM will follow.

Regional Programs of the Inter-American Commission of Women

The following are regional programs of multinational scope, designed to be responsive to specific directives and mandates received from the Assembly of the Commission and to its Plan of Action:

1. The Participation of Women in Politics and Decision-making has been a priority area of activity and the delegates have undertaken a number of activities to overcome the obstacles and achieve the goal of full and equal participation. The Executive Secretariat closely monitors the activities of the Interparliamentary Union (IPU), which has developed a proposed plan of action to correct the existing imbalances so that men and women participate equally in political life. The Executive Secretary has met with representatives of the IDB, UNIFEM and UNICEF to examine the possibility of joining forces in a program for the region, one that would tackle the issues of women's participation in all aspects of decision-making, including politics, government, the private sector and civilian life. UNICEF is developing the profile of the program, which will be available for discussion in the near future. In response to a request from the Government of Saint Lucia, additional funding was obtained from the OAS to help finance the Fourth Meeting of First Ladies of the Americas. There, the Executive Secretary addressed the technical meeting, informing participants of the Commission's activities, approved by the member States, and of the Convention of Belém do Pará.

2. In the area of education in legal matters, development of women's potential and legislative reform, as said earlier the Commission continues to work for signature and ratification of the Convention of Belém do Pará and the accomplishment of its objectives. To that end, the Twenty-seventh Assembly Delegates of the Commission approved a resolution (document CIM/doc.65/94 rev. 1) establishing the goals to be pursued. A pilot program financed by the OAS Cultural Development Program, with the support of the Commission, has been launched in Argentina to develop a computerized program of legal aid and counsel for women. The idea of increasing funding in order to expand the subproject to include Colombia is being discussed. The subject would be new information technologies: teaching women's rights and human rights. Pursuant to a mandate from the Twenty-fifth Assembly of Delegates, delegates who had not yet done so were asked to supply the legislation currently in effect in their respective countries, especially the updated text of the constitution, civil code, family code, minors code, labor code, criminal code, codes of civil procedure and criminal procedure, and provisions governing the prison system, in order to develop model legislation and study the laws currently in effect in the region.

3. CIM has realized that in the sustainable development area, regional or subregional trade agreements represent an opportunity to achieve the region's equitable and sustainable development. The Commission is studying ways to increase the impact that these agreements have on women. As for the environment, the Commission's program guidelines require that project proposals include, where appropriate, an evaluation of environmental effects.

4. As for strengthening national mechanisms, a national survey was prepared and sent to the principal delegates to obtain information on the various types of mechanisms, obstacles and successful strategies and to help prepare a general picture of the various organizations and the work they do.

Cooperation with the United Nations System

The Statute of the Inter-American Commission of Women (Article 2.h) states that the Commission must "establish close ties of cooperation with those inter-American organizations, world organizations and public and private agencies whose work affects women." The Executive Committee has worked diligently to increase the number of activities conducted jointly with other organizations to benefit women.

CIM has cooperative relations and shares information with the following United Nations agencies: Commission on the Status of Women; the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW); the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); UNESCO; the United Nations Environment Programme and UNICEF. CIM has a particular interest in the universal ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which has already been ratified by 32 OAS member States.

CIM was represented at the meetings held at the United Nations on the Legal Status of Women.

Promoting the History of the Commission

The History of the Commission, which was published in Spanish in Venezuela in 1993, was translated into English and will be published in the near future. CIM is working with the Columbus Memorial Library to research the Commission's earliest documents (1928-1939).

With the help of the principal delegates and the Office of Historic Research, twenty panels were created illustrating the Commission's history and were exhibited during the Commission's Twenty-seventh Assembly of Delegates.

Seed Fund

The financing provided through this Fund is earmarked for activities that are consistent with the program guidelines of the Commission, to lend economic support to the countries' priority activities.

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