ICA and the Beijing Conference

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Introduction
Why did ICA participate?
What did ICA accomplish?
ICA Statement to the Beijing Conference
ICA and the United Nations

ICA and 4th World Conference for Women (Beijing Conference)

Introduction

The Fourth World Conference on Women known as the Beijing conference was held in Beijing (China) in September 1995 under the theme, "Action for Equality, Development and Peace". It adopted "Platform for Action", concentrating on key issues the "critical areas of concern" identified as obstacles review and appraisal of the advancement of women since 1985 in terms of the objective of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women to the Year 2000. This document identifies strategic objectives and action to be taken by Governments, the international community, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and individuals for the removal of the remaining obstacles to women's full and equal participation in development in all spheres of life. It includes actions to eradicate poverty; eliminate inequality in education; ensure access to relevant health care, employment and economic participation; further protection and preservation of the environment; end inequality in sharing of power and decision-making; improve images of women in the mass media; promote women's human rights; and eliminate violence against women.

Why did ICA participate?

The International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) participated actively in the preparations for this UN conference. Its aim, in line with one of its priority areas of work - women in co- operatives: integration and gender issues - was to sensitise policy-makers on how co-operatives can contribute to improving the lives of women by improving their economic, and social situations and have this reflected in the Platform for Action.

ICA participated in the regional preparatory conferences for Asia/Pacific, Africa and Latin America. It also participated in the meetings of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. In each of these meetings, ICA circulated documents demonstrating how co-operatives were contributing to improving the lives of women. A special issue of the ICA News (Issue No. 4, 1995) was also produced for distribution in Beijing showing concrete examples of how the co-operative form of organisation had bettered their lives.

What did ICA accomplish?

Recognition of the contribution of co-operatives to the advancement of women was achieved as seen by the following:

Of the over 1,300 NGOs accredited to the conference, only 50 organisations were able to present statements. The ICA statement was of one of those 50 which was included in the official documentation and distributed to all conference delegates including government representatives. The ICA representative to the Conference was also granted permission to present an oral statement to the plenary session, furthering drawing attention to the role of co-operatives.

The Platform for Action, the final document emanating from the Beijing Conference, also contains eight references to the role of co-operatives in promoting the advancement of women and called for support of co-operatives.

The work of the ICA resulted in a UN document recognising the importance of co-operatives. It constitutes a tool to be used by co-operatives for facilitating policy dialogue with governments and development agencies, for finding support (financial and technical) and for providing international legitimacy to the work of co-operatives.

ICA Statement to the Beijing Conference

In its Statement to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the ICA reiterates the potential of co-operatives for improving the economic and social conditions of women worldwide. In the words of the United Nations Secretary-General:

"Co-operative enterprises provide the organizational means whereby a significant proportion of humanity is able to take into its own hands the task of creating productive employment, over-coming poverty and achieving social integration. They constitute a model for a people-centred and sustainable form of societal organisation, based on equity, justice and solidarity. And they involve in the development process all sections of society including women..."

The ICA Statement stresses that co-operatives have a key role to play as they are able to respond to both women's practical and strategic needs - those critical areas of concern noted in the Platform for Action - by providing access to income-generating activities as worker-owners and providing essential services, such as health-care, child-care and consumer goods,which contribute to the advancement of women.

The Platform for Action recognises the contribution of co-operatives to the advancement of women - that of increasing women's economic capacities through income-generating opportunities.

Co-operatives are a form of organisation which women can use to help themselves. With their democratic structure, co-operatives offer women opportunities for participation in and influence over economic activities. Women gain self-reliance through this participation, as well as access to opportunities which they would not have been able to obtain on their own.

Over the last 100 years of its existence, the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) has been working with and through co-operatives to empower both women and men in partnership. Indeed in its very first Congress in 1895, the need to fully integrate women into the Co-operative Movement was recognised as a means of achieving economic and social advancement. Co-operatives have served communities and contributed to the advancement of women in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. However, we realise that much work lies ahead.

Through their national, regional and international organisations, co-operatives have pledged to further the advancement of women. The ICA is actively working towards this aim - our common challenge for the next millennium.

Last Updated: 31 March 2005