u.n. beijing + 15 conference and the 30% solution
DESCRIPTION
Immediately after the Beijing Conference, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an organization of national elected officials like our members of Congress, adopted the one-third marker as the goal for national legislatures.The U.S. government under President Bush promoted change by adopting hard targets for women in office--but only outside U.S. borders. The government required the new constitutions of Afghanistan and Iraq to have quotas for women in their national parliaments. Afghanistan is now 28th in the world in women's legislative representation, Iraq is 35th.In stark contrast, the United States has greeted the 30% solution with silence and inaction. It is barely halfway home to reach the one-third mark for women in Congress, and ranks 69th in the world.TRANSCRIPT
FactSheet:
U.N.Beijing+15Conferenceandthe30%Solution
TheFourthUNConferenceontheStatusofWomen(Beijing,1995) Goal:toelevategenderparityontheinternationalpoliticalagenda
TheBeijingDeclarationandPlatformforAction Highlightswomen’sunequalshareofpoliticalpoweramong12critical
areasofconcern. Outlinesstrategicobjectives“toensurewomen’sequalaccesstoandfull
participationinpowerstructuresanddecision‐making,”whichweretoleadtofundamentalchangebytheyear2000.
Beijing+15 15‐yearreviewofprogressonthePlatformforActionbytheCommission
ontheStatusofWomen MeetinginNewYorkCity,Mar.1‐12,2010
TheUNBeijingConferenceandthe30%SolutionAnexcerptfromWomenLeadtheWaybyLindaTarr‐Whelan
“ ImmediatelyaftertheBeijingConference,theInter‐ParliamentaryUnion,anorganizationofnationalelectedofficialslikeourmembersofCongress,adoptedtheone‐thirdmarkerasthegoalfornationallegislatures.
23countriesnowmeetorexceedthegoal 101countrieshavechangedtheirconstitutions,laws,orpolitical
practicestoaimforit.TheU.S.governmentunderPresidentBushpromotedchangebyadoptinghardtargetsforwomeninoffice—butonlyoutsideU.S.borders.ThegovernmentrequiredthenewconstitutionsofAfghanistanandIraqtohavequotasforwomenintheirnationalparliaments.Afghanistanisnow28thintheworldinwomen’slegislativerepresentation,Iraqis35th.Instarkcontrast,theUnitedStateshasgreetedthe30%solutionwithsilenceandinaction.Itisbarelyhalfwayhometoreachtheone‐thirdmarkforwomeninCongress,andranks74thintheworld.”
–LindaTarr‐WhelanLindaTarr‐WhelanledtheU.S.delegationtotheBeijingConference,andservedastheU.S.AmbassadortotheU.N.CommissionontheStatusofWomen.SheisaDemosDistinguishedSeniorFellowandauthoroftheWomenLeadtheWay:YourGuidetoSteppingUptoLeadershipandChangingtheWorld(Berrett‐Koehler2009).
PERCENTAGEOFWOMENINNATIONALLEGISLATURE
FromtheInter‐ParliamentaryUnion’sworldranking,asofNovember30,2009.
1. Rwanda 56.3%2. Sweden 47.0%3. SouthAfrica 44.5%4. Cuba 43.2%5. Iceland 42.9%6. Argentina 41.6%7. Finland 41.5%24. Guyana 30.5%30. Afghanistan 27.7%39. Iraq 25.5%51. China 21.3%58. U.K. 19.5%65. Sudan 18.1%74. U.S.A. 16.8%
Data from the Inter‐ParliamentaryUnion,on thebasis of information provided on November 30,2009.
11.3 13.8 16.2 18.60
20406080100
1995 2000 2005 2009
PercentWomeninNaZonalLegislatures,WorldAverage
Althoughthe30%targetforwomen'sleadershipremainsadistantgoal,women’srepresentationinnationallegislatureshassteadilyincreasedsincetheBeijingConferenceandnowrestsatitshighesthistoricallevel.
The30%Solution: The critical tippingpointwhere enoughwomenat power tables canbeheard andheeded,positivelyaffectingpolicydecisions,changingthetermsoftheagenda,andimpactingthestyleofachievinggoals.The30%solutionwasabenchmarkforwomen’sleadershipatthe1995UNBeijingConferencein1995.