Euro-Med Women’s Rights Conference

28-29 November 2016 Beirut, Lebanon

FROM MINISTERIAL CONCLUSIONS

TO GENDER EQUALITY POLICY MAKING

IN THE EURO-MED REGION

Background

Euromed Feminist Initiative has approached the UfM Ministerial Process on strengthening the role of women in society as a major tool to promote gender equality in the whole region since the first Ministerial Conference in Istanbul 2006. Following up on the Ministerial Conclusions and their implementation, Euromed Feminist Initiative promotes and enhances dialogue between women’s rights organizations and political decision makers in the area of gender equality and women’s rights.

In 2015 with the support of the European Union, Euromed Feminist Initiative launched a dialogue process “From the UfM Ministerial Conclusions to gender equality policy making in the Euro-Med region” in order to contextualize the implementation of Paris Ministerial Conclusions 2013 in the on-going challenges in the region, enhance regional cross sector co-operation through policy dialogue as well as exchange of best practices with existing networks and stakeholders in the Southern Neighborhood. The process brought together over 600 representatives from women’s rights CSOs, CBOs, gender experts, academics and researchers with decision makers and legislators. It provided the space to analyze the changing context since the last Paris Ministerial Conference 2013, to discuss gender equality policy making and agree on national and regional priorities in the current context, in order to prepare concrete policy recommendations to the upcoming 4th UfM Ministerial Conference in 2017.

The process highlighted once more that a dialogue with decision makers and legislators, initiated by the civil society and in particular by women’s rights organizations, is crucial for creating policies that address gender gaps and discrimination.

The first regional meeting organized in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development Jordan, provided major reflections on common challenges after Paris 2013 and, based on them, formulated common priorities. The followed up national dialogues in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan enriched these analyses and helped to concretize the priorities with policy actions grounded in the national realities and based on their interests. The second regional dialogue held in Cairo strengthened the common dynamic and enriched the Gender Regional Platform with concrete proposals for policy actions to bridge the gap between statements and reality.

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Objectives of the Conference

The Euro-Med Women’s Rights Conference will discuss and finalize the policy recommendations and will create favorable conditions for a common work towards follow up and monitoring the implementation of the Ministerial Conclusions in the following main areas:

* Ending discrimination against women and strengthening women’s participation and role in political and economic life

* Reforming education and changing gender stereotypes

* Ending violence against women, war and occupation

* Ensuring freedom and independent action of the civil society as well as support to women’s rights organizations

Prioritizing gender equality policy making in these areas, has been seen as a major step needed to address the increasing wave of social conservatism, religious extremism, nationalism and populism, to find political solutions to conflicts and face refugee crises, and to strengthen the status of gender equality in the Euro-Med region.

The Euro-Med Conference will contribute to the advocacy towards the Euro-Med governments for the implementation of women’s rights and gender equality and for taking an effective step towards supporting and making a comprehensive gender equality policy.

It will enhance the dialogue process initiated by women’s rights organizations with State actors on the promotion of the universal women’s human rights and will discuss accountability, follow up and monitoring mechanisms in the whole Euro-Med region.

Participants

* Civil Society – women’s rights CSOs, gender experts, human rights defenders, academia

* Decision makers and political actors - female and male politicians and members of parliaments

* State actors from Euro-Med - Ministries involved in the UfM Ministerial Process, European Commission and European External Action Service

* Media

Expected Results

* Deepened common analyses on women’s rights in the current situation in the region

* Sharpened knowledge on gender equality policy making in the region

* Bases of a structural dialogue between the womens’ rights organizations and decision makers to follow up on the implementation of the ministerial conclusions

* Policy recommendations to the 4th UfM Ministerial Conference on women’s rights

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DAY ONE

28/11/2016

9:30 – 10:30

09:00 – 09:30

09:30 – 10:30

Opening Session: Commitment to international and regional mechanisms

that promote and protect the universal human rights of women: changing

contexts after Paris 2013

10:30 – 13:00 Session 1: Curbing gender based discrimination, violence against women

and exclusion from the public sphere through legislation

Registration

Opening Panel:

The UfM Ministerial Process on “Strengthening the Role of Women in Society” is a major tool for promoting and supporting women’s rights and gender equality policy making in the Euro-Med region. The third Ministerial Conference 2013 in Paris reaffirmed the value of this process. Since 2013 some positive achievements in strengthening the women’s role in society have been marked. However drastic changes of the geo-political context have also taken place, to be taken into account in the implementation of the Ministerial Conclusions, such as the increased violence of extremist groups and the massive influx of Syrian refugees. In the light of the rapidly deteriorating context some major challenges need to be addressed with effective measures: shifting priorities and side-lining women’s rights, lack of political will to achieve gender equality, underrepresentation of women in decision-making, persistent gap between texts and implementation, reinforcement of gender stereotypes.

* Ms. Lilian Halls French - Co-President Euromed Feminist Initiative

* H.E. Eng. Wajeeh Azayzeh - Minister of Social Development, Jordan

* H.E. Ms. Alice Chaptini - Minister for Displaced Persons, Lebanon

* Ms. Imen Kalai - On Behalf of H.E. Ms. Néziha Labidi, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Family and Children, Republic of Tunisia.

* Mr. Jose-Luis Vinuesa-Santamaria - Head of Sustainable Development

Section, EU Delegation, Lebanon

* Ms. Véronique Aulagnon - Director of the French Institute in Lebanon

Chair: Ms. Leila El Ali - Co-President Euromed Feminist Initiative

In the current political and economic context, the space for democratizing political systems and laws is shrinking: conservative and traditional trends together with religious fundamentalist as well as populist movements are confronting the right of women to be full citizens in the whole region. Achieving democracy requires making equality between women and men a priority issue on decision makers' policy agendas.

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10:30 – 11:30

11:30 – 12:00

12:00 – 13:00

14:00 – 16:00 Panel discussion: Cross perspectives on the 4th UfM Ministerial Conference

13:00 – 14:00

This session will elaborate on ways to curb discrimination against women by promotion of equality between women and men in rights, value and responsibilities; women’s equal participation and role in political, economic and social spheres, as well as equal access to decision making in public and private spheres. First priority is to annul discrimination in law, to develop gender equality legislation and to close the gap between law and implementation.

Speakers:

* H.E. Ms. Vesna Pusic - Member of Parliament, Croatia, Former First Deputy Prime Minister, Former Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Honorary President of the Croatian People's Party

* Ms. Neila Chaabane - President of Tunisian Association of Constitutional Law, Former State Secretary of Women’s Affairs

* Ms. Zita Hernandez - Judge, Founding Member of the Association of Spanish Women Judges, Spain

* Mr. Ameer Alkinani - Legal Advisor, President of Iraq

Chair: Dr. Ibrahim Draji - Professor of Constitutional Law Damascus, Syria

Coffee Break

Open Discussion

Lunch

During the Ministerial Meeting in Paris 2013, the ministers encouraged “the establishment of a dialogue between the governmental entities and the civil society organizations and highlighted the important role of civil society as valuable partners in the irreversible process started in Istanbul.” The process initiated and developed by Euromed Feminist Initiative since 2011 demonstrated that these dialogues are not only possible but fruitful. This panel will enhance and concretize the future steps towards achieving gender equality through the Ministerial Process. The aim of gender equality policies is to ensure that women and men enjoy the same opportunities, rights and responsibility in all areas of life. Gender equality means that women and men are of equal worth and implies ensuring the knowledge and experience of both men and women are used to promote progress in all spheres of society. What is the role and the impact of the Ministerial Process in this regards?

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14:00 – 16:00

16:00 – 16:30

16:30 – 18:00

16:30 – 17:00

17:00 – 18:00

Session 2: International conventions and regional documents as unique,

common frame reference for national constitutions and legislation, and

peace and security

Guests:

* H.E. Ms. Delphine Borione - Secretary General, Union for the Mediterranean UfM

* H.E. Mr. Nabil De Freige - Minister of State for Administrative Reform, Lebanon

* H.E. Mr. Musa Maaytah - Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, Jordan

* H.E. Ambassador Wafaa Bassim - Member of Foreign Affairs Committee,

National Council for Women, Egypt

* Ms. Imen Kalai - Director of Women's Affairs, Ministry of Women, Family

and Children, Tunisia

Moderator: Ms. Boriana Jonsson - Executive Director Euromed Feminist Initiative

Coffee Break

In the present context it is more than ever important to apply international women’s rights conventions and activate regional and national mechanisms for gender equality. International documents are a major tool to change discriminatory legislation, and counteract justification of abuse of women in the name of culture, religion or traditions. The panel will examine the link between the implementation of the international and regional women’s rights documents and peace and democracy building. Among them the most important ones: CEDAW, the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888, 1889, Sustainable Millennium Goals, the Beijing Platform for Action. The UfM Ministerial Conclusions Paris 2013 reaffirmed the commitments of the governments in Euro-Med region to apply these essential references and to strengthen the status of gender equality. What concrete next steps should the 4thUfM Ministerial Meeting take?

Speakers:

* H.E. Ms. Majida Masri - Head of Palestinian Federation of Women, Action Committees; Former Minister of Social Development, Palestine

* Col. Elie Al Asmar - Head of ISF Division Research and Studies, Lebanon

* Ms. Lilian Halls French - Co-President Euromed Feminist Initiative, France

Open discussion

Chair: Mr. Ziad Abdel Samad - Executive Director of ANND, Lebanon

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09:30 –10:00

10:00 – 11:00

11:00 – 11:30

Session 3: Reforming education, challenging stereotypes and social discourse

Changing attitudes and discriminatory patterns requires not only a political and legal intervention by the State but also a broad awareness raising action addressing cultural gender stereotypes. The educational system and curricula are framed by patriarchal values and gender bias and contribute to reproducing these stereotypes. Personnel in concerned authorities (diverse ministries) working on creating educational programs and curricula are often reproducing discriminatory patterns themselves. Engendering educational system remains priority since the first UfM Ministerial Conference. This panel will examine what are the efforts that need to be exerted in order to reform the educational system, the curricula and the educational programs to promote the values of citizenship, human rights and gender equality and to contribute to stopping violence and discrimination, to promoting women’s rights as universal human rights.

* Ms. Zineb Oubouchou - Journalist El Watan, Algeria

* Ms. Vedrana Frasto - CURE Foundation, Bosnia and Herzegovina

* Ms. Karima Kamal - Social Democratic Party, Egypt

Chair: Ms. Azza Kamel - Executive Director Appropriate Communication Techniques for Development, Egypt

Open discussion

Coffee Break

Working Groups:1. Ending discrimination against women and strengthening women’s participation and role in political and economic lifeIntroduction:

* Ms. Arabya Kousri-Labidi - Member of the National Board of the Party Ettakatol, Founding member of party's commission of women, Tunisia* Mr. Elie Kayrouz - Member of Parliament, lawyer and women's rights advocate, Lebanon

* Ms. Diana Culi - President of Independent Forum for Albanian Woman, Albania

Facilitation and report: Ms. Blanca Rodriguez-Ruiz - Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Seville, Spain

DAY TWO

29/11/2016

09:30 – 11:00

11:30 – 13:00 Working groups:Gender Regional Platform: From Ministerial Conclusions to gender equality

policy making in the Euro-Med region

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2. Reforming educational system and using media to change the stereotyped representation of women and attitudes towards equality Introduction:

* Ms. Mounira Hammami - Gender Expert AFTURD, Tunisia* Ms. Nadia Ait Zai - Gender Expert, CIDDEF, Algeria* Ms. Sanja Cesar - Center for Education, Counselling, and Research, Croatia

Facilitation and report: Dr. Wafa Al Khadra - Professor and Acting Dean of Languages and Communication at the American University of Madaba, Jordan

3. Violence against women, ending war and occupationIntroduction:

* Ms. Suzan Aref - Coordinator Task Force 1325 Iraq* Ms. Maya Al Rahabi - General Coordinator Coalition of Syrian Women for Democracy* Ms. Lavinia Spennati - Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Programme Officer, EuroMed Rights, Copenhagen, Denmark

Facilitation and report: Ms. Caroline Slaiby - Vice President Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering RDFL

4. Ensuring freedom and independent action of the civil society as well as support to women’s rights organizationsIntroduction:

* Dr. Fatma Khafaji - Alliance for Arab Women, Egypt* Ms. Edmé Domínguez - Associate Professor Latin American Studies Director of Area Studies, School of Global Studies University of Gothenburg Sweden, Gender and Development in Practice (GADIP)* Ms. Fatima Aarach - Member of the National Council for Human Rights, Morocco

Facilitation and report: Ms. Zahra Ouardi - Gender Expert, Union for Feminist Action, Morocco

Plenary Session: Reports from the working groupsModerator: Ms. Roberta Guerrina - Professor University of Surrey, United Kingdom, Head Department of Politics

Coffee break

13:00 – 14:00

14:00 – 15:00

15:00 – 15:30

Lunch

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The initiated dialogue process emphasized the need to progress beyond recommendations into developing mechanisms for concrete implementation. A system of monitoring, evaluation and accountability of policies and actions based on the Ministerial Conclusions needs to be developed on national and regional level. Mainstreaming gender equality through participatory approach framed by a clear speech on the values of equal citizenship rights has been favored. Building functioning partnership between civil society and government based on the respect of the independence and the recognition of the expertise of the women’s rights CSOs has been promoted among the major mechanisms, together with the creation of cross-sector bodies formed by government, civil society and political sphere that develop, monitor and evaluate action plans to implement gender equality and the Ministerial Conclusions.

* Ms. Wafa Bani Mustapha - Member of Parliament, Jordan, Chairperson of women MPs from Arab countries to combat VAW* Mr. Abdelouahed Elatir - Head of Mission, Interministerial Delegation for Human Rights, Morocco* Dr. Magdy Belal - President Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement (EACPE)

Chair: Ms. Manar Zaitar - Executive Director Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering RDFL

Open Discussion

4th UfM Ministerial Conference

Next steps: Gender Regional Platform: From Ministerial Conclusions to Gender Equality Policy Making in the Euro-Med Region

Ms. Boriana Jonsson, H.E. Eng. Wajeeh Azayzeh, Ms. Leila Al Ali

15:30 – 17:00

15:30 – 16:00

16:00 – 17:00

17:00 – 17:30

Session 5: Mechanisms to implement gender equality

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