Main results of Havana Conference on gender perspective

Swedish MP, Mrs Viola Furubjelke, who presides the Coordinating Committee of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians explains the main results of the 105th Havana Inter-Parliamentary Conference on gender perspective.

Q : What was the high point of this Meeting of Women Parliamentarians?
Viola Furubjelke : The major benefit of this Conference had to do with our working methods. In the Women's Meeting, we used to have a huge plenary where we would sit for hours delivering prepared speeches with no dialogue. At this Conference, for the first time, we split up into working groups and studied in depth the topics that we were to discuss later on. We had an opportunity to experience a more interactive way of working, and by doing so I believe that we changed the focus in the debate held in the Women's Meeting from the national interest to the common interest, namely that of women. The discussions held focused on the item concerning international law in armed conflicts from a woman's perspective, and since the participants had to work spontaneously, they refrained from reading out their country reports. But it was a plenary that was much more difficult because women felt that they had to give testimony from their own countries. So this is the most important thing: we have changed the focus from reading statements in the national interests of each and every one to discussing the common interests of women in a very interactive way.

Q : There was also a panel discussion on CEDAW. How can we follow up on that ?
V. F. : I believe that this is really a good thing to continue with and the women felt that they had an opportunity to learn a lot more about the existing tools that women have, to work for and claim their rights. The CEDAW Convention is a complicated instrument with its Optional Protocol, and women have to learn about the mechanisms for using it. We can go further and we can choose another item, and the proposal has already been made that the Ouagadougou Conference take up violence against women. There could also be a panel discussion on HIV/AID. One of these panels will be set up in Ouagadougou, and we will continue with this kind of deeper discussion on a more limited item.

Q : What was the main achievement of the 105th Conference ?
V. F. : I would say the final resolution accurately reflects the resolution of the Women's Meeting. The women MPs have enhanced their coordination and fine-tuned their strategic approach so that they have managed to achieve a very good gender perspective in this resolution, and at least eight paragraphs in the final version have been taken directly from the resolution of the Women's Meeting.