The Asia-Pacific Regional Review of the ۲۵th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was held in November with ministers and senior officials from relevant line Ministries, civil society and other key stakeholders.
Massoumeh Ebtekar, Vice President for Women and Family Affairs in the Islamic Republic of Iran, called attention to how the conditions of women worldwide and in Asia has developed and how the efforts and perseverance of both government and civil society actors has changed the livelihoods of millions during the course of the ۳۴ years from the Third World Conference in Nairobi ۱۹۸۵, the Beijing Conference in ۱۹۹۵, to the current conference in progress.
Ebtekar mentioned the contrasting conditions at hand, saying, “We have witnessed how Asian societies improved in many dimensions and indices have changed for the better in many areas including my country, the Islamic Republic of Iran. We have all also witnessed how war, internal strife, sanctions, aggression and foreign intervention has aggravated poverty and targeted the most disadvantaged in our societies.”
The Vice President emphasized how the trends of urbanization, slum and suburban populations has changed the face of Asia, while employment generation schemes have taken many women out of the vicious poverty cycle in some countries and creating success stories and examples for others. Yet she pointed out that “democratic processes and economic growth are impeded by insecurity, coercive unilateral measures, war and terrorism in many areas, particularly West Asia.”
She also emphasized on issues of climate change and environmental degradation, which are also taking their toll on natural assets and targeting livelihoods and families across Asia, and stated, “Although civil society momentum is gaining in most areas, the scale of devastation in all areas mentioned requires a more serious mobilization and synchronization of efforts to counter negative trends.”
Ebtekar went on to highlight a ۴۰x۴۰ report on the ۴۰ year trends of ۴۰ indicators for women’s status provided by the Islamic Republic Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs, maintaining that it can serve as an assessment of the coming trends, reveal an objective image of Iran and serve as a tool for planners and decision makers.
Furthermore, the Vice President highlighted subjects such as education, political participation, hosting refugees, health care, and women in government decision making posts.
Later in her speech, she talked about the “Women Against Sanctions” campaign underway in Iran, with an objective to support women entrepreneurs who are working in spite of the very difficult economic conditions due to illegitimate sanctions imposed by the US government, thereby waging economic warfare on our nation.
“Today, ۲۵ years after Beijing, we still face many challenges, yet we have many success stories to share with the global community. We believe that our paradigm of development and women’s advancement, four decades after the Revolution, can provide many lessons for Asian and societies of other continents,” Ebtekar said.
Vice President for Women and Family Affairs