Women status in French Pacific examined
Updated
New Caledonia hosted an important meeting on the status of women around the region. Delegates have been working to monitor the progress of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women which is like an international bill of rights for women. The treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nation was signed by France, and therefore covers French speaking territories in the Pacific region.
Presenter: Sandrine Ducrot reports.
Speaker: Rolande Trolue, Women's Development Officer at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Françoise Gaillard, President of the Women Citizens organization
DUCROT: Over 70 representatives from governments and civil society organizationsare working together at the Secretariat of Pacific Community's headquarters.
During two days, their task is to monitor the progress of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
Every four years, a national report must be submitted to a special United Nation Committee, and NGO have to write their own to balance the official one.
As France's report is due in 2011, the writing of these documents was on the agenda of the meeting.
But it is not just about technical writing. Rolande Trolue is the Women's Development Officer at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. She says the meeting is an opportunity for all delegates to share their experiences.
TROLUE: One of the objectives of the meeting is also that delegates from these French speaking territories work together and put in place common actions.
DUCROT: Françoise Gaillard is the president of Women Citizens organization, which fights discriminations against women in New Caledonia. She is taking part to these week workshops and says they always have very positive outcome.
GAILLARD: Last year, we were on Tahiti for the same monitoring process. It was very successful; we shared experiences, we also keep in touch and help each others. Because at the end, we are fighting the same issues like violence against women or discriminations in the work place.
DUCROT :Mrs Trolue says women's situation has globally improved in the three territories.
TROLUE : Like in other Pacific countries, we have noticed progress in some fields of the Convention, for example, in health, in education, in employment and also in women's rights.
DUCROT:But Mrs Trolue says girls' education is still curbed.
TROLUE: In high school and during the first years at university, the majority of students are girls… But in the final years of university studies, there is a drop as girls stop their studies to get married or to find a job to support their family for example. These are obstacles to women's success.
DUCROT: Mrs Gaillard says the lack of education has consequences on employment but it can also explain violence towards women.
GAILLARD: With this Committee, we have the opportunity to talk about the real reasons behind the violence towards women. Very often it is linked to lack of education, poverty and lack of privacy.
DUCROT: Mrs Gaillard says women's situation reflects the country's development.
GAILLARD: New Caledonia is a developing country but it is very rich at the same time. However, part of the population is totally left behind economically. They don't have a proper home and several families live altogether in squats. So of course this is causing violence.
