The Second Meeting of the Committee of Experts of the Follow-up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention for the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women, “Convention of Belém do Pará” (MESECVI), took place on July 24-25, 2006, at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC. Experts met to consider the preliminary reports on the commitments made by States Party to the Convention.

After the inaugural session, the Coordinating Committee of the MESECVI reported on the activities of the Committee of Experts on Violence (CEVI). In preparation for this meeting, the Mechanism required each expert to prepare a preliminary report on the follow-up of the implementation of the Convention undertaken by a State, other than his or her own, Party to the Convention.

Subsequently, a Plenary Session took place to discuss the preliminary reports and to consider future civil society participation in the MESECVI. During this Session, the Committee agreed to request additional information from various governments in order to improve these reports. Further, the Committee decided to invite civil society to contribute information on violence against women to the Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) and to participate in the Third Meeting of the MESECVI, scheduled to take place in April of 2007.

Further information about the meeting can be found at: http://www.oas.org/cim/

Summary (Spanish only)

Declaration from Indigenous Women within the framework of the Civil Society Forum (Spanish only)

Declaration from Civil Society Organizations (Spanish only)

Background Information and Agenda (Spanish only)

The Thirty-second Assembly of Delegates of the CIM was held in Washington D.C., October 27-29, 2004. The Assembly elected a new Executive Committee for the 2004-2006 term. Nilcéa Freire, Principal Delegate of the CIM and Minister at the Secretariat for Women’s Policies of Brazil, was elected President. María José Argaña de Mateu, Principal Delegate of the CIM and Minister at the Secretariat for Women of Paraguay, was elected Vice-President. Other elected Executive Committee members are Argentina, Canada, Chile, Mexico and Suriname.  

Issues discussed at the Assembly included the follow-up for the Second Meeting of Women Ministers (REMIM II) and the Plan of Action of the Summit of the Americas regarding proposals for gender integration at the Fourth Summit. Other priority issues were addressed such as the prevention and eradication of violence against women, the fight against the crime of trafficking in persons, especially women, adolescents, and children, and the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Rights and Gender Equity and Equality.

During this Assembly, the importance of the Summits of  the Americas was underscored. The President of the CIM, Yadira Henriquez De Sánchez Baret, referred to the Declaration and Plan of Action of Quebec City, and the Declaration of Nuevo Leon. These documents emphasized the necessity to empower women and provide equal opportunities to lead the economic and social development and to reduce poverty. 

Dr. Luis Alberto Rodríguez, Director of the Office for the Summit Process of the Americas at the OAS, made a detailed presentation on the Summit Process of the Americas. Dr. Rodríguez described the architecture of the Summit Process and reported on the progress of preparations for the IV Summit of the Americas. The theme of the next Summit is “Creating Employment to Confront Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance”. This Summit will be held in November 2005 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

The General Committee of the XXXII Assembly of Delegates of the CIM approved a Declaration on the Adoption of the Statute of the Mechanism to Follow up on Implementation of the “Convention of Belém Do Pará”, as well as the following resolutions:

      Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women, the Convention of Belém do Pará

      Gender and Access to Decent Work to Address Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance

      Promoting the Role of Women in Conflict Prevention, Management and Conflict Resolution and Post Conflict Peace Building

      Integration of a Gender Perspective into Hemispheric Policies and in the Summit of the Americas

      Biennial Work Program of the CIM 2004-2006: Program Guidelines

      Meetings of the Executive Committee for the Period 2004-2006

      Venue and Date of the Thirty-Third Assembly of Delegates of the Inter-American Commission of Women

      Fighting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women, Adolescents and Children.

The thirty-third Assembly of the Delegates of the CIM is scheduled for November 2006, in El Salvador.

For more information on the XXXII Assembly of Delegates of the CIM please click here.

The Second Meeting of Ministers or of the Highest-Ranking Authorities Responsible for the Advancement of Women in the Member States, a Summit of the Americas Ministerial, was held in Washington, D.C. on April 21- 23, 2004. The OAS Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) organized the conference.

Dr. Irene Klinger, Executive Secretary of the OAS Secretariat for the Summit Process made an extensive and detailed presentation on the Summits of the Americas process, the results of the Special Summit held in Mexico in January 2004, which addressed issues of poverty reduction, social development and democracy, and the preparations for the IV Summit of the Americas.  Dr. Klinger also addressed the evolution of mandates on gender within the Summit process (this presentation is available only in Spanish), the advances made in region and the challenges that will require ongoing efforts by countries as well as international organizations. 

 

Ministers also discussed issues related to Women, Free Trade, and Economic Empowerment.  In addition, a workshop was held on April 20 entitled “Engendering Legal and Judicial Systems,” organized by the World Bank and the CIM, in which Ministers participated. The workshop addressed issues such as the gap between rich and poor countries and the feminization of poverty.

The Ministers approved a Declaration (will be available soon) as well as a number of resolutions including on the topic of Integrating a Gender Perspective in the Summits of the Americas (will be available soon).
 

The Fourth Regular Session of the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) was held February 19-20, 2004, in Washington, D.C. Delegates discussed a number of Summit of the Americas issues, such as: preparations for the upcoming Second Meeting of Ministers, trafficking in women and children, the meeting of experts on the follow up to the Convention on Violence against Women (Belém do Para), and women’s human rights.

The delegates continued the preparations for Second Meeting of Ministers or of the Highest-Ranking Authorities Responsible for the Advancement of Women in the Member States. The Ministerial, one of the key components of the Summits of the Americas process, will be held in Washington, D.C. April 21-23, 2004 and will focus on issues of gender and economic integration. For the first time Ministers will also be presenting their National Reports on best practices in the areas of labor, justice and education.

Progress has been made in further expanding the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality (IAP) to incorporate a gender perspective into the Meetings of Ministers of Education and Science and Technology. These two new areas for development complement the existing ones in Meetings of Ministers of Labor and Justice.

The Executive Committee also reviewed the preparations for the Thirty Second Meeting of the CIM Assembly of Delegates, to be held October 26-28, 2004, in Costa Rica. Elections will be held to decide the new Presidency of the Commission as well as the members of the Executive Committee. The Heads of Delegation will address proposals for gender mainstreaming in the Plan of Action for the Fourth Summit of the Americas to be held in 2005.

Several presentations were made to further inform the CIM delegates on topics under discussion, including: the Special Summit of the Americas held in Monterrey, Mexico, in January 2004, by Dr. Irene Klinger, Executive Secretary of the Summits of the Americas Secretariat; trafficking in women and children, by Juan José Perez, Director for Latin America, the Netherlands Radio; Gender and Technology by Dr. Alice Abreu, Director of the OAS Office of Science and Technology; Trade, economic integration and gender, by Barbara Kotschwar, Director of the Foreign Trade Information System in the OAS Trade Unit.

The next meeting of the CIM Executive Committee will be held July 22-23, 2004, in Mexico City.
 

The Second Regular Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) was held in Washington, D.C. on July 17-18, 2003.

The two-day meeting began with a videoconference on “Women, Peace and Security in the Americas”, organized by CIM and Women Waging Peace, a civil society organization. The videoconference brought together speakers in Washington, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Colombia to discuss the critical but under-recognized and under-valued role of women in conflict prevention, resolution and post-conflict reconstruction. The participants analyzed the integration of a gender perspective in the issue of hemispheric security and women’s contribution to peacemaking and peace building in the Hemisphere.

The delegates also held discussions on a broad range of issues, including presentation of the preliminary draft agenda for the Second Meeting of Ministers or of the highest-ranking Authorities Responsible for the Advancement of Women. The Ministerial meeting will focus on the topic of women, free trade and economic empowerment. The final draft of the agenda for the Ministerial will be presented to the next meeting of the Executive Committee.

The CIM will continue to work on the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human rights and Gender Equity and Equality in the areas of labor and justice, and in an effort to expand the scope of the program, proposed to extend the program into the areas of education and science and technology.

The Executive Committee also considered options for follow-up mechanisms to the Convention of Belém do Para (Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women). The decision was made to entrust the Secretariat with initiating the process of consultations with member states, regional organizations, and civil society in order to broaden the consultations on this topic.

The next meeting of the CIM Executive Committee is scheduled for November 13-14, 2003 in Washington, D.C.
 

The First Regular Session of the Executive Committee of CIM was held February 20-21^st, 2003 in Washington, DC. The CIM received the Report on Activities of the Permanent Secretariat of the CIM and  a proposed work plan for the mandates received at the XXXI Assembly of Delegates.   Other items discussed include the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality, Second Meeting of Ministers or of the Highest Ranking Authorities Responsible for the Advancement of Women in the Member States (REMIM II), and Human Rights and Elimination of Violence Against Women. 

It was proposed that the REMIM II be held in 2004 and the main agenda item will be “Women, Trade and Economic Empowerment.”  The CIM will work with the OAS Trade Unit in preparing the necessary information and recommendations for the Ministers.     

The next meeting of the CIM Executive Committee will be in July 2003. For more information on the First Regular Session of the Executive Committee of CIM please click here:

On November 30-December 4, 2002, the First Indigenous Women’s Summit of the Americas was held in Oaxaca, Mexico. Over 300 indigenous women and representatives of indigenous women’s organizations from all over the world attended the Summit. The meeting was inaugurated by the Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú.

The Summit was organized by the Indigenous Peace Initiative, the Continental Indigenous Women’s Union, the International Indigenous Women’s Forum, and the Rigoberta Menchú Foundation. The objectives of the meeting were to mark the achievements of indigenous women in various action areas, to systemize the participation of indigenous women in socio-economic and political realms, to strengthen and broaden American indigenous women’s information and organization networks, and to influence the views and attitudes of various sectors and institutional actors.

The central topics of discussion were divided into 5 themes: “indigenous and human rights”, “spirituality, education and culture”, “leadership building and the empowerment to guarantee full and active participation of indigenous women”, “indigenous development and globalization” and “gender from the perspective of indigenous women”

For more information on First Indigenous Women’s Summit of the Americas please visit the following website: http://www.imo.org.mx/cumbre/espanol

On Monday, November 25, 2002 a Special Session of the Permanent Council was held to discuss “Women’s Participation in Political Processes”at the OAS in Washington, DC. The General Secretariat through the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy and the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission of Women coordinated the meeting. Opening remarks were made by Ambassador Denis G. Antoine, Chair of the Permanent Council of the OAS, Ambassador Luigi R. Einaudi, Assistant Secretary General of the OAS and Dr. Yadira Henriquez de Sánchez Baret, Secretary of State of Women’s Affairs, Dominican Republic, and President of the Inter-American Commission of Women.

The daylong meeting was divided into three panel discussions in order to present academic, political and civil society perspectives on Article 28 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The first panel, “The Current Condition of Women’s Participation in Politics,” discussed the advances and challenges facing women in politics and highlighted the slow increase in women’s participation in politics. The second panel, “Achievements and Challenges for Women in Politics,” discussed women’s role in politics and their positive and negative experiences in this area.. The common themes discussed by the panelist were quota laws or “affirmative action,” the inclusion women of race in politics, and ensuring that no national issues are considered only private or “women’s” issues. The last panel, “Promoting Full and Equal Participation of Women in Politics,” discussed the need for training for women to become effective politicians and legislators.

The panels consisted of guest speakers from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Women’s Leadership Council of the Americas, the University of Houston, the Global Summit of Women and the National Hispana Leadership Institute.

The Thirty-first Assembly of Delegates of the CIM was held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, October 29^th to the 31^st, 2002.  The Assembly elected a new Executive Committee for the 2002-2004 term and Yadira Henríquez, Minister of the Secretariat of State for Women of the Dominican Republic was elected president.  Other elected Executive Committee members are Canada, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Paraguay, United States and Venezuela.   Delegates from 29 member states, representatives from the permanent observer countries to the OAS, agencies and entities of the Inter-American and United Nations system as well as non-governmental organizations attended the meeting.

Issues covered at the Assembly included the implementation of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality and implementation of the mandates of the Third Summit of the Americas.  The issue of women and human rights, and the results of the subregional meetings of experts on implementation of the Convention of Belém do Pará were presented, as well as a proposal to study a follow-up mechanism for the Convention.  The results of the first phase of the project on Trafficking of Women and Children for Sexual Exploitation in the Americas and follow-up actions were adopted.

For more information on the XXXI Assembly of Delegates of the CIM please click here.

On September 19-20, 2002, Guatemala City hosted a forum on legislation to combat trafficking in humans, especially women and children, for exploitation. A joint initiative of the OAS' Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), the Central American Parliament and the Presidential Secretariat for Women's Affairs of Guatemala, the forum sought to identify basic elements that would go into laws to effectively fight the trafficking in humans, especially women and children, for exploitation. The forum was also designed to examine obstacles to tracking the perpetrators and the need for legal and social assistance for victims. It also considered mechanisms for consultation to bring the laws in the countries of the region in line with international law.

The Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) held a meeting of experts on July 30-31, 2002 in Washington DC to analyze the document “Toward Justice with Gender” and to pinpoint the lines of action for mainstreaming the gender perspective into the programs and policies of Ministries of Justice or Offices of the Attorneys General of the Americas. Participating in the meeting of experts were various OAS Member State Ministries as well as international organizations and non-governmental organizations. 

This “Follow-up to the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality” was part of CIM efforts to promote the implementation of gender-based policies and programs in the different Ministries of the OAS Member States. The CIM is stressing the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into the administration of justice, as inequalities exist in the justice systems of the Western Hemisphere that impede women’s access to justice and their legal rights.  

In addressing this issue, the CIM, with experts in gender and the law, prepared a series of recommendations on gender mainstreaming that were presented at the IV Meeting of Ministers of Justice or Ministers of Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA IV). The “Follow-up to the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality” analyzed these recommendations as part of the document “Toward Justice with Gender.” 

The meeting led to an agreement on the recommendations and the document “Toward Justice with Gender.” It concluded on July 31, 2002 with the adoption of strategies and recommendations concerning the incorporation of a gender perspective into the policies of the Ministries of Justice.

The Executive Committee of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) held its fourth regular session on February 21-22, 2002, in Washington, D.C. The focus of the meeting was the discussions of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality (IAP). This program has several components, notably the incorporation of the gender perspective at the OAS as well as into the agendas of hemispheric ministerial meetings, such as the Ministers of Labor and Justice. A new body, the ad-hoc inter-institutional Committee on Gender Equality (IICGE) was formed in order to carry out the continued implementation of the IAP.     

The Executive Committee also received a progress report on the CIM/OAS Study of the Trafficking of Women and Children for Sexual Exploitation in the Americas.  The Executive Committee made progress in the preparations for the XXXI Assembly of Delegates of CIM. Delegates discussed the preliminary draft agenda and decided that the meeting would be held October 29-31, 2002, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The next meeting of the Executive Committee will be held August 1-2, 2002, in Washington, D.C.

A special report published recently by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) - WHO (World Health Organization) on the project - "Towards an Integrated Care Model for Family Violence in Central America" - suggests that the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region is moving ahead with the institutionalization of indicators and protocols for monitoring violence cases through assistance from the health sector. The project attempted to help each country develop its own model for domestic violence care in the health sector. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), through its Regional Program on Gender Mainstreaming, was instrumental in coordinating support to and from countries in the LAC region. Consequently, a large representation of CARICOM countries was possible, in addition to the participation of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico for the Caribbean sub-region. Gender-based violence is a key issue in the LAC region, and while this region may have different avenues for policy initiatives, it is now becoming a key component of all strategies in the protocols mapped out by the PAHO project. At the Caribbean level, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in consultation with UNDP and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), started a process of identification of entry points for a concerted strategy in this sense.

For further details on the PAHO Project, see http://www.paho.org/genderandhealth

The meeting of the Follow Up to the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality (SEPIA I, Gender and Labor) was held December 11 and 12, 2001, in Washington, D.C.  The purpose of this meeting of experts in gender and labor, comprised of government and civil society representatives, was to analyze the Declaration and Plan of Action of the XII Inter-American Conference of  Ministers of Labor  for the inclusion of a gender perspective, identify areas lacking this perspective and suggest strategies to promote its inclusion. 

An initial draft containing recommendations on the incorporation of the gender perspective into the programs and policies of the Ministries of Labor had been presented to the Ministers of Labor when they met in Ottawa in October.  

The meeting concluded with proposals for the institutionalization of the gender perspective; research and studies; training; reviewing, strengthening and enforcing rules; and several general recommendations.  For more details, please visit the CIM web site at www.oas.org/cim.

 

The Third Regular Session of the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) was held on December 13, 2001 in Washington, D.C. The Executive Committee met to review ongoing work as well as plan for the future. Delegates were given reports on the status of the project regarding trafficking in women and children for sexual exploitation; the follow-up to the Convention of Belém do Para on Violence in the Americas; and the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality. The CIM Permanent Secretariat presented its Activity Report for the period of July-November 2001. Delegates also considered the preliminary agenda for the Thirty-first Assembly of Delegates of the CIM, to be held in November 2002. The next meeting of the Executive Committee will be held February 21-22, 2002.

 

As part of a regional effort to analyze the progress made and challenges confronted in combating violence against women in the Americas, over 200 experts from Central America, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Panama met in Panama on August 27-28, 2001, in a meeting convened by the Inter-American Commission on Women (CIM). This meeting is a continuation of those that have already taken place in South America.
At the meeting, participants studied the evolution of regional indicators of violence against women since the approval of the Convention of Belém do Pará in 1994. According to the experts, there was an increase in the violence statistics that can be attributed to the increase in mechanisms through which women can file complaints. But more resources to combat this violence is needed, and participants therefore agreed to ask their countries for greater funding to help in this area. They also agreed to work to make the fight against violence a State policy.
A full analysis of the advances and impact of the Convention of Belém do Pará will be presented next year by the CIM to the Permanent Council, and then the General Assembly, of the OAS.
The next meeting of this kind will take place in the Caribbean in February, 2002.

On August 22, 2001, Miguel Angel Rodríguez, the President of Costa Rica, inaugurated the three-day seminar, “Women, Poverty and Human Rights: in Their Own Words,” which was organized by several groups, including the Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social, Costa Rica’s Ministry on the Condition of Women, the OAS and the OAS Social Network of Latin America and the Caribbean. During the meeting, participants, which included public authorities and representatives on women’s issues and on the Welfare system from seventeen countries, considered a diverse agenda and discussed a series of projects destined to improve the situation of women in the hemisphere.
 

On July 19-20, 2001, CIM authorities, government delegates and representatives of specialized organizations met in Washington, DC. During the meeting, participants expressed the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into all economic, political and social activities and raising awareness on the discriminatory and abusive situations that various women throughout the hemisphere have to deal with. The group also recognized the work that CIM has accomplished in these tasks.

At the meeting, CIM presented its report on the advances made in the implementation of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality (PIA) and in the development of three important projects: Violence in the Americas; the Trafficking of Women and Children for Sexual Exploitation in the Americas; and the Business Leadership Training Program. The CIM Executive Committee expressed its satisfaction on the approval of the "Project for the Incorporation of a Gender Perspective in the OAS – Strategy for its Implementation," which is financed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

On July 10, 2001, the Inter-American Commission on Women (CIM) presented a series of recommendations at the Preparatory Meeting for the Ministers of Labor, which took place on July 12-13, 2001, in Miami, Florida.  The report notes the advancements that various governmental and non-governmental organizations have made with respect to the incorporation of a gender perspective at the national and international levels.  Participating organizations included the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). 

These entities have offered the following recommendations and priority action areas: the integration of a gender perspective in all of the policies and programs in the labor sector; the collection of disaggregated data on sex and age; equal remuneration for equal work or for maintaining a secure and clean work environment; the promotion of a social dialogue for female workers; extended social protection to female workers who are self-employed, are not remunerated for their work or are in the informal sector, micro-enterprises, domestic service; the right to collective negotiation or unionization; and, finally, gender equality and equity in human resource development. 

For more information on these recommendations, please click here.

Gender violence experts from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean have been gathering to review the implementation of the Convention to Eradicate, Prevent and Punish Violence Against Women (Belém do Pará Convention). The meetings are part of a UNIFEM-sponsored regional initiative by the Women's Commission of the Organization of American States. The most recent sub-regional meeting was held June 21-22 in Quito, Ecuador and was attended by experts from the Andean region. The Quito meeting determined that the overall implementation of the Belém do Para Convention in the Andean region needs significant strengthening. UNIFEM is working with national and sub-regional NGO representatives to develop strategies to increase pressure on national governments to fulfill commitments outlined in the Convention.  

From May 7-11, 2001, the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), along with the Government of the Province of Buenos Aires, the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT) and the Goldar Meir Monte Carmel International Training Center (MCTC), of Israel. 

Participants included young entrepreneurs with small businesses, civil society organizations and Municipal officials focused on the areas of production, micro-enterprise development and employment.  The program is being offered as an alternative solution to the problems of unemployment and underemployment in Latin American and Caribbean countries. 

The Executive Secretary of the CIM, Carmen Lomellín, expressed, in a message sent to the program, the importance of incorporating a gender perspective in all areas of society. She concluded by mentioning the fifteenth initiative in the Quebec City Summit Plan of Action, which encourages the participation of women in each society’s development, and recognizes women’s leadership capacities in the reducing poverty, promoting social and economic prosperity, consolidating democracy and resolving conflicts. 

In subsequent follow up meetings, the following recommendations were made in order to continue developing the program: awarding training scholarships; developing a program on “Business Incubators and/or Technology-based Incubators” in the province of Buenos Aires; extending invitations to attend the program to chambers of small and medium-sized businesses, chambers of business and business associations existing in the municipalities; and creating or improving micro enterprise support centers and for the creation of business incubators and high technology-based incubators.  This last recommendation was made by the Golda Meir Training Center and CIM. 

The creation of micro enterprise support centers is a proposal that seeks to strengthen the role of the Latin American woman as an independent micro-entrepreneurs, increase the sustainability of factories run by women and offer experiences on new trends and managerial skills.  The proposal would be carried out in four phases: 1) the training of female leaders; 2) the development of a Support Systems project for micro enterprise in pilot countries; 3) the creation of a network for information exchange; and 4) the carrying out of an annual Regional Encounter in order to analyze the advances made and obstacles encountered in the furthering of this project. 

For more information on this training program, please see its Final Report.