Draft Platform for Action
G. [Inequality between men and women in the sharing of power [family responsibilities] and decision-making at all levels] [Shared power: women in decision-making]
Strategic objective G.1. [Take special measures to ensure women's equal access to and full participation in power structures and decision-making]
Actions to be taken
192. By Governments:
(a) Commit themselves to establishing the goal of gender balance in governmental bodies and committees, as well as in public administrative entities, and in the judiciary, including [setting specific targets and] implementing measures to substantially increase the number of women [with a view to achieving equal representation of women and men] in all governmental and public administration positions;
(b) [Consider measures in electoral systems that encourage political parties to integrate women in elective and non-elective public positions in the same proportion and levels as men;]
(c) Protect and promote the equal rights of women and men to engage in political activities and to freedom of association, including membership in political parties and trade unions;
(d) [Review the differential impact of electoral systems on the political representation of women in elected bodies and consider, where appropriate, the adjustment or reform of those systems;]
(e) Monitor and evaluate progress on the representation of women through the regular collection, analysis and dissemination of quantitative and qualitative data on women and men at all levels in various decision-making positions in the public and private sectors, and disseminate data on the number of women and men employed at various levels in Governments on a yearly basis; ensure that women and men have equal access to the full range of public appointments and set up mechanisms within governmental structures for monitoring progress in this field;
(f) Support non-governmental organizations and research institutes that conduct studies on women's participation in and impact on decision- making and the decision-making environment;
(g) Encourage greater involvement of indigenous women in decision-making at all levels;
(h) [Encourage] [Ensure] that government-funded organizations adopt non-discriminatory policies and practices [in order to increase the number and raise the position of women in their organizations;]
(i) [Recognize that shared work and parental responsibilities between women and men promote women's increased participation in public life, and take appropriate measures to achieve this, including measures to reconcile family and professional life;]
(j) Aim at gender balance in the lists of national candidates nominated for election or appointment to United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other autonomous organizations of the United Nations system, particularly for posts at the senior level.
193. By political parties:
(a) Consider examining party structures and procedures to remove all barriers that directly or indirectly discriminate against the participation of women;
(b) Consider developing initiatives that allow women to participate fully in all internal policy-making structures and appointive and electoral nominating processes;
(c) Consider incorporating gender issues in their political agenda [and ensuring the participation of women in the leadership of political parties so as to accomplish parity and the integration of both genders].
194. By Governments, national bodies, the private sector, political parties, trade unions, employers' organizations, research and academic institutions, subregional and regional bodies, and non-governmental and international organizations:
(a) Take positive action to build a critical mass of women leaders, executives and managers [with the requisite qualifications] in strategic decision-making positions;
(b) [Create regulatory bodies and enforcement mechanisms to monitor women's access to senior levels of decision-making;]
(c) Review the criteria for recruitment and appointment to advisory and decision-making bodies and promotion to senior positions to ensure that such criteria are relevant and do not discriminate against women;
(d) Encourage efforts by non-governmental organizations, trade unions and the private sector to achieve equality [and equity] between women and men in their ranks, including equal participation in their decision-making bodies and in negotiations in all areas and at all levels;
(e) Develop communications strategies to promote public debate on the new roles of men and women in society [and in the family];
(f) Restructure recruitment and career-development programmes to ensure that all women, especially young women, have equal access to managerial, entrepreneurial, technical and leadership training, including on-the-job training;
(g) Develop career advancement programmes for women of all ages, that include career planning, tracking, mentoring, coaching, training and retraining;
(h) Encourage and support the participation of women's non-governmental organizations in United Nations conferences and their preparatory processes;
(i) Aim at and support gender balance in the composition of delegations to the United Nations and other international forums.
195. By the United Nations:
(a) [Implement existing and adopt new policies and measures relating to all contracts in order to achieve overall gender parity in employment, particularly at the Professional level, by the year 2000, taking into account equitable geographical distribution in conformity with Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations;]
(b) Develop mechanisms to nominate women candidates for appointment to senior posts in the United Nations, the specialized agencies and other organizations and bodies of the United Nations system;
(c) Continue to collect and disseminate quantitative and qualitative data on women and men in decision-making [and analyse their differential impact on decision-making and monitor progress towards achieving the Secretary-General's target of having women hold 50 per cent, but at least 40 per cent, of managerial and decision- making positions by the year 2000].
196. By women's organizations, non-governmental organizations, trade unions, social partners, producers, and industrial and professional organizations:
(a) Build and strengthen solidarity among women through information, education and sensitization activities;
(b) Advocate at all levels to enable women to influence political, economic and social decisions, processes and systems, and work towards seeking accountability from elected representatives on their commitment to gender concerns;
(c) [Establish databases on women and their qualifications for use in appointing women to senior decision-making and advisory positions, for dissemination to Governments, regional and international organizations and private enterprise.]
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