As countries prepare for a global review of women’s issues at a UN conference next year, feminist leaders tried to control dissent in the ranks at one of their preparatory meetings, held in Bangkok last weekend.
Commotion in the final session of their forum revealed cracks among feminists over a statement calling for publicly funded abortions, legalizing prostitution, decriminalizing transmitting HIV to unsuspecting people, and removing taboos on LGBTI – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex – behavior.
Organizers pre-selected who could attend, and assigned attendees to working groups. Rapporteurs from groups like the abortion-advocacy organization International Women’s Health Coalition conveyed the opinions from the workshops to a steering committee, who compiled them into a statement.
But the performance stumbled in the final session when the statement was presented.
After reading sections on sexual and reproductive health and rights and on HIV, women stepped up to complain the statement did not reflect their views.
Along with publicly funded abortions, it calls for revoking laws that “undermine” rights of “sex workers and entertainers.” Groups, “specifically women’s and feminist organizations,” should be authorized to amend government policies that “undermine” the Beijing agreement.
On HIV, it urges rescinding laws that “criminalize sex workers, people who use drugs, policies that conflate sex work with trafficking, criminalize HIV transmission.”
A woman grabbed a microphone. “What is the process? Must we adopt this statement without input?” she asked.
The moderator chastised, “This came from the workshops. If you have an issue, take it up with the committees.”
One woman pointed out workshops were held simultaneously so they could not attend all. Another asked about rapporteurs reporting something different than what was agreed to in the workshop.
The organizers quickly pivoted. Corrections could be given to the rapporteurs.
“What authority does a rapporteur have to unilaterally make changes without the full workshop?” asked a woman.
The moderator insisted they had run out of time. Attendees “would have to trust” the organizers for the final statement.
Despite organizers urging governments to be accountable and transparent, during the final session one woman taking notes was kicked out.
Outside the forum, one attendee observed differences among feminists arise over the “sexualization of women,” with women’s concerns reduced to those related to sexual activity.
Another noted the “dangers” of officials who hold meetings but will not take or release notes, then dismiss complaints by saying the matters were discussed and settled.
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Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Beijing Platform for Action, policy guidelines on gender equality–which did not include abortion rights or condone prostitution. Some see this milestone as an opportunity to include them in a reinterpretation of the agreement through a series of regional meetings leading up to the Beijing+20 conference next March.
The Bangkok forum, convened by feminist groups and supported by UN Women, intended to influence Asian and Pacific countries during their regional review.
They also hope to influence the UN’s new development goals. Yet to be decided, these will replace the Millennium Development Goals, eight priorities that became the worldwide standard for humanitarian work and foreign aid.
Not all forum attendees fit the feminist narrative. One quiet young woman, a former drug user living with HIV, brightened up when asked about her daughter. Proudly noting her five-year old was free of HIV, she explained.
“When my daughter was born, I came alive.”
Reprinted with permission from C-Fam