Rule of Law / Democracy
Issues:
Decentralization / Governance
Human Rights / Women's Rights
Public Finances / Gender Responsive Budgeting
Poverty means more than having no income, food and education. Poverty is also characterized by fear, lack of security, denial of rights, discrimination and arbitrary government. Efforts to promote more democratic governance - including by ensuring the rule of law, upholding human rights and promoting access to justice - are therefore crucial for sustainable poverty reduction, and hence are an essential part of SDC activities. Nevertheless, the promotion of ‘good governance’ in practice does not automatically lead to gender equality; governance processes and institutions must be gender-sensitive. This requires that governance policies explicitly challenge gender inequalities, take into account the different needs of women and men, and ensure that both women and men are able to exercise their right to participate in the decisions which affect their lives.
Links:
SDC: Rule of law and democracy
Siyanda: Mainstreaming Gender Equality
Efforts to promote the rule of law are crucial for sustainable poverty reduction and guaranteeing development and democratization. Active participation by citizens in the political life of their countries is also fundamental for effective aid. The objective of governance is to create an environment that strengthens the rule of law and upholds human rights, gender equality, appropriate distribution of power and macro-economic stability. Decentralization and the transfer of central government powers, competences and resources to medium-sized economic centres are at the core of the democratization process, in which gender equality and equal rights for women and men must be considered as one of the key objectives.
Links:
FAO: Gender and Decentralization Programme, Lira District, Uganda
UNRISD: Decentralization and gender equality
BRIDGE 2009: Gender and Governance
Human Rights Conventions enshrine equal rights and opportunities for men and women. For example, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly and understood as an international bill of rights for women, defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. States that ratify the Convention commit themselves to undertaking measures to combat discrimination, including through ensuring equal opportunities in political and public life, and equal access to employment, education and health. Switzerland ratified CEDAW in 1997. This convention is also the normative framework for the gender equality policy and its implementation through all SDC activities.
Links:
SDC: Gender - Equal Rights, Equal Opportunity for Women and Men
AWID: Association For Women's Rights in Development
IGLHRC: International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Human Rights Watch: Women's Rights
CEDAW
IWRAW 2008: Our Rights are not optional
Public Finances / Gender Responsive Budgeting
The well-functioning of government depends to a large degree on effective public financial management . Although the allocation of public finances may seem to be gender-neutral, in practice budgets have different impacts on women and men. Gender Responsive Budgeting analysis aims to integrate a gender perspective into budget processes in order to see how budgets respond to the differentiated needs of women and men. Gender Responsive Budgeting is therefore also considered to be an efficient means to improve democratic processes, accountability, responsiveness and compliance.
Links:
UNIFEM: Gender Responsive Budgeting
