Goal 1: End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere Promote pro-poor policies and strategies targeting the empowerment of women. Women in the region face barriers in access to and control over assets, in finding decent employment opportunities, and accessing social protection. Protracted conflicts and crises in many countries are leading to an increased feminization of poverty. Between 1990 and 2010, extreme poverty decreased from 5.5 percent to 4.1 percent, but it has increased to 7.4 per cent in 2012. 1 Pro-poor policies and strategies that empower women include public action to establish an enabling environment for women s entrepreneurship and to promote decent work, as well as investments in women s health, education and social protection. Implement gender-responsive social protection systems and measures. Women s access to the formal labor market is limited and they are disproportionately represented in unpaid family work as well as in the informal sector, where working conditions are substandard and where they have no social protection. Investments in social protection systems, including social insurance and universal health coverage, as well as in infrastructure to reduce unpaid work are indispensable to prevent the exclusion of women, and for the reduction of inequalities and poverty Develop environmental awareness and deliver environmental technologies and financial services to poor and rural women in order to build their resilience. The resilience of households and communities is largely dependent upon the resilience of women. In many countries of the region, climate change and conflict have weakened the resilience of the poor, mainly women and children. Providing environmental and energy services to women, including clean water and mechanized power, results in improved food and health security for the whole household. Financial services targeting poor women, including micro-credit and asset-transfers, also enable them to establish small businesses that enhance the resilience of households and communities. Enhance women s access to productive assets for better development outcomes. Women in the region especially those living in rural areas have limited social, productive, and financial assets. This renders them vulnerable to livelihood disruptions. Accordingly, interventions that strengthen women s property rights, their access to finance through micro-credit schemes, and social networks, will enable them to effectively participate in the economy and realize overall better development outcomes including health, food security, education. Support national institutions in the implementation of the CEDAW. Promoting legal literacy and training women, communities and traditional religious leaders on women s rights, and engaging men as champions for women s agendas, are crucial elements to national implementation of the CEDAW and ending discriminatory practices that perpetuate all forms of poverty including the poverty of women. 1 ESCWA Arab Perspective on SDGs Arab High Level Forum on Sustainable Development Amman, 2-4 April 2014
Goal 2: End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition, and Promote Sustainable Agriculture Support the development and use of innovative information technologies to extend outreach to women. Women in rural areas have limited and unequal access to technology and information about inputs, markets, practices and opportunities that add value to agricultural productivity, while maintaining eco-systems. Facilitating women s access to technology and information enhances their agricultural productivity and promotes food security. Encourage the establishment and capacitation of women producer organizations. Women represent the majority of agricultural workers and producers in many countries of the region, yet they remain concentrated in the less lucrative nodes of value chains. Establishing their own organizations or encouraging them to join existing producer organizations and cooperatives can enable women to seize market opportunities, improve their position in value chains and overcome gender-based inequalities in access to information, extension services and resources. Eliminate barriers to women s access to and control over productive assets, including land and credit. In some countries of the region, women especially those living in rural areas, have no control over land and productive assets, even when they have the right through inheritance. This restricts their ability to access formal credit and to be economically active. Supporting policy and legislative reforms to ensure women s equal access to and control over productive assets, including land and credit will enable women to play a significant role in the development of their societies
Goal 3: Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Wellbeing for All At All Ages. Provide universal health coverage for women and girls including reproductive health services and affordable medicines for women, particularly those living in rural and remote areas. In the Arab region, economic growth has not resulted in improved health services and disparities between countries in access to health services remain wide. Infectious diseases are on the rise, especially in poorer countries, in conflict- ridden countries and in countries hosting refugees who live in poor environmental conditions. 2 Integrating reproductive health into national strategies and programs and investing in health services especially for women and girls are critical for their well-being and for the sustainable development of the region. Develop the capacities of health operators to provide quality health and maternal services. In the Arab region the quality of health services is deteriorating leading to high incidents of child and maternal mortality. Significant progress has been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child mortality and maternal mortality, however maternal and child mortality rates remain high in the least developed countries of the region. Enhancing the capacity and retention rates of health workers in these countries is therefore critical. Develop women s awareness concerning the prevention and management of communicable diseases. Infectious diseases such as Malaria, hepatitis B and C as well as HIV/Aids are posing serious health concerns in the region, especially in poorer countries and amongst refugees. Women, especially when pregnant and young children are at higher risk than men for many reasons, including social inequities, and restrictive cultural norms. It is therefore important to raise women s awareness of risky lifestyle behaviors associated with the spread of infections and means to protect themselves. 2 Ibid.
Goal 4: Arab Women Organization Platform for Action Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for all Support women and girl s enrollment in literacy and numeracy programs. Illiteracy remains high in the Arab region exceeding 19 percent, overall. This percentage is higher in the least developed countries and among women. The percentage of female illiterates is around 60% percent compared to around 39 % percent male illiterates. 3 Numeracy is also low in the region, higher in poorer areas and among girls. Investing in literacy programs that target women and girls is critical to improving their condition and contribution to societal development Encourage the enrollment of women and girls in non-traditional fields of tertiary education typically dominated by men. The Arab region made significant strides in promoting gender parity in education with the Gender Parity Index (GPI) for primary education rising from 0.77 in 1999 to 0.93 in 2011. 4 Some countries are close to achieving gender parity in secondary education. However, gender gaps in education remain wider in LDCs. Moreover, women s access to lucrative job opportunities is constrained by their over representation in traditionally feminized fields of study (education, health services and humanities), and under representation in more technical and vocational fields. Encouraging women to enter non-traditional fields of study (ICT, Engineering, Mathematics, etc.) will enhance their choices and improve employment outcomes Ensure that gender disparities are considered in national education strategies, including school building, training of teachers, curricula and budgets. Despite achieving gender parity in primary, and in certain countries in secondary, school enrollment, Arab states have the widest gender gap in education globally. 5 Disparities are the result of many factors including, location, wealth, and culture, which act as barriers on the demand side. On the supply side, accessibility to school facilities; disabled-friendly facilities; gender stereotypes in curricula; availability of sanitation facilities; teachers attitudes; and security; are all bottlenecks. 6 It is therefore important that the formulation of national education strategies includes special measures to ensure that girls are able to enroll and stay in school. Establishing enough schools so that girls do not have to travel far to attend school; having separate bathrooms for boys and girls; building special classes for girls; and integrating gender equality messages in teaching curricula and in the training of teachers; are effective mainstreaming measures Invest in primary education and quality early childhood pre-school services. The breadth and quality of education and pre-school services in the region needs to be expanded and upgraded so as to improve retention rates in school, especially for girls and marginalized groups. This will also give women time to engage in economically productive and recreational activities. The provision of quality programs operated by trained educators; using child-centered learning approaches; engaging families and communities in children s learning; supporting teaching in mother-tongue language; using culturally-relevant materials and offering children; especially girls, opportunities to play and explore; all contribute to higher efficiency of the leaning system and to making it more equitable and attractive to parents and children. Attention to primary education and the provision of at least one year of quality pre-school childhood programs, especially for the most marginalized will enhance the educational experience and ensure equity. 3 The Arab Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ALECSO) report, 2014 4 ESCWA, MDG Report 2013. 5 Education for All Global Monitoring Report, 2013 6 UNESCO 2009: Gender Issues in Education in the Arab States region: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002107/210798e.pdf
Goal 5: Achieve Gender equality and Empower All Women and Girls Adopt a rights based approach to gender equality in the formulation and implementation of national legislation. Although the principle of gender equality is mentioned in most constitutions, the formulation and implementation of national legislations still lag behind. Moreover, access to justice and the exercise of rights is more difficult for women and girls than it is for men. Such discrimination is more pertinent to poor women and refugees who are disproportionately more vulnerable to exploitation and violence. Reviewing and benchmarking national legislation to assess compliance with national constitutions and nationally-ratified international instruments and conventions is important. Also important is the monitoring of implementation so as to close existing gap between the law and its practice in many Arab countries, and to ensure that there is no abuse by law enforcement officers Support the representation and participation of women in policy making, legislative, planning and budgeting processes. The voices of women need to be heard by legislators, policy makers and reflected in legislation as well as in policy and national, subnational and sector related planning and budgeting processes. Currently, Arab women are seriously under represented in all such decisionmaking spaces. Encouraging their participation and supporting their candidature to parliament, to the judiciary, to political office and to management positions is critical to ensuring that the needs and rights of women are realized. It is also important to support the efforts of Women Machineries and CSOs to reach out to traditionally excluded women (rural women and women with disabilities) to articulate their demands and needs within such processes and to monitor public budget allocations and investments in realizing gender equality commitments., and implementing the CEDAW. Engage men and boys in addressing traditional discriminatory attitudes and harmful practices against women and girls. The status of women and girls in the region continues to be diminished by traditional discriminatory attitudes and harmful practices including, child marriage, female genital mutilation and cutting, sexual harassment and exploitation, and gender-based violence. There are a number of factors contributing to the persistence of such practices that include culture, insecurity due to conflict and political transitions, as well as weak protective legal frameworks. 7 Legal reforms and concerted efforts by Women Machineries, and CSOs are required to educate the public about the detrimental effects of such practices on women and communities, and pn social development. The involvement of men and boys in raising public awareness and in monitoring incidents of harm to women is critical to the successful elimination of such practices. 7 UNFPA Regional Strategy on Prevention and Response to Gender based Violence in the Arab Region 2014-2017
Goal 6: Ensure Availability and Sustainable Management of Water and Sanitation for All Support the participation of women in water resource strategies and service-delivery policies. The Arab region has the lowest share of fresh water availability in the world and climate change is expected to decrease it even further. This poses different challenges for rural men and women because of their different roles, relations and responsibilities, and their unequal access and control over natural resources. Deprivation of water and sanitation has profound impacts on the welfare and empowerment of women, in general and rural women, in particular. Yet, policy-level discussions on water resource management issues and technologies tend to overlook women's needs and perspectives. Women s involvement at the policy level of water resource and servicedelivery planning is critical to ensure that water resources are well managed and that service delivery takes into account the needs of both sexes. Train Women for water and sanitation related careers, including science and engineering. This is a field in which women especially in the region are absent and have no voice and no tools. It is important to target women for training and capacity building particularly in technical and managerial roles to ensure their presence in the decision-making processes related to water management. It is also important to provide women with the means (computers, seed financing, and technical assistance) to establish water saving initiatives and enterprises. Strengthen the participation of local communities and rural women in water and sanitation management and in monitoring the quality of related services. It is estimated that around 17% of the total population of the Arab region, mostly in least developed countries, have no access to clean drinking water sources and that 20% do not have improved sanitation facilities. Such a situation requires actions from central as well as local governments and equally importantly, the engagement of communities and rural women. 8 Global experience has shown that women are quickest to learn and adopt efficient water consumption and hygienic behavior as long as they are provided with the appropriate means to do so. They also more willing than men to be tasked with monitoring and reporting on the quality of water and sanitation services. 8 ESCWA Arab Perspective on SDGs Arab High Level Forum on Sustainable Development Amman, 2-4 April 2014
Goal 7: Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All Support the participation of women in planning and policy-making on energy matters. Energy security is a critical factor for the development of the region and livelihoods of its peoples. Women are disproportionally impacted by energy deficiencies despite the fact that their production and consumption patterns tend to be more resource-efficient. The engagement of women in promoting sustainable energy has been shown to result in environmentally-friendly behavioral consumption and cleaner production patterns while also improving the pace of economic growth. Provide education and training for women in sustainable energy. Despite the significant role of women in energy management, they remain underrepresented in the industries that produce modern sources of renewable energy, comprising only 20 per cent of the workforce. 9 Promoting women s participation in such industries and providing them with the required knowledge and skills in the installation, maintenance and consumption of sustainable energy solutions will help ensure equitable access. Facilitate access to innovative technologies and finance for women to establish enterprises in the sustainable energy sector. Despite the critical importance of energy for the development and wellbeing of society, women in the region are rarely considered as key participants in energy initiatives or businesses. Facilitating women s entry into this sector is important given that it offers significant opportunities for economic growth and employment generation. 9 International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Goal 8: Promote Sustained, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth, Full and Productive Employment and Decent Work for All Strengthen the employability of women in high-impact, growth-oriented sectors. The gap between male and female unemployment rates remains high in the Arab region with extremely low participation of women in the labor force, which according to the World Development Indicators 2013 leveled at 23.3% compared to 75.4 % for men. The participation of women compared to men is largely linked with normative as well as structural barriers, including perceptions about what constitutes women s responsibilities and occupations and concerns over maternity leave and benefits. It is therefore important to revise labor laws to strengthen gender considerations in government public procurement and corporate sourcing policies, and to promote women s participation in these sectors of the economy in which they are least represented. Support wage policies that reduce the gender wage gap and also recognize, and promote a redistribution of women s unpaid work. The undervaluation of unpaid care and domestic work is due to a number of reasons related to women s status in society, including low formal skills and educational levels, high incidence of informality, lack of collective representation, weak individual bargaining power, lack of possibilities for income generation and vulnerable social status. 10 This is especially true in the Arab region, where culture and social norms render care and domestic work as a main responsibility of women, and are used to justify lower wages for women than for men performing similar work. The ratio of female to male in vulnerable employment for the Arab region is higher than all other developing regions. 11 The inclusion of domestic workers into minimum wage coverage and the recognition of unpaid care through gender-sensitive infrastructures and social protection schemes are critical to women s retention in the labor force, their economic well-being and security. Support women s entrepreneurship through tailored trainings and the development of financial and business development services to support women s entrepreneurship. According to the International Finance Corporation, factors disproportionately affecting women s entrepreneurship in the region include differentials in access to financial and non-financial services; education, training and work experience; gaps in legal capacity and property rights; limited availability of basic credit information; the absence of information sharing between financial institutions; and the cost to smaller enterprises of corruption and red tape. 12 Supporting women s entrepreneurship will require coordinating with financial organizations, business associations and women s organizations to develop entrepreneurial training curricula, and financial and business development services that are affordable and attractive to women. 10 Domestic work, wages, and gender equality: Lessons from developing countries (ILO) 2015 11 ESCWA 2015: Arab Sustainable Development Report (prototype) http://css.escwa.org.lb/sdpd/3572/final.pdf 12 Strengthening Access to Finance for Women-Owned SMEs in Developing Countries, International Finance Corporation, October 2011
Goal 9: Build Resilient Infrastructures, Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialization and Foster Innovation Increase access of women in rural and remote areas to innovative technologies, including ICTs and mobiles. The Arab region has been ranked by the ITU as having the third lowest internet access across continents. Women, especially in rural areas have limited opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs). 13 The importance of ICTs for the economy is well known and women should not be deprived of the opportunity that such technologies afford to starting and growing businesses. Moreover, ICT diffusion has other benefits. Women can use ICT to influence public decision-making, access a variety of services including, literacy and services, and to make informed life choices. Measures to ensure the equitable access of all, including women, to ICTs are important for sustainable and inclusive development. Encourage women s participation in research and development of innovative infrastructures for resilience. The region faces many challenges concerning finding affordable responses to environmental degradation, climate change, ravages caused by war and bad governance of resources. Yet, because of gender stereotyping, women remain marginal to the conversation concerning innovative infra-structures for resilience. Supporting women s participation in related research and development (R&D) by providing scholarships and incentives and affirmative actions would help get more women involved in finding innovative solutions for many of the challenges facing the region Mobilize government and private-sector finance and technical assistance for small-scale womenled projects contributing to innovative infrastructure solutions, and climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. There are many areas of need in the region to which women can contribute, such as transport, waste, industry, sanitation and housing. Their contributions would benefit national economies and establish their presence in fields and occupations that are currently dominated by male. 13 Badran F. Mona: Young People and the Digital Divide, 2013
Goal 10: Reduce Inequalities Within and Among Countries Build partnerships for sustainable development between governments, women organizations, civil society and the private sector. The Arab region needs private investments to generate jobs and reduce poverty. The flow of such investments is constrained by the political situation in many countries with negative impacts on the poor and especially women and children. Building new partnerships and strengthening existing ones between governments, civil society and the private sector can help reduce political and financial risks and mobilize capital for infrastructure and skills development needed to attract domestic and Arab investments and create jobs for young people and women, in areas such as water, sanitation, transport, green energy, agriculture, health, telecommunications and climate adaptation. Adopt special measures to ensure that all women benefit from the dividends of development and that no woman is left behind. Persistent gender inequalities in the political, economic and legal spheres are slowing down the development of the region and the wellbeing of its communities. The Arab region needs to accelerate progress on gender indicators related to political and economic parity, and access to justice, by making gender equality in the region and within countries an imperative. This includes action on and investment in special measures to ensure that all women contribute to and benefit from development. Measures such as political and corporate quotas for women; social protection policies and schemes for women headed households and the disabled; wage policies; assistance schemes for refugee women and girls; and special measures for maternity protection; are all examples of needed special measures. Build the capacity of national planning organizations and women machineries Ensuring inclusion and social justice is an imperative in the region, which governments need to be held accountable for. However, the responsiveness of national governments to people s needs can only be achieved when national institutions have the required capacities, knowledge, skills and tools to track and address inequalities. This requires focused measures including supporting the development of sex disaggregated databases for planning processes, and providing training to national planning organizations and women machineries on gender mainstreaming, results based management and monitoring
Goal 11: Make Cities and Human Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Develop the capacity of Ministries of Housing and Transport to integrate gender perspectives into policies, and programs for sustainable urban development. The failure of Arab cities to mainstream gender in urban planning and development processes is preventing the full integration and contribution of women and girls into the economic, social, political and cultural life of cities. 14. Equipping national authorities and municipalities with tested approaches and tools to consult with people (women and men) and reflect their feedback into the design and management of urban spaces and services will promote the resilience and inclusivity of Arab cities. Support innovative approaches to make cities safe for all, including women and girls. Violence and harassment against women and girls in public spaces is an issue that recently became visible in many countries of the region, especially those in conflict or undergoing transitions. Working with governments, municipalities and communities, and engaging men and boys to promote and monitor the safety of urban environments for women and girls, will make cities inclusive and will enhance women s mobility and ability to participate in the public sphere. Develop gender sensitive sustainable public transport. The Arab population has tripled over the last 40 years and today, half of all Arabs live in cities. 15 The importance of safe and sustainable public transport cannot be overemphasized for the economy and the environment. Yet, in many countries due to overcrowding, lack of resources and poor management, the transport sector is unsustainable. It consumes 18% of primary energy in the region, and produces air pollution. 16 Moreover, the planning and design of public transport in the region is gender blind contributing to mobility restrictions for women. Mainstreaming environmental and gender considerations in public transport is critical to the economy and to making cities safe and sustainable 14 UN Habitat Gender Responsive Planning and Design 15 ESCWA Arab Perspective on SDGs Arab High Level Forum on Sustainable Development Amman, 2-4 April 2014 16 ibid.
Goal 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns Raise public awareness on women s role in promoting responsible consumption and production. Unsustainable consumption and production patterns coexist in the region together with poverty and need. The region is home to rich countries that consume in a wasteful way, and poor countries that consume in an unsustainable manner. In both cases, women can play a significant roles, such as in promoting responsible consumption patterns and in reducing wastage and environmental degradation. As household managers, consumers, educators, producers and workers women and girls in cities as well as in rural communities can be educated, mobilized and provided with the tools to raise public awareness on prevention, reduction, re-use and recycling, all of which contribute to healthy and sustainable community living. Encourage the participation of women as workers and entrepreneurs in green sectors: alternative energy, waste recycling, green agriculture, etc. The livelihoods of many women in the Arab region, especially in rural and urban areas alike are based on informal and unsustainable activities, with low profit margins. Providing women with information, training, relevant technologies, finance and tax incentives will motivate them to engage as entrepreneurs and workers in green sectors. The participation of women will enable them to contribute to more efficient use of natural resources, reduction of waste and environmentally harmful practices and substances, all of which mean better economic and health outcomes for themselves, their families and communities. Support national government to adopt public and corporate procurement and sourcing practices that are sustainable and gender responsive. Currently, small businesses and women entrepreneurs in most Arab countries find it particularly difficult to take advantage of government and corporate procurement and sourcing opportunities. It is important to support governments of the region to enact laws and policies for public procurement and sourcing that include specific incentives for women entrepreneurs, in general, and for businesses that adhere to nondiscrimination standards and principles and adopt sustainable modes of production.
Goal 13: Take Urgent Action to Combat Climate Change and its Impact Mainstream gender into national policies, strategies and planning for climate change. The consequences of climate change are especially acute in the Arab region, affecting everyone especially the poor and women. Formulating gender-sensitive risk reduction policies and programs, and developing sector related strategies to assess and manage risks in accordance with existing gender and women empowerment policies at national and subnational levels is critical to effectively manage climate change and its disproportionate impact on women and girls. Support the participation of women in decision-making processes on SDGs-related climate adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction plans. Rural women are expected to face the double challenge of having to devote more time to daily activities, such as fetching scarce water, while assuming the farming and community responsibilities of the absent men who will move to cities seeking paid employment, as their traditional livelihoods become unsustainable. 17 Women are therefore critical stakeholders in decision making and planning processes related to climate adaptation and disaster mitigation and reduction plans. Supporting their effective engagement in such processes will require providing them with the relevant knowledge to make informed decisions including good practices in gender mainstreaming in risk assessments, management, and adaptability. Develop the capacity of government, women machineries and civil society organizations to address gender issues in assessing, monitoring and reporting on risk management and fostering adaptability. Climate change is bringing attention to issues that were long overlooked, including gender roles in managing adaptation and in monitoring risks. It is therefore an imperative for the Arab region to understand and remove the barriers to women s effective contribution. Developing the capacities of governments, women machineries and civil society organizations to address and report on gender-related issues in climate adaptation, and to enable women s contribution and harness their local knowledge to protect, sustain and manage the environment and its resources is critical to the successful management of climate change 17 WB Report Number 64635, 2012
Goal 14: Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Seas, and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development Support Women s representation in marine science and in related research and development. The under-representation of women in oceanography and marine sciences is a global phenomenon, which is more pronounced in the Arab region. Constraints related to gender stereotyping and the enabling environment do not encourage women to study certain disciplines. Orientating women to the opportunities in these sectors, providing scholarships and other incentives to women willing to study marine biology and oceanography, are important factors for the region to achieve more equity in managing marine resources and reducing marine pollution. Provide finance and business development services for the establishment of small-scale artisanal fisheries managed and operated by women. Little attention is paid in the region to the economic potential of women in small-scale fisheries despite the contribution of this sector to food security and poverty reduction. Small-scale artisanal fisheries or aqua-culture, has lower barriers of entry and it enables poor women to integrate related activities with household and child care responsibilities. Yet, because of the traditional gender-based division of roles, women are disproportionately represented among small and resource-poor fisheries. It is therefore critical to improve their condition through the provision of credit, market information and linkages with supply chains, extension services and women friendly technologies. Develop national and local capacities for gender-inclusive management and protection of marine and coastal eco-systems. The risks of ocean degradation are greater for the poor and for women who usually have fewer assets and less resilience against the loss of natural resources. It is therefore important for national authorities to recognize the importance of integrating gender considerations in that sector and to mainstream gender in their strategies and in planning processes. The engagement of women machineries and equal opportunity units in the conversation about mainstreaming gender in the protection of marine and coastal eco systems and allocating sufficient budgeting for awareness raising and training activities are critical.
Goal 15: Restore and Promote Sustainable Use of Terrestrial Eco-systems, Manage Forests, Combat Desertification, and Halt and Reverse Land Degradation and Halt Biodiversity Loss Integrate gender considerations in ecosystem protection strategies and restoration policies. This is still a gap in most countries of the region, even in those which have equal opportunity units embedded in the relevant ministries and authorities. Food and water shortages, irresponsible consumption, lacking public awareness and weak enforcement of environmental laws are all endangering the region s eco-systems and contributing to significant desertification. Women according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature are the land users of the World, playing a large role in managing natural resources for their families and communities. Yet, when decisions are made about land use, women s needs and perspectives are not considered, which limits the sustainability and effectiveness of protection and restoration outcomes. 18 The efficacy of protection strategies and restoration policies is to a large extent dependent on the integration of the perspectives, needs and interests of both women and men. Train women living around protected areas on sustainability and conservation, and provide small grants for biodiversity-friendly economic activities, including ecological and cultural tourism. Many of the unfriendly practices that detract from the sustainability of eco-systems in the region are due to deficiencies in capacity and poverty. Providing women with training on sustainability and conservation, while at the same time ensuring that their livelihoods will be maintained and enhanced through small grants is critical to protection and conservation efforts. Foster partnerships between local communities and the private sector, civil society organizations and government agencies responsible for gender-responsive conservation. Conservation requires knowledge and financial resources, which are scarce in many countries of the region, especially the least developed countries and countries that are undergoing transitions. Supplementing government budget allocations with resources from communities and the private sector requires the adoption of win-win approaches, which link between protection and sustainable use of ecosystems, and economic and social benefits for communities (women and men) and businesses. Partnering with Civil Society and Women Machineries to harness the knowledge of local communities, especially women, in conservation efforts, is crucial. 18 The International Union for the Conservation of Nature: Introducing on Gender and restoration: A Case Study Series, 2014
Goal 16: Peace Justice and Strong Institutions Support the participation of women in all areas of peace and security decision-making and implement special measures and financing structures to protect women s dignity and safeguard their rights in conflict and post conflict situations. The role of Arab women in peace making, peacekeeping and transitions is still minimal. From 1992 to 2011 only 9% of negotiators were women. Moreover, for women in many countries of the region, prospects of peace are undermined by gender-based violence. Supporting the participation of women in mechanisms for the prevention, management and resolution of conflict is critical for the wellbeing of women and nations. Promote non-discriminatory laws and ensure the access of women to gender sensitive mechanisms of justice. According to a recent report by the Economic and Social Commission for West Asia, despite measures taken by Arab Governments to improve the availability, accessibility, adaptability and affordability of women s access to justice, inequalities continue to persist, because of institutional, social, cultural and economic barriers, as well as omissions and contradictions in legal codes. 19 Promoting non-discriminatory laws and ensuring women s access to justice are critical measures to the advancement of women s rights and to sustainability. Develop national strategies with budget allocations for combating violence against women and girls. In most countries in the region women continue to suffer from a multitude of harmful practices that affect their wellbeing and their ability to contribute meaningfully to societal development. Moreover, gender-based violence has increased in the region since 2011, because of conflicts, including protracted conflicts, and transitions. The persistence of gender-based violence is also due to inadequate legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms, limitations in multi sector coordination and insufficient budget allocations. The development of national strategies with sufficient budget allocations is critical to the ability of countries to combat gender-based violence. 19 Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA): Status of Arab Women Access to Justice,, 2014
Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals Strengthen inter-regional cooperation and learning in areas related to the SDGs, including gender mainstreaming. Sustainable development in the Arab region can benefit significantly on political, economic and cultural fronts from enhanced cooperation between countries. Strengthening interregional cooperation and learning in the area of gender mainstreaming will require the commitment of countries to take action on a number of fronts, including data harmonization; dissemination of information using open data technologies and knowledge exchange platforms; and country to country review of progress concerning national gender strategies, plans, policies and legislation` within the framework of the nationally-tailored SDG indicators. In addition, richer Arab countries must be ready and willing to provide poorer ones with resources (finance, technology and expertise) to boost their capability to meet SDG targets. Develop the capacity of national women machineries to participate in and mainstream gender in SDGs policy assessments and sustainability analyses. Most Arab countries have women machineries; however, not all have institutional capacity and the knowledge required to effectively participate in formulating and monitoring the gender responsiveness of policies, national plans, budgets and legislation and in undertaking sustainability analyses. Strengthening the institutional and technical capacity of these machineries through information dissemination and knowledge transfer, technical assistance, north-south and south-south learning events, internships with more advanced machineries, etc. will enable them to provide effective support to national governments in gender mainstreaming and monitoring processes. Establish a Regional Center of Excellence for Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting. The Center of Excellence will provide technical assistance to governments on how to mainstream gender in fiscal policies, investment plans, and public expenditures and how to leverage international, regional and domestic funding for gender mainstreaming efforts in the context of the SDGs
Financing for Gender Equality in the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals Foster multi-stakeholder partnerships and strengthen the accountability of donors and national stakeholders, and mobilize active roles for civil society organizations and national women s machineries to advocate for increased financing for gender equality to help operationalize the Sustainable Development Goals. Allocate adequate resources for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women in the workplace, including unequal access to labor market participation and wage inequalities; and recognize women s unpaid work Advocate for a transformative and comprehensive financial framework that includes increased investments and resource allocations for national women machineries to meet existing and new commitments on gender equality and women s empowerment. Develop the capacities of national governments for gender mainstreaming, including through targeted actions and investments in the formulation and implementation of all financial, economic, environmental and social policies. Enhance knowledge to ensure gender sensitive, transparent and effective resource allocation for the implementation of policies in support of gender equality. Support national systems and mechanisms in monitoring the allocation and expenditures on gender-sensitive policies and programs Ensure adequate financing for women s full, equal and effective participation at all levels in conflict prevention, management and resolution, as well as in peace negotiations, and peace building. Institutionalize the annual review of national allocations for gender equality by parliament
Reviewing Gender Sensitive Indicators to Measure Progress towards the SDGs Produce an integrated system of accurate and updated indicators that allow measurement of progress towards the SDGs, in particular: o Producing new data to assess the 169 targets of the SDGs including gender-related indicators. o Reviewing existing measurement methodologies and developing of new ones, including adoption updated definitions based on new international classifications. o Collecting data at shorter periodic intervals, instead of existing 5 and 10 year intervals, to allow for more effective action-oriented monitoring, in such issues as disabilities and maternal mortality. o Producing data to measure new areas of the SDGs, including environmental preservation; climate change; quality of education; violence against women; and gender gap in waged labour. o Standardizing statistical categories and definitions, and calculation methods between components the statistical system inside every Arab country and between them. Develop indicators specific to critical challenges in the Arab region Arabic that hamper SDGs achievement and negatively impact women compounding their existing suffering, such as the occupation in Palestine, conflicts, and forced displacement and migration. Foster greater regional and international cooperation on the production of an integrated system of accurate and updated indicators to measure progress towards the SDGs, including: o Strengthening the capacity of National Statistical Agencies or within the wider statistical system in every country. o Producing Reference Manuals providing guidance on definitions, methods, sources and periodicity of data collection, and method of calculation of indicators. o Inviting all Arab countries to adopt these recommendations. Strengthen statistical practices within countries through: o Reviewing statistical strategies to meet the requirements of measuring progress on the SDGs. o Enhancing coordination between the central national statistical agency and other national agencies involved in the regular collection of relevant data and statistics. o Capitalizing on the wealth of data available through non-governmental organizations engaged in the production and provision of access to data, Big Data databases, and non-traditional data sources on social media platforms, while adhering to standards of methodological rigour and protection of privacy and personal data. o Adhering to international standards for ensuring data quality. Employ modern data collection methods, balancing between accuracy and cost, and taking into account varying capabilities and resources in different Arab countries.