Women in Mining National Action Plan 2007-2012 - International ...

2. Women’s Legal and Human Rights
3. Women’s Access to Services, and
4. Economic Empowerment.
2.2.4 The Commonwealth Plan of Action 2005 - 2015
Commonwealth Ministers of Gender Affairs in Nadi, Fiji endorsed the
Commonwealth Plan of Action (CPA) in 2005. The CPA focuses on four (4) critical
areas, which are; gender, democracy, peace and conflict. The critical issue of gender
includes; human rights and law, gender and economic development, gender and
HIV/AIDS.
2.2.5 The Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW)
The Convention was adopted in 1979 and in 1981 was entered into force thus
bringing to climax United Nations (UN) efforts to codify comprehensively
international standards for women. The Convention essentially constitutes the Bill
of Rights for Women. Its preamble recalls that the elimination of discrimination
against women and the promotion of equality between men and women are central
principles of the UN and constitute binding obligation under the Charter of the UN
and other instruments.
The preamble covers thirty (30) operative Articles that bind States, which have
ratified or acceded to it. Although the Convention requires progressive rather than
immediate implementation of many provisions, ratification demonstrates an
unqualified positive commitment to the comprehensive prohibition and elimination
of discrimination against women.
Papua New Guinea ratified CEDAW in 1995 as a response to pressure from women
during the preparation for the Fourth Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.
CEDAW has been mainstreamed in most of the public sector and is integrated at
policy, planning and programming levels.
2.2.6 The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
The Millennium Declaration, to which PNG is a signatory, led to the formulation of
eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These were adopted by 147 heads of
States and Governments in September 2000. The eight goals are:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empowerment of women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal Health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development.
The eight MDGs complement the ten (10) critical areas of concern in the Platform
for Action and have a direct link to the Beijing Platform for Action, Pacific Platform
for Action, the Commonwealth Plan of Action including the National Platform for
Action.
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