Minding the Gap

To dissect the underlying causes behind gender inequality, the delegates of UNCSW prioritised the peroration of poverty. The discussion was initiated with the Delegate of Canada acknowledging the lack of an official definition of poverty. He instated a standard for the same: a person who cannot afford basic amenities for themselves and their family is said to be living in poverty.

The Delegate of the Republic of Austria (Austria) established the importance of economic upliftment of women by stating that it is a central prerequisite of gender equality, rather than a consequence. The Delegate of the Union of Comoros (Comoros) seconded his opinion and stated that the financial independence of women leads to the snowballing of a nation’s Gross Domestic Product, thus significantly contributing to its development.

Poverty is not only economic, it encompasses legal, social, and civil rights as well, as stated by the Delegate of the People’s Republic of China (China). The Delegate increased the purview of the discussion by changing the perception of the term ‘poverty’; curtailing women’s rights to inheritance and ownership of land also precludes women from leading an equitable and dignified life.

The Delegate of the Republic of Haiti (Haiti) shed light on the fact that gender disparity in wages rises due to the expectancy of unpaid household labour from women. The Delegates of the Republic of Rwanda (Rwanda) and the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany) agreed spiritedly as the former boasted of a staggeringly great percentage of Rwandan women in decision-making positions. However, the latter opined that female illiteracy rates—and consequentially workforce participation—of women in Rwanda remains low despite increased representation. She further voiced that placing more women in authoritative positions only works when coupled with the passing of effective laws for the emancipation of women from patriarchy.

The Delegate of the Swiss Confederation (Switzerland) introduced the concept of feminisation of poverty: the notion that femininity renders people to disparagingly lower standards of living. The Delegate of the Kingdom of Denmark (Denmark) proclaimed that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA) achieves the recognition of this gender dimension of poverty. This allows for gender-specific efforts to eradicate poverty in rural areas.

Notwithstanding the achievements of the BDPfA, the Delegate of the United States of America (USA) acquainted the committee with the lacunae of the resolution; he was of the opinion that the document assumes a flawed assumption with respect to the causes of poverty. The BDPfA credits poverty to structural causes. However, the Delegate of the USA proposed an individualistic perception: the idea that the onus of absolving oneself from economically substandard conditions lies in the hands of an individual. This elicited some hue and cry from the delegates of China and Germany, who strongly opposed the delegate’s approach. Despite some disagreements, the delegates’ opinions about the need to ameliorate the economic conditions of women converged.

(Edited by Harsha Sista)