Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:199 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps being taken by him to fulfil obligations undertaken at the United Nations conference on women. [12497/01]
Written Answers - Human Rights Issues.
The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women took place in 1995 and agreed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action signalled a commitment on the part of governments to international norms in gender equality, to the elimination of discrimination against women and to the removal of obstacles to equality for women. Ireland accepted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action without reservations.
The Department of Equality and Law Reform published a report at the end of 1996 on the implementation of the Platform for Action, including strategies for future action. In January 2000, my Department drew up a national report in response to a UN questionnaire to govern ments, reviewing implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, in preparation for the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty first Century". Ireland's report instanced numerous examples of successful policies, programmes and projects as well as highlighting commitments to further action or new initiatives. For example, major pieces of rights-based legislation have been passed in Ireland in the last five years. These include the Employment Equality Act, 1998 and the Equal Status Act, 2000. Other noteworthy achievements included progress in addressing women in poverty through the introduction of strategies such as the national anti-poverty strategy introduced in 1997 and through substantial increases in child benefit and increases in State pension payments. Progress in relation to child care included provision of funding in the national development plan of £344 million over the period 2000-2006 for the development of child care. The Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998, which gives effect to the EU Joint Action on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Exploitation of Children, has a positive effect on the girl child, which is one of the critical areas of concern identified in the Beijing Platform for Action.
My Department is currently working on the development of a National Plan for Women, 2001-2005, which will be drawn up under the same priority actions or critical areas of concern as defined in the Beijing Platform for Action. Consultancy expertise has been engaged by my Department to assist in drawing up the draft plan.
Finalisation of the national plan for women will involve a consultation process which will be as comprehensive and wide-ranging as possible. It is hoped to involve a large number of women's representative groups and other NGOs, the social partners, other stakeholders, women generally and Government Departments and other statutory bodies.
My Department is considering the details of the consultation process at present and will build on the experience gained through other consultation processes, such as those relating to the national children's strategy and the white paper supporting voluntary activity. It is envisaged that the consultation process will be completed by October, with a view to finalisation of the plan by the end of this year.