Ask for presentation Global Accountability Mechanisms for Just and Transparent Govts
Expert member of CEDAW - 22yrs APLWD member, focal person - grounding international programme
Heishoo Shin
Actions Comitee taking to monitor Govts :
Right to Self Determination Article 1, Equality, Right to Work, Trade union, social security, right to
decent standard of living, right to health,
State Party's Obligations...Article 2 (1) (2)
General Comments - No.3 Nature of state parties obligation
Committee has a ''difficulty'' when information is not submitted
Optional Protocol to ICESCR - 1998 Bangladesh - Ratified but has not submitted report
How does the committee monitor implementation of recommendations?
Committee urged Germany to criminalise domestic violence
Developing Countries lack statistics
Migrant workers without visa's and forced evictions - Committee
How does the committee ''Nail down the state''
Heishoo was in a consultation where the principles - Maastricht were developed
- Heishoo mentioned how there are no international monitoring mechanisms for IMF / World Bank.
- Need to ask our own country what their policies are in relation to the World Bank and IMF policies.
Vandha Narayan - Fiji women's Crisis Centre
ASK for presentation
- Governance issues in the Pacific
How do they tackle with the government democracy issues?
Fiji government burned the constitution?
Independant commission against corruption - doesn't actually target higher levels. ''Have orders not
accept complaints against government ministers''
Interference with Judiciary, Very few women in parliament. Some places no women in positions of
senior legislators. P New Guniea - 3 women
Bride price, when a woman wants to leave an abusive relationship, has to pay back the ''bride price''.
Women have ended up in prison for failing to pay bride price.
Incest - Girls over 15 can be charged with incest offences?
gender neutrality, men abuse this structure.
Womens Substansive Equality
The concept of substantive equality arose out of the recognition that formal equality may not be
sufficient to ensure that women enjoy the same rights as men. An ostensibly gender-neutral policy,
while not excluding women per se, may result in a de facto discrimination against women. It does not
consider:

Sex or biological differences whereby, for example, women bear children, not men.

Gender differences or socially-created differences resulting in norms and assumptions about
women and men’s roles in society, and their capability and need. This in turn influences both
policy-making and its implementation.
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National Community based Accountability Mechanisms
Khushi Kabir - Nijera Kori - APLWD - among most esteemed committee member - Challenging Impunity
Questions - Effectiveness of these mechanisms asked (Clip 234)
''Collectiveness of Voice'' - KK
Public Audit - complimented for this strategy
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How the Maastricht principles can be applied to transnational companies.
How can states hold corporations accountable?
Vandana answering : Culture of Silence - People are accepting of authority - Fictional view of ''paradise'',
those in power are able to get away. Not culture of people questioning, wanting answers
International mechanisms - they have been effective in pacific countries- judiciary, rights of the child and
Cedaw. Judiciaries have used conventions even when the laws have not been ratified. Research in the
pacific - treaties have been used in certain areas. Tonga only 33 people voted. Samoa only nobles can be
parliamentarians
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Khushi Kabir answering questions :
How do we achieve direct dialogue . Work KK NK do based on 300 colleagues based in villages,
internalise systems, continued mentoring. Analysis of new laws - Discussions at grass roots levels - what
laws means.
Collective understanding of people in different circumstances. Mass dialogue, bring people from district
level.
Micro credit - problems - analyse. Women answered the questions - if people are accepting, there is a
need for it, instead of looking at it from institutions point of view, look from the borrowers point of
view.
Shalish - traditional system. Changing and breaking structures - through collective work.
Right to Information - Official information - verification by group members of NK, house to house. Then
people willing to testify. Important tool if it can be used.
Public auditors have to ensure they have done their research.
In Bangladesh, three member information commission. One woman from civil society - Feisty woman
ensures they cannot step out of line. Right person in the right role, tokenism if they are not active.
People who are passionate about what they are doing.