India and Brazil Sign Statement of Intent for Promotion of Gender Equality and Advancement of the Rights of Women and Children

PIB Photo

New Delhi (PIB) --- India and Brazil signed a statement of intent for promotion of gender equality and advancement of the rights of women and children, here yesterday.

According to the statement both the countries will work towards formalization of a Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement (MoU/A) which will address several issues regarding promotion of gender equality and advancement of the rights of women and children in the two countries.

A bilateral Joint Working Group (JWG) will be formed which will be headed by representatives of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, India and Secretariat of Policies for Women of the Federative Republic of Brazil and comprise representatives of other Ministries, Departments and Organizations as these may be co-opted by the signing parties. Details of the JWG will be worked out within ninety days from the declaration of this statement and its meeting alternatively in both the countries.

As its first activity the JWG will include an Action Plan that includes the identification of actions at different levels aimed to achieving the following-

a.       Economic empowerment of women;

b.       Inclusive education;

c.       Advancement of the rights of children;

d.       Egalitarian, pluralistic and inclusive participation of women in spaces of power and decision making including political leadership;

e.       Equality of women in the workplace;

f.       Skills development and skills up-gradation of women and adolescents;

g.       Improvement of living conditions and overall health of women and children;

h.       Women’s access to civil documentation, in rural and urban areas;

i.       Eliminating discrimination and violence against women; and such other goals within the purview of this Statement as the competent authorities may agree upon.

Moreover, the countries also agreed to provide mutual cooperation in terms of exchange of visits and sharing of information and experience through publications, workshops, seminars, conferences, trainings and video conferences; sharing of best practices; promotion of civil society co-operation; establishment of joint institutions, projects and other joint mechanisms, as the competent authorities may agree upon regarding these objectives.

In addition to this, both the countries agreed to work towards promotion of the value of education as a fundamental tool to achieve empowerment, participation, inclusion, tolerance and respect for diversity by which they are characterized; achieve health for all women and children; condemn all acts of violence committed against women and children and join forces to fight gender based violence in any of its manifestations, within the framework of the international agreements and of the respective national legislations in force; and to take steps to increase egalitarian, pluralistic and inclusive participation of women in positions of power and decision-making at national and regional level.

The countries also stated their intent to pay special attention to the inclusion of women in economic processes, promoting their economic empowerment and focusing on women who live in conditions of extreme poverty; promote information exchange between the countries to eliminate discrimination against women and to achieve gender equality, as an essential step to achieve more inclusive societies, where women can participate on equal terms with men in political, social and economic spheres of both countries; and continue to promote gender equality through mainstreaming gender in all public policies taking into account especially the circumstances that characterize vulnerable groups of women.