Gender Equality

The WWG on FfD is an alliance of women's organizations and networks that advocates for the advancement of gender equality, women's empowerment and human rights in UN processes related to FfD and the global financial and economic crises.

The European Union plays a major role in leading the promotion of gender equality, women's human rights and the empowerment of women in development policies of the international donor community.Since the adoption of the Monterrey Consensus (2002) and the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005), the EC and Member States have reflected their commitment to gender equality in a number of crucial documents--such as the 2005 EU Consensus on Development and the 2007 EC Communication on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development Cooperation-that commit EU donors to ensure the effective implementation of strategies and practices that genuinely contribute to the achievement of gender equality and women's rights worldwide.

Regarding gender equity, higher education in South Africa is somewhat anomalous by international comparisons. Absolute gender parity in overall enrollments was reached by 1997. By 1999, women students were in the majority. At universities, women were already the majority in 1995. While still in the minority at technikons, there has been a very rapid increase in female enrollment, more than doubling from 42,000 to 86,000 from 1993-99. This signals a strong entry into vocational fields by women. However, these overall figures hide the fact that women remain underrepresented in certain fields, such a science and technology, and at the higher qualification levels, particularly at the master's and doctoral levels. Within some fields, such as business and commerce, women tend to be concentrated in "lower" programs such as public administration, rather than the "higher" ones such as business management. Conversely, women students tend to be concentrated in the traditional fields associated with females, such as teaching, social work, and the "lower" health and law programs, as well as at the lower certificate and diploma qualifications levels in all fields.

This publication focuses on the key issues to address and strategies to put in place in order to meet international targets and national goals for universalizing girls' access to, retention in and completion of quality education. The right of all children to education that is free from discrimination and of a sufficient quality to enable their full participation in society has been a goal emphasized through all major modern universal rights treaties, and development discourses. In particular, the Convention against

Discrimination in Education, 1960, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979, have defined discrimination in many spheres, including education, as a violation of universal rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, has made the promotion of free primary education and quality education an obligation for governments to respect for children and youth up to the age of 18 years.

This publication focuses on the key issues to address and strategies to put in place in order to meet international targets and national goals for universalizing girls' access to, retention in and completion of quality education. The right of all children to education that is free from discrimination and of a sufficient quality to enable their full participation in society has been a goal emphasized through all major modern universal rights treaties, and development discourses. In particular, the Convention against

Discrimination in Education, 1960, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979, have defined discrimination in many spheres, including education, as a violation of universal rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, has made the promotion of free primary education and quality education an obligation for governments to respect for children and youth up to the age of 18 years.

This publication focuses on the key issues to address and strategies to put in place in order to meet international targets and national goals for universalizing girls' access to, retention in and completion of quality education. The right of all children to education that is free from discrimination and of a sufficient quality to enable their full participation in society has been a goal emphasized through all major modern universal rights treaties, and development discourses. In particular, the Convention against

Discrimination in Education, 1960, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979, have defined discrimination in many spheres, including education, as a violation of universal rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, has made the promotion of free primary education and quality education an obligation for governments to respect for children and youth up to the age of 18 years.

This publication focuses on the key issues to address and strategies to put in place in order to meet international targets and national goals for universalizing girls' access to, retention in and completion of quality education. The right of all children to education that is free from discrimination and of a sufficient quality to enable their full participation in society has been a goal emphasized through all major modern universal rights treaties, and development discourses. In particular, the Convention against

Discrimination in Education, 1960, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979, have defined discrimination in many spheres, including education, as a violation of universal rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, has made the promotion of free primary education and quality education an obligation for governments to respect for children and youth up to the age of 18 years.

South Africa's definition of and goals towards achieving gender equality are guided by a vision of human rights which incorporates acceptance of equal and inalienable rights of all women and men.