Organizer and Chair: Anita M. Weiss, University of Oregon
Discussants: Aparna Devare, American University; Yasmeen Murshed, Centre for
Analysis and Choice, Dhaka; Anita M. Weiss, University of Oregon; Sepali
Kottegoda, Women and Media Collective, Colombo; Minu Singh Khadka, School for
Independent Study of South Asia
Explicit recommendations to empower women were made in twelve critical areas in the Platform for Action, the document that resulted from the United Nations Fourth World Conference for Women held in Beijing in September, 1995. High-level delegations from most of the South Asian states participated in the negotiation processes.
Clarifying national goals to empower women is but one of the challenges confronting states, NGOs and donor agencies in their ongoing efforts to implement the Platform. Other challenges concern creating vehicles for economic participation, renegotiating domestic power relations in efforts to alleviate rising incidents of domestic violence, promotion of legal literacy, and the like. While there are a great number of similarities in these challenges within South Asia, few arenas exist where scholars and activists participating in such efforts can communicate with each other and learn from different country experiences.
This roundtable is conceived as a vehicle through which participants can share their knowledge of the stated goals and challenges to implement the Platform's ideals that countries in South Asia are facing in their efforts to empower women. The aim is to learn from these experiences and perhaps then be in a better position to influence state, donor and NGO actions.
The list of participants included in this proposal is just a starting point; I intend to contact many others who can share their perceptions of the challenges facing implementing the Platform in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka at our roundtable.