1. GENDER PARITY IN GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS SIMUN 2010 ECOSOC 1Nekane Tanaka

2. What is gender parity? Etymologically, parity derives from the Latin paritas, meaning “equal” or “equivalent.” Gender Parity is a concept of equality of status or functional equivalence between men and women. Gender Parity calls for an equal number of men and women to be offered the same opportunities

3. Why gender parity? In principle, men and women are equal – with the same rights and duties. In practice, that is not the case in many situations. Men can earn more money than women, they can get better jobs, they make more decisions in the family and community, and have more positions of power in society. In some situations, the opposite is true – there may be injustices towards men. Either way, it is a moral and social issue to achieve gender parity to ensure that both men and women’s human rights are respected.

4. How does this apply to government and business? Ensuring gender parity in government and business would mean offering equal opportunities for men and women, without preference for either gender. Men and women should be equally represented in both government and business positions.

5. What is the UN doing? Achieving gender parity by 2005 and gender equality by 2015 is one of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. Under this plan, several agencies dealing with gender issues are working towards this goal- the Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women, UNIFEM, the International Labour Organisation and the International Research and Training Institute for Women

6. “Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspective at all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved.” —Beijing Platform for Action, Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995

7. What can Nations do about this issue? Legislate to ensure equal rights before the law; this matters a great deal in areas like marriage law and inheritance, as well as in employment and the ability to sign contracts; Make sure that all government ministries are sensitive to gender issues, making equitable decisions in their appointments and allocation of resources; programmes and plans should always respect gender equity; Raise awareness regarding gender issues and combat gender stereotypes