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IRAN'S BEIJING AT 10 REPORT 

TEHRAN, 7 March 2005 (UNIC)--With the assistance of UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Islamic Republic of Iran has produced its National Report on Women’s Status, which will be submitted to the 49th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York from 28 February to 11 March 2005.  

            The report is published to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, which was held in Beijing in 1995.  The twelve critical areas of the Beijing Platform for Action were thoroughly addressed in the 120-page illustrative report. These include women and health, women and poverty, women and the economy, the girl child, violence against women, human rights of women, education and training for women, women and environment, institutional mechanisms, women and armed conflicts, women and the media, and women in power and decision making. 

       A participatory approach was adopted throughout the process of drafting the report which was coordinated by a National Committee, chaired by the Center for Women’s Participation (CWP) with representatives from various Government institutions, NGOs  and other stakeholders. The objective of the report is to present a factual evaluation of the status of women in Iran ten years after Beijing. The report attempts to present a comprehensive review of women’s progress in Iran during the past ten years, highlighting the measures taken by the Government for the advancement of women, the obstacles encountered and recommendations for future actions.  

     Shortly after the conclusion of the 49th session of the CSW, the CWP jointly with UNFPA will organize an official launching of the report in Iran.

         UNFPA's assistance to CWP stems from a strong partnership forged over the years and helped to promote the status of women through the establishment of local gender network groups, training government and NGOs on gender and reproductive health and technical assistance.   Being the chair of the UN Gender Theme Group in Iran, the Fund assumes a lead role in promoting knowledge sharing and raising awareness on gender issues.

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