Paragraph 63 of the Beijing Platform for Action. Chapter IV. A. Women and Poverty
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/10/02
Strategic objective A.3.
Provide women with access to savings and credit mechanisms and institutions
Actions to be taken
63. By commercial banks, specialized financial institutions and the private sector in examining their policies:
- Use credit and savings methodologies that are effective in reaching women in poverty and innovative in reducing transaction costs and redefining risk;
- Open special windows for lending to women, including young women, who lack access to traditional sources of collateral;
- Simplify banking practices, for example by reducing the minimum deposit and other requirements for opening bank accounts;
- Ensure the participation and joint ownership, where possible, of women clients in the decision-making of institutions providing credit and financial services.
Beijing Declaration (1995)
Paragraph 63, I like, because it is punchy, to the point, and concise (unlike much of my own writing). The focus in this portion of the Beijing Declaration is the commercial banks and the financial institutions with a specified purpose, also connected to the private sector. The use of credit and savings practices can be an important part of the improvement of the livelihoods of women.
Indeed, the furtherance of these methodologies can reach – not only the women entrepreneurs as discussed in the prior article but also – the women in difficult circumstances and need some financial assistance. Those living in penurious circumstances for an example. The interesting final note of section (a) is the statement on the reduction in the transaction costs and the redefinition of risks.
In (b), the emphasis goes by the demographics of age with a greater focus on the young women and, in particular, the ways this can impact having “collateral” or forms of assets that a borrower can offer a lender. This is a problem for women who are early in life and unable to offer these assets or collateral to bargain, in a manner of speaking, with the lender.
The important part of this is the ways that age can be a barrier for many people but, in particular, this can be an issue for young women.
Section (c) looks into a potential model for the simplification of some banking practices. This can be important, especially for those who may not have been given the opportunity to be able to acquire education in finance or banking practices. Other suggested practices can lower the barriers for entry for women, including the reduction of the minimum deposit or the elimination/alteration of the necessities for the creation of a bank account.
(d) deals with the look into the participation and joint ownership of bank accounts. There are the issues for women who, unfortunately, may not, by culture or family, be independent of their family. It is an undeniable fact of history and many cultures in the present. Women lack the ability to remain independent in the world in terms of the degrees of freedom in a society.
That being, the amount of financial freedom a woman can get. It can come for young women who lack the collateral. It can also come in the fact of being paid less or not permitted into the professional realms for women. The denial of education is another crux in this. Once women begin to enter into the professional arenas, we can see the unprecedented flourishing of them.
It probably comes from the additional drive to succeed of the long-term underdog, but it has only happened in select areas of the world and the traditional (usually male) power brokers notice and, apparently, aren’t happy about it. We can see this in the violent and repression rhetoric, backed by actions, in various groups around the world as women win by merit in education; they work harder now. It is a motivational ceiling for boys and young men, for the most part, with some fringe of early educational barriers.
The inclusion of women for joint decision-making relevant for the financial institutions is so important on so many levels. Take, for example, the empowerment of the psyche of women in impoverished circumstances. This can present a situation in women can become equals in their own minds, in their ability to make independent choices and know that they can do it. It similar for people of color in terms of post-colonial contexts to make their choices for their lives.
It is the basis for women to get together, organize, become active in their community, and begin to press for their democratic concerns. It has happened in the past. It can happen now. In fact, we are seeing, in the United States, for a non-trivial example, record numbers of women entering into the political world.
–One can find similar statements in other documents, conventions, declarations and so on, with the subsequent statements of equality or women’s rights:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Preamble, Article 16, and Article 25(2).
- Convention Against Discrimination in Education (1960) in Article 1.
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) in Article 3, Article 7, and Article 13.
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966).
- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979).
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984).
- The Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (1993).
- Beijing Declaration(1995).
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000).
- Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (2000).
- The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa or the “Maputo Protocol” (2003).
- Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence or the Istanbul Convention (2011) Article 38 and Article 39.
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