MASS COMMUNICATION MEDIA

The Plan states that the media could exercise a significant influence. in helping to remove prejudices and stereotypes, accelerating the acceptance of women's new and expanding roles in society and promoting their integration into the development process as equal partners. At present, it says, the media tend to reinforce traditional attitudes, often portraying an image of women that is degrading and humiliating, and fail to reflect the changing role of the sexes. The media may also have harmful effects in imposing alien cultures upon different societies. Those in control of the media should be urged to project a more dynamic image of women (as well as of men) and to take into account the diversity of women's roles and their actual and potential contribution to society, according to the Plan. It urges that a greater number of women be appointed to media management and decisionmaking positions and to such positions as columnists, reporters and producers, and that they encourage the critical review, within the media, of the image of women projected.

INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ACTION

International measures.-The Plan states that the United Nations should proclaim the decade 1975-1985 as the United Nations Decade for Women and Development to insure that national and international action will be sustained throughout that period. Organizations of the United Nations should evaluate what has been done to improve the status of women and enhance their contribution to development and identify the measures needed to implement the Plan. The Plan calls for the full involvement of women in policy-making at the international level as well as the national level. Governments are asked to insure that women are equitably represented among the principal delegates at international meetings including those dealing with political and legal questions, economic and social development, disarmament, planning, administration and finance, science and technology, environment and population. Secretariats of international organizations should act to insure an equitable balance between men and women staff members before the end of the Second Development Decade of 1980. Regional action.-The United Nations regional commissions are asked to stimulate interest in the Plan and provide national Governments and non-governmental organizations with the technical and informational support they need to develop strategies to further the Plan's objectives in the various regions. The regional development banks, sub-regional banks and bilateral funding agencies should be asked to give high priority in their development aid to projects that include the integration of women into the development effort and the achievement of equality.

REVIEW AND APPRAISAL

To gauge its impact, the Plan calls for a comprehensive and thorough review and appraisal of progress made in meeting its goals, to be undertaken at regular intervals by the United Nations system. That exercise, says the Plan, should be part of the procedures for measuring progress made in the Second Development Decade and closely coordi

nated with any new world development strategy that may be formulated. The Economic and Social Council should review the findings of a systematic evaluation with the aim of making, whenever necessary, appropriate modifications of the Plan's goals and recommendations. The Plan also suggested that trends and policies relating to women and relevant to the Plan of Action should be undertaken continuously as a specialized activity of the United Nations. At the regional level, the Plan suggests that regional commissions should have responsibility for monitoring progress towards greater and more effective participation of women in all aspects of development efforts. Nationally, Governments should undertake their own regular review and appraisal of progress made in achieving the Plan's goals and report to the Economic and Social Council.

APPENDIX C

1.

III. RESOLUTIONS AND DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE

Research and training for the advancement of women in Africa

The World Conference of the International Women's year,

Considering the increasingly important role of African women in the political, economic, social and cultural affairs of their countries,

Considering the need to establish all the conditions required for education, training and the elimination of illiteracy in order to ensure more effective participation of African women,

Considering the precarious situation of the great majority of women in Africa and the consequent need for vigorous and comprehensive action,

Considering the objectives of the Pan-African Women's Organization relating to the acceleration of the advancement of African women,

Considering the decision of the Pan-African Women's Organization to establish

a training centre at the Organization's headquarters,

1. Welcomes the decision of the ECA Conference of African Ministers at Nairobi to establish an African Training and Research Centre for Women (resolution 269(XII), 28 February 1975);

2. Supports the decision of the Pan-African Women's Organization to establish also a training centre for the advancement of women;

3. Recommends close collaboration to further the aims and objectives of these two African centres;

4. Calls upon all Governments and upon non-governmental organizations concerned to contribute to the development of these centres for the benefit of African women;

5. Calls upon United Nations specialized agencies to give all assistance and advisory services to the development of these centres for the benefit of African women. International co-operation under projects designed to achieve the objectives of the World Plan of Action

2.

The World Conference of the International Women's Year,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 3010 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972,

Bearing in mind the Programs of Concerted International Action for the

Advancement of Women (1970),

Recalling the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade (1970),

Bearing in mind Economic and Social Council resolution 1850 (LVI) of 16 May 1974 establishing the Fund for the International Women's Year,

Taking note of the desire expressed by many delegations to extend the Fund beyond the end of the Year,

Noting the complexity of the usual procedures with respect to assistance and international co-operation,

1. Recommends the simplification of the procedure governing assistance to projects designed to promote the complete integration of women into the process of development, and the implementation of such projects under the effective responsibility of national experts;

2. Requests the Governments concerned to take all appropriate measures to entrust the direction of such projects to the fullest possible extent to women having the requisite competence;

3. Recommends to the Economic and Social Council that it request the Secretary-General and the United Nations specialized agencies to draw up an adequate plan of assistance with respect to this matter, taking into account the needs and priorities of countries.

3. The status of women in South Africa, Namibia and Southern Rhodesia

The World Conference of the International Women's Year,

Referring to the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Bearing in mind the numerous relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions condemning the policy of apartheid in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia, and the illegal occupation of Namibia,

Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 2919 (XXVII) instituting a decade for action to combat racism, apartheid and racial discrimination, as well as General Assembly resolution 3151 (XXVIII),

Aroused to the highest indignation by the policy of apartheid in South Africa, Namibia and Southern Rhodesia, whose essence is the donial of the most elementary rights of peoples to freedom and dignity and the degradation of the human person, and which, with particular regard to the status of women, is manifested in:

(a) The frequent compulsory separation of women and children from the father of the family and their almost total immobilization in reservations,

(b) The impossibility of having access to adequate medical care, even within the context of maternal and child welfare,

(c) The difficulty of access to the most elementary education and, to a still greater degree, to vocational training,

(d) The consequent absence of choice with regard to employment, which restricts women to menial occupations,

Aware that apartheid is a crime against humanity and a crime of genocide, who se primary victims are women, and that its eradication is a matter of concern to all humanity,

Gravely disturbed by the constant disregard by South Africa of the appeals made by the international community contained in the resolutions, decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the International Court of Justice (21 June 1971), and its refusal to put an end to the practice of apartheid, which constitutes a threat to international peace and security,

Firmly convinced that apartheid and racial discrimination in all their forms and manifestations constitute the total denial of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the objectives of the World Conference of the International Women's Year,

Taking intɔ account General Assembly resolution 2919 (XXVII) of 15 November 1972, on the Decade for Action to Combat Racism, Apartheid and Racial Discrimination,

1. Vigorously condemns the minority régimes of South Africa, Namibia and Southern Rhodesia for their obstinate policy of oppression and contempt for the efforts of the United Nations and the patience of the international community;

2. Supports the oppressed peoples of South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in their struggle for the total eradication of apartheid;

3. Urges the women of the entire world to become aware of the role they can and must play in enabling the women of those areas to recover their human dignity;

4. Further urges all Governments to apply political, economic, social and military sanctions (not to sell or give armaments or technical military assistance or help of a similar military character) with the aim of isolating the minority and racist régimes;

5. Notes with satisfaction the efforts of the United Nations and the Special Committee against Apartheid to promote concerted international action to eliminate the scourge of apartheid and racial discrimination;

6. Invites the Secretary-General of the United Nations and all the United Nations specialized agencies to initiate studies on the effects of apartheid on the status of women and to present a report to the Special Committee against Apartheid and to the Commission on the Status of Women;

7. Calls upon South Africa to terminate immediately its illegal occupation of Namibia;

8. Urges all States, United Nations organizations, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to support the peoples of the southern part of Africa by adopting measures, such as:

(a) Implementing United Nations resolutions bearing on the elimination of racism, apartheid, racial discrimination and the liberation of peoples under colonial domination and alien subjugation;

(5) Ensuring the immediate termination of all measures and policies, as well as military, political, economic and other activities, which enable racist régimes in southern Africa to continue the repression of the African people;