Annex IV: WID units in selected countries

Annex IV: WID units in selected countries

Cyprus:

· National Women's Machinery, established in 1988.

Mandate: To eliminate legal discrimination against women and promote equality between the sexes; to advise the Council of Ministers on policies and programmes to ensure equality and to promote, coordinate and monitor the implementation of the these programmes.

· Home Economics Unit in the Extension Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, established in 1965.

Mandate: Initially, the mandate of this unit was to assist rural women in their traditional domestic tasks. This mandate has since evolved to assisting rural women in food and agricultural production, and to promote income-generating activities. Activities of this unit reach about 18% of all rural communities.

Egypt:

· General-Directorate for Women's Affairs at the Ministry of Social Affairs, established in 1977.

Mandate: To execute projects recommended by the National Commission relating to women and their social well-being, and to supervise and coordinate the activities of NGOs and donor sponsored activities in literacy, income generation, family planning and health. The department is currently expanding its responsibilities to include creating senior positions for women.

· Women's Information Centre at the Ministry of Social Affairs

Mandate: To collect and disseminate information, research, books and reports concerning women.

· Child and Women Unit at the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), established in 1987.

Mandate: To provide the government with a basis for setting up policy and resource-allocating priorities for women and children.

· Policy Coordination Unit for Women at the Ministry of Agriculture, established in 1992.

Mandate: To mainstream gender-sensitive considerations in agricultural policies and practices.

· National Commission for Women, reestablished in 1993.

Mandate: To promote the advancement of women by addressing gender inequality and women's poverty. It's main areas of concentration are information, legislation, economics and improving the representation of women in decision-making positions and political life.

Iran:

· Office of Women's Affairs in the Presidential Office, established in 1991.

Mandate: To promote the advancement of women in all aspects of cultural, social and economic domains. In the agricultural sector, a representative of the Office at the Ministry of Agriculture executes policy at the village level through women extension agents stationed in rural areas. The director of the Women's Affairs Office is also the President's Counsellor on Women's Affairs.

· Office of Development of Rural Women's Activities, within the Agricultural Research Training and Extension Organization at the Ministry of Agriculture

· Rural Women's Cooperatives Office at the Central Rural Cooperatives Organization

Mandate: To assist women in establishing rural cooperatives.

· Rural Women's Planning and Study Group at the Centre for Planning and Agricultural Economics at the Ministry of Agriculture's Planning Department

Mandate: To conduct projects for the advancement of rural women.

· Department of Extension and People's Participation at the Office of Rural Women's Affairs at the Ministry of Construction

· State Welfare Organization This organization consists of 4,000 centres spread throughout the country, with 1,300 centres in rural areas. The majority of these centres are headed by women.

· Women's Affairs Commission at the Ministry of Interior. This Commission has offices in all provinces.

Achievements: The establishment of cultural and social centres for women to encourage and promote their active participation in social and cultural matters.

Iraq:

· General Federation for Iraqi Women (GFIW), established in 1969. The GFIW coordinates activities relating to women with the ministries of agriculture and irrigation, health, education, labour and social affairs. The GFIW is organized into 4 offices in Baghdad, with 22 branches in the governorates, 195 sub-branches and 1,317 local units scattered throughout the country. Activities are funded by the government, international agencies and membership dues.

Mandate: To empower women in general and abolish disparities between rural women and their urban counterparts; to mobilize women and further their integration in the development process; and to encourage women them to hold jobs outside the home.

Jordan:

· Division of Women's Affairs at the Ministry of Social Development, established in 1992.

· Division of Women's Affairs at the Ministry of Labour, established in 1993.

· Cooperative Organization and Women's Affairs at the Cooperative Organization

· A female advisor on women's issues was appointed to the Office of the Prime Minister in 1993.

Mauritania:

· Secretariat of State for Women's Affairs, established in 1992. The Secretariat's staff is limited in both number and technical expertise.

Mandate: To ensure the advancement of women and improve their participation in social and economic development; to develop policies for women, promote their rights, and encourage their participation in political, economic and social life. The Secretariat's programme for 1992-1994 included: (i) educational activities such as reducing female illiteracy and increasing vocational training; (ii) reducing female unemployment and promoting productive activities; (iii) introducing legislation to protect the rights of women and children; (iv) promoting cultural activities for young women; and, (v) improving the skills necessary for the Secretariat to conduct gender-related work.

· Interministerial WID Committee, established in 1992.

Mandate: To monitor and coordinate WID activities and projects in various ministries and technical departments.

Oman:

· Directorate General for Women's and Children's Affairs (DGWC) at the Ministry of Social Affairs, established in 1985.

Mandate: To combat illiteracy; to extend guidance in child-rearing and domestic affairs; and to promote income-generating activities for women.

· National Women and Child Care Plan at the Ministry of Health, established in 1985.

Mandate: Currently being revised.

Pakistan:

· Federal Ministry of Women's Development, established in 1977.

Mandate: To respond to the issues and problems facing women and act as a catalyst in women and development activities. It's main areas of concentration are in education and health, with less emphasis on agriculture. With regards to agriculture, the Ministry's focus is primarily on policy formulation, project development and research to collect baseline information regarding the economic contributions of women in agriculture. Recent efforts have included requesting the National Bureau of Statistics to collect gender-disaggregated data in their surveys.

Somalia:

· WID Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture, established in 1988. Activities were aborted in 1989 due to civil strife.

Sudan:

WID units were created in Sudan following the recongition that women were responsible for many economic activities and required assistance in areas beyond the traditional ones of home economics and domestic work. As a result of a national conference in 1987, followed by a national workshop in 1990 on the role of women in agricultural development (where the need to strengthen women's machineries at all levels was adopted), the following WID units were created:

· Women in Agriculture Development Administration (WADA) at the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, established in 1989. Other WID sub-units were created in various technical departments of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, such as Forestry Administration, Soil Conservation and Environment, as well as the Agricultural Extension Administration.

· Women in Development Coordinating Unit (WIDCU) at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Investment, established in 1990.

· WID Unit at the Ministry of Social Planning, established in 1975.

· WID Unit at the College of Agricultural Studies (DSRC), established in 1980.

Mandate: To conduct research and collect data and documents on women. The College also offers a course in gender development planning.

· WID Unit at the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.

· There are two WID Consultancy groups in the Sudan: Women in Agriculture Consultancy House (WIACH), established in 1983, and Elmanar Consultancy Group.

Syria:

· The Rural Home Economic (sic) Department of the Directorate of Agricultural Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture, established in 1988.

Mandate: To provide extension services to women farmers in crop production, poultry raising, animal husbandry, beekeeping, food and nutrition, mother-child care, textile and cloth-making, home management and rural housing.

Turkey:

· Directorate General for Women's Status and Problems (OGWSP), established in 1990.

Mandate: To improve women's status and promote their full integration into the economy.

· Family Research Institute, established in 1989.

Mandate: To address the concerns of women within the context of the family.

· Women's Statistical Department at the State Institute of Statistics.

Mandate: To collect and disseminate gender-disaggregated data.

· Women's Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Mandate: To provide extension services to women by conducting courses in home economics.

Yemen:

Five WID units were created in various ministries in Yemen, each of which has its own mandate. However, all are constrained by lack of funding and technical assistance. Consequently, their activities are realized most often by foreign aid and other external funding.

· WID Unit at the Ministry of Labour, insurance and Social Affairs, established in 1978.

· WID Unit at the Ministry of Health, established in 1979.

· WID Unit at the Ministry of Endowment, established in 1982.

· WID Unit at the Ministry of Education, established in 1986.

· WID Directorate at the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources (MAWR), established in 1988.