MARCH 1999 - N. 7
executive director Natalia Encolpio
associate editor Loretta Lorenzini
In this number
The Commission on the Status of Women, established in 1946, it is a body
assisting the Economic and Social Council.
The mandate of the CSW within the UN system deals with women issues and
gender equality.
Since the Beijing conference on women the Commission met yearly in New York
in order to assist the ECO.SO.C to integrate the Platform for Action into
the UN system-wide plan for women and development. In the five years
following the Beijing World meeting its aim is to review the critical areas
outlined in the Platform for Action and to draw upon inputs from other
organisations at the UN the cross-cutting themes which will be discussed in
the Beijing + five World Conference on Women.Il Cenacolo and other non-governmental
organisations in the Women's Linkage
Caucus is working in order to collect information from the governments on
the implementation of the platform and to suggest practical intervention to
promote women health and social-economical leadership.
New York, March 12 1999
At the United Nations last month during the
Meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, Il Cenacolo, announced
the findings of its new report on women's health and menopause. The aim of
the workshop yield by Il Cenacolo was to assess the problem of women in the
menopause period and the related social-economical aspects of it.
The developed world is now facing the social and economical problem related
to the menopause syndrome due to the population ageing. In Italy the 80% of
the diagnosis of Osteoporosis are women with more than 55 years. This
together with the large incidence of cancer in this population has pushed
the public opinion to consider the physical problem related to menopause.
Nevertheless over 40% of the Italian women in menopause are treatedfor:
anxiety, depression, emotional instability, insomnia. In our research we
found that 70% of women in menopause experience the psychological factors
as being more disabling than the physical one. Women in this period are
statistically no longer willing to work or develop new projects for life.
Identifying herself with her reproductive power too often a woman, in and
after menopause, consider herself something "less than a woman".
The economical impact of these considerations open the possibility to start
talking about a period of life that has always been considered as a taboo.
It is since no long ago that in United States women can start to refer to
this period of life without hiding.
Our goal is to help women to go through this period and start a new life.
This problem has to be faced in the developed as well as in thedeveloping
ones, considering and analysing the cultural differences in order to
understand the psychological aspects.
In this perspective during the workshop different views on the topic have
been expressed and a working group has been formed.
Dr. Loretta Lorenzini, President of Il Cenacolo and supervisor of the
project was present at the workshop together with Dr. Natalia Encolpio,
director of the counselling and creativity aspect of the project. The
workshop has been co-ordinated by Dr. Marialuisa Martelli, responsible of
the research part of the project. Dr. Martelli opened the discussion
presenting the data collected in Italy and the research done to develop a
new measure able to discriminate the psychological factors affecting women
in menopause. She than presented the project that Il Cenacolo, under the
supervision of Dr. Lorenzini, is realising together with the World Council
for Psychotherapy.
Among the participants and partners Dr. Charlotte Bunch, President ofthe
Centre for Global Leadership talked about the
experience of growing up in the feminist movement and its contribution in
breaking the taboo of menopause status together with other stereotypes.
Dr. Sandra Estepa, US Ofc on women health, National Women Health, talked
about the changes in the US believes and about the services they are
actually providing for women in menopause.
Dr. Diane Dillon-Ridgley, Acting Executive Director WEDO, gave her
contribute to the discussion underlining the cultural differences which may
lead to a different experience of this period. In particular she talked
about the freedom related to menopause for the middle-Eastern women. Dr.
Irene Ms Chisala, member of the Govern of Zambia, described the situation in her country
and
the cultural differences they have experienced. In this country to pursue a
political carrier a woman must be in the menopause status. A woman in this
period is considered more reliable and efficient, even though, as they
pointed out she is not free from the ageing stereotypes.
Dr. Rosalud de la Rosa explained that twenty years ago menopause was
sociologically considered a marginal problem affecting old people. Due to
the elongation and improvement of the quality of life, menopause has become
central. Dr Loretta Peschi (cerf Italy) added that indeed in the Occidental society the
menopause period arrives in the moment in which a woman is at thevertex of
her social potentiality.
Due to Hormone Replacement Therapy the menopause period lasts muchlonger
carrying over the transition. Nevertheless Dr. Anja Wiersinga (Holland), pointed
out the importance of HRT in controlling Osteoporosis and hart disease.
Dr. Chueh Chang, board member of the Mental Health Association in Taiwan, explained that
the Chinese politic is acting a
medicalization of this physiological bridge, considering menopause as a
disease. This behaviour is responsible for the lack in the analysis of the
psychological aspects and it contributes to create a wrong mental attitude
in women who perceive menopause as an illness.
Following the guideline of what Il Cenacolo has already done on this issue
the nations joining the project will produce a report on the physical and
psychological aspects of menopause experienced by women in their country.
The working group will than plan a strategy of consulting and counselling
intervention.
The CSW met in New York from March 1-15, 1999, with two
Critical Areas of Concern from the Beijing Platform for Action
-Health and Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of
Women- on the agenda.
Health: The CSW recommended that actions be taken by
Governments, the United Nations system and civil society as
appropriate, in the following areas:
1. Universal access, on a basis of equality between women and
men, to quality, comprehensive and affordable health care and
health services and information. Actions recommended include:
%access to appropriate, affordable and quality health care and
services %provision of social services related to health care;
education, nutrition, food security, etc. %integration of sexual,
reproductive and mental health services %education of youth on
sexual and reproductive health issues %preventative and
promotional health policies %support of women with disabilities
%regular sport and recreational activities for all women and girls.
2. Sexual and reproductive health, taking into account the
unacceptably high maternal, infant and child mortality. Actions
recommended include: %reduction of severe and moderate
malnutrition and iron deficiency anaemia %promotion of
breastfeeding %promotion of female-controlled methods of family
planning and male contraceptive methods %informed choices to
prevent unwanted pregnancies %an end to female genital
mutilation and other harmful practices; early marriages, forced
marriages etc.
3. HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and other infectious
diseases. Actions recommended include: %public education and
advocacy and an expansion of prevention measures %enactment
of laws to counteract stigmatization and social exclusion
% preventative and therapeutic measures against tuberculosis,
malaria, etc.
4. Mental health and substance abuse. Actions recommended
include: %gender-sensitive and age-sensitive mental health
services and counselling %preventive and remedial health services
%research and dissemination of information on gender differences
%prevention programmes aimed at reducing tobacco and other
drug use %equitable sharing of household and family
responsibilities.
5. Occupational and environmental health. Actions recommended
include: %effective environmental and occupational health policies
for gender-sensitive work environments %special care for women
workers who are pregnant, post-partum, breast-feeding, etc.
%information provided to workers about environmental health risks.
6. Policy development, research, training and evaluation. Actions
recommended include: %comprehensive interdisciplinary and
collaborative research agenda on women's health %concrete
accountability mechanisms at the national level for reporting
%collection, use and dissemination of data disaggregated by sex
and age %research on the interrelationship between poverty,
ageing and gender %gender perspective in the health sector at all
levels %mainstreaming gender into the curricula and training of
health care and service providers %work to stop unnecessary
medicalization of women's health conditions.
7. Health sector reform and development. Actions recommended
include: %ensuring that health sector reform and development
efforts promote women's health %integration of process of gender
analysis in health sector and undertaking of gender impact
assessments %strategies to seek reduction of occupational
concentration by gender to eliminate gender-based pay inequality,
to ensure high-quality working conditions in the health work force,
and to provide appropriate skills training and development
8. International cooperation. Actions recommended include:
%strong political commitment to implement strengthened
international cooperation for development and to mobilize
domestic and international finance resources for development and
provision of health services for women %progress in regard to
external debt relief to help generate resources %assistance to
developing countries to ensure the provision of basic social
services, including health care services for women %minimization
of negative impacts and maximization of benefits of globalization
and interdependence, to health care services in developing
countries %encouragement of sound macroeconomic policies and
institutions to support provision of health care services.
Institutional Mechanisms: The CSW recommended:
A. That actions be taken by Governments to: %provide strong
political commitment %ensure national machineries are placed at
the highest level of governments %invest institutional mechanisms
with authority to fulfill mandated roles and responsibilities %provide
adequate and sustainable financial and human resources %ensure
mainstreaming of gender perspective is understood,
institutionalized and implemented %integrate gender perspective in
all government activities %senior management to take
responsibility for fulfilling gender equality commitments
%promote/ensure establishment of effective focal points
%encourage the creation and/or strengthening of institutional
mechanisms %promote capacity-building %promote accountability
and transparency %provide assistance in formulating performance
indicators %improve gathering/disaggregation of data and
development of statistics and indicators in all areas of the Beijing
Platform for Action %give visibility to relationship between
remunerated and unremunerated work %recognize/ acknowledge
unremunerated work by women %strengthen relations among civil
society %ensure needs/rights/interests of women are
identified/mainstreamed into policy and programme development
%respect involvement of NGOs in assisting governments in
implementation of commitments %coordinate/consult NGOs in
national/international activities %ensure transparency through open
and participatory dialogue %support organizations/institutions to
use research results to influence transformation of policies and
programmes %create clear anti-discrimination regulations %initiate
gender equality legislation %involve parliaments/judiciary to
monitor progress in gender mainstreaming.
B. That actions be taken by National Machineries and other
Institutional Mechanisms to: %design, promote, execute, monitor,
evaluate, etc. support for policies that promote advancement of
women %act as catalysts for gender mainstreaming in policies and
programmes %assist government to take specific actions in
gathering/disaggregation of data %promote research/dissemination
of research findings/information on women and gender equality
%disseminate gender relevant data/other information on
contribution of women to society.
C. That actions be taken by the international community, including
the UN System to: %implement the ECOSOC agreed conclusions
(1997/2) %implement the revised SWMTP (1996-2001) %ensure
managers are held accountable for implementing the strategic
plan of action for improvement of the status of women in the
Secretariat (1995-2000) %request ACC IACWGE to continue its
work to implement the Beijing Platform for Action and to promote
integration of gender perspective in follow-up to UN conferences/
summits %support implementation of Beijing Platform for Action
including through support for UNIFEM and INSTRAW %support
governments in efforts to strengthen national mechanisms through
ODA %encourage multilateral, bilateral, donor and development
agencies to strengthen national machineries %encourage
governments and national machineries to consult civil society
when providing information on gender and women's issues to
international bodies %document/publish good practices
%develop/disseminate gender disaggregated data and qualitative
performance indicators %encourage the availability of methodology
on collection and analysis of gender disaggregated data
measurement by multilateral development institutions, etc. %DAW
to prepare/circulate questionnaire to elaborate systematic and
comprehensive approach to information on unremunerated work
%DAW to expand Directory of National Machineries %ensure
ongoing training on gender issues %develop policies to recruit
technical staff with expertise in gender equality issues
%create/strengthen collaborative links with other agencies
%recognize civil society as source of support and legitimacy
%establish partnerships %engage the media in dialogue aimed at
reexamining gender stereotypes %create/strengthen collaborative
relationships with the private sector.
Glossary of Terms. %HIV/AIDS = Human Immunodeficiency Virus/
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. %ECOSOC= Economic
and Social Council of the UN. % SWMTP=System-Wide Medium-
Term Plan. ACC IACWGE=Administrative Committee on Coordina-
tion Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender Equality
%UNIFEM= UN Development Fund for Women %INSTRAW-UN
Institute for the Advancement of Women %ODA= Overseas
Development Assistance %DAW= UN Division for the Advancement
of Women.
Il Cenacolo has joined the organization Friends of Assisi founded by
Barbara Gimbel in New York. The aim of the activities of the "Friends" is to
raise money and attention in order to help Umbria to restore the monuments damnaged by the
earthwake of 1997.
Il Cenacolo has given as present to the 'Friends' his book "Umbria,
man's homeland" (Lorenzini and Serafini, 1998) to the association to promote the
knowledge of the art and history of thi region.
top
New York _ Seminar held by Natalia Encolpio at the Metropolitan Museum,
the Museum of Modern Art and at the Calandra Italian American Institute.
Women and Creativity: from Art to Ontoart is the seminar organized
during the Commission on the Status of Women by Il Cenacolo.
Three the lectures held by Natalia Encolpio (Ph.D. in History of Art,
Psychologist and Journalist): the first (saturday 13 march) at the Metropolitan on the
theme "From Humanism to the Renaissance: the Italian Masters", the second
(sunday 14 march) athe the Museum of Modern Art on "Van Gogh: in his images the
psuchic disgregation. Picasso: brilliant artist or brilliant destroyer? The analysys of
the Demoiselles d'Avignon: a new hypotesys of investiogation". The last lecture
(monday 15 march) at the John Calandra Italian American Institute "From Art to
Ontoart". In this occasion Natalia Encolpio has proposed to the american public, for
the first time, the novelty of Ontoart, a movement founded by Antonio Meneghetti in Italy
in 1971. Ontoart can be considered as a "new humanism": the "module"
of the artistic language is man. In this is universal but at the same time eminently
individual. Ontoart is a free art that is born in that "a priori" which every
man is before language, history, culture, politics, economy, religion. The module for
Ontoart lives in the actuality of what man is here and now; and in the actuality of what
is a function of growth in this existential adventure.
In the picture some of the partecipants of the group in the Moma in
front of the "Demoiselles d'Avignon" by Pablo Picasso.