A river of brilliant saris, tailored suits, tunic dresses, and shawls flows through the corridors. The subjects of discussion are dark, and often dire. "Honor" killings. Rape. Domestic violence. Forced marriage. Dismal pay. But the confidence and energy exuded by some 10,000 women gathered at the United Nations this week are palpable.
They have come from 180 nations to assess womankind's progress since a similar landmark conference in Beijing five years ago.
A thumbnail scorecard shows that awareness of such problems as violence against women has grown considerably since 1985. Many goverments worldwide have revised their legal codes to treat women more equitably. All South Asian governments, for instance, have set up commissions to look into gender crimes and inequality. Yesterday, the European Union's executive commission called for stiffer laws to end sexual harassment in the workplace. "These [commissions] have become a very big lobbying tool for NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and a pressure point for governments," says Ruchira Gupta, who runs the nonprofit On Our Own in India. "It's a very big step forward." But, she adds, these commissions lack teeth.
