Gender Vision Policy Document 2021-2035

Article 35 of the Constitution also stipulates that men and women are equal before the law. The gender policy document 2021 – 2035 elaborates on:  Suriname’s international and regional obligations to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.  The Constitution of Suriname.  The evaluation of earlier integral gender policy plans of the Ministry of Home Affairs.  The Development Plan of Suriname for the period 2017 – 2021 (OP2017 – 2021), which introduces gender policy in Chapter X, Paragraph 1. On page 151 of OP 2017 – 2021 gender is described as follows: Gender in societal context refers to the social attributes and opportunities related to being a man or woman and the relationships between women and men, girls and boys, as well as the relationships among women and those among men. The attributes, opportunities and relationships are socially constructed and learnt through processes of education and upbringing. They are contextual, temporal and fluid. Gender determines what is expected, allowed and valued in a woman or man in a given context. In many societies there are differences and inequalities between women and men in allocated responsibilities, activities carried out, access to and management of resources, as well as possibilities for decision-making. Gender is part of the broader socio-cultural framework of the segments of class, race, poverty, ethnicity and age. Regarding gender equality, the following is stated on page 152 of OP 2017 – 2021: Gender equality implies that women and men share the same conditions to optimally realise their human rights and to contribute to and benefit from economic, social, cultural and political developments. Gender equality is thus society’s equal appreciation of the similarities and differences between men and women and the roles they fulfil. It is based on women and men who are full partners in their families, neighbourhoods and society. Gender equality starts with equal appreciation of girls and boys. Page 151 of OP 2017 – 2021 also identifies the problems in formulating and executing the gender policy:  Insufficient capacities to develop, execute, monitor and evaluate a gender strategy and policy. The BGA lacks sufficient staff to make society in general and in particular school-age youth in the whole country aware of gender, education and upbringing, and human rights (women, men and children).  Insufficient statistical and other information, including qualitative data to determine specific policy and to make problem-solving interventions. To stop the increase of cases of domestic violence, the Combating Domestic Violence Act was adopted in 2009, which allows a victim to apply for a restraining order against a perpetrator.  Underreporting of complaints and not applying for restraining orders may contribute to an increase in the number of spousal killings.  Little experience in and lack of gender integration processes, where equality goals are added to all policy goals during policy development, in both public and private sectors. Once again, as was the case in earlier integral gender policy plans in Suriname and the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), the approach of gender mainstreaming has been chosen for making and implementing policy. This approach aims to strengthen equality and equity of men and women in society and refers to all sectors. Actually, everyone involved in defining, applying, implementing and evaluating policy should first establish whether, when a measure or intervention is introduced, its impact on (the lives of) women and men might be different. In gender mainstreaming, a comparative analysis of the situation of women and men is made first. Any inequalities between men and women are mapped and then one tries to limit or eliminate these by targeting them with interventions. The purpose of gender mainstreaming is to prevent policy being made which creates, preserves or reinforces inequalities between women and men. At the same time, interventions are planned to eliminate or lessen gender inequalities, should these be identified. Formulation of a long-term gender policy was preferred because processes of social change associated with gender equality and equity require time. The problems and challenges identified in the OP 2017-2021 with respect to the formulation and execution of the gender policy, will not be quickly resolved either. The Gender Plan of Action 2019 - 2020, which identifies concrete activities to be carried out in the period mentioned, is formulated simultaneously with this gender policy document. Furthermore, a conscious choice was made for the long-term gender policy to overlap one year of the current OP 2017 – 2021. This prevents a gap and enables the intended gender policy to be seamlessly included in Suriname’s the next national development plan. 2.3 METHODOLOGY The framework for the gender policy document was drawn up by a consultant in close cooperation with the Bureau Gender AffairsBureau (BGA). During a series of brainstorming sessions and internal workshops, the vision for 2035, the general strategies, the priority areasand the conceptual framework were discussed. The first draft was formulated by the consultant, after which BGA added comments and supplements. The second draft was discussed with stakeholders and supplemented. After comments from policy-makers of the Ministry of Home Affairswere received, the third draft was made, which was presented and commented on during a final workshop with stakeholders. Using the comments and feedback, the 2021 – 2035 policy document and the 2019 – 2020 gender plan of action were finalised. To formulate the draft, the most recent studies and reports available to BGA were used. Unfortunately, the data are not always recent. When formulating this document, the latest MICS (Multiple Indicator Cluster System) study and the study to measure the existence of violence against women had already been completed, but the data had not yet been published. These reports will provide recent data which can be taken into account for future annual plans and adjustments of the policy document. 3. GENDER PROFILE OF SURINAME Suriname has determined priority areas which were already decided with stakeholders since 2011 in earlier integral gender policy plans. The areas were selected from the perspective of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA). Data and information, studies and reports were also largely gathered and formulated on the bais of thesepriority areas. The following gender profile is therefore also given on the basis of these areas. 3.1 SUMMARY OF THE LAST SITUATION ANALYSIS Labour, income and poverty reduction (Source: GEI; National Review BPFA +20) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that work is one of the most important human rights. Furthermore, the Constitution of Suriname states that everyone has the right to perform all work according to what is possible. The government is responsible for providing society with the possibilities to perform work. Suriname’s National Development Plan also states that work is crucial to prosperity and wellbeing in society. Census data for 2012 show that the total employed population in the age-group of 15 – 64 years amounts to 188,229 people: 63.1% employed men and 36.9% employed women. Most data on the economy are gathered on the basis of gender, but registration is usually on the basis of sex. Most job-seekers turn out to be women and more women are employed in the service sector. No recent sex-based data are available on the agricultural sector. Recent data on the informal sector are also unavailable. In 2016, the percentage of independent entrepreneurs was 8.2% menand 2.5% women. In 2015, 0.7% men and 0.9% women of the total employed population were ‘family workers’; in 2016 this fell to 0.4% for men and rose to 1.1% for women. Data for 2009 – 2016 also show that more women than men are employed part-time. Increasing funds and credits for women entrepreneurs might contribute to increasing the number of independent women entrepreneurs. No statistical data are available on the pay gap between men and women, neither in the private nor in the public sector. Occupational segregation on the job market is increasing, with women concentrated in low-paid jobs in the informal sector and underrepresented in management positions and in non-traditional jobs. Targeted measures are required to tackle segregation in the workplace, promote access of women to formal jobs, among other things in management and decision-making positions, by guaranteeing paid maternity leave and childcare and providing sufficient and adequate services. On the basis of international measurement tools such as the Human Development Index (HDI)/ Multi Poverty Index, it is estimated that 49% of households in Suriname live under the poverty line. The HDI is a tool to gauge long-term progress in three fundamental dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent standard of living. In the Human Development Atlas for Suriname (2013), data from MICS 2010 and the 2012 census are used as the main sources to calculate the values of the various components of the HDI. It is worth noting that as yet no national definition of poverty has been formulated for Suriname. Different proposals have been made towards a definition, but activities still have to commence5. No information is available on the way household resources are shared and controlled by household members. This might mean that even in households above the poverty line, women could be poor due to existing gender inequality; that the majority of women with low or no income are financially dependent on the income of a partner or another member of the household. It is therefore of great importance to support poor households with many women, and women who take on addtional specialised responsibilities of care, such as care of the elderly and the disabled. For a clearer image of the situation and to be able to take targeted measures, it is important to gather data on poverty, broken down according to sex. But it is of primary importance to have an image of gender-related causes of poverty, as well as gender inequalities in households. Despite the lack of hard evidence, there are reasons to believe that women are generally poorer than men, and that poverty is closely related to, among other things, gender, level of education, residential area and ethnicity. There are also enough indications that poverty greatly impacts the lives and activities of women. It is thus important to include a gender perspective in poverty eradication programmes to follow the impact of gender inequality on poverty and decide what measures may be taken. 5 NCVA,January 2017 Education (Source: GEI; National Review BPFA +20, 4th – 6th CEDAW, Reply LOI)

Article 39 of the Constitution of the Republic ofSuriname grants each citizen the right to equal opportunities to access quality education. Rather than compulsory education, Suriname has compulsory schooling from the ages of 7 through 12 years. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (MinOWC) intends to extend compulsory schooling to ages 3 through 16 years. The Surinamese educational system consists of three levels: primary level (GLO); secondary level, divided into junior secondary education (VOJ)and senior secondary education (VOS); and tertiairy level, which includes the university and other institutions of higher vocational training (HBO). The higher the educational level, the fewer boys are enrolled compared to girls. GLO enrollment is higher for boys than for girls; the Gender Parity Index (GPI) for this level is slightly lower than 1; the GPI for VOJ is 1.2. The GPI for the higher levels are out of date; for VOS the last GPI measured was 1.76 (school year 2011-2012) and for the tertiairy niveau the GPI was 1.93 (college year 2010-2011). As in the rest of the Caribbean, primary education enrollment in Surinameis almost equal for boys and girls. For boys it is slightly higher than for girls6. Once calculated, GPI is roughtly 1. This implies that equality of boys and girls in primary education has almost been achieved. At VOJ level, a higher percentage of boys (51%) repeats a class compared to girls (49%). This pattern holds forconsecutive years. The presented percentage was calculated on the basis of numbers of registered students in a specific year. No recent percentages of repeaters are available for any level. Despite having better school results compared to boys, girls still make up the majority of the category ‘unemployed out-of-school youth’. Due to persistent structural gender inequalityon the job market, (young) women have less access to jobs, even if they are better educated than men.7 According to data of the 2012 Census, 43% of Surinamese society is educated no higher than primary level education. The percentage of tertiary education graduates is just 5.4%, of which 2.4% are university graduates (2012 Census). This implies that the vast majority of the population (74%) is relatively low-skilled. 6 CEDAW Suriname country report, 2016. 7 2012 Census Depending on the university discipline, more women than men are enrolled or vice versa. When more women are enrolled, more women graduate, and likewise when more men are enrolled, more men graduate. The Faculty of Medical Sciences of the ADEKUS is the exception, however; more women than men are enrolled, but the percentage of male graduates is higher than that of females. The huge drop in the number of female graduates and the huge increase in the number of male graduates at this faculty in the 2014 – 2015 academic year is remarkable: 11% women versus 89% men. There is a pregnancy protocol for VOS schools (Order of the Minister of Education, Science and Culture of 14 March 2016, Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 2016 no. 44). This protocol provides a pregnant student with the same maternity leave period as a teacher and allows her to make up missed exams and return to school after giving birth. But no pregnancy protocol has been developed for VOJ schools. Therefore, young mothers still often drop out of the school system. Moreover, the young mothers tend to follow a lower vocational training instead of returning to formal general education, as a result of which they later have less well-paid jobs. The measures taken to elimate discriminatory stereotypes in the education system, the curricula and textbooks, are limited. The Basic Life Skills programme, which was introduced in 1997 to teach students basic skills next to school subjects, does contain elements to make students aware of gender equality, but the programme has not yet been integrated into the school curricula. Health (Source: GEI; National Review BPFA +20, 4th – 6th CEDAW, Reply LOI) Good healthcare is important for a healthy population that can contribute to the development of a country. The priority of the Ministry of Health is to make quality healthcare accessible to alland to prevent and reduce disease. The Law on Basic Health Insurance was proclaimed in 2014 (Bulletin of Acts and Decrees, 2014 no. 114). Under this law, all residents in Suriname are obliged to acquire a basic health insurance package, which covers medication, medical treatment with general practioners, and selected specialist and paramedical treatment. Besides the basic health insurance package, there is also the possibility for private insurance where clients pay the premium themselves. The State Health Fund (SZF) was established for government employees, who share the premium with their employer – the State. But SZF also offers health insurance to private individuals. As far as the interior is concerned, the Surinamese Medical Mission (MZS) offers primary healthcare and services for reproductive health, traditional health, immunisation, HIV/AIDS and malaria. With more than 50 polyclinics, the Regional Healthcare Service (RGD) offers similar services in the coastal area. Free condoms are also distributed by most RGD polyclinics. All polyclinics offer the possibility to come and talk about sexuality with the midwife / nurse, particularly for teenagers. With regard to access to sexual and reproductive health, everyone with health insurance has access to contraception. The Surinames Medical Mission and the Malaria Programme of the Ministry of Health distribute contraceptives in the interior. In 2017, an agreement was made with various NGOs to distribute contraceptives in the mining areas while they were implementing their outreach programmes. The Multiple Indicator Cluster System (MICS) studiesof 2000, 2006 and 2010 showed just a slight increase in the national use of contraceptives, from 42% in 2000 to 47.6% in 2010. Differences in contraceptive use are great, with use lowest in the interior: 14.6% (2006), while contraceptive use in Brokopondo and Sipaliwini in 2010 was respectively 26% and 25%. In 2010 the unmet need for family planning was 16.9% for all of Suriname; in the interior this was 33% for Brokopondo and 34% for Sipaliwini8. In Suriname, prenatal care is offered by general practitioners, the hospitals, RGD and MZS. According to MICS 2010, 67% of women have generally had prenatal monitoring, i.e. four or more prenatal visits. Prenatal monitoring in the interior is lower (57.8%) than in urban (68%) and rural areas (71.9%). According to the same study, 93% of all births take place in a public (72%) or private health facility (21%), and were handled by medically trained personnel. In order to improve the quality of maternal care during pregnancy and at the moment of birth even further, the government recently decided to offer free prenatal and postnatal care to all pregnant women. Various national and community-based initiatives have been developed to reduce maternal mortality. Maternal mortality fell from 153/100,000 in 2000 to 82.5/100,000 in 2011, and to 48.9/100,000 in 2012, which means that the MDG target for Suriname of 50/100,000 births was reached in 2012. Though the linear trend between 2000 and 2012 shows a clear drop, possible fluctuations should be taken into account. For some decades already, the Lobi Health Centre Foundation, an NGO for family planning, has been offering a wide range of services in the area of sexual and 8 MICS 2010 reproductive health, including family planning, preventive testing of cervical and breast cancer, contraception, HIV tests and counseling. In January 2009, the Lobi Foundation and the Ministry of Health signed an agreement making 'Lobi' responsible for national policy on sexual and reproductive health. It is estimated that 43 to 86 abortions are performed annually per 1000 women in the 15 – 44 year age-range. Reliable numbers on the incidence of abortion are unobtainable, due to a law that criminalises abortion in all cases, which means that abortions are not registered. Registration does occur at the Emergency Room of the Paramaribo Academic Hospital in cases of medical complications. According to MICS 2010, the prevalence of abortion is 7% of all women. According to the CEDAW country report for Suriname (2016), numbers of teenage pregnancies dropped from 58.0 births for women aged 15-19 years in 2011 to 51.9 births for the same age-group in 2012. Since 2007, the number of registered HIV cases has declined steadily: 683 in 2007; 601 in 2008; 527 in 2010; and 486 in 2011. In 2013, 1.8% of women aged 15 – 34 years and 2.6% of women aged 35 – 59 years died of HIV/AIDS. For men aged 15 – 34 years that was 0.9% and 4.7% in the 35 – 59 year age group 4,7%.9 Since 2003, the HIV test is included in regular blood tests for all pregnant women. Pregnant HIV-positive women receive anti-retroviral treatment (ART) during pregnancy and after childbirth. In 2011, 98% of children born of HIV-positive women were treated.10Since 2006, significant advances in treatment have contributed to a sharp reduction in AIDS mortality. According to the 2016 CEDAW country report the number of people using ART has risen: in 2008 it was 62% of people with HIV/AIDS; in 2012 the percentage was 82%. Recent data are unavailable and in any case, data are not maintained according to sex. Cardiovascular disease was the main cause of death in Suriname in 2011, affecting men and women equally at 27.1%. In 2013, the public health bureau (BOG) noted the most common cause of death for the 15 – 34 year age-group as being ‘death by external causes’ for both women and men, respectively 13.4% and 4.1%. For the 35 – 59 year age-group the most common cause of death was cardiovascular disease for both, men 9 Data from the Bureau for Public Health (BOG), 2013. 10 Suriname, UNGASS report, 2012. and women, respectively 20.8% and 7.6%. Though the general incidence of cancer is low, Suriname has the highest incidence of cervical cancer among developing countries11. Power and decision-making (Source: GEI; National Review BPFA +20, 4th – 6th CEDAW, Reply LOI) In accordance with Article 52, Paragraph 2and Article 53 of the Constitution, both women and men can participate in the general, free and secret elections for parliamentary institutions. In March 2005 some discriminatory Articles of the Elections Act were amended: amended Articles 15, 41, 57 and 73 now allow married or widowed women candidates the option to submit a written application to be registered under their own name, with the addition of their (deceased) husband’s name. During the 2010 general elections, 1,360 married women made use of the possibility to register under their own name with the addition of their husband’s name for the first time, while another 297 registered with the addition of the name of their late husband. In 2015, 5,012 women registered under their own name with the addition of the name of their husband. The number of actual male voters dropped from 167,514 in 2005 to 160,441 in 2010 and rose again in 2015 to 176,324. The number of actual female voters dropped from 166,471 in 2005 to 162,184 in 2010, rising again to 176,735 in 2015. Despite there being no laws that exclude participation of women, both national and international studies show that Suriname lags behind with the participation of women in decision-making positions. Up to 2005, the proportion of women representatives in the National Assembly (DNA) steadily rose from 18 to 22 percent. This changed drastically after the 2010 elections when the percentage of women dropped to 10 percent. In 2015, the proportion of women DNA representatives in the National Assembly rose to 25.5 percent again. In 2019, the proportion rose to 31% as a result of vacant seats being refilled through a system of moving the next person on the political parties’ official lists of candidates. At present, 16 of the 51 members are women. The position of Speaker of the National Assembly has been held by the same woman since 2010. With regard to female ministers, since 2015 there are five (5) women ministers in a cabinet of 17 ministers: Foreign Affairs; Education, Science and Culture; Spatial Planning, Land and Forestry Management; Social Affairs; and Sports and Youth Affairs. 11 Statistical Yearbook, 2017 The proportion of women in higher government institutions has significantly increased, particularly in the Court of Justice, the State dvisory Council and the National Audit Office. The representation of women at the Court of Justice has changed drastically: the number of female judges increased from one in 2000 to 15 in 2019, while the number of male judges dropped from ten in 2004 to five in 2019. Women also dominate at the Public Prosecutor’s Office: 29% male versus 71% female public prosecutors. With regard to diplomatic positions, up to 2014 nine women headed a diplomatic post. The proportion of women in the diplomatic corps has declined: at the end of 2018 there were two female ambassadors and one female consul-general in Surinamese diplomatic service. In 2019, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, however, is a woman. At the district level, four of 15 district commissioners are women. With regard to women in district-level councils, there has been an increase from 31% (2010) to 35% (2015), while the proportion of women in the local councils rose from 35% (2010) to 45% (2015). There are indications that the involvement of women in decision-making in the private sector is increasing and that more women are selected for management positions on the basis of their appropriate qualifications. Women are now also found in top management positions of leading financial institutions, such as banks and credit cooperatives. However, trends cannot be indicated due to a lack of data. Despite the relative increase of women in management positions, the general view persists that women in Suriname are still marginally involved in national decision-making. Many factors contribute to this situation, including a lack of opportunities within political parties, a lack of sufficient suitable childcare facilities, especially outside of regular working hours, a relatively weaker financial position of women compared to men, a lack of access to a political and financial network to support political campaigns, and a lack of support from their social environment. Gender-related violence (Source: GEI; National Review BPFA +20, 4th – 6th CEDAW, Reply LOI)12 Gender-related violenceis not approached integrally in Suriname. Some forms of violence receive more attention than others. Attempts have been made to strengthen national legislation to protect citizens from all forms of violence and not to leave violence unpunished. In Suriname, data on violence against women available to the police are used. In June 2017, the National Council on Domestic Violence (NRHG) was established for three years in particular to evaluate and actualise the nationalpolicy plan for the Structural Approach of Domestic Violence 2014 – 2017. The policy plan has meanwhile been assessed and actualised and a work plan for 2018 has been drawn up. The scope of domestic violence is currently difficult to establish, as the results of the study to measure the existence of such gender-related violence (2018) are not yet available. Data on domestic violence are maintained by different organisations for their own services. Exchange of data and information is not structural and/or coordinated. A number of institutions provide assistance and related services. Unfortunately, cooperation between these institutions is insufficient. An up-to-date guide to social services is also lacking. All this results in, among other things, problems providing adequate references to effective services. Furthermore, there is just one shelter for female victims of domestic violence in the whole country. The Combating Domestic Violence Act was approved in 2009, and since 2012 it is possible to apply to a judge for restraining orders. Since 2014, the number of applications has been growing and the court has responded by charging five judges (including one for the Nickerie District) with hearing these cases. However, the operation of the law in practice is yet to be evaluated. In the period 2015 – 2017, 20 women and two men were victims of human trafficking. The majority of these victims (16) were between 11 and 20 years old. Data of the Suriname Police (KPS) indicate how many perpetrators are arrested, but movement of the 12 Concluding observations on the combined fourth to sixth periodic reports of Suriname, 9 March 2018;National Review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform For Action + 20, Suriname, May 2014; National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname, commissioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, August 2018 – pilot project CARICOM Gender Equality Indicators; Research Report Sexual Assault in Ten Surinamese Labour Organisations in the Public and Private Sector, commissioned by the Ilse Henar-Hewitt Foundation for Legal Aid for Women, January 2012; Replies of Suriname to the list of issues and questions in relation to the combined fourth to sixth periodic reports of Suriname, 18 December 2017; Work Plan Domestic Violence, July 2018. cases through the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Court are difficult to track, because data are not kept as such. Various structures have been established to tackle human trafficking, such as the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) desk in the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the TIP unit with thepolice, and the TIP working group. A lack of capacity within these bodies to monitor relevant legislation has become evident, particularly with respect to the interior. It is worth mentioning that the stipulations regarding human trafficking were extended in the Penal Code in 2015. Separate receivingareas for female and male victims of human trafficking are available, where food and other needs are provided. The locations are kept secret for reasons of security. There is no further information on available programmes and health services for this group of people. Sexual harrassment of female employees was confirmed by a study conducted by the Ilse Henar-Hewitt Foundation in 2012 among ten organisations (government and non- government). Prevalence of victims of sexual harassment varied between 4% and 25% for menand between 2% and 57% for women. Harassment was highest in workplaces with unequal sex ratios, those lacking a code of conduct, or with traditional management, and in a sexual context. It is remarkable that victims of sexual harassment were found in all age-groups and educational categories. Most women and men think that vicitims of sexual harassment are generally women and perpetrators generally men. Up to now, there is no specific policy or legislation relating to sexual harrassment or sexual intidimation in the workplace. There are legal stipulations that can be linked to it and which an employee could invoke. These are laid down in the Constitution, the Suriname Civil Code and Penal Code. There are currently two government bills. The first was drafted by the Ministry of Home Affairs and redrafted by the Ilse Henar-Hewitt Foundation and applies to both the public and private sectors. The second was drafted by the Ministry of Labour in 2018 and is titled “Work, Violenceand Sexual Harrassment”. This bill only applies to the private sector. An assessment is needed on how these two bills might be integrated. 3.2 CURRENT LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR GENDER EQUALITY With regard to the media, there are no regulations as yet on the content of media products, which often reinforce traditional roles for women and do not provide a balanced representation of the diverse roles and contributions of women in society. This preserves genderstereotypes in society. The principle of equality between men and women is laid down in the Constitution of Suriname, in particular in Article 35: “Men and women shall be equal before the law”. The prohibition of discrimination is laid down in Article 8 Clause 2 of the Constitution: “No one may be discriminated on the basis of one’s birth, sex, race, language, religion, origin, education, political conviction, economic position or social conditions, or any other status”. Based on what is laid down in the Constitution, women are legally equal to men in every area, and discrimination should not occur, neither in public life nor in the private sphere. But despite the principle of equality of men and women and the prohibition of discrimination laid down in the Constitution, legal provisions exist in national legislation that contradict these principles. In the past 25 years, attempts have been made to remove the discriminatory legal provisions or bring them in line with international treaties that advocate gender equality. It was also attempted to adopt new legislation which guarantees improved protection of women, but muchstill remains to be done to actually ensure that the principle of gender equalityis guaranteed in all legislation. Suriname has ratified two specific conventions related to women’s rights: the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination of Women (CEDAW), ratified in 1993, and the OAS Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Elimination of Violence Against Women (the Convention of Belém do Para), ratified in 2002. Ratification means that the State must comply with the obligations resulting from said treaty and must bring its national legislation in line with these treaties, where necessary. The Ministry of Home Affairs is charged with, among other things, formulating the national gender policy, which promotes gender equality. CEDAW was initially conceived to combat all forms of discrimination of women. Since 2010, however, the CEDAW commission also asks questions about LGBT persons during meetings to review the country reports, and encourages member states through its concluding remarks to take into account this target group in policy implementation. The following is a list of international treaties and plans of action to which Suriname has committed itself in order to promote human rights and gender equality:  1993 ratification of CEDAW (Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination of Women) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by Suriname.  1994 approval of the Program of Action of ICPD (International Conference on Population and Planning);  1995 the Beijing Plan of Action (BPfA);  2002 the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Elimination of All Forms of Violence against Women, also known as the Convention of Belém do Para;  2006 the Palermo Protocol, regarding the prevention and punishment of human trafficking, in particular trafficking of women and children;  The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD);  The optional protocols of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2011; and  Adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2015-2030 3.3 GENDER STATISTICS AND GENDER EQUALITY INDICATORS The gathering, processing and presention of data in Suriname is the legal responsibility of the General Bureau of Statistics (ABS), but data are also collected by other agencies, ministries and research institutes. According to the National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men (2018), due to a lack of financial resources, knowledge, humanpower and clear goals for data collection, data are not always collected in set periods, as a result of which available data are often outdated. Other constraints mentioned in the report are:  Data are also gathered through registration of information, without a clear purpose.  Research department do not receive data from other organisations like private job centres, which also register similar data.  Data are not always brought into line with dats gathered by other departments or organisations within the same ministry.  Many organisations do not know how to gather gender-related data.  Data are often old, unstructured or lacking, not analysed, not immediately available, not always specified according to sex, and in particular not gender-related.  Gender Focal Points (GFPs) of the various ministries ofen do not know what data are available and cannot share data with other organisations. When formulating this gender vision policy plan (January-February 2019) the results of the most recent MICS study (2018) and the study to measure the existence of violence against women (2018) were not available. In future, the statistics provided by these studies can be appended to this document to serve further policy planning and identification of activities in the annual plans. For more details and analyses of the available gender statistics, reference is made to the National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men (2018), the reports and other documents mentioned in the Reference List. Furthermore, Appendix 1 to this document includes graphs showing the situation of women and men in Suriname.bThe data are derived from various sources. 4. GENDER POLICY It was decided to develop a policy document containing a vision for gender equality and equity over a period of roughly 15 years (2021 – 2035). In this manner, the goals of the 2030 World Agenda and the national goals can be better coordinated and the vision of development and intended change can also be better articulated. The intention is that this gender vision policy plan will be integrated in the national development plans of Suriname for the coming years. The 2019 – 2020 Gender Action Plan, which was developed simultaneously with this policy document, will serve as an example for forth coming annual work plans, which in future should be distilled from the Gender Vision Policy Document 2021 – 2035. The 2019 – 2020 Gender Action Plan specifially bridges the periods indicated by OP 2017 – 2021 and the Gender Vision Policy Document 2021 – 2035. Future annual plans will start at the beginning of 2021 with activities to be incorporated in the ministerial annual plans and budgets. The planned activities will thus be incorporated in the general national annual plan and relted state budget, which are presented in and approved by the National Assembly. Assessment every five years are recommended, so as to adjust the course of the long- term gender policy. If required, concrete five-year plans may be derived from the longer term policy document, should future governments following the general elections of 2020, 2025 and 2030 still decide to formulate mid-term development plans (five-year plans). The system of annual work plans and five-year assessments (and possible five-year plans) builds a more efficient system for monitoring and evaluation by the Bureau Gender Affairs. Constant monitoring of the implementation of the gender policy is the responsibility of the Bureau Gender Affairs (BGA). The monitoring and evaluation process of the Planning Office of Suriname as national planning institute will be used, so the BGA annual work plans can be incorporated in the annual plans and budgets of the respective ministries. The annual evaluation is an internal process, to be carried out for each priority area by BGA together with relevant working groups. The five-year assessments are conducted in a participatory process, in which stakeholders are able to evaluate the implementation of the gender policy together, and to adapt and expand the interventions suggested in the vision document. THE VISION FOR GENDER EQUALITY In 2035 Surinamese society is free of gender discrimination, gender stereotypes and gender-related violence, in the public as well as the private spheres. Gender equality and equity, shared responsibility13, equal opportunities and equal access to all sectors, funds and resources, are central. GENERAL STRATEGIC GOAL The general strategic goal formulated on page 152 of the OP 2017 – 2021 for the gender policy is maintained for the coming period, given that this goal is still relevant, namely: The legal and regulatory framework and policy principles of private and public organisations guaranteeing the right to personal safety and freedom of men and women and the opportunities to realise their ideals and talents, are not negatively influenced by gender stereotypes. PRIORITY AREAS Equity, equal opportunities and rights for men and women are essential to achieve sustainable development. In the coming 15 years the national gender policy will focus on a number of priority areas, which have already been determined with stakeholders in 2011. The areas were selected from the perspective of the BPfA. These priorities are stil valid according to the 2018 situation analysis14. Two priority areas have now been added: legal and regulatory framework, because gender inequality and discrimination must be prevented in all legislative amendments and new laws; environment and climate change, because this sector has been identified as a priority for the development of Suriname. The gender priority areas for the 2021 – 2035 period are:  Labour, income and poverty reduction  Education  Health  Power and decision-making  Gender-related violence  Legal and regulatory framework  Environmentand climate change 13 ‘Shared responsibility’ refers to the way everyone can contribute, in the private sphere as well as in society, to achieving goals and to the way in which we decide together and encourage each other to keep contributing. The final goal is that everyone can equally contribute to and benefit from social interactions, without barriers that might arise due to gender roles.Mutual cooperation and communicaton among everyone involved are essential for this. 14 Country Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname, commissioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 2018 – pilot project CARICOM Gender Equality Indicators This policy document points the way forward to eventually achieve gender equality and equity in Suriname in the selected priority areas. Besides the aforementioned priority areas, sectoral development themes or priorities will also be identified by the goverment in national development plans in the coming years. Policies within national development sectors or priorities can be tested by applying gender mainstreaming. This ensures that the chosen policy does not create or reinforce inequalities. In addition, gender analyses can indicate which interventions may help eliminate or reduce any identified gender inequalities. After the last CEDAW country report, it was recommended to Suriname to guarantee equal rights and opportunities for men and women and increase awareness in order to eliminate discrimination and social stigma (CEDAW recommendation 51, adapted). This recommendation obviously applies to all priority areas. Various CEDAW closing remarks contain recommendations with regard to rural, Indigenous and Tribal women. FAO15 and the CEDAW Commissionstate that Indigenous and Tribal women face multiple discrimination, namely on the basis of gender, ethnicity, and often on the basis of their socio-economic status. Special measures are necessary in all priority areas to reduce such multiple discrimination. GENERAL STRATEGIES In the coming 15 years, the following general strategies will constantly be applied in the implementation of the gender policy. This will also be taken into account when determining activities in the annual work plans:  Ample attention for education and awareness for the general public on gender inequality, discrimination and stereotyping in society, focusing in particular on the target group of young people.  Improve data and information gathering, and strengthen the ability to carry out gender analyses, in view of a targeted gender policyand efficient gender mainstreaming.  Intensify cooperation with the General Bureau of Statistics (ABS).  Involve and cooperate with civil society organisations to promote gender equality and equity, reduce gender discrimination and stereotyping, and combat gender violence.  Involve and cooperate with actors representing Indigenous and Maroon women, or who are knowledgable of the multiple disadvantages and the specific measures that are required. 15 http://www.fao.org/indigenous-peoples/our-pillars/focus-area-women/en/  Build networks and partnerships to improve cooperation within government structures, as well as with structures and organisations outside of government.  Achieve gender equality and equity through support from a leading international framework and cooperation with regional and international organisations.  Draft legislation in consultation and/or amend discriminatory legislation in line with international obligations and prevent gender-related discrimination. THE BUREAUGENDER AFFAIRS The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Bureau Gender Affairs (BGA), are responsible for the national gender policy. This bureau will also have to coordinate, supervise and monitor the national gender policy for the period 2021 – 2035. In order to cary out the tasks involved in this as efficiently as possible, and taking into account problems and challenges mentioned before in formulating and implementing gender policy and data collection and analysis, the Ministry of Home Affairs or the BGA, will have to ensure in the next years that:  A plan for an organisational structure of the Bureau of Gender Affairsis finalised, with sufficient decision-making authority, human, technical and financial resources to actually promote gender equality and combat gender discrimination.  The Gender Vision Policy Document 2021–2035 is used as a guide to achieve gender equality in the selected priority areas, and feasible annual work plans are distilled from that, with measurable indicators and results.  The gender policy document is integrated into Suriname’s future national development plans, while the annual work plans, where applicable, are incorporated in the respective ministerial annual plans and budgets.  Gender mainstreaming is applied to the development and implementation of all laws, policy and programmes of the ministries and legislative structures.  A mechanism for cooperation and monitoring per priority area is established within the Bureau Gender Affairs, to ensure that the annual work plans and/or five-year plans are made and can be implemented by the respective ministries. This mechanism must closely cooperate with the ministerial Plan Units.  A network is established and maintained by the Bureau Gender Affairs to stay in touch with stakeholders and other civil society organisations regarding the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the annual work plans and five-year plans and to keep abreast of social issues that influence gender equality and gender-related discrimination.  A national database is set up in cooperation with ABS and managed within the Bureau of Gender Affairs, to promote and maintain the collection, analysis and distribution of extensive gender statistics according to age, location and other variables, and to be able to evaluate trends in the situation of women and men and progress in achieving gender equality.  A permanent mechanism is set up with the Bureau Gender Affairs, which should ensure that the legal and regulatory framework complies with the gender-related international conventions which Suriname is a party to, but also to monitor the status of government bills submitted to the National Assembly and approved laws to promote gender equality and eliminate gender-related discrimination. The current gender management system with gender focal points (GFPs) in every ministry has not always proven to be effective. The system of GFPs is taken into account in the establishment of aforementioned mechanisms for cooperation and monitoring by the Bureau Gender Affairs. A thorough evaluation of the GFP ‘gender management system’ must indicate where and when the system was effective, how efficiency may be increased and what a different mechanism for cooperation and monitoring might look like. The Bureau Gender Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs will further develop and shape the aforementioned mechanisms, taking into account thepriority areas. Photo: BiZa/ BGA 4.1 LABOUR, INCOME AND POVERTY REDUCTION Main conclusions of the Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname in 2018 16: o More men than women are employed in industry, whereas more women are employed in services. There are no recent gender data on agriculture, as these are not collected. o There are no recent data on the informal sector. 2006 was the last timethat ABS published statistics on this sector; it was estimated that the informal sector contributed 18.5% to Gross National Income. In that same year a field study in the coastal area indicated that informal work in the non-agricultural sector amounted to 51%.17 In 2013 the Suriname Trade and Industry Association (VSB) estimated that 20% of the economy is informal.18 o It is unknown what proportion of the Surinamese population, taking gender into account, owns a plot of land and/or a building plot of a particular size. It is not clear whether these data are collected. In Suriname it is usual that land and/or building plots are registered under the name of a foundation or some other management structure, which makes it difficult to ascertain the gender of the owner. The number of women owners of enterprises is similarly unknown. o Regarding customary law of Tribal societies: land rights of Tribal societies have not yet been recognized by law. Moreover, their economic activities are hampered by the activities of outsiders. They usually cannot act against investors who have a legal mandate (concession) to carry out activities (goldmining and logging) in the settlements of Maroons and Indigenous people (tribal communities). This priority area takes into account achieving SDG 1.2 in particular, but there is still no offical definition of poverty in Suriname, while there are large differences between conditions in urban and rural areas. In urban areas poverty is generally characterised by a lack of finances, while in rural areas often other elements contribute to what poverty means. The General Bureau of Statistics (ABS) carries out household budget surveys, which are primarily intended to produce a representative consumer package of goods and services with associated weights (relative importance measured along the expenditure ratio)19. The Ministry of Social Affairs is in the preparatory stage of determining the poverty line. The Decent Work Agenda20 and the relevant indicators for decent work of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are also included, as Suriname has committed 16 National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname, commissioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 2018 – pilot project CARICOM Gender Equality Indicators Model (CARICOM GEI) 17 http://www.dwtonline.com/paramaribo-post/2016/09/23/informele-sector-zegen-en-vloek/, accessed 7 August 2017 18 http://www.starnieuws.com/index.php/welcome/index/nieuwsitem/20943, accessed 7 August 2017 (from GEI) 19 http://www.statistics-suriname.org/index.php/huishoudbudgetonderzoek, accessed 24 January 2019 (from GEI) 20 Decent work indicators: guidelines for producers and users of statistical and legal framework indicators: ILO manual: second version / International Labour Office. - Geneva: ILO, 2013 itself to those, and the Ministry of Labour has taken this up in cooperation with the Surinamese Trade and Industry Association (VSB). Priority Area:Labour, Income and Poverty Reduction Strategic Goal: In 2035 the number of people living in poverty has fallen and insight is gained into the informal sector, unpaid care workand work in the home, particularly with a view to supporting women trying to produce income under diffucult economic conditions. Long-term Goals Interventions/Actions Notes 5– 10 – 10 15 years years Survey of the population No offical definition At least halve the (men and women) living of poverty or a X proportion of men, under the povery line poverty line has women and children of all Develop a strategy to been determined in ages living in poverty in achieve the SDG goal, with Suriname. The X all its dimensions specific focus on women Ministry of Labour according to national living in poverty has begun this. definitions by 2030 (SDG Study of the impact of 1.2) poverty on men and X women Study and gender analysis Identification of of the accessibility of basic basic services and services (as indicated in data gathering can X SDG 5a) start in the short Implement reforms term granting women equal Study of posibilities of Data gathering can rights to economic microfinancing and other start in the short resources, besides acces X financial services and their term to ownership and control accessibility for women over land and other forms Study and gender analysis of property, financial of ownership and control services, inheritences and X of land and other natural natural resources, in resources accordance with national Study of occupational If possible, carry law (SDG 5 a) segregation on the labour out a survey market and the pay gap specifically in X between men and women, Nickerie in the 5 – on the basis of the 10 year period collection and analysis of statistical data, by gender distribution (CEDAW recommendation 37 d) Guarantee paid maternity Parental leave has leave and provision of been officially X sufficient and adequate regulated through childcare facilities. the adoption of the Promote equal sharing of Family Labour family and household Protection Act (Wet responsibilities between Arbeidsbescherming women and men, among Gezin) in April 2019 X others by introducing by the National Promote women’s access compulsory paternity Assembly to formal work leave. (CEDAW recommendation 37 f) Promote empowerment of women, in the public as X well as the private sectors Improve and extend childcare centres that provide quality serves in X line with national standards Recognise and value Study and gender analysis It is assumed that unpaid care and domestic of the informal sector, more women than work by providing public unpaid care and domestic men ‘hustle’ in the services, infrastructure work informal sector. and and a social Unpaid care and protection policy, and by domestic work are X promoting shared likely carried out responsibility in the primarily by household and extended women. family, as is nationally applicable (SDG 5.4) Identify labour rights that By 2030 all women and require improvement and X men in Suriname have actually improve them decent work. Improve the working conditions of women and X men in Suriname. Provide professional and other specialist training, for instance in agriculture, to deprived people, an X X important part of whom are women in rural areas and the interior Carry out feasibility and In rural areas and marketing studies to the interior, many support possibilities of women are production, particulary in involved in rural areas and the subsistence X X interior. farming, the development of cottage industries and micro- enterprises. Foto: BiZa/ CU 4.2 EDUCATION Main conclusions of the Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname in 2018 21: o There are more boys than girls admitted in regular primary education (GLO). The Gender Parity Index (GPI) is slightly below 1. o The higher the level of education, the fewer boys are enrolled compared to girls. The GPI for secondary education at junior secondary level is 1.2. The GPI for senior secondary and tertiary levels is not up to date. The last measured GPI for senior secondary education was 1.76 for the 2011 – 2012 school-year. For tertiary education, the GPI was 1.93 in the 2010 – 2011 college year. o A higher percentage of boys gets left back at junior secondary level, compared to girls at the same level. o Percentages of repeaters are not yet available. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (MinOWC) has the data, but has not yet calculated the percentages. o Depending on the disciplines at the University, more women than men will be enrolled, or vice versa. When more women are enrolled, more women graduate, and when more men are enrolled, more men graduate. The exception is the Faculty of Medical Sciences of ADEKUS; more women than men are enrolled, but the percentage of male graduates is higher than that of women. MinOWC organised various education conferences in the past years, where particularly the problem of drop-outs and repeaters in primary education was raised. Also, various projects have been completed or are ongoing to improve teachers’ skills and adapt the primary school curriculum. MinOWC intends to organise a conference in 2019 to discuss extension of primary education and ‘bridge building’ between the different educational levels in order to reduce the number of repeaters and drop-outs. In the coming years, promotion of gender sensitivity of teachers and educational planners, and the improvement of the secondary education programme will be tackled. 21 National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname, commissioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 2018 – pilotproject CARICOM Gender Equality Indicators Model (CARICOM GEI) Priority Area:Education Strategic Goal: In 2035 gender inequalities in education with regard to numbers of girls and boys, women and men, will have been eliminated. Curricula are gender sensitive and teachers and other stakeholders in the educational sector understand gender equality and prevention of gender stereotyping in school. Long-term Goals 2035 Interventions/Actions Notes 5 – 10 10 – years 15 years Map the number of girl drop-outs as a result of pregnancy (in the preceding 3 years), specifying educational X level and district; suggest piloting in 3 schools in Paramaribo, Marowijne and Nickerie Ensure that by 2030 all Increase the percentage girls and boys can of women and girls in all complete primary and levels of education, secondary education in a sufficiently taking into free, fair and qualitatively account the link between X superior way, which educational choices of should lead to relevant women and girls and the and effective educational demands of the job results (SDG 4.1) market (CEDAW recommendation 35 a) Improve the quality and accessibility of schools in rural areas and provide instruction in Indigenous X X and Tribal languages in schools (CEDAW recommendation 35 b) Implement monitoring mechanisms (including X sanctions) that forbid the expulsion of pregnant girls and facilitate reintegration of young mothers in the school system (CEDAW recommendation 35 c) Institutionalise compulsory, age- appropriate and extensive sexual education, including on responsible X X sexual behavioiur and prevention of early pregnancy CEDAW recommendation 35 d) Conduct a study and gender analysis of underlying causes of drop- X outs among boys and girls in the Surinamese system of secondary education. Ensure that curricula, MinOWC has Eradicate persistent textbooks and other already started a discriminatory school materials are study of the stereotypes in the gender-sensitive and do textbooks education system with not (un)consciously developed for X X regard to the roles and reproduce gender primary education. responsibilities of women stereotypes and/or The process is and men in the family promote gender continuous. and society. discrimination. Eliminate gender Introduce inclusive MinOWC intends to inequalities in education education and integrate implement ECD in by 2030 and provide Early Childhood the short term. equal access to all levels Development (ECD) in the However, the study of education and school system, and study can only be carried vocational training for the improvements this out on the medium X vulnerable people, brings for children in term including people with vulnerable situations. disabilities, Indegenous and Tribal People, and children in vulnerable situations (SDG 4.5) Incorporate the Basic Life Ensure that by 2030 all Skills programme in the students acquire the educational system within knowledge and skills a specific period and required to promote ensure that textbooks sustainable development, developed within the X among others by context of the programme education in sustainable are used in all primary and development and secondary schools sustainable life styles, (CEDAW recommendation human rights, gender 25 b) equality, promotion of a Strengthen the capacity of This is a continuous culture of peace and educational planners and process. A two- nonviolence, world teachers with regard to track policy is citizenship and valuing gender equality and recommended: cultural diversity and the X X sustainable development train the existing contribution of culture to teaching corps and sustainable development train new teachers (SDG 4.7) every year Foto: BiZa/ BGA 4.3 Health Main conclusions of the Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname in 2018 22: o An increase in contraceptive use was noted in 2010 (48%) compared to 2000 (42%). Contraceptive use is highest in urban and rural districts and lowest in the interior. o 67% of pregnant women in Suriname received prenatal care at least 4 times in 2010, irrespective of the care provider. This percentage is higher in urban (68%) and rural areas (71.9%) than in the interior (57.8%). o Numbers of people living with HIV/aids are unavailable; the number of people who died of HIV/AIDS is available. o The number of people who have access to ART increased from 62% in 2008 to 82% in 2012. However, data were not aggregated for gender. o Data on causes of death are not recent. Reporting of causes of death by hospitals to BOG is not constant; lack of personnel is a factor for both parties. o The percentage of births among women aged 15 – 19 years has dropped; in 2011 it was 58.0%, in 2012 it was down to 51.9%. Maternal health and mother and child care have been emphasized the past years, particularly in view of reducing maternal mortality. This remains a priority the coming years (SDG 3.1). Besides this, attention is required for:  Living with HIV/AIDS, particularly access to ART for all.  Prevention of teenage pregnancies.  The specific health of young people and seniors in society.  Gathering knowledge of health and healthy lifestyles of the various ethnic groups in Suriname. In 2015 Suriname committed itself to application of the strategy of Health in All Policies (HiAP). In the workshops preceding that, the fifteen greatest burdens of disease23 in Suriname were presented and it was stressed that gender plays an important role in reducing the consequenties of these: 1) HIV/AIDS; 2) Strokes; 3) Complications during pregnancy; 4) Cardiovascular disease; 5) Suicide; 6) Depression; 7)Traffic casualties; 8) 22 National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname, commissioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 2018 – pilotproject CARICOM Gender Equality Indicators Model (CARICOM GEI) 23 ‘The burden of disease (BoD) is a combined measure of life-years lost due to premature death and years lived with disability due to temporary or permanent ill health or impaired function’ – Diseases and Conditions Master Sheets for HiAP, presented at the national consensus workshop in October 2015. Diabetes; 9) Anaemia as a result of iron deficiency; 10) Lower back pain; 11) Neonatal complications; 12) Congenital abnormalities; 13) Pulmonary infections; 14) Chronic renal disease; 15) Incorrect medical treatment. Priority Area:Health Strategic Goal: In 2035 maternal mortality has been reduced to the level determined in the 2030 World Agenda for Sustainable Development, reproductive health and rights in Suriname have improved, and a gender perspective is taken into account in policy formulation and execution in the health sector. Long-term Goals Interventions/Actions Notes 5 – 10 10 – years 15 years Improve coverage and access to quality health services for women in non-urban areas and ensure that they have X access to cardiovascular Reduce maternal health services and mortality to less than 70 cancer screening per 100,000 live births (CEDAW by 2030 (SDG 3.1) recommendation 39 a) Study the impact of unsafe abortions on maternal mortality and X other obstetric complications (CEDAW recommendation 39 b) Ensure universal access Provide women with to sexual and access to quality post- reproductive health and abortion care, particularly reproductive rights as in case of complications X agreed within the resulting from unsafe framework of the abortions (CEDAW Programme of Action of recommendation 39 d) the International Provide access to safe Preparations for this X Conference on and affordable can start in the short Population and prophilactics, family term Development and the planning services and Beijing Platform for adequate information on Action and the end sexual and reproductive documents of their health (CEDAW respective conferences recommendation 39 e), (SDG 5.6) with special attention for young people. Reduce the number of A discrepancy has traffic fatalities and been noted between injuries in Suriname in male and female 2021 by 30% relative to traffic casualties and 24 2016 . their participation in traffic. The traffic institute to be established (J&P) plans to carry out a Halve the worldwide number of studies number of traffic and continuous X X fatalities and casualties educational by 2020 (SDG 3.6) campaigns, which should be gender sensitive. There is also adiscrepancy between the number of men and women living with disabilitiesas a result of traffic accidents. Conduct a study and During the HiAP gender analysis of the workshops in 2015, X main causes of death particular attention Improved health for all, among senior citizens was asked for particularly young More education and promotion of a people and senior awareness on healthy healthy lifestyle citizens lifestyle and healthy among young people, X X nutrition, particularly for and attention was women and girls. asked for overweight, 24 Goal formulated in the Strategic Plan for Traffic Safety in Suriname 2018 – 2021. SDG 3.6 mentions the year 2020, but Suriname has opted for 2021. particularly among girls and women in Suriname. Study of the prevalance This was proposed of hypertension and during the workshop diabetes among men and in Nickerie in March X X women in younger age 2019 groups, for instance 16 – 25 years Study of the causes of the lack of ART for men and women in the X communities of the interior. Improve access to ART for men and women living with HIV/AIDS, X X particularly aimed at communities in the Improved health for men interior. and women living with More education and At the introduction of HIV/AIDS, with special awareness of healthy Health in All Policies attention for lifestyles for men and (HiAP) in Suriname in communities in the women living with 2015, it was pointed interior. X X HIV/AIDS in communities, out that HIV/AIDS particularly aimed at forms the largest communities in the burden of disease in interior. Suriname and that Improve cooperation and more education, coordination between more attention for health experts to provide groups at risk and X ART. improved cooperation between health services are needed Foto: BiZa/ CU 4.4 POWER AND DECISION-MAKING Main conclusions of the Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname in 2018 25 : o Suriname scores very low with regard to women in political and desicion-making positions. The available data show that in the period 1987 – 2015, the Council of Ministers comprised on average merely 12% women. o Participation of women in the National Assemblyis higher than in the Council of Ministers. Parliament initiated and executed programmes in the past years to promote more female political leadership, and thus get more women placed on lists of candidates of the political parties. o Data on women in management positions show that women have a subservient position, despite being in the majorty in tertiary education. A rising trend of women in management positions may be noted in the public sector, particularly in bodies such as the State Advisory Council and the Independent Electoral Council. o A rising trend may also be noted for women in the judiciary since 2008. Data show that since 2016, the judiciary consists of 73% women. o Data show that there are four times more men than women in the Surinamese Police Corps (KPS). Unfortunately, data on the ranks of these women were not available. In the past years, various campaigns and projects have been carried out to encourage and support more women to claim a place in political structures. These activities were mainly carried out by NGOs and women’s organisations. The last major activities took place prior to the 2015 general elections. Encouraged by the female Speaker, the National Assembly tried to improve the position in politics in the same period through various capacity strengthening initiatives. Encouraging women in decision-making is more than political decision-making, however. In the coming years more attention will, therefore, be paid to stimulate women in decision-making positions in all sectors of society. 25 National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname, commissioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 2018 – pilot project CARICOM Gender Equality Indicators Model (CARICOM GEI) Priority Area: Power and Decision-Making Strategic Goal: In 2035 there is full, equal, free and democratic participation of women in political and public life, and women and men are equally represented in all public and private decision-making structures in the country. Long-term Goals Interventions/Actions Notes 5 – 10 – 10 15 jaar years Develop a comprehensive Determining legal strategy to promote quato for participation of women in appointments has all levels of political and been raised at public life, among others various times, but by fixing legal quota for there are differing political appointments, opinions about its accelerated recruitment of use. X women in decision-making positions and providing financial incentives to political Full and effective parties to include equal participation of women numbers of women and and ensure equal men on their lists of opportunities with regard candidates. to leadership at all leavels Request the Central of decision making in Electoral Office (CHS) to political, economic and keep data on voters public life. (SDG 5.5) according to gender, administrative jurisdiction, X district and age, and if possible, also state gender of candidates on the list of candidates (DNA and RR ballots). Encourage explicit support This will have to be of women who wish to be a continuous candidates and their process, which X X election campaigns should be given through awarenss of particular attention political leaders and the during the general general public, capacity elections (2025 and strengthening and 2030). financing of campaigns (CEDAW recommendation 31 b) Encourage women in positions of leadership and X decision-making in civil society structures. Encourage women in positions of leadership and decision-making in the business community in X general, as well as non- traditional occupations such as construction, mining and logging. Develop and implement a policy to support the economic and social development of rural, Maroon and Indigenous women and to prevent continuous gender X X inequality, which limits access to land, social services, economic opportunities, sanitation and communication technologies (CEDAW recommendation 45 a) Take measures to ensure full and equal participation of rural, Maroon and Indigenous women in decision- making X processes that affect them, including mining and logging concessions, as well as rural and national development plans (CEDAW recommendation 45 b) Develop specific training processes to build the leadership capacity of women of all ages, in order to achieve decision- X making roles on the basis of equality,in particular in senior management leadership and technical functions (MS 4.d) Encourage the use of information and communcation technology Increase the use of (ICT) and improve its innovative technology, in access for women and particular information and girls as a strategy to communication strengthen their X technology, to achieve competitive capacity and greater empowerment of increase their women (SDG 5b) opportunities in the labour job market, and increase access to other economic opportunities. Carry out awareness activities on the implementation of temporary, special measures to achieve Take temporary, special substantive equality of measures to combat women and men and X gender discrimination elimate intersecting forms of discrimination among deprived groups of women, particularly rural, Maroon and Indigenous women and women with disabilities (CEDAW recommendation 23 a) Set time-phased goals and allocate sufficient resources to temporarily take special measures, such as quota and other proactive measures, to accelerate equal representation of women, among other things in X public service, village councils, agricultural cooperatives, labour unions, and boards of public an private enterprises and professional associations (CEDAW recommendation 23 b) Temporarily enact special measures to promote representation of rural, Maroon and Indigenous women in the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers, legislative bodies, district and ressort X X councils, leadership positions in political parties and governmentadvisory councils (High constitutional bodies) (CEDAW recommendation 31 c). Eradicate enduring, Identify and tackle discriminatory stereotypes impediments in the of the roles and development of structural X responsibilities of women national long-term and men in the family and programmes in order to society. change social and cultural patterns that strengthen discriminatory stereotypes regarding the roles of men and women in the family and society (CEDAW recommendation 25 a) Make the media aware of the necessity to eradicate gender stereotypes and establish a mechanism within the Bureau Gender Affairs that systematically conducts evalutions and X encourages removal of stereotypical content from the media and shows positive representations of women and girls (CEDAW recommendation 25 c) Develop and enact targeted measures to increase public awareness of women’s rights via the media and encourage positive representations of women as active X X participants in social, economic and political life, and of men as actively responsible in domestic life and upbringing of children (CEDAW recommendation 25 d) . Increase awareness Carry out educational Awareness activities among policy makers and activities and programmes have been carried the general public on on gender-responsive for years. The gender-responsive budgeting and actually implementation of a X X budgeting. show its benefits. demonstration or pilot project might better show the benefits Foto: BiZa/ CU 4.5 GENDER-RELATED VIOLENCE Main conclusions of the Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname in 2018 26 : o A study was carried out in 2018 to measure the existence of violence against women. The results of this study are not yet known. o Data from the Criminal Intelligence Service (DCIV) for 2010 – 2015 show that gender-related violence, in particular domestic violence, has not decreased, despite ratification of the Convention of Belém do Para in 2002 and adoption of the Combatting Domestic Violence Act in 2009. Women still make up the majority of victims of domestic violence. Particularly physical violence among women aged 21 – 40 years has increased. The UN Declaration on Violence against Women (1993) defines violence against women as follows: … any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.

Article 1 of the Convention of Belém do Para states: For the purposes of this Convention, violence against women shall be understood as any act or conduct, based on gender, which causes death or physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, whether in the public or the private sphere.

Article 2 of that Convention explicitly states that violence against women is physical, sexual and psychological violence: a. that occurs within the family or domestic unit or within any other interpersonal relationship, whether or not the perpetrator shares or has shared the same residence with the woman, including, among other things, rape, battery and sexual abuse; b. that occurs in the community and is perpetrated by any person, including, among other things, rape, sexual abuse, torture, trafficking in persons, forced prostitution, kidnapping and sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as in educational institutions, health facilities or any other place; and 26 National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname, commissioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 2018 – pilot project CARICOM Gender Equality Indicators Model (CARICOM GEI) c. that is perpetrated or condoned by the state or its agents regardless of where it occurs. Sexual harrassment or unwanted intimacy is also transgressing behaviour that may occur in different situations and is considered intimidating or undesirable by the person targeted by it. Sexual harassment can manifest itself in (a combination of) three forms:  Words (verbal harrassment): sexually suggestive remarks, jokes, intimate questions or innuendo;  Gestures, facial expressions (non-verbal): staring, sexually suggestive gestures or showing sexually suggestive or pornographic images (also via email, WhatsApp or text messages);  Direct physical contact (physical): all form of unwanted bodily contact, such as an arm over a shoulder, grabbing, pinching, kissing, blocking one’s way. This priority area includes more than just violence against women. The term ‘gender- related violence’ was chosen to mean all types of violence where members of a particular gender are targeted, with their sex as the underlying reason. Gender-related violenceis linked to various types of violence, including femicide, physical, psychological and financial violence, and intimate spousal violence. In recent years the focus was on revealing and combatting domestic violence. Suriname not only wishes to combat, but also prevent all forms of gender-related violence through policy and legislation and through cooperation with organisations, institutions and other bodies which have have as their goal to prevent and combat gender-related violence. In this context, the following laws have been approved:  Amendment of the Penal Code with regard to trafficking in women and minors in 2006 and 2015.  Amendment of Penal Code with regard to sexual crimes in 2009.  Law on Combatting Domestic Violence in 2009.  Law on Criminalisation of Stalking in 2012. There is good cooperation between the Bureau Gender Affairs (BGA) and the National Council for Domestic Violence (NRHG). The latter has also outlined a policy document and drawn up a work plan. The Gender Vision Policy Document 2021 – 2035 also supports the vision and policy of the National Council, since the proposed interventions to tackle and reduce domestic violence also contribute to achieving the long-term goals of the gender policy document. In the coming years, the activities of the domestic violence work plan and the annual gender action plans will be constantly coordinated. Priority Area:Gender-related Violence Strategic Goal: By 2035, gender-related violencewill have decreased and access to help and legal services for victims and perpetrators will have been improved and increased. Long-term Goals Interventions/Actions Notes 5 – 10 10 – years 15 years Improve protection against all forms of gender-related X violence. Conduct a study sexual intimidatioin and harrassment in the public and private sectors, and X provide education with respect there to, and make workplaces safer. Reduce domestic Improve psycho-social violence, sexual violence assistance to victims and and sexual harrassment X X perpetrators of domestic of all men, women, boys violence and their families and girls in Suriname. Coduct constant training of Such training identified professional should be groups, including health included in the workers, teachers, police training of officers, military and recruits to fully- X X religious leaders to respond fledged police better to gender-related officers, and the violence. training of teachers and healthworkers Eradicate all forms of After approval of the gender-related violence National Policy Plan with in the public and private regard to Domestic sphere, also with regard Violence, keep striving to X to trafficking in women enforce the Domestic and sexual and other Violence Act (CEDAW exploitation (SDG 5.2) recommendation 27 a) Systematically gather data Preparations for on gender-related violence, this can start in according to age, ethnicity, the short term. geography and relationship between victim and perpetrator, and ensure X that research in this area forms the basis for comprehensive and targeted interventions (CEDAW recommendation 27 d). Establish a confidential Preparations for complaint mechanism for this can start in persons who are victims of the short term. gender discrimination and X gender-related violence (CEDAW recommendation 13 b). Train and supervise community workers in X X effective application of laws and relevant procedures. Streamline data that are registered by other departments in the Ministry of Justice and Police. Bring X structure to acquisition, registration and management of the data. Apply a zero-tolerance policy with regard to gender-related discrimination and violence, X including prosecution and adequate punishment of perpetrators. (CEDAW recommendation 51) Develop national plans to prevent, punish and X eradicate gender-related violence. Foster agreements of cooperation with the media and advertising agencies to X disseminatethe CEDAW and the Convention of Belém do Para. Include the concept of violence from the Convention of Belém do X Pará in official documents of Suriname. Develop special traning on gender-related violence for the benefit of the executive X and legislative arms and the judiciary. Establish a special body within the judiciary to X handle cases of gender- related violence. Promote the establishment of domestic violence units in X all police stations. Establish additional shelters for victims of gender- related violence, accessible to women and girls, particularly from rural Improved X areas, which provide legal accommodationand aid, rehabilitation and counseling of victims of psycho-social support to gender-related victims (CEDAW violenceand human recommendation 27 b). trafficking. Create / improve social programmes for victims of gender-related violenceat X the the Ministry of Social Affairs. Encourage the establishment/ strengthening of public and private bodies for assistance X to victims of gender-related violence (before, during and after the legal process). Monitor the quality of free Preparations for legal aid services. this can start in X the short term. Allocate adequate human, technical and financial resources to the new government infrastructure to combat human trafficking (Schakelketting 2.0) in order to implement the national strategy and the national plan of action to X combat human trafficking and set up sufficient and adequately equipped shelters for victims of Eliminate human human trafficking in trafficking, in particular different parts of the State trafficking and that is party to the exploitation of women Convention (CEDAW and girls. recommendation 29 a) Test, prosecute and adequately punish perpetrators and ensurethat victims of human trafficking and prostitution are free from criminal responsibility and are provided with X adequate protection, legal remedies and compensations, including temporary residence permits, medical care, psycho-social support, rehabilitation and support for reintegration and compensation (CEDAW recommendation 29 b) Adopt policy to ensure that victims of human trafficking who need protection, have access to asylum procedures and that there are gender-senstitive X identification and referral mechanisms at points of entry and in detention centres (CEDAW recommendation 29 c) Continue strengthening the capacity of judges, public prosecutors, border police, immigration authorities and other law enforcement officials of early X X identification and gender- sensitive protocols for dealing with victims of human trafficking. (CEDAW recommendation 29 d) Foto: BiZa/ BGA 4.6 LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK The legal and regulatory framework is apriority area in the 2021 – 2035 gender policy document, because Suriname still needs to amend or draw up a number of laws in order to meet the international conventions that have been ratified or signed, and that aim to eliminate gender-related discrimination or achieve equality. The last CEDAW report also included recommendations that indirectly relate to the Convention:  Operationalisation of the National Human Rights Institute in accordance with the principles on the status of national institutes for promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles) (Resolution 48/134 of the General Assembly) with a broad mandate, including the promotion and protection of women’s rights and gender equality. The Commission recommended that the state party allocate sufficient financial resources to the institute and provide for capacity strengthening of personnel with regard to gender issues and women’s rights in compliance with the Convention. (CEDAW recommendation 17)  Formulate policy for implementation of the Anti-Corruption Act, strengthen institutional capacity to effectively trace and investigate public sector corruption, prosecute perpetrators and guarantee transparency of the public financial managementsystem, in order to prevent funds for the execution of the Convention being misspent. (CEDAW recommendation 19) Recommendations were also made that should lead to immediate approval of various bills. In the next five years the recommendations of the CEDAW commission will be studied thoroughly to see whether and how these may be integrated into the national legislation and/or whether there are any impediments to implementation of existing laws. Priority Area:Legal and Regulatory Framework Strategic Goal: By 2035, all legislation will have been adapted, strengthened and approved and implemented to promote gender equality and to eliminate gender-related discrimination in Suriname. Long-term Goal Interventions/Actions Notes 5 – 10 – 10 15 years years Strengthen the capacity of Capacity members of parliament, strengthening must policymakers and be continuous, government officials in the particularly after interest of comprehensive, each round of consistent and coherent general elections legal reforms to achieve X X substantial equality of men and women, in view of immediate approval of various government bills to promote women’s rights (CEDAW recommendation 11d). End all forms of Amend Article 8 Clause 2 Amending the discrimination of women of the Constitution to Constitution is not and girls, everywhere recognise intersecting easy, as that (SDG 5.1) forms of discrimination of requires a two- rural, Maroon, Indigenous thirds majority of X women, women with votes. disabilities, and lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women (CEDAW recommendation 11 b) Adopt the law on equal treatment of women and men and ensure that it contains a definition of X gender-related discrimination, as well as a prohibition on direct and indirect discrimination in the public and private spheres, in accordance with Article 1 of the Convention and earlier concluding remarks of the Commission (CEDAW recommendation 11 c) Study the manner in which Preparations for General Recommendation this can start in the No. 33 (2015) of the short term Commission on the access of women to justice may be applied to reform the Bureau of Legal Services X (Bureau Rechtszorg) and to deal with discriminatory practices that limit women’s access to justice (CEDAW recommendation 13 a) Provide free legal aid to women and girls who lack sufficient funds, adopt gender-sensitive application procedures at Bureau Rechtszorg, X increase the budget and provide free translation service to ethnic minority women (CEDAW recommendation 13 c). Approve legislation to explicitly forbid corporal Eliminate all harmful punishment in all contexts X practices, such as child, (CEDAW recommendation early and forced 27 c) marriages and female Take measures to prevent genital mutilation (SDG child marriages and forced 5.3) marriages, among other X things by developing a national strategy to prevent and eliminate child marriages and setting up a complaint mechanism for victims of child and/or forced marriages (CEDAW recommendation 53 b) Adopt the government bill on the establishment of a Constitutional Court X (CEDAW recommendation 11 a) Promote research on the impact of gender X stereotypes in studies and legal processes. Approve and strengthen Incorporate gender in a healthy policy and protocols regarding enforcable legislation for investigation and X the promotion of gender prosecution by the Public equality and Prosecutor’s Office. empowerment of all Establish a body to women and girls at all regulate sexist content in X levels (SDG 5c) advertising. Ratify the Optional Protocol of the Convention as soon as possible and adopt the amendment to

Article 20 Clause 1 of the X Convention regarding the time of meeting of the Commission. (CEDAW recommendation 56) Strengthen the existing Strenghten legislation on legal framework to regulation of the actions of make companies and if registered enterprises, necessary their foreign including the Mining Act of partners responsible for Suriname, in order to set X human rights abuses, minimum standards for particularly with regard environmental protection, to land rights, health, as water quality, labour and well as environmental health, with a view of and labour standards protecting the rights of and the specific rights rural, Maroon and of women related to Indigenous women, who those. are, or are likely to be, affected by the operations (CEDAW recommendation 21 a) Establish a mechanism or In Suriname there body to regulate the is an EITI activities of private mining (Extractive companies and to oversee Industries observance of laws and Transparency promotion of the human Initiative), that is rights of women (CEDAW currently being X recommendation 21 b) coordinated from the Bauxite Institute. Contact can be made with EITI in the short term. Take legal and other measures, such as using mobile units for civil registration, lowering costs and administrative barriers X and facilitating theregistration of children Take into account born in the interior gender-related (CEDAW recommendation dimensions of refugee 33 a) status, asylum, Remove any administrative nationality and impediments and statelessness in discriminatory practices legislation and that stand in the way of regulations. X registration of children born of foreign parents (CEDAW recommendation 33 b) Formulate and adopt policy on protection of refugees X and establish asylum procedures that provide a gender-sensitive approach and that protect the economic and social rights of refugees and women and girls seeking asylum (CEDAW recommendation 49 a) Introduce gender- X appropriate, culturally sensitive, and age- sensitive individual screening and assessment procedures to ensure systematic and early identification of refugees and asylum seekers, in particular women and girls who have been or risk becoming victims of gender-related violence (CEDAW recommendation 49 b) Approve the revised Civil Code, the Law on Protection of Motherhood, amendment of the Employment Act, and X X extend the Law on Bring equal Minimum Hourly Wages to compensation for equal the public sector and the work for women and informal economy (CEDAW men in line with the recommendation 37 a) principle of equal pay Amend Article 28 of the for work of equal value. Constitution to include the principle of equal pay fo work of equal value and X X take measures to maintain this principle effectively (CEDAW recommendation 37 c) Amend Articles 355-357 of Broad social debate the Penal Code that forbid on abortion and its abortion; the principle is legalisation are legalisation of abortion in required. This cases of rape, incest, risk involves multiple Legalise abortion in to the life and/or the stakeholders certain cases and health of the mother, or (among others the X decriminalise it in all severe damage of the Ministries of Justice cases. foetus, decriminalise it in and Police, Public all other cases and remove Health, VMS, sanctions for women religious having abortions (CEDAW organisations). recommendation 39 c) Adopt the revised Civil Code to remove discriminatory stipulations (in particular Articles 18, 24, 56a, 217, 221, 234 and 353), raise the minimum marriageable age to 18 years and guarantee legal X competence, equal rights of married women, as well as equality of women and men with regard to parental authority and Improve legislation on child custody (CEDAW marriage and family recommendation 53 a). relations. Provide legal protection with regard to so-called tribal marriages and carry out targeted awareness X activities on the rights and corresponding legal remedies (CEDAW recommendation 53 c). Extend social and economic protection to women in concubinage X (CEDAW recommendation 53 d). Adapt the legal and Assess laws and Preparations can regulatory framework to regulations for those still start in the short the Convention of requiring amendment and term. X Belém do Para. make an action plan for other amendments. 4.7 ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE This priority area has been added for the coming period. The effective participation of women in this priority area is actually essential, not only because women are disproportionately heavily affected by the consequences of climate change and disasters, but also because they are agents of change and play an important role in formulating and implementing policy and plans of actions relating to the environment, protection of biodiversity, as well as adaptation and mitigation of climate change. The interventions must explicitly include a gender perspective and take the specific requirements of women into account. The man-made warming of the planet has a visible global effect on physical and biological systems. Climate change has consequences for all economic and social sectors and levels of society, and for food security on earth, because the fertility of agricultural areas is affected. But climate change is also a political problem with fundamental consequences for social justice and gender equality. Environmental Coordination functions directly under the responsibility of the President’s Office and is charged with coordinating the environmental policy in Suriname, which should directly link to the development plans of the country. The National Institute of Environmental Development in Suriname (NIMOS) functions as the technical implementing body of Environmental Coordination. NIMOS is also responsible for controlling environmental polution, and has built cooperation with authorities such as the Labour Inspectorate, the Bureau of Public Health (BOG) and the District Commissioners (Environmental and Health Services, MGD), to be able to tackle certain aspects of environmental pollution via them. NIMOS is furthermore charged with activities relating to climate change, such as formulating the SIDS report for Suriname and execution of the REDD+ project. In the coming years, policies with respect to the environment, biodiversity and climate change, and the gender policy will be coordinated. The environmental strategy and policy have been laid down in the draft of the Environmental Framework Law, which has been submitted for approval to the National Assembly. In this Gender Vision Policy Document 2021 – 2035 and in the Gender Plan of Action 2019 – 2020 a start has already been made to incorporate environmental and climate activities that specifically relate to gender equality. As soon as the Environmental Framework Law has been officially approved, the Bureau Gender Affairs will discuss adapting the interventions in the priority area of environment and climate change with the organisations charged with environmental policy. Priority Area:Environment and Climate Change Strategic Goal: In 2035 all women will be actively involved in decision-making with regard to the environment, biodiversity and climate change at all levels, gender issues and gender perspectives will have been integrated into policy measures and programmes for sustainable development, and the mechanisms at the national level will have been strengthened or set up to take gender-related effects of policy into account. Long-term Goals Interventions/Actions Notes 5 – 10 – 10 15 jaar year s Investigate whether it is In 2018 the Achieve universal and possible to lay water mains in Surinamese Water equal access to safe and X areas where these have not Distribution affordable drinking water yet been laid. Company (SWM) for all by 2030. Develop a strategy to achieve already provided (Percentage of the the SDG goal, with special some new areas population that has attention for women in remote with water mains X access to safe drinking areas who use river and creek for access to safe water) (SDG 6.1) water. drinking water. Achieve proper and Conduct a study and gender reliable sanitation and analysis with regard tothe use hygiene for all and put of sanitation and the specific X an end to public requirements of women in defacation, paying (remote) communities in the special attention to the interior. requirements of women Further improvement of toilet and girls and people in facilities, particularly in the X X vulnerable interior. situations.(SDG 6.2) Integrate traditional Strengthen participation knowledge of rural of and support local communities, particularly of communities in women, in environmental improving water X programmes, and especially management and their knowledge of, access to, sanitation. and management of water (SDG 6.b) sources and sanitation. Education and awareness for local communities, particularly women, about good water X management and safe toilet facilities. Encourage the participation of women in decision-making X Promote mechanisms to with respect to climate change increase the capacity and emergencies. with regard to effective This shall have to planning and Further develop and intensify be elaborated management linked to national programmes for further for climate change, in the awareness and education, implementation in least developed countries which take into account the rural districts and X and small island states, requirements of women in a the interior, with also focusing on women, changing environment and their specific young people and local protection of biodiversity. requirements and and marginalised language use. communities. Study the specific susceptibility (SDG 13.b) of women to climate change X and environmental degradation. Ensure effective Policy and action plans for participation of women climate change, including the (particularly rural, Third National Communication Marron and Indigenous on Climate Change, explicitly X X women) in the contain a gender perspective formulation and and take into account the Participation implementation of policy specific requirements of processes may start and action plans to women. inthe short term, protect biodiversity and Policies and action plans to but are continuous. lowering risk of disasters protect biodiversity explicitly and climate contain a gender perspective X X change(CEDAW and take into account the recommendations specific knowledge and 37and43) requirements of women.27 27 See also specifically the 2015 – 2020 Gender Plan of Action of the Convention on Biological Diversity https://www.cbd.int/gender/action-plan/ REFERENCES CEDAW: - Combined fourth to sixth periodic reports of Suriname, 30 September 2016 - Concluding observations on the combined fourth to sixth periodic reports of Suriname, 9 March 2018 - Replies of Suriname to the list of issues and questions in relation to the combined fourth to sixth periodic reports of Suriname, 18 December 2017 - Ellen-Rose Kambel, A Guide to Indigenous Women's Rights under the Convention on the Eradication of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, 2nd ed., Forest Peoples Program, 2008 - Realizing Indigenous Women's Rights, A Handbook on the CEDAW, Tebtebba Foundation, 2013 BPfA (Beijing Platform for Action): - National Review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action + 20, Suriname, May 2014 Montevideo strategy: - Regional Gender Agenda: The Montevideo Strategy for implementation within the sustainable development framework by 2030 Other documents: - Community Engagement Strategie voor de Overheid, Versie 1.1. – March 2016 - National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname, in opdracht of the Ministry of Home Affairs, August 2018 (pilotproject CARICOM Gender Equality Indicators GEI) - Suriname Progress Report on the Implementation of the Montevideo Consensus 2013- 2017,March 2018 - Survey Report on Sexual Harassment in Ten Surinamese Organisations in the Public and Private Sectors, commissioned by the Stichting Ilse Henar-Hewitt Juridische Bijstand voor Vrouwen, January 2012 - Selected statistics on Women and Men in Suriname, November 2017 - Domestic Violence Work Plan, July 2018. - Global Gender Gap Index, World Economic Forum, 2012 - Global Gender Gap Index, World Economic Forum, 2017 - Global Gender Gap Index, World Economic Forum, 2018 - United Nations, United Natons Development Group, Guidelines on Indigenous Peoples' Issues, February 2008 (http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/indigenous/docs/guidelines.pdf)

APPENDIX 1 THE SITUATION OF WOMEN AND MEN IN SURINAME, IN CHARTS Priority Area: Labour, Income and Poverty Reduction Job Seekers in Paramaribo by Sex, 2010 - 2016 Source:National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men in Suriname, 2018 Job Seekers in Paramaribo by Sex, 2011 – 2016 Source:National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men 2018 Overview of Accommodated Job Seekers in Paramaribo by Sex, 2011 – 2016 Source: National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men 2018 Numbers of Part-Time Workers in Paramaribo and Wanica by Sex, 2009 – 2016 Source: National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men 2018 Number of Claimants to Public Retirement Plan (AOV) by Sex, 2008 – 2018 Source: MinSoZaVo/ AOV Fund Number of Financially Deprived People (FB) by Sex, 2008 – 2016* Source: MinSoZaVo/A.U.S.V. Division (* coastal area Dec.) Number of Child Benefits Claimants (AKB)by Sex,4th quarter 2008 – 2015 Source: MinSoZaVo/AKB Division Total Number ofAKB Claimants with Number of Children, 2008 – 2016 Source: MinSoZaVo/AKB Division Number ofBenefits Claimants with Disabilities (UPH) by Sex, 2013 – 2016 Source: MinSoZaVo/A.U.S.V. Division (* coastal area Dec.) Priority Area: Education GPI by Level of Education, 2009 – 2014 Level of Education 2009- 2010- 2011- 2012- 2013-2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 Primary Education 0.93 0.94 0.94 0.93 0.96 Junior Secondary 1.09 1.07 1.2 1.2 1.2 Education Senior Secondary 1.67 1.71 1.76 NA NA Education Tertiairy Education 1.93 1.93 NA NA NA Source: MDG Progress Report 2014 and MinOWC Dept. of Research and Planning, 2017 Percentage of Repeaters at Junior Secondary Level by Sex, 2010 – 2014 Source: MinOWC, July 2017 Percentage of Drop-outsJunior Seconday level (VOJ) by school year and sex, 2010 – 2014 Source: MinOWC, July 2017 Percentage of Students Enrolled at FmeW28byCollege Year and Sex, 2010 – 2016 Source: National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men 2018 and Selected Statistics for Women and Men, 2017 Percentage of FmeW Graduates by College Year and Sex, 2010 – 2016 Source: National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men 2018 and Selected Statistics for Women and Men, 2017 28 FmeW = Faculty of Medical Sciences Percentage of Students Enrolled at FTeW29by College Year and Sex, 2010 – 2016 Source: National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men 2018 and Selected Statistics for Women and Men, 2017 Percentage of FTeW Graduates by Sex, 2010 – 2016 Source: National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men 2018 and Selected Statistics for Women and Men, 2017 29 FteW = Faculty of Technological Sciences Percentage of Students Enrolled at FmijWe30by College Year and Seks, 2010 – 2016 Source: National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men 2018 and Selected Statistics for Women and Men, 2017 Percentage of FmijW Graduates by College Year and Sex, 2010 – 2016 Source: National Report Situation Analysis of Women and Men 2018 and Selected Statistics for Women and Men, 2017 30 FmijWe = Faculty of Social Sciences Priority Area: Health The Value for Mortality Rate, Adult, Female (per 1,000 Female Adults) in Suriname (MMR) Source: WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division Number of Live Births by Age of Mother, 2011 – 2016 Source: Civil Registry Office (CBB) Number of Live Births of Mothers Aged 15 – 19 Years and Younger, 2011 – 2016 Source: Civil Registry Office (CBB) Number of HIV-positive Persons by Age Group and Sex, 2013 Source: MinVG Aids Mortality by Age Group and Sex, 2014 Source: MinVG Priority Area: Power and Decision-Making Transl.: Members of the National Assembly by sex) Source: The National Assembly (Transl.: Percentage of ministers, irrespective of their term of office, by sex) Source: Ministry of Home Affairs/BGA (Transl.: Percentage of ministers, irrespective of their term of office, by sex) Source: Ministry of Home Affairs/BGA (Transl.: Percentage of judges, by sex) Source: High Court (Transl.: Distrct Commissioiners by sex) Source: Suriname Progress Report on the implementation of the Montevideo Consensus 2013 – 2017 Priority Area: Gender-related Violence Number of women victims of femicide, 2010 – 2018 Source: Suriname Police Corps (Jan – Nov 2018*) Number of Victims of Physical Violence by Sex, 2010 – 2016 Source: ABS Gender Statistics 2017 Number of Victims of Physical Violence by Sex, 2010 – 2016 Source:ABS Gender Statistics 2017 Number of Victims of Sexual Violence by Sex, 2010 – 2016 Source:ABS Gender Statistics 2017 Total Number of Victims of Domestic Violence by Sex, 2010 – 2016 Source:ABS Gender Statistics 2017

APPENDIX 2 GOALS OF 2030 WORLD AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SDG 1 – End poverty in all its forms everywhere SDG 2 – End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture SDG 3 – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages SDG 4 – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all SDG 5 – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls SDG 6 – Ensure access to water and sanitation for all SDG 7 – Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all SDG 8 – Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all SDG 9 – Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation SDG 10 – Reduce inequality within and among countries SDG 11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable SDG 12 – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns SDG 13 – Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts SDG 14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources SDG 15 – Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss SDG 16 – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels SDG 17 – Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/)

APPENDIX 3 GOAL 5 OF WORLD AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Goal 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere 5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation 5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation 5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate 5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decisionmaking in political, economic and public life 5.6 Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences 5.a Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws 5.b Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women 5.c Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/)