METROMANILA DECLARATION

“CITY REVITALIZATION THROUGH WOMENS’ TRANSFORMATION”

WE, LOCAL CHIEF EXECUTIVES, POLICY MAKERS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND PARTNERS IN WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND GENDER EQUALITY TOWARDS CITY REVITALIZATION AND POVERTY REDUCTION;

RECOGNIZING THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF WOMEN IN URBAN REVITALIZATION, TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP, GOOD GOVERNANCE, ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION AND PEACE BUILDING;

RECOGNIZING THAT CERTAIN SOCIO-ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL STRUCTURES HINDER WOMEN’S FULL PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETIES;

RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO EMPOWER AND TRANSFORM WOMEN AS WELL AS MEN TO BECOME GENDER RESPONSIVE AGENTS OF CHANGE EQUITY, EQUALITY WIＴHIN THE FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND THE SOCIETY;

REALIZING OUR VISION THAT TOGETHER AS PARTNERS WE WILL TRANSFORM OUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FABRIC TOWARDS A MORE HUMANE SOCIETY, GUIDED BY THE PRINCIPLES OF PARTICIPATION, CONSULTATION, EMPOWERMENT, EQUITY, EQUALITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY, TRANSPARENCY, SPIRITUALITY AND CULTURE OF PEACE;

REAFFIRMING THE ACCELERATED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMITMENTS TO THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW), BEIJING PLATFORM FORM FOR ACTION (BPA), MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS; AND

ACKNOWLEDGING THE DIVERSE VOICES OF WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETIES;

DO HEREBY DECLARE THAT;

IN THE CONTEXT OF STRENGTHENING REGIONAL COOPERATION; COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF REVITALIZING CITIES, EACH MEMBER CITY OF THE ASIAN NETWORK OF MAJOR CITIES (ANMC) 21, EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY, SHALL ENDEAVOR TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE GOALS AND COMMITMENT RELATIVE TO WOMEN’S FULL PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETIES;

1. TO ADOPT GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT (GAD) AS CROSS CUTTING CONCERN IN ALL AREAS OF ENDEAVOR WHICH MAY INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LITED TO ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION;
2. TO ADOPT GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT MAINSTREAMING AS A STRATEGY TO ELIMINATE ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN THROUGH ADOPTION, FORMULATION AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF GENDER RESPONSIVE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, WHICH MAY INCLUDE CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES, DEVELOPMENT OF TOOLS AND INFORMATION, EDUCATION CAMPAIGN MATERIALS, AS WELL AS SYSTEMS PROCEDURES AND PROCESSESS;
3. TO ENCOURAGE GREATER REGIONAL AND BILATERAL COOPERATION IN THE SYSTEMATIC AND HOLISTIC RESEACH, COLLECTION, ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION OF DATA, INCLUDING DISAGGREGATION BY SEX, AGE, AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS OF PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, SPECIFICALLY ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN (VAW), ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION;
4. TO STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION BETWEEN AND AMONG CITIES, THOUGH BILATERAL REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, TECHNICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES, INCLUDING SHARING OF BEST PRACTICES AND EXPERIENCES IN RAISING AWARENESS, DEVELOPING ADVOCACY PROGRAMMES ON WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND GENDER EQUALITY;
5. TO SUPPORT INITIATIVES UNDERTAKEN BY WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS, NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO MAXIMIZE WOMEN’S FULL PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETIES AND TO ESTABLISH AND STRENGTHEN NETWORKING AS WELL AS COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS;
6. TO ENACT, AND WHERE NECESSARY, AMEND DOMESTIC LEGISLATION TO ELIMINATE ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN TO EMPOWER THEM AND STRENGTHEN THEIR ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE FULL ENJOYMENT OF WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS AND THEIR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOM;
7. TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN POWER AND DECISION MAKING POSITIONS BY ADOPTING POLICIES OR LEGISLATIONS ON THE GENDER BALANCE OR THE QUOTA SYSTEM; AND
8. TO ENCOURAGE AND RECOMMEND SHORT AND LONG TERM ECONOMIC EMPOWRMENT PROGRAMS AMONGST ANMC21 MEMBERS.

SIGNED IN THE CITY OF MARIKINA, PHILIPPINES, THIS 23rd DAY OF OCTOBER 2003 BY THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE 2ND CONVENTION OF THE ASIAN NETWORK OF MAJOR CITIES OF THE 21ST CENTURY WITH THE THEME ENTITLED “CITY REVITALIZATION THROUGH WOMEN’S TRANSFORMATION.”

METRO SEOUL
METRO MANILA
TOKYO
TAIPEI
KUALALUMPUR
NEW DELHI