Second national conference on policies for women: implications for brazilian nursing

Brief Communication

Second national conference on policies for women: implications for brazilian nursing

Maria Celeste Landerdahl^I

^I Enfermeira Mestre em Assistência de Enfermagem pela UFSC, Docente da Disciplina Enfermagem no Cuidado à Mulher, ao Adolescente e à Criança Curso de Enfermagem da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria RS. e-mail: [e-mail]

Significant changes in economic, social and cultural spheres in Brazil have been relevant in the area of public policies especially concerning health, where it is possible to notice a growing movement since 1970 searching a model that fits the Brazilian necessities.

In this way, the National Health System (SUS) is being built based on a policy that elects health promotion as a strategy to defend life. This system ensures health as a result of the conditions of life, placing it as a citizenship¹ right, dimension where the respect for the human rights must be a basic principle allowing a wide vision about health which must be consolidated in the context where people live and work.

The execution of a logical care that is in agreement with the real demands of human life implies on the necessity of participation in the preparation, monitoring and evaluation of public² policies.

It is noticed that women from many different social, cultural and racial lawyers, also from women/feminist movements or in their own houses and workplaces, have been mobilized to fight for their rights. This reality was evident in the Second National Conference on Policies for Women (CNPM), which happened at the Conventions Center of Brasília, from August 17 to August 20, 2007 with the participation of more than 2500 elected women in 600 Municipal, Regional and State Conferences. These women indigenous, black, white, gay, transvestites, young, old, deficient, urban and rural workers, housekeepers, trade unionists and militants of social life and city movements came from every part of the country. They were in 1.101 rooms in 11 hotels of the Federal Capital, they were daily transported to the Conventions Center in 30 buses and attended 20 working groups whose purpose was to evaluate the First National Plan concerning Policies for Women, which is effective since 2005; as well as to point new priorities for the 2008-2011³ period.

The evaluated themes were: 1 autonomy, equality at work and citizenship; 2 inclusive and non-sexist education; 3 women health, sexual and reproductive rights, women autonomy over their body respecting the diversity and specificities; 4 to fight against all kinds of violence against women; 5 management, monitoring, evaluation and social control concerning the National Plan of Policies for Women³ among others .

The new targets mentioned during the discussions in the II CNPM were: 1 the participation of women in politics and equality in every area, including the power ones; 2 sustainable development in rural areas, in the city and in the forest with the guarantee of environmental justice, social inclusion, sovereignty and food security; 3 women rights to land, decent housing and services ensuring quality of life in urban and rural areas considering ethnical and traditional communities; 4 equal, democratic and nondiscriminatory culture, communication and media; 5 to fight against racism, sexism and homophobia; 6 fight against inequalities that affect young and old women in their specificities and diversities³.

As one of the Rio Grande do Sul representatives, I can say that the discussions allowed to see some achievements, however, it is evident that there is much more to do to reach equal rights and opportunities among women and men and make this an indispensable condition for justice, peace and progress in the world. So, we must know the policy guidelines for Brazilian women to be able to engage in the fight and practice social control, necessary for its implementation. This work is also ours, professionals of Brazilian nursing, once we work with individual health, sphere where women are exposed to different patterns of suffering, illness and even death due to the social organization of gender⁴ relations reality which justifies differentiated policies.

Keywords: Public Policies. Woman's Rights. Woman's Health.

Referências

• 1. Lei nº 8080, de 19 setembro de 1990. Dispõe sobre as condições de promoção, proteção e recuperação da saúde, a organização e o funcionamento dos serviços correspondentes, e dá outras providências. Diário Oficial da República Federativa do Brasil, Brasília (DF), 20 set 1990.
• ²
  Lei nº 8142, de 28 de dezembro de 1990. Dispõe sobre a participação da comunidade na gestão do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e sobre as transferências intergovernamentais de recursos financeiros na área da saúde e dá outras providências. Diário Oficial da República Federativa do Brasil, Brasília (DF), 31 dez 1990.
• ³
  Conselho Nacional dos Direitos da Mulher (BR). Secretaria Especial de Políticas para as Mulheres. 2ª Conferência Nacional de Políticas para as Mulheres. Brasília (DF); 2007.
• ⁴
  Ministério da Saúde (BR). Política Nacional de Atenção Integral à Saúde da Mulher: princípios e diretrizes. Brasília (DF); 2007.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  27 Nov 2009
• Date of issue
  Dec 2008