This blog presents current information related to the programme work of Soroptimist International- a service organization dedicated to advance causes and issues affecting women and girls in local communities and around the world
“The Courage to Lead: A Human Rights Summit for Women Leaders”
8-10 December 2009, Geneva, Switzerland
Suba Parthiban, Programme Officer, Soroptimist International of Europe
It was fascinating to be part of a conference where women leaders demonstrated the courage to lead. This Summit was organized by Vital Voices and the Eleanor Roosevelt project.
The Summit was divided into three areas:
·Community and Economic Development: Ensuring Access to Food, Shelter and Wages
·Education and Political Empowerment: Ensuring Access to Education and the Government
·Protection from Violence against Women and Human Trafficking
Every panel featured experts in the field, including UN Special Rapporteurs, lawyers, prosecutors, professors, and activists. The emphasis on education and empowerment was overwhelming as it was said that education allows women to dream and articulate as well as helps them to be strong citizens. Knowledge is power! The lack of political will on the part of the government was often considered the main obstacle to achieve full rights for women.
As you can imagine, this was an incredible opportunity for networking and making contacts. We were around 40 women from 27 different countries and many of them showed interest in Soroptimist work. 5 of them would like to become Soroptimists: Ukraine, Kenya, Nigeria, US, and Albania.
Now the most interesting part: Vital Voices, the US based organization that organized all of this has a major mentoring programme. They have a conference coming up in March in DC for their mentors and mentees. They were fascinated to hear that we are a network of professional women.
At the end of the conference, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined the summit via satellite (first time in history they said). This was an interesting experience to have an interactive dialogue with her.
The content of the meeting was really rich and I was even more convinced that Soroptimists can give women and girls the courage to lead!!!
Can you imagine a UN headquarter, situated in green surroundings with sheep peacefully grazing in a park, trees in Indian summer colours - and the highest snowcapped European mountains greeting from far behind the lake? This is UN in Geneva, where I attended my first session as SI trainee representative. However not much time to dwell on watching the scenery - for two days we followed the session of ECE (Economic Commission for Europe) member states about the 15 year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of the ECE. In the huge UN Parliament the official representatives sit alphabetically ordered, e.g. Russia sits next San Marino. However the Russian Representative was mostly absent….
Wilfrida Hendrickx, Elizabeth Williamson and I were very proud that SI President Hanne Jensbo has flown in from Denmark to follow this important session. We were sitting at the back rows together with lots of other NGOs.
Since the 4th World Conference in Beijing 1995, the progress of the Advancement of Women has been reviewed every 5 years. At this Regional meeting the 15-year main review next year in New York from 1 till 12 March 2010 was prepared. First I was quite puzzled to learn that the ECE region not only encompasses European countries but also US, Canada, and the countries of the former Soviet union.
“Although we have reviewed progress in achieving the goals set at five yearly intervals, there remain obstacles and new challenges”, said Carolyn Hannan, director of UN Division for the Advancement of Women. “Unite to end violence against women” was an important campaign launched at the Commission on the Status of Women 2008, that has significantly strengthened the focus on this scourge. Today 186 countries have ratified the Convention on the elimination if All Forms of Discrimination against women (CEDAW). – However “horrific forms of violence against women in situations of armed conflict continue”, said Hannan. In the discussion on Gender-sensitive economic policies in the context of the economic and financial crisis it was argued that the fight against violence against women should include measures tackling trafficking and prostitution, phenomena which are also directly linked to economic hardship. However “one size does not fit all” was mentioned in view of the 15 year review: Women tend to be dealt as a monolithic mass with essentially similar needs and demands with just passing mention of minority women. At this conference the challenges most frequently mentioned by member states and NGOs included: - the gap between legislation and implementation - the gender Pay gap - the situation of migrant women who suffer multiple forms of discrimination - the role of men in advancing gender equality, including through better sharing of family responsibilities
“Enjoy equity and equality” is on the high priority list in the SI Programme Focus Goals and so is “ End human trafficking and all forms of violence against women” in our Programme Focus Objectives. So the outcome of the Beijing +15 conference in New York next March will be of high interest for Soroptimist International
SI Trainee Sina Stiffler- tells us about her experiences!
Can you imagine a UN headquarter, situated in green surroundings with sheep peacefully grazing in a park, trees in Indian summer colours - and the highest snowcapped European mountainsgreeting from far behind the lake? This is UN in Geneva, where I attended my first session as SI trainee representative. However not much time to dwell on watching the scenery - for two days we followed the session of ECE (Economic Commission for Europe) member states about the 15 year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of the ECE. In the huge UN Parliament the official representatives sit alphabetically ordered, e.g. Russia sits next San Marino. However the Russian Representative was mostly absent….
Wilfrida Hendrickx, Elizabeth Williamson and I were very proud that SI President Hanne Jensbo has flown in from Denmark to follow this important session. We were sitting at the back rows together with lots of other NGOs.
Since the 4th World Conference in Beijing 1995, the progress of the Advancement of Women has been reviewed every 5 years. At this Regional meeting the 15-year main review next year in New Yorkfrom 1 till 12 March 2010 was prepared. First I was quite puzzled to learn that the ECEregion not only encompasses European countries but also US, Canada, and the countries of the former Soviet union.
“Although we have reviewed progress in achieving the goals set at five yearly intervals, there remain obstacles and new challenges”, saidCarolyn Hannan, directorof UN Division for the Advancement of Women.
“Unite to end violence against women” was an important campaign launched at the Commission on the Status of Women 2008, that has significantly strengthened the focus on this scourge. Today 186 countries have ratified the Convention on the elimination if All Forms of Discrimination against women (CEDAW).– However “horrific forms of violence against women in situations of armed conflict continue”, said Hannan.
In the discussion on Gender-sensitive economic policies in the context of the economic and financial crisis it was argued that the fight against violence against women should include measures tackling trafficking and prostitution, phenomena which are also directly linked to economic hardship.
However “one size does not fit all”was mentioned in view of the 15 year review: Women tend to be dealt as a monolithic mass with essentially similar needs and demands with just passing mention of minority women.
At this conference the challenges most frequently mentioned by member states and NGOsincluded:
-the gap between legislation and implementation
-the gender Pay gap
-the situation of migrant women who suffer multiple forms of discrimination
-the role of men in advancing gender equality, including through better sharing of family responsibilities
“Enjoy equity and equality” is on the high priority list in the SI Programme Focus Goals and so is “ End human trafficking and all forms of violence against women” in our Programme Focus Objectives. So the outcome of the Beijing +15 conference in New York next March will be of high interest for Soroptimist International
Summary From the UN meeting in Rome about Food Security- NOVEMBER 2009
The VIP’s were all at the UN Summit on Food Security in Rome: The Pope, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Muammar Gadafi, Mugabe and many other heads of state and government.
They came to present their views on the fact that over one billion human being presently do not have sufficient food to meet their daily basic nutritional needs.
They unanimously adopted a declaration “pledging renewed commitment to eradicate hunger at the earliest date.”
In his address to the summit Ban Ki-moon called the current food crisis “a wake-up call for tomorrow”, and he and many other speakers underlined that “ there can be no food security without climate security.”
The FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf stressed that “In some developed countries, two to four percent of the population are able to produce enough food to feed the entire nation, while in the developing countries 60-80 percent of the population are not able to meet food needs in their country.”
He added: “The planet can feed itself, provided that the decisions made are honoured and the required resources are effectively mobilised.”
500 NGO’s from developing countries were invited by the Italian State to share their views in an alternative forum and Union President Asha Abdulrahman from Kenyan was representing SI at this forum. She could confirm that the food situation in Kenya is critical, as the small farmers - mostly women – those years see their harvest drop dramatically because of draught and poverty.
We hope that the food security will have a high priority on the agenda for the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December and I repeat Ban Ki-moon’s words: “there can be no food security without climate security”.
For Soroptimist international we only can encourage our members to focus on the women’s situation – mainly women farmers in Africa. It cannot be repeated too often:
The women make up the majority of the world’s poor.
WOMEN ARE MAJOR AGENTS FOR PROGRESS IN CLIMATE CHANGE, DEVELOPMENT GOALS - BAN
Women, among the first victims of climate change and enduring social ills, must also be seen as principal agents for change both in curbing global warming and in attaining the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to improve the lot of humankind, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
“Think of the women who, as a result of desertification linked to climate change, will have to forage even farther and longer for wood and water,” he told the Women’s International Forum that brings together some of the world’s most pre-eminent women. “Think of the women small-holder farmers who could see their crop yields fall by half over the next decade because of increasingly erratic rainfall.
“Think of the women who depend directly on the environment for their livelihoods and for the well-being of their families and communities,” he said, stressing that in most parts of the world, more than half, sometimes 70 to 80 per cent, of the burden is borne by women. “People who have been the least responsible for causing climate change are suffering first and worst from its effects.
“But let us also remember: to see women only as victims is to miss the point. So let us also think of the women who are custodians of local knowledge about food rationing, water harvesting, and forest conservation. Let us recognize how their insights can point the way toward sustainable natural resources management and green prosperity for all.”
With just six days left until the opening of the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen, Mr. Ban said he was looking to women to take up the call for a fair and effective agreement that will reduce emissions while helping vulnerable communities adapt.
“Science demands that we act. So does economic common sense,” he declared. “Some say tackling climate change is too expensive, especially at a time of global economic and financial upheaval. They are wrong. We will pay an unacceptable price if we do not act now.”
Turning to the MDGs, the targets adopted at a UN summit in 2000 that seek to slash extreme hunger and poverty, infant and maternal mortality, and lack of access to education and health care, all by 2015, Mr. Ban cited the stark challenges: 93 million children, mostly girls, not in school; a woman dying every minute during pregnancy and childbirth from preventable and treatable problems; millions of women without access to decent work and social security.
“On development, too, we need to think again: of the women who change their communities,” he said. “Consider Bangladesh, where the success of microfinance has transformed the lives of its people, mainly through the empowerment of its rural women.
“Consider also the women who are shaping the policies of their countries through their growing presence in parliament. Our efforts to reach the MDGs and our response to the global economic crisis must place women at the centre of decision-making.”
He pledged to appoint more women to senior posts, noting that since taking office three years ago nine new women under-secretaries-general (USG) have been appointed and he would soon name two more to the posts of Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and as head of the new gender equality entity.
“We have more women USGs than at any time in UN history – and many of them are the first women appointees to positions which have traditionally been held by men over the past six decades,” he said noting that the number of women in senior UN posts has increased by 40 per cent during his tenure. “I will continue to do everything I can to ensure the equality and empowerment of women and girls.”
In an article from a Danish Newspaper printed a week before COP 15:
“Hanne Jensbo will participate in the Summit Meeting on behalf of 90,000 Soroptimist International members and take part in the debate. She will focus on equality and emphasize that women must take part in the decision-making for a change of the climate. The women –especially those from developing countries - are the ones, who are the most vulnerable and suffer most in the climate changes, such as when it is draught and floods……”
She also will affirm “that NGO’s and Civil Society have to have an important role in the conference as their messages and actions are important in the debate”
Hanne was interviewed in Copenhagen last Saturday when she brought several sacks of warm clothes (coats, sweater, hats, gloves, boots etc) to offer to those participants in the COP 15, who are not prepared for the cold Danish winter.
The second hand clothes were all collected by Danish Soroptimists.
As mentioned earlier SI has three seats at the Summit Meetings in the Bella Centre with Ban Ki-moon and 122 the Heads of States.
SI will be present and lobby for Soroptimist views.
Danish Soroptimists have a stand in the Global Forum (alternative COP 15) and will show videos with clip from climate activities
Stay tuned to the SI Blog for up to date news!
I try to live up to my motto: Action Speaks louder than Words!
Tuvalu sets the scene at COP 15 – Notes from SI International President Hanne Jensbo
15,000 Heads of States, delegates, press and NGO’s are in the Bella Center, where the negotiations are taking place. It is a really global platform, with all kinds of culture and personalities.
The small state of Tuvalu, consisting of 9 Islands East of Australia is fighting for their survival and made " drama" at the meeting in Copenhagen. I attended the meeting in the plenary session on Wednesday and heard how Tuvalu dominated the summit by putting some questions that most of the delegates wanted to avoid. Tuvalu proposes that the rise of global temperature must not exceed 1.5 degrees, otherwise, the proclaim, the islands will disappear in the Pacific Ocean! In contrast to this proposal the wealthier "rich" countries proposed a 2 degree limit in global temperature.
A lots of side events are taking place. It is my impression that the developing countries have sent very strong delegates to promote their views. Yesterday I heard the Climate negotiator from Bolivia, Angela Navarro,ask for support and understanding from the "rich" countries to show solidarity at the Climate Change conference and “ pay their debt back” to the poor countries.
In the “alternative” Forum for NGO’s in the center of Copenhagen the Danish stall had a lot of visitors, who are informed about SI climate activities and about Soroptimism.
I happened to meet a Soroptimist from the New York club, Natalia Kostus who represents the GGCA (Global Gender and Climate Action). Her organisation has worked actively for implementing the “Gender Perspectives” in the final Climate Declaration for more than two years and I gave them the fully support of Soroptimist International.
It will now be exciting to see, how the meetings will go on in the next week, where all the Heads of States will arrive.
Many activists have proclaimed their demonstrations so it will likely be a dramatic week, Hopefully a final declaration about the Climate Change will be agreed on to replace the Kyoto declaration, which runs out in 2012.
I have pleasure in informing you that Dr. Catherine Hamlin received the Alternative Nobel Prize 2009of the Right Livelihood Foundation in Sweden for her outstanding work in Ethiopia fighting for girls and women with obstetric fistulae.The award comes with $74,000 (USA) which I know will be used for the women of Ethiopia.
Catherine Hamlin was awarded the prize for her fifty years’ dedicated work to treating obstetric fistula patients, thereby restoring their health, hope and dignity. Every patient is treated with respect and totally free of any monetary charge.
Soroptimists were privileged to be able to work with Catherine Hamlin in 2007 and 2008 with the President’s Appeal Projects – Restoring Dignity and Restoring Dignity – Securing a Future. Every dollar donated was used to improve the lives of the young women thereby fulfilling our Mission of transforming the lives of women and girls.The two President’s Appeals were very successful and I would like to take this opportunity to say a sincere thank you to all members for your support for these projects.
Dr. Hamlin has been sent congratulations on your behalf.She is in Australia at present to attend Jubilee Celebrations in Sydney and the première of the film “Lighting the Candle”. I was invited and have arranged for a Soroptimist from Canberra to represent me.
Congratulations to Dr. Catherine Hamlin and a sincere thank you to all Soroptimists for supporting the President’s Appeals for 2007 and 2008 so well.
In friendship
Margaret Lobo
Immediate Past President – Soroptimist International
EARLY REGISTRATION IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE BEIJING + 15 FORUM that precedes CSW in NYC this year.
Early Registration will go until November 15 and people will save $20 by doing this.
Hope to see you in NYC- Dawn Marie Lemonds, SI Programme Director
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Registration for the 2010 NGO GLOBAL FORUM FOR WOMEN: Beijing + 15 on 27 and 28 February 2010, immediately preceding the 54th UN Commission on the Status of Women is now open. Consultation Day next year will be part of the Forum. Early registration is offered at a reduced rate. Please visit our website to register: http://www.ngocsw.org/en/events/2010-forum Looking forward to seeing you at the Forum! Warm regards, The Coordinating Committee for the 2010 Forum ____________________________________________________2010 NGO GLOBAL FORUM FOR WOMEN: Beijing + 15 website: http://www.ngocsw.org/en/events/2010-forumblog: http://ngocswny.wordpress.com/
‘Start Freedom’ a new campaign to be launched on October 14th 2009. This focuses on young people and those involved in teaching and youth work. It is a global campaign designed to make young people aware. It will be launched with a live broadcast at UN HQ in New York on that date. You can sign up to this campaign on line- just go to www.stopthetraffk.org Resources are available too.
‘Stop The Traffk- People should not be bought and sold’ is a book that raises awareness and gives an informed picture of what is happening across the world. Obtainable via the website. ‘Act- Active Communities Against Trafficking’ is a pack designed to promote action and raise awareness within communities.
The Chocolate Campaign is continuing to draw attention to the plight of many children who have been trafficked to work in the cocoa industry. This campaign has met with some success and continues to change children’s lives. To get the latest news please go to www.stopthetraffik.org
This partnership keeps us up to date and gives us further opportunities to act to prevent trafficking in human beings.
‘Start Freedom’ a new campaign to be launched on October 14th 2009. This focuses on young people and those involved in teaching and youth work. It is a global campaign designed to make young people aware. It will be launched with a live broadcast at UN HQ in New York on that date. You can sign up to this campaign on line- just go to www.stopthetraffk.org Resources are available too.
‘Stop The Traffk- People should not be bought and sold’ is a book that raises awareness and gives an informed picture of what is happening across the world. Obtainable via the website. ‘Act- Active Communities Against Trafficking’ is a pack designed to promote action and raise awareness within communities.
The Chocolate Campaign is continuing to draw attention to the plight of many children who have been trafficked to work in the cocoa industry. This campaign has met with some success and continues to change children’s lives. To get the latest news please go to www.stopthetraffik.org
This partnership keeps us up to date and gives us further opportunities to act to prevent trafficking in human beings.
(Editor's Note- Soroptimist International signed on to this campaign in March and the General Assembly passed this historic decision today! Please read the attached article.)
Dear Supporters of GEAR, UN Gender Equality Architecture Reform,
We are very pleased to let you know that the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution today that takes the next step in the process of creating the new Women's Rights entity at the UN. In the text below are the GEAR talking points on the passage of the resolution, and we must now push on our many remaining points to ensure that the entity that is created serves the rights and needs of women throughout the world. We will be back in touch after a few days with suggestions for the next steps in this process. Congratulations to all for your hard work on this. Charlotte Bunch
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GEAR Talking Points on Adoption of System Wide Coherence Resolution by the UN General Assembly
September 14, 2009
1. The GEAR campaign is pleased that the General Assembly expressed strong and unanimous support in adopting a resolution today that will enable the creation of the new gender equality entity to be headed by a new Under Secretary-General (USG).
2. Women and their allies from around the world have been advocating for three years for a stronger better resourced agency on gender equality and women’s empowerment, and look forward to its creation early in 2010 - during the fifteen anniversary year of the historic UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.
3. We urge Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to immediately begin the recruitment process for appointing a strong leader grounded in women’s rights and gender equality as the USG who will lead this process of consolidating the four existing entities. We expect a broad, open search process to start promptly so that the USG is in place and the entity can be operational by the time of the Beijing + 15 Review at the Commission on the Status of Women in March of 2010.
4. Member states must also address in a timely fashion all the outstanding issues required for the entity to begin operations, including the mechanisms for governance and oversight.
5. Donor countries need to pledge the substantial funding ($1 billion) to support the proposed strong field operation that the entity must have to be successful in fulfilling the promises made by governments and the UN to the world’s women.
6. As civil society has always played a vital role in the UN’s work on women’s rights, we urge member states and the Secretary General to commit to systematic and on-going participation of civil society, particularly women’s organizations, in every stage of the process at global, regional, national, and local levels including in the governing board
7. Women around the world have waited a long time for the United Nations and member states to fulfill the promises made since the first International Women’s Year in 1975, the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) thirty years ago, as well as the UN World Conferences in Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995).
8. This is an important and crucial step forward – now it must be made operational without further delay.
September 11- a day that shocked the world so extremely 8 years ago- was commemorated in many ways at the last day of the DPI/NGO Conference. Many attendees and speakers had either been in New York or DC or Pennsylvania on that fateful day, had friends who died, or, watched the unbelievable things happen on their television. It is still shocking to know that people from 80 different countries died when airplanes became "Weapons of Mass Destruction"- beyond the imagination of anyone.
This conference day started with a vigorous debate about topics and sites for future DPI/NGO Conferences moderated by the DPI/NGO Executive Committee. Many delegates vied to get their voices heard about what we should discuss and where it should be. The likely site is Melbourne, Australia in early September of 2010 and the possible theme is World Health. The committee will make the final decision before October this year. Quite a few women made their voices heard that there needs to be greater inclusion of women's issues and perspectives in the sessions and in the planning. Women represented approximately 1/2 of the 1300 delegates that attended and were part of most of the Round Tables, Workshops and Breakout session- sadly not at the closing session.
The closing session was held in the beautiful Ex Convent of St Hipolito. Nature played great tricks on the session with crashing thunder, and pouring rain throughout the beginning, and sweet solitude at the end when a most moving and sweet presentation was given by Mayor of Hiroshima- Tadatoshi Akiba. Before we left that evening we were presented a NGO Declaration :Disarming for Peace and Development Consultation Process. We were invited to affirm this 50 point declaration. Charles Hitchcock- the Chairman of the conference said: " We used to talk about a nuclear arsenal being the best weapon against attack. We depend on you NGOs to carry the torch of change to your communities and governments. .......if we had 10% reduction in global military spending we could provide basic fundamental needs to every human on the planet.......We might have had more significant achievements if we had more women at the table and in the discussions."
The highlight of the closing session was the CALL TO ACTION from Mayor Akiba who delighted us all with wonderful images and challenges of his dreams for a nuclear free world. He simply talked about the exquisite beauty of Hiroshima in 2009- only 60 years after being almost exterminated by a nuclear bomb in World War II. The marvelous spirit of humans to rebound and rebuild and the kindness of so many strangers has transformed this devastated shell of a city- into a warm and inviting place. His dream is to host the Summer Olympics in 2020- the year that is earmarked for a nuclear free world! Of the many things he said- I will share just two: 4 principles of change, and the Mayor's Campaign for Peace.
Mayor Akiba cited Professor West from Cornell as someone who has shared these 4 important principles of change:
1. Powerful Change Comes from within ourselves. (he used the example of Hiroshima as an example who found their inner resources to rebound)
2. The life of each person is very important. We must work toward common good.
3. Everything that we do must be for the children. ( After the war when 40% of the population of Hiroshima was killed the city committed to raise its orphans all through their young lives. They loved their cities children and made them a priority. We all must do so.)
4. We need leaders who don't recycle old frameworks that haven't worked. Draw out the best of everyone.
Mayor Akiba has a Call to Action called the Mayors of Peace Campaign. Mayor Akiba's plan is very simple and there are wonderful "kits available" for citizens to use to promote this campaign to their cities. The simple idea is for each person to approach their local mayor and ask him or her to sign on to this Campaign- the goal of the campaign is to support complete Banning of Nuclear Bombs. So far over 3005 cities have signed including the Mayor of Mexico City who signed the Campaign today representing 18 million people! To date- the city signators represent over 350 million citizens around the world. Mayor Akiba's goal is 1 billion citizens! He believes that local cities have the most direct contact with their citizens and share the burden of every tragedy that befalls them.
This Call to Action signifies the potential positive result of citizen advocacy. Can you imagine a world free of the threat of Nuclear War and even better- a world free of violence against its citizens. The action depends on the social will to reframe our view of security. The time for citizen activism for the good of humanity has never been so near.....................
Dawn Marie Lemonds, Soroptimist International Programme Director
(Editor's Note- Around the world Meetings will be held for NGOs and Governments to review their progress toward meeting the promises made in Beijing in 1995 - Platform for Action. Following are regional opportunities for civil society to participate. Please note the dates and locations. Dawn Marie Lemonds) IWTC WOMEN'S GLOBALNET #362 ACTIVITIES & INITIATIVES OF WOMEN WORLDWIDE
BEIJING + 15: PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES IN WESTERN ASIA, EUROPE, LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 11 September 2009 Mavic Cabrera-Balleza, Iskra Sajor & Tina Johnson
UNESCWA HOSTS TRAINING WORKSHOP ON PREPARING B+15 REPORTS
UNECE TO CONVENE B+15 REGIONAL REVIEW MEETING 2-3 NOVEMBER 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
ECLAC ORGANIZES A REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN BRAZIL, JULY 2010
1. UNESCWA HOSTS TRAINING WORKSHOP ON PREPARING B+15 REPORTS The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) conducted a training workshop on how to prepare national reports for Beijing + 15 using the questionnaire that most of the other UN regional commissions also used. The training was organized in cooperation with the League of Arab States (LAS) General Secretariat, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Center for Arab Women Training and Research (CAWTAR) and the Arab Women Organization. The meeting, held on 24-26 March 2009 in Cairo, Egypt, was attended by national machineries and women ministries from Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. ESCWA and LAS are cooperating to draw up and issue the Arab regional report on Beijing +15. For more information, see: http://css.escwa.org.lb/weeklynews/wnews/uploads/wn15e52.pdf
In addition, ESCWA and LAS will organize an Expert Group Meeting on October 19 and 20, 2009, in Beirut to better inform the report that will emerge from the Arab region. See http://www.escwa.org.lb for more information.
2. UNECE TO CONVENE B+15 REGIONAL REVIEW MEETING 2-3 NOVEMBER 2009, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will convene a regional meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on 2-3 November 2009 with the theme "New challenges and opportunities for gender equality in the ECE region: key issues and policy responses." It has the following objectives:
Contribute to the global 15-year review of implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action;
Take stock of the progress made in the region on gender equality and women's empowerment, and address the major challenges ahead;
Discuss gender-sensitive economic policies, taking into account the impact of the financial crisis on the countries of the region;
Facilitate policy design and implementation based on successful experiences in engendering economic and labour market policies;
Promote partnerships to increase gender equality in the region; and
Create a forum for discussing forward-looking action.
Topics will include (a) a regional review of progress towards the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action; (b) gender-sensitive economic policies in the context of the economic and financial crisis; (c) gender and the corporate sector; and (d) new partnerships, networks, and alliances for gender equality. The meeting will be attended by representatives from ECE member states, international organizations, NGOs and academia from the region. For more information, see: http://www.unece.org/gender/Beijing_process.htm and to access official documents, go to http://www.unece.org/gender/documents/Beijing+15/Documents.html
A series of interactive NGO roundtables will be held on 30-31 October 2009 to explore topics that will mirror the themes of the UNECE meeting. The outcome document from the NGO roundtables will be shared at the UNECE meeting. To download a provisional agenda and register for the event, visit: http://www.ngocsw-geneva.ch/
3. ECLAC ORGANIZES A REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN BRAZIL, JULY 2010 The Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) will be organizing a regional conference in Brazil in July 2010 to discuss the status of women in the region and commemorate the passage of the Beijing Platform form for Action. Government response to the questionnaire for the Beijing +15 assessment can be found at: http://is.gd/39D0C (Source: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence newsletter: http://is.gd/39Fgx)
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