CSW -54- "Sound Bites"

( Editor's note-Members of the Soroptimst International Delegation of over 40 were given the assignment to collect great quotes. Dutifully, the team of Carwen, Hilary and Judy presented this this morning. The timing is perfect in anticipation of the International Women's Day on March 8! Dawn Marie Lemonds)

-'An idea whose time has come'
( Her Excellency Mary Robinson on the establishment of the IWFDA and the role of partnerships in delivering the MDGs)

-'We do so much with so little'
( Tina on the work of Charlotte's House a group home serving girl and boy survivors of trafficking)

-'We have come a long way, we are not there yet but we know where we are going and we know how to get there'
(Liz Law on the progress with the peace process in Northern Ireland and the mainstreaming of gender equality)

-'Two and a half days of military spent to save the lives of women and girls'
( Speaker referring to the cost of delivering MDG 5)

-'You can change the people on the factory floor but not the design of the vehicle'
( Speaker referring to the role of the media in the portrayal of women and the fact that it was not the just a case of increasing the number of women in media but one of structural/system change)

Some one liners:

'Equality is not just for Christmas'

'Poverty has a woman's face'

'Every 10 minutes a woman dies of violence'

'Pandemic of violence is a social shame'

Plus some lighter ones

'All the things I am doing are either elderly or eminent !'
( HE Mary Robinson on her current roles)

'Colour blindness is not an excuse'
( Advice given by the secretariat to delegates tempted to ignore the warning lights and exceed their allocated time)

And

'I hear no objection,it is so decided'
(Chair of session. A lesson in how to run meetings !)

Plus some first impressions:

'Soroptimist International was more visible this year'

' It felt as though we( SI) had successfully raised our profile amongst the other NGOs'

'What a lot of Soroptimists wearing different 'hats' '

'CSW has been a bit like the curate's egg - good in parts'

'The UN's business processes have to change if it is to deliver its goals- it needs to step up a GEAR'