• Editorial
• Appropriate ICTs
• Interview
• NGO Caucus
• Regions
• Agenda
• Resources

Editorial - In Memory of International Women’s Day

8 March 2000 marked the first International Women’s Day of the 21st century. It was also the first Women’s Day at which the president of the Security Council was present. His presence marks an historical moment, and an indication that gender equality is being spoken about on every level at the United Nations. On a more sober note, Mary Robinson reminded us that this is not only a day for celebration and reflection. It is also a day when we should take action and protest against every instance of violation of the rights of women. We need to celebrate the paths walked for the past 50 years, but also remember that women have been and are continuing to be victims. We need to devise strategies for cooperation, and demand and create a space for women to work for sustainable peace. The bottom line? It is no longer enough for women to be charmed with words; we need to see the evidence of respect for the human rights of women.

And it seems that the message the UN is sending out is that governments can no longer put on a public relations show, but rather account honestly for what they have done to promote gender equality. Will NGOs and governments alike take up the challenge? We certainly hope so. May we emerge bearing the flame of gender equality in the new millennium, and perhaps some day celebrate the first Women’s Day when the violation of the human rights of women will be no more than a memory; a forced lesson.
WomenAction 2000

Appropriate ICTs - Defining Access

What do we exactly mean when we say access? Are we referring to communication tools, language, information, or resources? These were the questions that participants at the Women and Media Caucus raised, and deliberated on, in their discussions held on 7 March in conjunction with the ongoing 44^th UN CSW session. In the course of the discussion, participants at the meeting agreed that access would specifically mean women’s access to appropriate information using all forms of communication including radio, the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) as well as traditional forms of media. This unified understanding was deemed important by the Caucus members as this would allow them to push for specific language in the Outcomes document of the Beijing + 5 Review. The participants discussed their specific concerns with respect to the issue of women and media. These include AMARC’s (World Association of Community Broadcasters) interest in how the International Telecommunications Union allocates broadcasting spectrums; Nepali journalists’ need for modules on gender-sensitivity training for media practitioners; and consumers groups concerned about the continued use of media to promote smoking among women, particularly women from the South.

It was agreed in the meeting that the Women and Media Caucus would further explore these emerging issues in its regular meetings.
Mavic Cabrera-Balleza

Interview - Gender Mainstreaming within UN bodies

Carolyn Hannan is principal officer for gender mainstreaming at the office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, to the Secretary General of the UN. In other words, her task is to follow-up on advice given by Angela King to managers in UN processes. "We work in the area of legal affairs, peace-keeping, disarmament and political affairs." She works with the managers to develop competency in gender equality issues. "Gender mainstreaming in the Security Council is, for example, not only being aware of the issues of soldiers raping women. It is about treating women with respect, involving women in reconstruction, in redeveloping the economy. In East Timor it is also the gender perspective in developing the Constitution." One of the resources she will use in developing the program, which she joined 6 months ago, are consultants.

Women’s NGOs have experience in doing this work, but it is not well documented. "I would like to know who is doing what in the various areas. NGOs working on disarmament have a wealth of knowledge to share." Ms Hannan looks forward to collaborating to get access to information on what expertise has been developed in this area. "My task is catalytic; I link the players to the right resources". Contact Carolyn Hannan at hannan@un.org
Lin Pugh, WomenAction 2000

NGO Caucus

Trade Union Coalition Launches Caucus on Working Women

The 500 NGO delegates at the morning briefing on March 8th stood silent for a minute, to recognize the women’s strike for unrecognized work.

Two days earlier the trade union coalition International Confederation of Free Trade Unions/Public Services International/Education International hosted a workshop on working women. The participants initiated a Caucus Women and Work, to examine all the critical issues for equality posed by the imperative for women’s work, to be recognized, valued, fairly remunerated and supported by an adequate legislative framework of core labour standards in the global economy. The Caucus will lobby, and will sustain a dialogue with unions and concerned NGOs on the crosscutting issues of women and work, for the Special Session in June, the ILO conference on the revision of the maternity convention, and beyond. For a full text statement: www.womenaction.org

Peace Caucus

At the 8 March morning briefing, NGOs learnt that the Peace Caucus has two demands for the delegates and NGOs. The first is to help lobby the Security Council for gender sensitive inclusions. Secondly, the Security Council should hold an open special session on women and armed conflict. The Caucus has several priority areas of lobby: the prevention of war by building an environment of human security; ratification of ICC to put, amongst others, an end to impunity; devote significant resources for women’s peace organizations; and increase the age of soldiers to 18.

Regions

Asia-Pacific Women Push for Priority Issues

As part of its continuing engagement in the BPFA + 5 process, the Asia Pacific Women’s Watch (APWW), the coalition of women’s groups in this region that are involved in monitoring the implementation of the Beijing Platform, further pushed for their priority issues in the ongoing 44^th UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) session.

These issues are:

1. Women and the Economy –addressing the negative effects of globalization, World Trade Organization (WTO) Policy and the burden of debt on many women in the region.
2. The Continuing Human Rights Abuses of Women and Girls—addressing violence against women, rape, trafficking, forced prostitution, honor killings, the marginalization of minority groups and denial of land rights and reproductive rights.
3. Women in Armed Conflict—addressing the increase of militarization and involvement of women in situations of conflict across the region.
4. Institutional mechanisms to Promote Equality for Women—addressing the need for a much stronger focus on strategies such as gender mainstreaming, educational reform to ensure access and equity for women to enable their participation in mainstream institutions
5. Political participation and decision making—addressing the continued low participation of women in politics and decision-making.

The coalition came up with specific language on these five points and is currently lobbying to have this language inputted into the official Outcomes document.
Mavic Cabrera-Balleza

Agenda

Central Eastern Europe + Commonwealth of Independent States Caucus 9 March 10.45-12.45, UNIFEM conference room, 15^th flr 304 East 45th St

Alternative reports on the Implementation of the PfA in Central and Eastern Europe 9 March 3-5, Church Center 2nd floor

‘Deconstructing Masculinity: A focus on boys?’

Panel discussion, 9 March, 10.00am-12.00pm, Dag Hammarskjold Aud.

Special Events

Youth for Women’s Rights
At the end of the 8 March briefing, 30 young women and one man, evenly spaced throughout the room, stood up and put on their colorful T-shirts with the text: Celebrating International Women’s Day, Youth for Women’s Rights. They unfolded banners describing the obstacles to women’s freedom and began to chant while dancing "Women Celebrating Rights" in Spanish, French and English at the same time. The rest of the room joined in and the celebration ended in a loud shout: "Youth for Women’s Rights". It was moving and motivating at the same time.

"Women In Black" demonstrate in Peace Session
Members of "Women In Black" held a powerful demonstration during the International Women’s Day session on "Women Uniting for Peace". Dressed in black and holding a banner that identified them, they called attention on the situation of women in many parts of the former Yugoslavia, the militarization of society and the need to reject war and violence at every level, whether domestic, commercial, institutionalized, global or multi-national. One of their members read a document in which they pointed the needs and struggles of women resisting war. They also called participants in the session to hold a minute of silence in memory of war victims in those countries. More information:
www.igc.org/balkans/wib/index..html

Women’s Day Demonstration
Women’s groups and NGOs attending the meeting of the Commission for the Status of Women at the UN headquarters, organized a Women’s Day demonstration at midday, right across the UN building. With banners of protest and flowers in their hands, women called attention on the need to go struggling for equity and justice, not only in gender issues but also political, economic and social.

Resources

For information on what is going on during the CSW Informals, read the Earth Negotiations Bulletin: www.iisd.ca/4wcw/csw44

Speech by Ambassador Chowdury, President of the Security Council, on the International Day of Women at: www.womenaction.org