-----Original Message----- From: Rudy Arredondo <hola_5@hotmail.com> Date: Monday, November 15, 1999 11:52 AM Subject: Fwd: Woment of the World--UNITE***Beijing+5 resources > > > >>1) Beijing+5 Global Electronic Forum >>2) IWTC Women's GlobalNet #132 >> >>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >> >>1) Beijing+5 Global Electronic Forum >> >>November 8, 1999 >> >>Dear Friends, >> >>As many of you may know, WomenWatch has organized the Beijing+5 Global >>Electronic Forum--a series of online working group discussions created to >>provide input into the review process of the United Nations. >> >>We would like to invite you to join and participate in the ON-LINE WORKING >>GROUP "CLAIM WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS" (SECTION i. OF THE BEIJING PLATFORM FOR >>ACTION). The discussion begins next week and will be facilitated by the >>Center for Women's Global Leadership. The success of the working group >>depends on an interactive and lively debate. We feel that the sharing of >>your work and experiences will add greatly to the dialogue. >> >>The Beijing Platform for Action is one of the most comprehensive >>articulations of government commitments to the human rights of women and >>gender equity. The Platform Mission Statement affirmed "the fundamental >>principle" that the human rights of women and the girl child are an >>inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. The >>text of the Platform calls for the implementation of strategies to ensure >>the rights of women and girls in all areas: legal rights, health, economic >>life, political decision making, education, situations of war and personal >>safety. The task following the conference was the translation of these >>commitments into reality. The five-year review of the Beijing Platform >>presents an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of a human rights based >>approach to women's issues/lives and on the challenges facing the women's >>human rights movement. Woman's human rights advocates have achieved >>recognition of the idea that women's rights are human rights in the Beijing >>Platform and other important documents of the decade. Yet reality lags far >>behind such rhetoric. In spite of courageous and innovative actions by >>women all around the globe, the concerted action and allocation of >>resources required. >> >>A rights based review will provide an opportunity to assess the progress >>made in the implementation of strategies to address both gender specific >>violations and those with a disproportionate impact on women. The Beijing >>Platform addressed the issue of women's human rights in two ways: >> >>1. Strategic Objective i. - Human Rights of Women >>2. Articulation of women's human rights in the other critical areas of >>concern The "Claim Women's Human Rights" Working Group will discuss whether >>the strategies set out in both these areas have been realized. >>The Working Group will focus on the following questions: >> >>1) What are the trends since 1995 in attitudes and values that support the >>human rights of women and girls? What progress has been made? >>What concrete steps have been taken? >> >>2) What are the obstacles to full realization of these rights? >> >>a. Resistance to the Platform for Action strategies >>b. Contradictory government policies and practices >>c. Lack of political will and and/or resources >>d. Macroeconomic realities that mitigate against and violate the >>human rights of women and girls >> >>3) What must be done in the future? >> >>a. Benchmarks of progress >>b. Minimum standards for women's human rights in particular areas >>c. New regional and international mechanisms required >>d. Assessment of resources needed >> >>The Working Group will meet 8 November - 17 December 1999. We proposed the >>following schedule for our discussion together: >> >>Week One: What are the trends in changing attitudes and values toward >>women's human rights since 1995? >> >>Week Two: What progress has been made in the ratification and >>implementation of basic human rights instruments especially CEDAW? >> >>Week Three: What concrete actions taken to strengthen and expand women and >>girls knowledge of their rights through programs to promote legal literacy >>and human rights education about and for women? >> >>Week Four: What actions have been taken to promote equality and >>nondiscrimination in the areas of: political participation, indigenous and >>migrant rights, health and reproductive rights etc.? >> >>Week Five: What actions have been taken to promote equality and >>non-discrimination in areas of economic rights, land and inheritance >>rights, access to basic services etc.? >> >>Week Six: What else needs to be done to secure women's human rights? What >>should the UN do? >> >>We look forward to discussing and sharing your experiences and ideas for >>claiming women's human rights. >> >>HOW TO JOIN >> >>Please go to http://www.un.org/womenwatch/forum/index.html and "sign up" >>for the CLAIM WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS working group. >> >>OR >> >>1. Send a message to (with a blank subject line): >>majordomo@mail.edc.org >>2. Type the following in the first line of your message: >>subscribe women-rights >>3. If you have any difficulties, please write to the list owner: >>owner-women-rights@mail.edc.org >> >>Center for Women's Global Leadership >>Douglass College >>Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey >>160 Ryders Lane >>New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8555 >>tel: (1-732)932-8782 >>fax: (1-732)932-1180 >>e-mail: <cwgl@igc.org> >>website: <http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu> >>------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>2) IWTC Women's GlobalNet #132 >> >>Please excuse cross-postings. >> >>Activities and Initiatives of Women Worldwide >>By Anne S. Walker and Vicki Semler >> >>November 10, 1999 >> >>BEIJING PLUS FIVE REVIEW PROCESS USED TO PUSH FOR CHANGE IN >>DISCRIMINATORY LAWS AGAINST WOMEN. >> >>A campaign calling upon governments in 42 countries to repeal or amend >>discriminatory laws has been launched by Equality Now, a group working for >>the civil, political, economic and social rights of women around the world. >>In preparing the background report, 62 laws in 42 countries were >>identified, a representative sampling of laws around the world that are >>"fundamentally in contradiction with the spirit and text of the Beijing >>Platform for Action (PFA), as well as the UN Charter, the Universal >>Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Civil and >>Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the >>Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of >Discrimination Against Women)". Equality Now invites people to join their >campaign to repeal these discriminatory laws prior to the B + 5 Special >Session in June 2000. For further information, contact: Equality Now, PO. >Box 20646, Columbus Circle Station, New York, NY 10023, USA. Fax: (1-212) >586-1611. >>E-mail: <info@equalitynow.org>. Web site: http://www.equalitynow.org . >> >>NEW AND FORTHCOMING RESOURCES ON BEIJING PLUS FIVE REVIEW: >> >>1. Flora Tristan Women's Centre in Lima, Peru, in collaboration with UNICEF >>and UNIFEM, has published "Roads to Beijing", containing case studies which >>reflect on the Beijing review process in Latin America and the Caribbean. >>For further information, contact: Flora Tristan Women's Centre, Parque >>Hernan Velarde 42, Santa Beatriz, Lima 1, Peru. Tel: (51-14) 33-06-93. >> Fax: (51-14) 33-95-00. E-mail: <postmast@flora.org.pe>. >> >>2. IWTC's Preview 2000 #3, due out in November 1999, will feature charts >>showing which countries have: 1) Prepared a National Plan of Action and; 2) >>Responded to the UN Questionnaire. The charts will also indicate each >>country's ranking on the: 1) Human Development Index (HDI); 2) Gender >>Development-Related Index (GDRI) and; 3) Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM), >>as shown in the 1999 Human Development Report produced by UNDP. A final >>column will list any discriminatory laws still on the books in some >>countries, as indicated in the Equality Now survey (see above). To >>subscribe >>to the Preview 2000 series of six bulletins, please contact IWTC (See at >>end). >> >>3. "Beijing +5 Voices Without Brackets", a radio programme produced by >>FIRE, the feminist short-wave radio service based in Costa Rica, can be >>found at their web site <http://www.fire.or.cr>. (Spanish and English) >>October's report includes women from Latin America talking about >>alternative reporting processes and an interview with IWTC discussing the >>overall Beijing +5 process. November's report features WEDO giving an >>assessment of the relationship between the Beijing +5 and other world >>conference review processes. November will also feature women speaking >>about the International Criminal Court and how to strengthen it, and women >>from Costa Rica discussing "Roots of Our Diversity". Contact FIRE for >>further information at e-mail: <fuegocr@sol.racsa.co.cr> and/or web site: >>http://www.fire.or.cr . >> >>4. "Educational Watch on Gender and Education" by the Gender and Education >>Office, Office of the International Council for Adult Education (also known >>as REPEM) in Uruguay, brings together the efforts of women's organizations, >>research institutions and networks working in the field of adult education >>to monitor the Beijing PFA and policy recommendations emerging from >>CONFINTEA V (the International Conference on Adult Education). Drawing on >>the experiences of members in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the >>South Pacific to monitor the Beijing PFA, this publication is seen as part >>of a longer term process of constructing a set of indicators on gender and >>education. For further information, contact: REPEM, Colonia 2069, 11200 >>Montevideo, Uruguay. E-mail: <repem@chasque.apc.org>. >>Fax: (59-82) 403-0599. >> >>UPDATE ON UN and NGO REGIONAL MEETINGS: >> >>The following is an update on the dates, locations and preliminary outcomes >>(in the case of the ESCAP meeting) of the five scheduled UN Regional >>Meetings for Beijing Plus Five. : >> >>ASIA/PACIFIC: >>ESCAP: 26-29 October 1999. Bangkok, Thailand. >>(High-level Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Jakarta declaration >>and Plan of Action and Regional Implementation of the Beijing Declaration >>and Platform for Action). Web site: http://www.unescap.org >> >>NGO Caucus at the ESCAP Regional Meeting. >>The Asian Caucus at the ESCAP meeting has reported on several decisions >>taken at meetings held during the ESCAP Regional Meeting in Bangkok. Here >>are some of those decisions: >> >>1. The Asian Caucus will now be called the Asia-Pacific Caucus. At the >>CSW/PrepCom meetings in New York, March 1999, the group had agreed to >>include the Pacific region. At the Bangkok meeting, it agreed to officially >>change its name to the Asia Pacific Caucus. >> >>2. The new coordinating structure that emerged from the Regional NGO >>Symposium held in Manila, August 31-September 3, 1999 was named Asia >>Pacific Women's Watch (APWW) at the meeting in Bangkok. >> >>3. The Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD) volunteered >>to take up the lobbying efforts for the Asia Pacific region at the >>CSW/PrepCom meetings in March 2000. It was agreed that APWLD will spearhead >>this work in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Women Watch. >> >>For more information on the outcomes of NGO discussions that took place >>during the ESCAP Regional Meeting, 26-29 October 1999. Bangkok, Thailand, >>please contact: Luz Martinez, Isis International/Manila at e-mail: >><luz@isiswomen.org> or visit the Isis website at: >><http://www.isiswomen.org> >> >> >>AFRICA: >>ECA: 22-27 November 1999. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. >>(Sixth African Regional Conference on Women to Assess progress in the >>Implementation of the Beijing and African Platforms for Action). >> >>Plans call for 1000 people to attend the meeting, including: Delegations of >>20 from each country, consisting of government officials, national NGOs and >>representatives from international, regional and sub regional NGOs, media >>representatives, and young people. A declaration will be made on the >>outcome of the meeting. For further information on this meeting, contact: >>Joyce Mends-Cole, Regional Gender Adviser, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. E-mail: >><joycemendscole@undp.org>. Web site: http://www.uneca.org. >> >>NGOšs to Meet Prior to ECA Regional Meeting: >>NGOs from across Africa will meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from November >>19th --20th to discuss their input into the Beijing Plus Five review >>process. >> >>WESTERN ASIA: >> >>ESCWA: 29 November to 1 December, 1999. Beirut, Lebanon. >>(Second Arab Conference on Integrated Follow-up to Global Conferences). >>Web site: http://www.unescwa.org >> >>NGOs to Meet After Regional Meeting: >>NGOšs will meet from 22-23 January, 2000 in Amman, Jordan. This meeting is >>being facilitated by the UNIFEM Western Asia Regional Office, Amman, >>Jordan. >>For further information, contact: Christine Arab, Information Officer, >>UNIFEM. >>E-mail: <admin_unifem@nets.com.jo>. >> >>EUROPE/NORTH AMERICA: >>ECE: 19-21 January, 2000. Geneva, Switzerland >>(Expert Meeting at the Intergovernmental Level to Review Economic Issues >>problems and Policies Relating to Women in the ECE Countries). >>Web site: http://www.unece.org >> >>LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN >>CEPAL/ECLAC: 8-10 February, 2000. Lima, Peru. >>(Eighth Regional Conference) >>Web site: http://www.eclac.org >> >>NGO GLOBAL BEIJING PLUS FIVE WEB SITES: >> >>WomenAction 2000: http://www.womenaction.org >>A global launching of the WomenAction 2000 site is planned for November >>25th, 1999 (International Day Against Gender Violence). Contact Karen Banks >>at <karenb@gn.apc.org> for further details. >> >>Womenšs Human Rights Network: http://www.whrnet.org> >>A global launching of this site is planned for 14 November, 1999 at the >>AWID Forum in Washington, DC. For further information, contact: Oliva >>Acosta at e-mail: <oacosta@jet.es> >> >>SELECTED NGO REGIONAL BEIJING PLUS FIVE WEBSITES: >> >>AFRICA: >>WomensNet (South Africa): http://womensnet.org.za >>ENDA/Synfev (Senegal): http://www.famafrique.org (French) >>FemNet (Kenya): http://www.africaonline.co.ke/femnet >> >>ASIA/PACIFIC: >>AWORC/Asia Women's Resource Exch.: http://www.jca.apc.org/aworc/bpfa/ >>Isis International/Manila: http://www.isiswomen.org/ >> >>LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN >>ALAI (Ecuador): http://www.alainet.org (Spanish and English) >>Isis Internacional/Santiago: http://www.isis.cl (Spanish) >>Fempress (Santiago): http://www.fempress.cl (Spanish) >> >>NORTH AMERICA >>US WomenConnect (USA): http://www.uswc.org >>FAFIA (Canada): http://www.sympatico.ca/criaw (French and English) >>Platform for Action Cštee (Canada): http://www.freenet.mb.ca/unpac >> >>EUROPE: >>IIAV (The Netherlands): http://www.iiav.nl >>GreenNet (UK): http://www.gn.apc.org/apcwomen >> >> UNITED NATIONS BEIJING PLUS FIVE WEB SITES: >>WomenWatch: http://www.un.org/womenwatch >>UNIFEM: http://www.unifem.undp.org >>UN/DAW: http://www.un.org/daw >>UNDP/GIDP: http://www.undp.org/gender >>(UNDP Gender in Development Programme) >> >>IWTC Women's GlobalNet is produced by: >> >>International Women's Tribune Centre >>777 United Nations Plaza >>New York, NY 10017 >>Tel: (1-212) 687-8633 >>Fax: (1-212) 661-2704 >>E-mail: <iwtc@igc.org> >> >>_____________________________________________ >>Isolation is not an option. 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