Post Winnipeg UN Women Report

Dear Friends,

This is a message to update you as to the work that has gone on this summer to close the Winnipeg Chapter of the Canadian National Committee for UN Women and plans for us to move forward.

Great news - we were able to send $9,912.91 to UN Women, which brings to a total $43,912.91 that this Chapter has raised over 10 years. This is thanks to the work, support and donations from all of you.

The documents have been prepared, and sent, with the requirement that the funds be sent to UN Women for the Women, War and Peace program, and that the information on the Canadian National Committee's web site be corrected, ie that the decision by the National Committee is to no longer have any Chapters in Canada, and that the Winnipeg Chapter has been dissolved.

Although we could not hold an Annual Meeting, we did prepare an Annual Report, and you can see the final report that was sent here - http://tinyurl.com/8kbys3z. If you can't access, or open the file, let me know, and I can send you an electronic version. Special thanks to Allison Fenske, Donna Marion and Elaine Stevenson for their help in completing the necessary and sometimes stressful work.

We will be making a donation to Manitoba Archives. It's a great idea, so if you have something that could be included to record the Winnipeg Chapter's history, please let Wilma Sotas (<w_sotas@shaw.ca>) know. Also - Alanna Gray is willing to put together a "Memory Book" - please consider writing something about what the Winnipeg Chapter meant to you and sending it to Alanna at <gray.alanna@gmail.com>. Deadline on items for the Memory Book is October 1.

We can all be proud of the work, and accomplishments of the Winnipeg Chapter.

But it is now time to move forward. A small group of past board members, and planning committee members (calling ourselves Manitoba Women Moving Forward- MWMF) have been thinking about this, and we are looking to continue to work for women's equality, human rights, and peace - locally and globally. We see the work as complimenting the work of so many others in the community, and sharing and promoting their work where we can. We can be associated with the Institute for International Women's Rights (part of Global College at U of W). If you have any thoughts, ideas and recommendations to consider, please share.

In the meantime we are supporting 2 initiatives - one is Stop Violence Now! with the Girl Guides - scheduled for November 3rd. They are looking for speakers particularly on the international aspects of violence against women and girls and we have linked them with 2 of our members. Another initiative we are supporting is an event with MATCH, and a visit by three Feminist Activists in early October. They are being supported by the Nobel Women's Initiative and are from Palestine, Burma and Sudan. Will get more details out on this visit shortly.

So stay tuned everyone! Something good will come from all this!

Mary Scott

3083 Vialoux Dr.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA, R3R 0A1
phone: 1.204.888-2996 mobile: 1.204.996.7653
mary_scott@shaw.ca

"The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all." Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, leader of Burma's democracy movement

World Leaders Draw Attention to Central Role of Women's Political Participation in Democracy

United Nations, New York ­ Womeen make up less than 10 percent of world leaders. Globally less than one in five members of parliament is a woman. The 30 percent critical mass mark for women’s representation in parliament has been reached or exceeded in only 28 countries. At a high-level event today, during the 66th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, women political leaders will strongly call for increasing women's political participation and decision-making across the world. Stressing that women’s participation is fundamental to democracy and essential to the achievement of sustainable development and peace in all contexts ­ during peace, through conflict and post-conflict, and duuring political transitions ­ the leaders will sign on to a joinnt statement with concrete recommendations on ways to advance women's political participation.

Signatories include: H.E. Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil; Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; H.E. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State of the United States of America; Rt. Hon. Baroness Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission; H.E. Roza Otunbayeva, President of the Kyrgyz Republic; Lilia Labidi, Minister of Women’s Affairs, Republic of Tunisia; Helen Clark, Under-Secretary-General and Administrator, UN Development Programme; and Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

Details of the event: http://j.mp/WomLeaders

The Joint Statement, Embargoed until 15:00 EDT, is below:

Joint Statement On Advancing Women's Political Participation

New York, 19 September 2011

We, the undersigned Heads of State and Government, Foreign Ministers, and High Representatives, affirm that women's political participation is fundamental to democracy and essential to the achievement of sustainable development and peace.

We reaffirm the human right of women to take part in the Governments of their countries, directly or through freely chosen representatives, on an equal basis with men, and that all States should take affirmative steps to respect and promote women's equal right to participate in all areas and at all levels of political life.

We stress the critical importance of women's political participation in all contexts, including in times of peace, conflict and in all stages of political transition.

We recognize the essential contributions women around the world continue to make to the achievement and maintenance of international peace and security and to the full realization of human rights; to the promotion of sustainable development; and to the eradication of poverty, hunger and disease. Even so, we are concerned that women in every part of the world continue to be largely marginalized from decision-making, often as a result of discriminatory laws, practices, and attitudes, and due to poverty disproportionately affecting women.

We reaffirm our commitment to the equal rights and inherent human dignity of women enshrined in the United Nations Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other relevant international human rights instruments. We call upon all States to ratify and fulfill their obligations under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and to implement fully Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security and other relevant UN resolutions.

We call upon all States, including those emerging from conflict or undergoing political transitions, to eliminate all discriminatory barriers faced by women, particularly marginalized women, and we encourage all States to take proactive measures to address the factors preventing women from participating in politics, such as violence, poverty, lack of access to quality education and health care, the double burden of paid and unpaid work, and to actively promote women's political participation, including through affirmative measures, as appropriate.

We reaffirm and express full support for the important role of the United Nations system in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women, and we welcome UN Women and its mandate in this regard.

Press ReleaseFor immediate release
Date: 16 June 2011
Media Inquiries
Oisika Chakrabarti, Media Specialist
+1 646 781-4522, oisika.chakrabarti[at]unwomen.org


Executive Director of UN Women to Focus on Central Role of Women in Democracy on First Official Visit to Tunisia  - Will call for greater participation of women in current reform process, increased economic opportunities, and protection of women and girls especially in border regions


New York, 16 June—In her first official visit to Tunisia, Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, will draw attention to the critical role Tunisian women have played in the movement for democracy, and the need to make gender equality and women’s empowerment a cornerstone of the ongoing reform process.
In her three day visit, Ms. Bachelet will call for greater political participation of women including in the upcoming October elections and in the constitution-building processes, emphasizing that gender equality is a pre-requisite in advancing democracy and economic development.
“From Tunisia and Egypt to Syria, Yemen, Libya and Bahrain, women have been active participants, calling for democracy, dignity and equality. In Tunisia, the process has reached that moment where calls for equal rights and justice must become policy and practice,” Ms. Bachelet said.
Tunisia’s historic adoption of the new electoral code which ensures gender parity at the nominations level and lays the groundwork for equal political representation for women and men on the ballot, has set a leading example for the world. However, significant work lies ahead to strengthen women’s engagement in leadership and decision-making across the country, including in far-flung interior regions. 
Against this backdrop Ms. Bachelet will provide the opening remarks at an international conference “Women and Democratic Transitions in Arab Countries”. The meeting provides a national platform for consultations on best strategies for advancing women’s rights in democratic processes, and will be attended by women’s groups and civil society actors from all Arab countries. Earlier this month at a similar international meeting in Egypt, Ms. Bachelet met with Egyptian women leaders, and advocated for women’s equal voice and participation in the transition process.
Meetings with several Tunisian leaders, including the President of The Republic Foued Mebazza, Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi, Foreign Minister Mohamed Mouldi Kefi, Minister of Women Affairs  Lilia Laabidi, President of the Independent Election Commission M. Kamel Jendoubi, President of the Commission of Investigation on Human Rights Abuses M. Taoufik Bouderbala, and members of the Commission for the Protection of the Goals of the Revolution are scheduled during the visit. In addition to gender equality in the reform process, Ms. Bachelet will also focus on women’s economic empowerment and access to employment, and the protection of women and girls, particularly in the Tunisia-Libya border region.
UN Women, the youngest UN organization, became operational on 1 January 2011, and is charged with advancing gender equality. It merges four previously distinct parts of the UN system which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.



UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.unwomen.org/. UN Women, 304 East 45th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10017. Tel: +1 212 906-6400. Fax: +1 212 906-6705.