WUNRN
Website - http://5wcw.org/
Jean Bolen- jeanbolen@gmail.com
February 25, 2013
–Press Release
MOMENTUM
UNDERWAY FOR 5WCW EFFORTS AT 2013 UN CSW MEETINGS
The Call to Action from 5WCW, the grassroots advocacy effort to have a UN 5th World Conference on Women will be very visible at this year’s CSW (March 4 -15), according to Jean Shinoda Bolen, MD, spokesperson. A contingent of women delegates from several ECOSOC consultative status NGOs, others from grassroots organizations attending parallel events will be lobbying for 5WCW on panels and informally, giving away the blue buttons, flyers. Two thousand copies of Bolen’s Moving Toward the Millionth Circle: Energizing a Global Women’s Movement were provided by her publisher to give away in one-on-one conversations by 5WCW advocates.
Women who heeded Eve Ensler’s 1 Billion Rising, the extraordinary international demonstration on February 14 to stop violence against women are now being urged to form circles and become advocates for 5WCW. The Secretary General and the President of the 66th General Assembly issued a Joint Statement on March 8, 2012, urging member states to send them a resolution to convene a 21st century global conference on women (5WCW), the last held in Beijing in 1995. Pathways to Peace and the Culture of Peace Initiative are strong supporters of 5WCW, recognizing that a peaceful world is one in which women’s concerns are heeded, and UN documents are implemented by governments. In energizing a global women’s movement, 5WCW would mobilize the political will needed to end violence, work toward equality and empowerment of women, and support a culture of peace. An online formal petition (GoPetition) has close to 17,000 signatures with international distribution, and a new Change.org petition has just begun addressed to the women who responded to 1 Billion Rising. Eve Ensler has emailed appreciation for this petition from the Congo.
https://www.change.org/petitions/one-billion-rising-get-behind-5wcw-un-5th-world-conference-on-women-2
The Secretary General and the President of the General Assembly’s request included convening the conference in 2015, twenty-years after Beijing. Ambassador Aitimova from Kasakhstan circulated a draft resolution for 5WCW with early interest from many states and opposition expected from member states that usually oppose equality for women. The resolution requested by the SG and PGA did not come to a vote, lacking EU and US support.
The reasons for 5WCW can be found in the ECOSOC Documentation for CSW 57. Advocating a global conference on women, (Translated into the 6 UN official languages). http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/CN.6/2013/NGO/190
An excerpt which summarizes reasons to hold 5WCW:
The implementation of the
Beijing Platform for Action and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) will
not
happen until women empower
themselves with the support of men, institutions and
Governments. A world
conference on women under United Nations auspices would
raise consciousness and
mobilize networks and circles of women at every level of
society and across the world.
It would energize a global women’s movement, which
is necessary to create the political
will needed to bring about gender equality.
Together, political will and
compassionate action can end violence against women
and girls in its many forms
and further a “mother’s agenda” whereby all children
have what every woman wants
for her own child, beginning with living without fear
of violence. The holding of
such a conference and the effects rippling out from it
will be steps towards the
creation of a culture of peace in the home and in the world.
“It has been made absolutely
clear that women need to become activists on
their own behalf.” This was
the conclusion reached by the authors of the largest
global study ever conducted
on violence against women, as detailed in the
September 2012 issue of
American Political Science Review. They found that only
strong feminist movements are
able to voice and organize around the top priorities
of women.
Advocacy for 5WCW is supported by ECOSOC consultative status NGOs: Pathways To Peace, Earth Child Institute, Women’s World Summit Foundation
Contact: Jean Bolen: jeanbolen@gmail.com