wfn.org | WORLD YWCA RESTATES ITS POSITION AS LEADER IN WOMENS ISSUES

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Media Release - Media Release - Media Release

WORLD YWCA RESTATES ITS POSITION AS LEADER IN WOMEN'S ISSUES.
For immediate distribution July 29, 2003

The World YWCA brought together over 1000 women from more than 100 countries
and 50 partner organisations in Brisbane, Australia, from July 5-10, 2003
for Leading Change: The Power to Act. During this meeting the World YWCA
convened a two-day International Womens Summit to review the status of
women within the framework of the womens global agenda adopted in Beijing
1995.  To do this the World YWCA brought women leaders, women activists and
women from grassroots areas to tell their stories from their perspective.

Testimonies from women experiencing economic injustices, violence, the
effects of HIV/AIDS, and women living in conflict situations formed the
central part of the Summit. To give these issues a global perspective were
plenary keynote speeches from prominent women leaders.

Noleen Heyzer, director of UNIFEM, as keynote speaker at the opening session
of the Summit commented on the many contexts affecting the work of the YWCA
and suggested strategies to meet current challenges. Major challenges
identified by Dr. Heyzer included the need to link global aims to local
action agendas and vice versa; to include womens perspectives in efforts to
develop safe and secure environment and to recognise the impact of HIV/AIDS
on women and girls. One challenge however stood out and that was to
integrate the current agendas, i.e. those covering human rights, the
environment, and economic development.  As women organising the change, as
women organising for a more secure world we have to get out of our single
issues. More than at any time our issues interconnect. And that is the
challenge today. More than at any time we have to develop the skills to
cross boundaries.

Princess Basma Bint Talal (Jordan) identified the impact of armed conflict
on women and the need for women to be involved in peace negotiation.  The
roles of women and religious leaders in peace building seem to me to be
significantly under exploited forces for peace making. In conflict ridden
areas women are often disproportionately affected by hostilities and thus
largely seen to be primary victims of war.

Womens human rights need to be recognised universally before progress can
be made in reducing poverty and achieving economic justice and sustainable
development.  emphasised Eun Kung Park (Korea), Vice President of the World
YWCA, as she put in perspective what women can do in relation to promoting
sustainable development both at a grassroots and at global level. We need a
gender balance at the institutional level. Women need to be prepared to
participate, to get involved, and to educate, and play a key role at the
local, national, regional and global levels in promoting sustainable
development in societies. We must not let poverty and globalisation continue
to marginalise and victimise women.

The incorporation of womens perspectives and lives into human rights
standards and practice forces recognitions of the dismal failure of
countries to accord women the human dignity and respect they deserve -
simply as human beings.   The activist Charlotte Bunch (USA), founder and
Director of the Centre for Womens Global Leadership, stressed the
importance of a human rights framework when working to improve the status of
women.	Using a human rights framework equips women to define, analyse and
articulate their experiences of injustice and marginality. It provides a
common framework for developing concrete strategies for change.

The sharing of information and experiences is important for a womens global
network but information can also be a double-edged sword. Afia Nathaniel
(Pakistan), independent filmmaker, cautioned the role of the media in their
use of information as a weapon in influencing the world agenda. The biggest
weapon of mass destruction is still undeclared and unrecognised. It is not a
weapon forged out of nuclear matter but it is one forged in the mass media,
namely information.

Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, Minister for Energy and Minerals in South Africa
stretched the thinking of the YWCA by insisting that partnerships with
industry, corporations and governments are needed if YWCA women want to
achieve the change they wish to see in their communities. Christine Grumm
(USA), executive director of the Womens Funding Network, furthered this
agenda as she shared her experience of funding with the YWCA movement.
Women as social change agents must be fundraisers with big and bold
  visions

The International Womens Summit was an opportunity for women from
different situations to hear each other, evaluate the progress women are
making and adapt strategies to move forward and address barriers that affect
progress. It was a time of celebration and joy as more than 1000 women met
together and expressed the hope within us and motivates us to be leaders of
change. Musimbi Kanyoro, General Secretary of the World YWCA, in her
concluding comments of the Summit.

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The World YWCA unites 25 million women and girls through 100 affiliated,
autonomous national YWCAs. The vision of the World YWCA is of a fully
inclusive world where justice, peace, health, human dignity, freedom and
care for the environment are promoted and sustained through women's
leadership.

www.worldywca.org
email: worldoffice@worldywca.org