Subject: [fem-women2000 121] Women's Globalnet #135
From: lalamaziwa <lalamaziwa@jca.apc.org>
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:00:15 +0900
Seq: 121
---------------- Original message follows ---------------- From: iwtc <iwtc@igc.org> To: iwtc-womensglobalnet@igc.topica.com Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 11:12:29 -0800 Subject: Women's Globalnet #135 -- Note from IWTC: It has been brought to our notice that many people did not receive IWTC Women's GlobalNet #135 in December 1999 and we are therefore resending it. Our apologies if you are receiving this for a second time. IWTC Women's GlobalNet #135 Activities and Initiatives of Women Worldwide By Anne S. Walker and Vicki Semler December 16, 1999 OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO CEDAW NOW OPEN FOR SIGNING! WOMEN'S CAUCUSES ENSURE GENDER PERSPECTIVE ON EMERGING GLOBAL ISSUES. 1. Optional Protocol Open for Signing! On 10 December, Human Rights Day, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was open for signatures. The Optional Protocol is an important addition to CEDAW because it provides a communications procedure that allows individual women or groups of women to submit claims of violations of rights to the CEDAW Committee. It also sets up an inquiry procedure that enables the Committee to initiate inquiries into situations of grave or systemic violations of women's rights. Women worldwide are mobilizing to urge their governments to sign the Protocol as a show of political will in support of the ongoing Beijing +5 review process. The full text can be found online at: <www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/protocol>. The following 23 countries signed the Optional Protocol at the Opening Ceremony on 10 December, 1999: Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Senegal, Slovenia, and Sweden. Is your country amongst these signatories? If not, urge your government to sign now. 2. ICC Urgent Action Alert! The Women's Caucus on Gender Justice, as it continues its participation in the negotiations on the International Criminal Court, has issued an urgent action alert. At stake are proposals defining crimes against humanity in very limiting ways that do not take into account the realities of women in the situations that are likely to come before the court. This is a step backwards, as definitions of crimes against humanity agreed to in previous ICC PrepComs had included crimes of sexual violence. The Women's Caucus requests that you contact your foreign and justice ministries or departments, and urge them to support gender issues and oppose attempts to limit the Court's ability to fully respond to and redress crimes committed against women. Draft letters are available from the Women's Caucus for Gender Justice, which can be contacted at <iccwomen@igc.org>. For additional insights into the work of the ICC Women's Caucus for Gender Justice and an update on the issues under debate (from a gender perspective) see their new electronic journal available on-line at <http://www.iccwomen.org>. 3. Gender Caucus at WTO in Seattle Issues Declaration! A Gender Caucus met during the Third World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Seattle, Washington, November 30 - December 3, to strategize approaches to ensure a gender perspective in the deliberations of the WTO. Protesting against a system that places corporate over community and national interests, the Gender Caucus, representing organizations from the Global South and North, issued a declaration. The declaration provides a way of looking at the issues in three clusters: Systemic and Implementation Issues; Agriculture; and General Agreement on Trade and Services. A copy of the declaration will be available as from Monday, November 20, 1999 at : <http://www.wedo.org> 4. Primer on WTO Available! The Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), in connection with its work with the WTO Gender Caucus, has just released a primer introducing the basic issues surrounding the WTO from a gender perspective. Entitled "A Gender Agenda for the World Trade Organization" the primer includes: (1) decision-making and governance, (2) economic equity, (3) health and safety, and (4) indigenous knowledge. With a glossary, charts, and reference to selected web sites for further information, this is an excellent resource for anyone interested in moving forward with this important issue. Copies are free to individuals and groups in the Global South, and at a cost of US$2.00 (to cover postage) to all others. Another excellent introduction to the issues surrounding WTO, and with references to other resources, is the November l999 issue of WEDO's "News & Views". To receive a copy, contact: Joan Ross-Frankson, Communications Director, WEDO, 355 Lexington Ave., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10017. Tel: (1-212) 973-0325. Fax: (1-212) 973-0335. Email: <wedo@igc.org>. Web site: <http://www.wedo.org> 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> For quality, cutting-edge publications on women and development by, for and about women worldwide, see Women, Ink's catalogue at our web site: <http://www.womenink.org> Women, Ink. is a project of the International Women's Tribune Centre IWTC Women's Globalnet is a production of: International Women's Tribune Centre 777 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: (1-212) 687-8633 Fax: (1-212) 661-2704 Email: <iwtc@igc.org> You can subscribe to this list at any time by sending a blank message to iwtc-womensglobalnet-subscribe@igc.topica.com You can unsubscribe to this list at any time by sending a blank message to iwtc-womensglobalnet-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com SPECIAL NOTE: If you are interested in "cutting-edge" books on women and development, subscribe to Women, Ink.'s Booklink by sending a blank message to wink-booklink-subscribe@igc.topica.com Women, Ink. is a project of the International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC) _____________________________________________________________ Check out the new and improved Topica site! http://www.topica.com/t/13