Commission On The Status Of Women

WIN News, Spring, 2000

Contact the UN DIVISION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN - see above

The Report of the 44th Session will be published this spring/summer. The next session will tak place in Feb/March 2001 and is not scheduled as yet.

Women Acton 2000 a global NGO electronic network for Beijing 5 was launched on November 26 1999. Its projected goal is to develop a communications network: [less than]www.womenaction.org[greater than].

Women Human Rights - whrNET, a new women's human rights global website was launched Nov. 13, 1999 by an international coalition of women human rights organizations: [less than]www.whrNet.org[greater than]

CEDAW- COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN

23. SESSION JUNE 12 - 30, 2000- UNITED NATIONS NEW YORK

CONTACT: DIVISION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN, UNITED NATIONS, Jane Connors, Chief Women's Rights Unit, DC2, Room 1226, United Nations, NY, NY 10017

COUNTRY REPORTS to be reviewed

FIRST REPORTS: Cameroon // Lithuania // Moldova

THIRD and FOURTH REPORTS: Austria // Romania // Iraq // Cuba

Website: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/committ

For more information please contact Ms Connors FAX: (212) 963 3463

IWRAW - INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTION WATCH

THE HUMPHREY INSTITUTE, 301-19th Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA; (612) 625-5093 FAX: (612) 624-0068 // E-mail: iwraw@hhh.umn.edu

IWRAW TO CEDAW COUNTRY REPORTS:

The Country Reports of the countries reviewed at the CEDAW meetings (see above) are published just before each CEDAW meeting and include independent information from NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) to provide additional views. The reports are available in printed form from /WRAW at the Humphrey Institute, address above.

IWRAW is a global network of individuals and organizations that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, an international treaty now ratified by 162 countries. The IWRAW project at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the Univeristy of Minnesota. is the international resource and communication center for this global network. IWRAW also publishes a quarterly Newsletter and other publications.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S TRIBUNE CENTRE - IWTC - WOMEN INK

777 UNITED NATIONS Plaza, New York NY 10017; Tel: (212)-687-8633. FAX: (212)-661 -2704 Anne S. Walker, Director; Vicky Semler, Associate Director e-mail: Iwtc@lgc.apc org.

A Newsletter is being published and many other educational publications for women worldwide

WOMEN INK is a project of the International Women's Tribune Ctr. that markets and distributes resources/ books on women and development, including publications of UNIFEM, the UN Development Fund for Women, Alice Quinn, Manager. A Publication Catalogue is available.

World Wide Web: http://www,womenink.org

The Women's Tribune Centre publishes information bulletins on the Internet on BEIJING PLUS 5

INTERNET INFORMATION RESOURCES

UNITED NATIONS DIVISION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN (DAW) 2 UN Plaza, Room DC2 1220, New York, NY 10017

DAW'S WORLD WIDE WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.UN.ORG/WOMENWATCH/DAW

* WomenWatch Internet gateway: http://www.un.org/womenwatch

* News Section: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/news

* Commission on the Status of Women: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw

* CEDAW: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw

* Beijing Declaration Platform for Action: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform

* Beijing Follow-up: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/followup

* Archives of the Fourth World Conference: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing

* Calendar of Events: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/calendar.htm

* Publications on Women, including Women 2000: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public.> UN SECR.GEN. KOFI ANNAN CALLS FOR GIRLS' ACCESS TO EDUCATION UN WIRE(Feb. 29, 2000): http://www.unfoundation.org

"Millions of girls worldwide are denied the right to education, although their governments have signed international conventions guaranteeing such rights, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan writes in the London Guardian. Annan notes education is seen as something that can empower girls by building up their self-confidence and allowing them to make informed decisions.

For most girls around the world, he says, this means not being forced into a teenage marriage; managing pregnancies; seeking and obtaining medical care for themselves and their children; access to child care and nutrition; and ensuring that children attend at least primary school. 'It is about bringing to a close a never-ending spiral of poverty and powerlessness,'

Annan adds. 'Education[ldots] is what makes possible the development of entire communities, countries and continents, It is the most effective form of defense spending there is.'

In many societies, though, Annan says, most women are marginalized but bear the biggest burden of caring for the sick or infirm when tragedy strikes.

Building new classrooms is not enough to stop the 'cruel and unjust state of affairs,' Annan concludes. Citing welcome examples of successful programs in the Middle East and in Africa, Annan says societies must recognize that educating girls is no longer an option but 'a necessity' (London Guardian, 29 Feb.)."