AWID Resource Net Announcements: Wednesday 9 March 2011

Wednesday 9 March 2011 To contribute to Resource Net, please write to contribute@awid.org. Please allow at least two days for us to consider your request. Items that arrive too late to be included in the newsletter, will be posted to www.awid.org In this Issue Announcements Events Calls for Participation New Resources Quick Links to AWID's Website Announcements Events Calls for Participation  New Resources   Appeals and Urgent Actions Subscribe to Resource-Net Announcements Follow us on Facebook & Twitter   ANNOUNCEMENT   Launch of improved www.awid.org!   To mark International Women's Day, AWID is pleased to announce the launch of a range of new developments to our website - www.awid.org.   The new design and structure of the website will make it easier for you to find the latest news and analysis on women's rights around the world, and to share them with others. There is a new section with ways for you to get involved along with more accessible information on AWID's strategic initiatives and our latest publications which you can download in pdf. or read online. You can also become an AWID member or renew your membership online. Read more   CEDAW Committee Outcomes Statement to CSW 55   February 22, 2011 This statement is by Ms. Silvia Pimentel, Chair Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. "I have the honour to present to the fifty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women the main outcomes of the forty-sixth, forty-seventh and forty-eighth sessions of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Pursuant to its mandate under article 20 of the Convention, the Committee considered the reports of 20 States parties and adopted concluding observations in this regard..." Read more International Women's Day, 8th March 2011: A message from the World March of Women   "We have started 2011 with hope and revolution in our hearts and minds, as we support the struggle for self-determination and participatory democracy in northern Africa and the Arab world. The peoples of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Syria have demonstrated that mass uprisings of women and men do have the power to topple governments and dictatorships. Women's voices and actions are crucial to the construction of people power, and on International Women's Day we commit ourselves to struggle alongside our sisters to ensure their active participation in their country's transition processes..." Read more    NETRIGHT: Statement for International Women's Day on "Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women"   "The theme for this year's International Women's day, "Equal access to education, training and science and technology:  a pathway to decent work for women", is most appropriate, focusing as it does on one of the most critical issues facing our world and country. There has been significant progress in women and girls' access to educational opportunities. Current gender parity at the primary level stands at 1:1 in some places in the country. However educational enrolment remains lower for females at the higher levels of the educational ladder..."   Read more    Women voice their concerns about REDD+   March 7, 2011   "Women's groups, civil society organizations and activists have come together to call out for alternatives to the proposed policies and incentives under the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhance carbon stocks (REDD+). In a statement, individuals and groups, including indigenous peoples assert that REDD + is still a covert way of allowing greater destruction to the world's remaining forests and communities, especially women..."   Read more    DAWN Statement on the Launch of UN Women   CSW 55, New York, February 2011 "Women's movements and women's rights advocates have reason to cheer and celebrate the launching of the UN Women. In the entire history of the United Nations, it is the only entity that was primarily created in response to the worldwide clamor and mobilization of women's movements! Nevertheless, the timing of the launch cannot be more challenging. The world remains gripped by a longdrawn global economic crisis and the United Nations has been told to be more efficient in is operations..." Read more EVENTS   Central America Women's Network (CAWN): 20th Anniversary Event   March 31, 2011  6:30-8:30pm London, UK   Join CAWN to celebrate 20 years of promoting women's rights and gender equality in solidarity with women in Central America!   Read more   Central America Women's Network (CAWN): Speaker Tour 2011   March 29 - April 12, 2011 UK    Evelyn Cuellar and Mercedes Lainez are women's rights activists from CAWN's partner organisation in Honduras, CEM-H. They will be touring the U.K. and meeting CAWN supporters, NGOs, the media, students, academics and other women's organisations to raise awareness and discuss the situation of women's rights in Honduras and the Central America region, the struggle to promote and defend women's rights, the role of Feminists in Resistance and the successes and challenges of CEM-H's work.   Read more    University of East Anglia: Short Course: Gender and Development    June 20- July 1, 2011 University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK   Build your knowledge about gender and gender analysis for development practice and organisational change. Dr Penny Plowman, an experienced gender and development practitioner who specialises in organisational analysis,  is running the short course 'Gender and Development' at International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK in June 2011. Dr Plowman uses participatory methodology and action learning to explore the theory and practice of change and gender as an organisational value. The course is designed for development practitioners seeking to build knowledge about gender and to improve practice in gender analysis for programme deliver and for leaders responsible for building enabling organisational cultures.   Read more    6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention   July 17-20, 2011 Rome, Italy    The world's largest open scientific conference on HIV/AIDS - the 6th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2011) will be held in Rome Italy in July 2011. The event will be organized by the IAS, in partnership with Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health), which is the leading technical and scientific body of the Italian National Health Service. Held every two years, the conference attracts about 5,000 delegates from all over the world.   Read more     CALLS FOR PARTICIPATION Call for Participation: Global Survey: Building women's global meaningful participation in the High Level Meeting (HLM) on HIV and AIDS   The High Level Meeting on AIDS that takes place in June this year will review achievements made against the commitments of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS Declaration of Commitment of 2001, and the Political Declaration of 2006, and will determine the priority agenda for work on HIV and AIDS over the next five years, in particular as we work towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The ATHENA Network and the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS (GCWA) are running a virtual survey in order to ensure the broadest possible engagement and representation of women (and girls wherever possible) in the processes leading up to the HLM - especially women living with and affected by HIV, and other key populations of women who often lack platforms for priority issues to be raised and heard. Deadline for survey submissions: March 13, 2011.   Read more    Call for Nominations: Candidates and Proposed Selection Criteria for the Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants At the 17th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2011 the President of the Council is to appoint an independent human rights expert to serve as the next Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. Amnesty International, the Jesuit Refugee Service and Migrant Forum in Asia call on governments, NGOs and others, including relevant professional networks, to use the checklist (see attached) to identify eligible candidates for nomination. The organizations urge governments to call publicly for candidates, e.g. through media advertisement, and consult civil society nationally before nominating candidates. Deadline for nominations: March 14, 2011.    Read more Call for Applications: Cartier Women's Initiative Award The Cartier Women's Initiative Award is an international business plan competition created in 2006 by Cartier, the Women's Forum, McKinsey & Company and INSEAD business school to identify, support and encourage projects by women entrepreneurs. Deadline for applications: March 15, 2011. Read more Call for Submissions: The African Women's Journal In kick starting the year 2011, The African Women's Journal, the African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) signature publication- will focus on thefirst priority theme of the African Women's Decade (2010-2020): Health, Maternal Mortality and HIV&AIDS. The Journal will specifically focus on the theme: Addressing Women's Specific Health Needs & Challenges in Africa during the African Women's Decade (2010-2020). Deadline for abstracts: March 15, 2011. Read more Call for Applications: The Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press 2011 Samir Kassir has paid with his life in his fight for democracy and Lebanon's sovereignty, and he remains an example for his entire profession. By organising this competition, the European Union salutes, through the name of Samir Kassir, the efforts and courage of all the journalists in the region who, sometimes by risking their lives, are committed to human rights, the rule of law and democracy. Deadline for applications: March 30, 2011.    Read more     Call for Submissions: Iranian Progressive Youth (IPY): Essay Contest 2011: "Prospect of Change in Iran"   "Prospect of Change in Iran". Share your ideas and prospects concerning the possibilities of change in Iran. The top three essays will be published in accredited journal(s) and will also receive a cash prize. Deadline for submissions: April 10, 2011.   Read more    Call For Applications: Sexuality Leadership Development Fellowship   July 17 - 30, 2011 Lagos, Nigeria   The SLDF addresses contemporary sexuality issues and emerging best practice in policy and programming for sexual well-being in Africa. The curriculum will focus on sexuality, sexual health and rights, sexual diversity, pleasure, HIV/AIDS and vulnerabilities, gender and violence against women. Deadline for applications: April 30, 2011. Read more    NEW RESOURCES A New Resource: UN WomenWatch: International Women's Day: Looking Back  "International Women's Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political...International Women's Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe..." Read more New Publications: International Land Coalition (ILC): Securing Women's Access to Land Over the last three years, the International Land Coalition (ILC) has carried out a project entitled "Securing Women's Access to Land: Linking Research and Action" in Eastern and Southern Africa with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The project has generated reports for each action-oriented research project, synthesis reports and policy briefs, the first set of which are now available for download. More research reports and policy briefs will be uploaded in the coming weeks.   Read more A New Report: Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL): "Summaries of Jurisprudence: Gender-based Violence"   This compilation of international standards provides a solid jurisprudential research body and it presents a wider panorama of women's reality in very different contexts revealing the indisputable persistence of gender-based violence in the world, in spite of the advances in the normative field. The selected cases are some of the most paradigmatic ones among those which, to date, have motivated some type of response from human rights protection systems (Inter-American Comission and Inter-American Court of Human Rights; European Court, CEDAW and the some of the International Tribunals).   Read more A New Publication: Civicus: "Report on the Challenges faced by Women in Civil Society in Africa"   Women in civil society in Africa are particularly prone to intimidation and harassment says released today (March 8, 2011) by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. CIVICUS calls on African governments, regional bodies, the international community and civil society to do much more to protect women human rights defenders on the continent.   Read more    A New Resource: Inter-agency Working Group (IAWG) on Reproductive Health in Crises: Field Manual on Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Settings   The 2010 Inter-agency Field Manual on Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Settings is an update of the 1999 Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations: An Inter-agency Field Manual, the authoritative guidance on reproductive health interventions in humanitarian settings. The 2010 version provides additional guidance on how to implement the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health, a minimum standard of care in humanitarian response. It also splits the original chapter on HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) into two separate chapters to accommodate new guidance on HIV programming. Read more   A New Resource: Solutions' Special Issue: Women Shaping Our World   Even as women around the world struggle for equality and basic rights, they may be our most promising chance for change. The current issue of Solutions explores how women from Washington DC to Rwanda to Egypt are challenging their societies and pushing for their rights.   Read more    A New Resource/Article: "A woman leading change in Yemen" Journalist Alice Hackman, who recently returned to London after two years as reporter and Features Editor for The Yemen Times in Sana'a examines the role that female activists, particularly Tawakkul Karman, are playing in Yemen's protests, highlighting the importance of women's activism in Yemen's uncertain future. Read more  APPEALS AND URGENT ACTIONS Take Action: Nobel Women's Initiative: Urge Governments to Support Special Mandate on Iran "Join us in standing in solidarity with the women human rights defenders in Iran by supporting their campaign for a Human Rights Council resolution establishing a UN special mandate on Iran. On 17 March 2011, a resolution will be tabled at the 16th session of the Human Rights Council to establish a UN special mandate with an independent rapporteur for Iran..." Read more Take Action: Front Line: Morocco: Physical assault of human rights defender Ms Buthaina Amina Elmakoudi  On 26 February 2011, human rights defender Ms Buthaina Amina Elmakoudi was physically assaulted while taking part in a peaceful protest in Agadir, Morocco. Buthaina Amina Elmakoudi is the director of the Agadir section of the Association against AIDS, and has also worked with the Democratic League of Women's Rights, Moroccan Association for Human Rights, and the Moroccan Forum for Truth and Justice. Read more Take Action: Call for adoption of ESCR Guidelines in the African Charter   This letter is urging the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to adopt the Principles and Guidelines on the Interpretation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights at its next ordinary session in Banjul, The Gambia, in April 2011...Add the name of your organization to the list of signatories by 22 March. Read more   AWID Membership Change doesn't just happen. We collectively make it happen. By becoming a member of AWID, you are joining a movement that seeks to advance the rights of women around the world as you connect with other individuals and organizations that are committed to building our collective voice, power and influence in achieving full equality of women and human rights of all people.   Find out more Resource-Net is brought to you by The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID). AWID is an international, multi-generational, feminist, creative, future-orientated membership organization committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and women's human rights. AWID's mission is to strengthen the voice, impact and influence of women's rights advocates, organizations and movements internationally to effectively advance the rights of women.   You are free to replicate AWID's information in other formats, and use it in your work, provided you give credit to AWID. To contribute to Resource-Net write to contribute@awid.org. 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