If you would like to receive an email notification whenever we publish a newsletter on this website, please subscribe to the Unifem NZ Newsletter.
JUNE 2008
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
President’s Notes
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has a new Executive Director. We welcome Ines Alberdi of Spain.
Twenty-two events were held around New Zealand on International Women’s Day, celebrating the day itself and raising funds for the UNIFEM NZ International Project. Members of the National Committee wish to record warm acknowledgement for the generosity of supporters attending those events and to Liz Brown who is the National Committee IWD co-ordinator.
UNIFEM had a high profile at the United Nations Commission for the Status of Women (CSW) Annual February meeting in New York, when it initiated a number of activities and seminars. One of our strong supporters, Jane Prichard from Auckland and Vice-President International Council of Women, once again ably represented UNIFEM NZ. The Priority Theme for the CSW in 2008 was Financing for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. National Committees of UNIFEM from many countries, meeting together in New York, agreed to sign up to a well supported new global campaign for Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR). This is a campaign that believes that the creation of a stronger UN entity for women will greatly advance gender equality, the empowerment of women and their human rights throughout the world.
We warmly welcome to our National Committee, Rae Julian, formerly CEO of the NZ Council for International Development. In March we welcomed Daisy Alik-Momotaro a visitor from our international project partner NGO in the Marshall Islands Women United Together in the Marshall Islands, (WUTMI). Daisy is the Executive Director of WUTMI and is working with Beverley Turner and Rae Julian in the Equality in decision-making and leadership / Voter education Programme established (2005) and funded by UNIFEM NZ.
UNIFEM NZ will once again promote the White Ribbon Campaign and the “Say NO to Violence” programmes associated with the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, on 25 November together with the coalition of NGO’s and government agencies led by the NZ Families Commission.
Jean Corbin Thomas
UNIFEM NZ National President