Ever wondered about who is on the ECOSOC list?

21 December: Official list of ECOSOC NGOs, 2011-2012

An updated list of all 3,536 organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council has been published late last year. This important reference document determines eligibility for non-governmental organizations to attend meetings of the Council, its subsidiary bodies and a range of other intergovernmental bodies of the United Nations. Click on the link below for the document. The list will be valid until July 2012.
http://www.csonet.org/content/documents/E2011INF4.pdf 

Recommendations from Grass Roots women to deal with Disasters

Recommendations

Grassroots women's short-term recommendations include involving women-led task forces in overseeing relief and rehabilitation and replanting lost trees, organizing health camps, distributing relief according to their needs assessment and increasing house compensation, compensating farmers for lost crops, providing basic sanitation in temporary shelters, and addressing drinking water issues. These recommendations coincide with the longer-term goals of providing livelihood support for affected community members, handing over management of the early warning system, building permanent houses for affected people, and ultimately forming and strengthening disaster task forces in all coastal villages

Women organizing to deal with disasters

Learning from past disasters

Following the 2004 tsunami and Cyclone Nisha in 2006, groups of grassroots women participated in training programs offered by Huairou Commission member organizations SSP and GROOTS International, focused on disaster risk reduction. Through these trainings, women gained skills and experience in understanding community needs, negotiating with government, and preparing their communities in search, rescue, warning and rehabilitation techniques. SSP facilitated the formation of disaster task forces in many villages, starting with Keelamoovarkarai village, Nagapattinam.

Recognizing the ongoing need for such knowledge, groups of grassroots women then decided to continue their relief work on a more long-term basis. They organized Women's Federations in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam. Since successfully intervening in Cyclone Nisha, these Women's Federations have begun to provide training to other village communities. As Cyclone Thane approached in late December 2011, organized grassroots women were prepared to respond.

The delegation of Women's Federation members was headed by Chitra, the leader of Nagapattinam Women's Federation, along with B. Gouri, Rani, Maheshwari, Padmavathi and Annalakshimi, all nominated from the Nagapattinam Women's Federation. Mohana and A. Vijaya represented Cuddalore Women's Federation. The groups visited the villages of Nochikadu, Singarathoppu, Kandankadu, Tsunami Nagar and Thazhankuda.

The calls before the storm

In the days leading up to Cyclone Thane, Women's Federation leaders from Cuddalore used an early warning system to reach out to local villages likely to be affected. According to Mohana, leader of the Cuddalore Women's Federation, "We sent SMS messages and made phone calls to many [of] our group leaders to alert their communities on the cyclone." This strategy helped to save several lives.

Not sure who will be there on February 2nd....

      NOTICE FOR NGOS ATTENDING CSW 56

 Ambassador Kamara (Liberia), Chair , Bureau of the UN Commission on the Status of Women will convene a briefing for NGOs in preparation for CSW 56. This briefing will be held on Thursday,  February 2, 2012, from 1:15 to 2:30 PM in Conference Room 7 in the North Lawn Building. 

 Please forward questions you wish to ask the Chair to Christina Brautigam <Christine.Brautigam@unwomen.org> before  Friday January 27th.

                                                                                          

Women's Learning Partnership

 I have always got a lot out of programs offered by the WLP during the CSW. Here are some of the events coming up for CSW 56.

We actually have a few exciting events planned during CSW, and will be sending out event announcements in early February. First, on Wednesday, February 29, from 6-8pm, WLP will be premiering our new documentary on the global fight to combat violence against women at the New School's Tishman Auditorium. The premiere will be followed by a panel discussion during which leading experts from across the world will discuss the relationship between fighting gender-based violence and forming stable democracies, especially in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Thursday morning, WLP Lebanon/CRTD-A will be holding an event on rural women's economic rights and empowerment in the Middle East, from 10:30-12:00. Then, WLP Morocco/ADFM will be having an event from 4:30-6:00pm at the Church Center focusing on women's rural land rights, using their advocacy work with Soulaliyate Women (women of tribal lands) in Morocco as a case study.

Official Delegates for NCWC

The official delegates for the National Council of Women of Canada include: 

Mary Scott

Rosemary Mallory

Rashmi Bhat

Nayyar Javed

Celina Becker-Henderson

Upcoming events at the CSW, sponsored by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership

Facilitating Human Rights from a Feminist Perspective, scheduled for February 28, is a panel discussion with experts and activists in the areas of feminist economics and economic and social rights. CWGL will also host an Open Forum on the 16 Days Campaign, scheduled for February 27, and sponsor a panel of experts to discuss the links between the perpetuation of militarism and its consequences for the safety and security of all, on February 29. For up-to-date information about CWGL’s events at the CSW please visit CSW webpage.

CWGL Events

• MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2012 (12:30-2pm), CCUN Hardin Room, 11th Floor: Open Forum on the 16 Days Campaign
• TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2012 (10:30am-12pm), CCUN Hardin Room, 11th Floor: Facilitating Human Rights from a Feminist Perspective Panel
• WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012 (12:30-2pm), CCUN, 2nd Floor: Intersections of Violence Against Women and Militarism Panel, sponsored by CWGL & MADRE
• WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012, V E R M I L L I O N, 480 Lexington Ave: International Women's Day Reception & Dance Party

Co-sponsored Events

• WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012 (5:30-7pm): Rural Women's Speak-out, sponsored by NGO CSW & Huariou
• THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012 (12:30-2pm), CCUN Chapel, 1st Floor: Thousands of Miles Apart, Rural Women Stand United Panel, sponsored by MADRE, CWGL, United Methodist Women, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies & International Women's Human Rights Clinic, CUNY
• THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012 (8:30-10am), CCUN, 10th Floor: Development and Women's Human Rights: Interlinkages Between Macroeconomic Policies and Trends, sponsored by AWID
• FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012 (10-11:15am), North Lawn Building, Conference Room B: Rural Women, Poverty, Crises, Rights, sponsored by WUNRN, CWGL, DAWN & Huairou Commission
• FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012 (2:30-4pm), Salvation Army: Rural Women and the Right to Water, sponsored by CWGL & WUNRN