CSW 55 New York 22 February - 4 March 2011


Finding A Space for Women and Girls Commission on the Status of Women 55 Dawn Marie Lemonds, International Programme Director, reports from New York


since CSW54 when I proclaimed CSW to be “my big tent’. This year the metaphor that resonates in my mind is that of “space” and the critical need for women and girls across the world to make, find and be afforded SPACE in every arena where violence, poverty, lack of resources and cultural prejudices continuously shut them/us out. The theme of CSW55 was “Access to


It seems impossible that a year has passed


nature of making partnerships with groups addressing similar issues; for support, for inspiration and for expanding our influence. Each workshop featured dialogues between the panelists that illustrated the benefits of inter generational collaboration and learning. At the end of the first week we learned


Education in Science and Technology”; one which was easily approached from many different aspects including environment and human trafficking in addition to all aspects of formal and informal education.


These two partnerships affirmed the crucial


that our group (SI, WAGGGS and YWCA) had been asked to present an oral statement on Violence Against Girls to the official government CSW delegations during the second week of CSW; much of the statement written through the invaluable efforts of SIHQ Programme Director, Reilly Dempsey.


President of Chile, was introduced by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as the very first Director and Under Secretary General. World leaders, NGO activists including all of the SI delegation and the world (via web- cast) were treated to a beautiful, inspirational celebration with the theme of “Honouring the past, envisioning the future for women and girls”.


UN Women will focus on five areas: 1) Expanding women’s voice, leadership and participation


2) Ending violence against women 3) Strengthening women’s full participation


At CSW55, Michelle Bachelet, former


Dawn Marie Lemonds at CSW 55


Michelle Bachelet Director, UNWomen Photo: UN Women/JC McIlwaine


The SI event with WAGGGS


official registrants representing 200 NGOs from around the world. Other Soroptimists were “unofficial” attendees who were allowed to attend events presented in sites outside the UN Building. Hundreds of activities were scheduled at the various sites around the city; Soroptimists had direct involvement in six events, partnering in two workshops with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). One related to education and the different strategies/case studies of activities that our organisations conduct. The second included the YWCA and addressed strategies to address Violence Against Girls.


TIS March 2011 Page 4 27 Soroptimists were among the 1500


Secretary General Ban Ki-moon opens CSW 55 Photo: UN Women/JC McIlwaine


Larsen was asked to report on the amazing environment project she is working on with Kenyan Soroptimists in partnership with Danish Soroptimists. Margaret Cook, IAPD will participate in a panel on Violence Against Women. There were so many highlights – the most


thrilling was the launch of the new UN entity for women, UN Women. Just four years ago SI signed onto this “seemingly impossible dream” promoted by a group called GEAR with the aim of having a single high level entity for women with an Under Secretary General level appointment for director.


We were also pleased that our own Else


Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with Yoko-Komori Olson, SI’s UN Representative to New York


in conflict resolution and peace processes 4) Enhancing women’s economic empowerment and


5) Ensuring gender priorities are reflected in national plans and budgets, including capacity to support CEDAW reporting. The speeches are available on the new


website: www.womenwatch@un.org. We enjoyed the first performance of a song


entitled “One Woman”- written especially for this event, the chorus still rings in my ears: “We are one woman, your victories lift us all. We are one woman, you rise and I stand tall. We are one woman, our dreams are mine. We shall shine, shine, shine.”


Continued overleaf


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