Empowering Women for Peace and Democracy

Report on Launch of 2008 Project and First Information Training Day

21 April 2008

Background

Early in 2008, WAFE (International Federation of Women Against Fundamentalism and for Equality) and WFWP (Women’s Federation For World Peace) UK agreed to work together to advance Millennium Development Goal Number 3:The Empowerment of Women.

Kofi Annan, when Secretary General to the United Nations, said that without reaching this goal none of the other goals could be realised. The enormous work undertaken by women’s NGOs, to promote women’s advancement and wellbeing, was clearly being handicapped bt the absence of women from decision-making positions.

We agreed to run a joint project to help UK women enter politics, and in particular to improve the dismal 19% of women in the House of Commons.

The Millennium Group

We formed a small steering committee, the Millennium Group. We are:                 

Mitty Tohma, President WFWP UK                 

Elizabeth Sidney, Chair of WAFE                 

Tina Coombs, Vice President WFWP Europe                 

Roya Kashefi, Human Rights Activist                 

Tahirihi Danesh, International Coordination for Gender Justice in Iraq 

The 2008 Project

The Millennium Group developed a programme to run through 2008. It was launched in April. Our total programme is:                 

April 21^st:              Inaugural Launch                 

April 24^th:              First Information Training Day: How the Political Systems Work                 

April 24^th:              Evening: Celebration of Women working for Gender Equality                 

June 14^th:              Information Training Day: Institutional Barriers to

                              Women’s  Advancement                 

September 20^th:    Changing a Culture                 

November 25^th:     Evening pre-Christmas Reception                 

November 29^th:     Violence isn’t only physical