6 March 1999, International Women's

[nin@xxxxxx]

Subject: 6 March 1999, International Women's Day

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 1999 IN VANCOUVER, CANADA

Hello!

International Women?s Day (IWD), is rapidly approaching. Organizing is
underway for this year?s historic rally and march to take place on
Saturday, March 6, 1999. 

International Women?s Day grew out of women?s fight against inhumane
working conditions in the late 1800's and the first IWD was celebrated in
many countries on March 8, 1911.  Women in this country have had a long
history of organizing for equality; from the 1912 strike of almost 1000
factory workers in Toronto, Montreal and Kingston, to the current
struggles for pay equity. 

We invite you and your group to be a part of this important event in one
or more of the following ways: 

-Join the IWD committee.  We are all volunteers.  We have a number of
committees, from programming to safety that could use you.  If you are
willing to work within our principles of fighting racism, classism,
imperialism, homophobia, ableism, all forms of religious fundamentalism and
fanaticism and you support women?s right to abortion, then why not join us?

-Bring a banner and attend the march and rally which will start at the north
plaza of the Vancouver Public Library, at the corner of Georgia and Homer,
at 11:30am on Saturday, March 6th.

-Volunteer your time on the day of the event - we need help with a number of
tasks.

-Set up an information booth for a woman?s organization at the information
fair on March 6th from 1:00 - 4:00pm.  Call Judith at (604) 708-9491 to
reserve a space and to get a registration form.

-Make a donation to the events of International Women?s Day.  Your donation
would be used to pay for site and equipment rental and childcare.  Please
make your cheque payable to IWD?99 and mail to address listed at the bottom
of this letter.

Please call 604.253.0067 if you have any questions.

We look forward to joining with you in celebration of 1999's International
Women?s Day.

In Sisterhood,

IWD ?99

ph:  604-253-0067
fax: 604-708-0786
***

Just a reminder -- we are keeping track of IWD celebrations around the
world and plan to list them on our website afterward, as students and

others visit our site year-round.

Please send us your plans!  and check out the information and dozens of 
relevant links on our site at:

	http://www.castle.net/~iwd/

Cheers,

Shelley Jacobs Mintz, Project Director
March 8: International Women's Day Celebration, a project of the YWCA of
the U.S.A.
Email: <iwd@xxxxxxxxxx>
***

4 March: Panel Discussion at the UN in celebration of IWD will be
co-sponsored by UN Department of Public Information (DPI) and DAW.
***

UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN

UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meets March 1 - 19, 1999 in New
York: CSW 43 will consider two critical areas of concern from the Beijing
Platform for Action: (i) Women and health, and (ii) Institutional
mechanisms for the advancement of women. From March 15 - 19, the CSW will
function as the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Beijing Plus Five
Special Session entitled Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and
Peace for the 21st Century, June 5 - 9, 2000. 

Who Can Participate in this CSW?: Only individuals who are representatives
of organizations that are officially accredited or are in the process of
applying for consultative status with the UN can attend the CSW. You must
send the names of your representatives to the UN Division for the
Advancement of Women (UN/DAW). Contact Koh Miyaoi, Information Officer,
UN/DAW, Fax: (1-212) 963-3463. E-mail: <miyaoi@xxxxxx>. 

All travel and daily subsistence costs and arrangements for travel,
accommodation and visas are the responsibility of the participants
themselves. Registrations for NGOs will take place on Monday 1 March,
beginning at 9 am in the lobby of the Visitors Entrance to the UN (E. 45th
Street entrance) 

Note: NGOs cannot participate in working groups known as "informal
informals" which are generally limited to government delegates only.
Informal informals are scheduled throughout the CSW, but are more
concentrated in weeks two and three. 

CSW '99 Book of Days: IWTC, in collaboration with the UN/DAW, is once
again producing this bright pink, pocket-sized guide to the activities and
events (both UN and NGO) taking place during the CSW, February 28-March
19, 1999. If you want your activity or event listed, you must submit
information giving the date, location and subject of the event no later
than Friday, February 19, 1999.  The Book of Days will be distributed free
of charge to those attending both the NGO Consultation and the CSW. Submit
information to: Linda Min, IWTC. Tel: (1-212) 687-8633 ext. 201. Fax:
(1-212) 661-2704. E-mail. <iwtc@xxxxxxxxxxx>. 

NGO Briefings/Caucuses at the CSW Session: Daily NGO briefings are planned
by UN/DAW in cooperation with the NGO Committees on the Status of Women
(Geneva, Vienna and New York). Dialogues between NGOs and CSW delegates
will be held on evenings during the first week around issues being
discussed by the CSW. In addition, a room will be set aside at the UN for
other NGO briefings and caucuses during the session.To arrange other
meetings at the UN. -Space is very limited-. Contact Ms. Koh Miyaoi,
Information Officer, UN/DAW, Fax: (1-212) 963-3463. E-mail:
<miyaoi@xxxxxx>. 


February 28, 1999: NGO Consultation, "Continuing the Implementation of the
Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women." Conference
Room 4, UN Headquarters, 9 am - 5 pm. Sponsored by the NGO Committees on
the Status of Women, this annual event provides an excellent overview of
what is on the agenda for the coming three weeks, including both NGO and
UN meetings. Registration fee of $25 includes consultation, lunch, and
information packet. To register, contact Kathie Uhler, Registrar, NGO
Consultation, PO Box 3571, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163, Fax:
(1-212)-692-0724. Registration Deadline: 19 February, (unless you are
coming from outside North America, in which case, you can register at the
door). 

Agenda for UN/CSW: Week One: (1-5 March): Mon. 1 March:  Opening of
session/Adoption of agenda/General debate Item 3b (Emerging Issues and
Trends) and Item 4 (Review and appraisal of implementation of Platform for
Action "Beijing Plus Five" and Preparation for Special Session of General
Assembly in year 2000). Tues. 2 March: am. General debate Items 3b and 4.
pm. Dialogue of representatives of national machineries on good practices.
Wed. 3 March: (am. and pm.) Panel I. Women and Health. Thurs. 4 March:
(am. and pm.) Panel II. Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of
Women. 5 March: am.  Item 3a: Review of mainstreaming in the UN system.
pm. Informals. 

Week Two: (8-12 March): Mon. 8 March: am. Item 3a. pm. Meeting of CSW with
Working Group on the Elaboration of a Draft Optional Protocol followed by
Informals. Tues. 9 March: am. Informals. pm. Informals. Wed 10 March:
Closed meeting to consider the report of the Working Group on
Communications followed by Informals. pm. Informals. Introduction of
proposals followed by informals. pm. Informals. Thurs. 11 March: am.
Informals. pm. Introduction of draft proposals followed by Informals. Fri.
March 12: am. Report of the Working Group on the Elaboration of a Draft
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) followed by action on proposals and
on the proposed agreed conclusion on Item 3c. pm. Provisional agenda for
the 44th Session of the Commission (March 2000). Adoption of the report.
Closure of the Session. 

Week Three: (15-19 March): Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Beijing
Plus Five Special Session entitled Women 2000: Gender Equality,
Development and Peace for the 21st Century, June 5 - 9, 2000. 

Additional Information Sources: Detailed information on all UN/CSW matters
can be found on the Internet at: <http://www.un.org/womenwatch>. (Full
list of coordinates: <www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/43session.htm>). 
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