Program Highlights

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
November 25-December 10, 2008    
Organizing under the theme Human Rights for Women ‹—› Human Rights for All: Celebrating 60 Years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, hundreds of organizations from every region of the world participated in the 2008 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. CWGL heard from groups in 64 countries, and is continuing to receive activity highlights.

Some highlights from the campaign are as follows: In Africa, more than 300 women in the Democratic Republic of Congo convened a day-long meeting with men from their community to encourage an end to violence against women and armed combat, while in Nigeria, women’s rights activists held sessions with government officials to encourage gender-sensitive budgeting with special allocations for anti-VAW work. Additionally, in Kenya a group of around 30 men traveled around the country by bus giving impromptu street performances to educate people about gender-based violence. Activities in Asia included town-hall meetings across Azerbaijan about domestic violence, awareness-raising activities in over 500 villages of Maharashtra, India about the 2005 Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, and a conference of Women Human Rights Defenders in Nepal. In Italy, women’s rights activists took to the streets to protest against femicide. A coalition of Swiss organizations arranged over 50 public events for the campaign, and in Poland, free self-defense training classes were offered to girls. Across Latin America, activists organized awareness-raising campaigns and events including the Women’s International Network (WIN) Belize Torch Run, a march in Grenada to bring attention to the related problems of HIV/AIDS and violence against women, and a mass postcard campaign in Chile with messages encouraging men to stop violence against women. This year CWGL also heard from an organization in Iraq that disseminated leaflets and broadcasted a radio program about the 16 Days Campaign. In Palestine with the assistance of various UN organizations, local women’s rights groups held a festival to combat violence against women, focusing on the issue of honor killings. Activities in North America included memorial ceremonies for the victims of the Montreal Massacre in Canada, and candlelight vigils and sustained outreach programs on college campuses in the United States. At the international level, a groundbreaking campaign entitled Take Back the Tech encouraged young women to speak out about new forms of violence against women manifested through technology and called upon women to reclaim technology to make it safer for women and girls.

To view pictures of this year’s campaign from around the world, please visit our 16 Days Flickr page. If you have not had an opportunity to share your 16 Days activities with CWGL yet, please be sure to send the details to 16days@cwgl.rutgers.edu so that we can keep this information in the campaign archives. Additionally, to help CWGL evaluate the 2008 campaign and explore ways to make next year’s campaign more effective, please be sure to respond to the survey which can be downloaded from the 16 Days homepage.

Although the 2008 16 Days Campaign marked the end of both UNIFEM’s Say NO to Violence Against Women Campaign as well as the Every Human Has Rights (UDHR60) Campaign, CWGL is excited to continue building on the momentum of these important efforts in 2009. UNIFEM’s Campaign concluded with an astounding five million signatures, which demonstrates that the issue of violence against women is indeed gaining the attention of people across the world. 2009 promises to be an exciting year for the women’s movement, so please continue to check the CWGL website for updates about next year’s campaign and join the 16 Days listserv to stay informed!
Association for Women’s Right in Development (AWID)
11th Forum, The Power of Movements
Cape Town, South Africa: November 14-17, 2008
Margot Baruch (Program Coordinator), Charlotte Bunch, (Executive Director), Cynthia Rothschild (Senior Policy Advisor), and Keely Swan (16 Days Coordinator) participated in the 11th AWID Forum in Cape Town, South Africa. CWGL sponsored events on violence against women, UN gender architecture, and women human rights defenders and participated in sessions on sexual rights, multigenerational leadership, violence and conflict, among others. CWGL participated in two launches of new reports: the French version of Claiming Rights, Claiming Justice: A Guidebook on Women Human Rights Defenders, and Listening to Each Other, co-published by CREA, CWGL and the Youth Coalition based on a jointly-hosted meeting on multigenerational leadership.

To pay tribute to the courage of all women human rights defenders who risk their lives in defense of their rights, and the rights of others, CWGL partnered with Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development, Forum Asia, and the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition in developing a photo exhibit on 16 Defenders for 16 Days, which premiered at AWID and can be seen on CWGL’s website. In addition, Margot Baruch attended an all day strategy meeting for AWID’s Young Feminist Activist (YFA) program and participated in the YFA blog. New staff member Keely Swan held a caucus on the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign where activists discussed their current plans and future ideas for the campaign. CWGL hosted a Campaign Corner site, where we featured a number of campaigns, including Every Human Has Rights, which marks the 60th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Charlotte Bunch moderated a session on Violence Against Women: the Next Big Ask, which CWGL sponsored and was also featured in a dialogue entitled Sex Workers Meet Feminism, organized by Indian advocate Meena Seeshu. She was also a speaker on sessions entitled, GEAR UP: The UN as a Space for Women''s Organizing: Successes and Challenges--Past and Future, sponsored by the GEAR Working Group and Mobilizing Resources to Sustain the Building Block of Social Movements in Conflict Zones, sponsored by MADRE. Cynthia Rothschild participated in IPPF’s panel on sexual rights, The Contribution of Sexual Rights to Movement Building and moderated the Women Human Rights Defenders launch noted above.

For a more detailed list of CWGL activities at AWID please see the CWGL at AWID flyer. CWGL plans to post photos and to follow-up on sessions organized at AWID in the coming weeks so please continue to visit the website. 

International AIDS Conference
Mexico City: August 3-9, 2008
Roughly 25,000 people attended the International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Mexico City from August 3-9. Women’s rights and human rights activists joined scientists, researchers, government representatives and UN officials in exploring trends and needs related to the HIV & AIDS pandemic. Human rights and gender issues remained central to the programming of the official conference and the NGO-driven Global Village. Critical areas of concern in both spaces were: women’s empowerment and leadership, violence against women, rights of sex workers, criminalization of HIV transmission, criminal justice systems targeting people living with HIV & AIDS (PLWHA), stigma, discrimination and other rights violations targeted at PLWHA. One highlight of the IAC was former US President Bill Clinton’s endorsement of the new UN gender equality architecture proposal. CWGL’s Cynthia Rothschild attended the conference and wrote an article on lesbian and gender issues, entitled the L Word and the G Word at the IAC, written for Mujeres Adelante, a daily newsletter focusing on women''s rights and HIV at the International AIDS Conference 2008 in Mexico.

Next Steps Global Consultation on Strategies on Violence Against Women
New Brunswick, NJ: July 21 – July 25, 2008
CWGL hosted the Next Steps Global Consultation on Strategies on Violence Against Women from July 21st through July 25th.  The meeting convened 35 women''s rights activists from around the world working in various capacities within the women’s human rights movement to discuss the next steps of the movement in relation to violence against women prevention.  Participants assembled into working groups and discussed issues related to VAW such as Violence Prevention, Culture and Violence, Implementation Standards, and Global/Local linkages, among others.  At the conclusion of the strategic conversation participants made commitments ensuring their promise to work towards ending violence against women. Some commitments from participants include: capacity building, prevention of VAW, reframing discourses around culture, documenting evidence of forms of violence not yet recognized, hosting feminist discussions on working with men and boys, building on VAW and women’s human rights, strengthen links between women’s human rights defenders and VAW, and more. To view photos from the meeting click here.

Human Rights Council
United Nations, Geneva: June 2-18, 2008
On June 5th, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva hosted several events on Rights of Women, including a session on violence against women – the first time this topic had been addressed in depth since the inception of the new Council in 2006. Human rights, anti-violence, women’s rights and sexual rights advocates, including CWGL staff, helped to create the session on Addressing Violence against Women: Setting Priorities, which is also a result of recent efforts to integrate “human rights of women” throughout the Council’s agenda. Alejandra Sarda, a WGLI graduate representing CLADEM and Mulabi (Argentina), was the civil society representative on the panel, and called for, among other things, greater state commitment to providing resources for and implementing measures that will prevent and punish acts of violence. Advocates are also calling for the creation of a governmental HRC Focal Point on gender, with focus on VAW.

UNGASS: UN High Level Meeting on HIV&AIDS
United Nations, NY: June 10-11, 2008
The 2008 high-level meeting (HLM) on AIDS took place at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The meeting reviewed progress made in implementing the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. CWGL joined allies in demanding that governments allocate greater resources to address women and HIV&AIDS generally and the links between violence against women and HIV&AIDS, in particular. A number of women''s groups (and sexual and reproductive rights and health and human rights groups) issued the following statement demanding Action and Accountability to increase focus on and resources for women/girls and HIV. The statement addresses violence against women and human rights defenders engaged in HIV-related advocacy.

Human Rights Council
United Nations, Geneva: March 3-28, 2008
The UN Human Rights Council finished its seventh session in March, during which member states reviewed the mandates of a number of independent experts known as “special procedures”. Some mandates were seen as controversial, such as the human rights defenders mandate, which was renewed, but which was also shifted from a Secretary General Special Representative to a Special Rapporteur position. Advocates celebrated the work of Hina Jilani, the current mandate holder on defenders and a ‘91 Women’s Global Leadership Institute (WGLI) graduate (WHRD statement). In the same session: the violence against women mandate was renewed; the Special Rapporteur on torture issued a groundbreaking report that focused on women and gender-based violence (Statement on torture and gender); and member states began to review one another’s human rights records under the Universal Periodic Review process. Sexual rights advocates submitted civil society reports for all sixteen countries reviewed.

Human Rights for Women <->Human Rights for All
March 2008
During the month of March, CWGL took the lead in highlighting women’s rights as human rights as a part of the Every Human Has Rights campaign, and worked in collaboration with human rights groups and women’s rights activists to promote the message Human Rights for Women <->Human Rights for All.

In early March, as a part of the CSW, the Center for Women’s Global Leadership, partnered with Amnesty International, AWID, Global Fund for Women, MADRE, and the Women Won’t Wait, End HIV/AIDS and Violence Against Women. Now! campaign, to host an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The sponsors presented a number of global campaigns for women’s human rights and speakers from Sri Lanka, Kenya, Mexico and Zimbabwe gave inspiring accounts of women’s activism while also reminding us of the violations and discrimination that women, including women human rights defenders continue to face. They also reflected on the role women have played in expanding and securing women’s rights as part of the human rights framework.

The Center for Women’s Global Leadership celebrated the 8th of March as a part of the UDHR60 Every Human Has Rights Campaign and Executive Director Charlotte Bunch traveled to Lima, Peru, where over 80 civil society groups sponsored a wide range of activities under the banner “Canto a La Vida - sing to life”, to recognize and celebrate the past 60 years of women’s advocacy for human rights. Some of “The Elders” spent the 8th of March paying tribute to the achievements of women and reaffirming their commitment to women’s human rights in various locations: Mary Robinson in Dubai, Mohammad Yunus in Bangladesh and Ela Bhatt in India.

During the course of the month of March, CWGL contributed to the newly developed Every Human Has Rights layer on Google Earth. By contributing profiles of women’s human rights defenders worldwide CWGL hopes to give recognition to the courageous and dynamic work being done by women around the world.

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) began its seventh session in Geneva in March, where advocates continued to press for integration of a gender perspective into all aspects of the Council’s work. There were notable successes, including the renewal of the mandates of the Special Rapporteurs on violence against women, on health, and human rights defenders.

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
United Nations, New York City: February 25-March 7, 2008
CWGL staff and affiliates attended the 52nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from February 25th to March 7th, 2008. The priority theme for the 2008 CSW was, Financing for gender equality and empowerment of women. CWGL, in partnership with the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) and other international partners, launched the Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign - Gear Up: Building a United Nations that Really Works for all Women. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which CWGL honored by organizing Human Rights for Women ‹–› Human Rights For All: Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

CWGL co-sponsored the following events at the 2008 CSW: the launch of the Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign; Violence Against Women & HIV/AIDS: Exploring the Intersections; Sexuality, Gender, Human Rights and the Yogyakarta Principles; Defending Women Defending Rights: Celebrating Women Human Rights Defenders; Violence Against Women and Girls and HIV&AIDS: Show Us the Money!; and Human Rights for Women ‹–› Human Rights For All: Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), CWGL also co-organized with the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) and the NGO CSW the linkage caucus meetings. Charlotte Bunch, the Executive Director of CWGL, spoke at and moderated the Defending Women Defending Rights: Celebrating Women Human Rights Defenders and Human Rights for Women ‹–› Human Rights For All: Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) events. Cynthia Rothschild, Senior Policy Advisor at CWGL, spoke at and moderated Violence Against Women & HIV/AIDS: Exploring the Intersections and Sexuality, Gender, Human Rights and the Yogyakarta Principles.

ARC-International Dialogue on Gender, Sexuality, and HIV/AIDS: Strengthening Human Rights Responses in Africa and Around the Globe
South Africa: December 6-9, 2007
In December, CWGL participated in a meeting in South Africa on sexual rights and UN advocacy hosted by ARC-International and the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL), and attended by activists from all regions. One area of focus was strengthening work at the UN Human Rights Council and furthering collaboration with special rapporteurs. In a related event on Women Human Rights Defenders hosted by CAL and the Forum for the Empowerment of Women, Cynthia Rothschild spoke about the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the international Women’s Human Rights Defenders campaign, which CWGL helped to launch in 2005.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
November 25-December 10, 2007            
The 2007 16 Days of Activism Campaign was celebrated in every region of the world with a variety of actions and events taking place in at least fifty-four countries. In Africa, groups working to end violence against women took action, from street theatre shows in Burundi to public demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, activities in IDP camps in Uganda, lobbying for the fair implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement in Sudan and public marches in South Africa, the continent was vibrant in its 16 Days events. Activities in Asia included the launch of a TV and radio campaign to end gender based violence in Sri Lanka, the launch of a worldwide campaign to free women human rights defenders in Burma, roundtables and awareness raising around the impact of guns and small arms on women’s lives in Papua New Guinea as well as marches, rallies and interactive blog sites hosted by the Wake up Now Campaign in Utter Pradesh, India. In Europe, poster exhibitions sought to raise awareness on the impact of gender violence in Ireland, while in Italy symbolic actions were taken such as hanging white sheets on balconies of homes, offices and public buildings to signify solidarity for victims of violence. Other activities in the UK included events highlighting the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Darfur and roundtable discussions in Azerbaijan. In the Middle East, organizations campaigned against acts of family violence to end cruel and inhuman practices that continue to be condoned by states. A feminist network, Women Living Under Muslim Law (WLUML), launched their worldwide Stop Stoning and Killing Women Campaign in Istanbul, Turkey. Latin American activists hosted public rallies in Chile, highlighted the impact of conflict on women in Colombia and Peru and also held public events in Nicaragua on the persecution of women political leaders. Across the United States groups organized public events and workshops on shifting the attitudes and behaviors that allow violence against women to perpetuate and in Canada groups commemorated December 17 as a day to end violence against sex workers. The UNIFEM head office in New York launched an online campaign spearheaded by their Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman entitled Say NO to Violence Against Women, which began during the 16 Days Campaign and is ongoing. All around the world, activists stood strong in their message that violence against women is a human rights violation and must not be tolerated! On December 10, 2007, the end of the 16 Days Campaign, a year long campaign began marking the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR). The 2008 16 Days of Activism will seek to empower women and men worldwide to use the UDHR as a tool to realize human rights for women allowing for a world where there are human rights for all. http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/home.html

Listening to Each Other: a Multigenerational Dialogue on Activism and Women''s Human Rights
New Brunswick, NJ: September 30-October 3, 2007
CWGL, Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA), and the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (YCSRR) hosted Listening to Each Other: a Multigenerational Dialogue on Activism and Women’s Rights from September 30 – October 3, 2007. The meeting convened 25 women from around the world working in various capacities within the women’s rights movement. Participants assembled into working groups and discussed issues such as Broadening and Renewing Movements Multi-generationally, Moving on/Transition, Mentoring and Harvesting Knowledge, and Power. The working groups presented their strategies to the entire group, and the findings will be available in a publication and on the web in the coming year. During the meeting, CWGL, CREA and YCSRR held a public event where 75 students, faculty, activists and friends gathered to listen and greet participants. To view photos from dialogue click here. 

Human Rights Council
United Nations, Geneva: Sepember 2007
In September, CWGL helped organize a global effort to integrate gender and the human rights of women into all aspects of the new UN Human Rights Council (HRC) at a first of its kind panel on gender integration.   Since the HRC''s inception, CWGL staff have worked to ensure that gender issues are not ignored in HRC agendas and programming, including in the Universal Periodic Review (the process by which states will review one another''s rights records) and in the work of special rapporteurs. Convened by the President of the Council, the panel on gender integration included CWGL Director Charlotte Bunch, the sole civil society speaker, Kyung-wha Kang, the Deputy High Commissioner at UN OHCHR, UN Special Rapporteur Miloon Kothari, UN Special Representative Radhika Coomaraswamy, and Maria Nzomo, Kenya''s UN Ambassador.  ARC-International, Human Rights Watch, DAWN, ACPD, IWRAW-AP, FAS and other groups collaborated to create and promote the panel. For Charlotte Bunch’s presentation, click here. 

World YWCA’s International Women''s SummitNairobi, Kenya: July 4-7, 2007
Cynthia Rothschild, CWGL’s Senior Policy Advisor, took part in the World YWCA’s International Women''s Summit: Women’s Leadership: Making a Difference on HIV and AIDS. CWGL organized two discussions: “Defending Women - Defending HIV-Related Rights: Exploring Experiences of Activists”; and “Strengthening Resistance: Critical Issues and Innovative Advocacy in HIV and Violence against Women.” Both events focused on challenges activists face because of their advocacy related to HIV, and were co-sponsored by the Women Won’t Wait campaign (the violence workshop was also sponsored by the Foundation for Study and Investigation on Women [FEIM] in Argentina). Organizations and speakers featured in these discussions included the International Community of Women Living With HIV and AIDS, Forum for the Empowerment of Women (South Africa), the Stephen Lewis Foundation (Zambia), the Urgent Action Fund-Africa, and GESTOS (Brazil). The conference brought together 1500 activists, service providers and policy makers, including Mary Robinson, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and founder and President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, Peter Piot, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the World Health Organization.

Human Rights Council (HRC)
United Nations, Geneva: March 12-April 4, 2007
CWGL staff attended the HRC to continue discussions on gender architecture and sexual rights. CWGL also co-sponsored many events and activities such as, Intersections Between Culture and Violence Against Women: Connections and Strategies Forward, Integrating Human Rights of Women into the Human Rights Council, Intersecting Human Rights Crises: HIV/AIDS and Violence Against Women and Girls, Women Human Rights Defenders Event, and Negotiating Culture: Intersections between Culture and Women''s Human Rights. In addition, CWGL spearheaded the following joint statement in support of the annual report and mandate of the Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders. The oral intervention welcomes the focus in the report on "defenders at particular risk," and highlights women human rights defenders, as well as LGBT and HIV/AIDS activists. Along with CWGL, the statement was endorsed by Development Alternatives With Women for a New Era (DAWN), the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and the Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD): Statement in Related Debate: Human Rights Defenders

Global Strategy Meeting for Gender Equality Architecture at the UN
New York, New York: March 2-4, 2007
CWGL and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) sponsored a weekend meeting to discuss future advocacy around the proposals to strengthen the Gender Equality Architecture (GEA) at the UN. Women’s rights activists from around the world, met during the first weekend of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to share information and develop strategies to advance the  GEA proposals put forth by the UN Coherence Panel. On the first day, participants shared knowledge about UN Reform and GEA processes at the global, regional and national levels. By the culmination of the second day, participants developed lists of potential governmental allies of the GEA process and made plans for taking next steps together. As the strategies from the meeting move forward, CWGL and many of the other organizations at the meeting will update their websites with information regarding GEA. Please continue to check www.cwgl.rutgers.edu and www.wedo.org for updates concerning GEA. If you are interested in receiving emails about UN Reform, please email cwgl@igc.org.

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
United Nations, New York City: February 26-March 9, 2007
CWGL staff and affiliates attended the 51st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from February 26th to March 9th, 2007. This year’s priority theme was, “the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child.” CWGL participated in the CSW by speaking, convening and co-sponsoring events, which ranged in topic from violence against women to gender equality architecture at the United Nations. CWGL co-sponsored: UN Reform: How to Strengthen Gender Architecture; the Linkage Caucuses; Girls Go Global: A Celebration for Worldwide Lesbian and Secual Rights Activism; the International campaign launch and press conference of Women Won’t Wait: End HIV & Violence Against Women; Not Such Strange Bedfellows: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity at the UN; Using the Secretary General’s Report on VAW; Accountability, Activism and Money! International Campaign on Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS; and the International Women’s Day 2007 celebration at St. Bart’s Episcopal Church. Charlotte Bunch, the Executive Director of CWGL, spoke at a number of events including, UN Reform: How to Strengthen Gender Architecture; Violence Against the Girl Child: Consequences Across the Life Span; UN Reform, UN Special Rapporteurs, the Human Rights Council, NGO Networking; and Using the Secretary General’s Report on VAW. Cynthia Rothschild, Senior Policy Advisor at CWGL, spoke at and moderated Books & Bagels: Breakfast discussion on CWGL''s publication, Strengthening Resistance: Confronting Violence Against Women & HIV/AIDS; UN Reform and Gender Architecture, Part 2; Not Such Strange Bedfellows: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity at the UN; Accountability, Activism and Money! International Campaign on Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS. Also, during the CSW, CWGL and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) hosted a strategic planning meeting about Gender Equality Architecture (GEA) at the United Nations.

Claiming Our Rights, Defending Our Future: Celebrating 16 Years of 16 Days of Activism
New York, New York: December 7, 2006
For the 16th year of the 16 Days campaign the Center for Women''s Global Leadership (CWGL) hosted an event in New York City to celebrate its 16th anniversary. The theme of this year’s 16 Days campaign was Advance Human Rights <—> End Violence Against Women. The 2006 campaign sought to revisit and strengthen the human rights focus of work on gender-based violence against women. Special celebratory 16 Days exhibits were displayed on the walls and featured campaign posters and theme announcements through the years as well as a large sign-in board with messages and images from international 16 Days participants. Participants included: Charlotte Bunch, Center for Women’s Global Leadership; Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; Vahida Nainar, Urgent Action Fund; Cynthia Rothschild, CWGL; Madeleine Rees, Head of Women’s Rights and Gender Unit UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Mónica Alemán, MADRE/International Indigenous Women’s Forum.  During the panel discussion special messages from participants around the world were read to share the impact of the 16 Days campaign and also to express appreciation to the people who participate in the campaign. Click here for event photos.

Women’s Human Rights in a Globalized World of States
New Brunswick, New Jersey: October 26, 2006
On Thursday, October 26, 2006 the Center for Women''s Global Leadership (CWGL) hosted a panel event to introduce the participants from the Strategic Conversation on Women’s Leadership Development to the public including students, faculty and CWGL’s New York constituency. The panel presentations centered around the vast international perspectives on the history and future of women’s human rights leadership and activism. Mary Hartman, Director of the Institute for Women’s Leadership, opened the event with a warm welcome to all the participants who traveled long distances as well as the audience who came out to listen and support their work. The panelists were, Charlotte Bunch (USA), Center for Women''s Global Leadership; Bene Madunagu* (Nigeria), Girls Power Initiative and DAWN; Anasuya Sengupta (India), Co-editor of Defending Our Dreams: Global Feminist Dreams for a New Generation (AWID); Lina Quora (Jordan), Women’s Learning Partnership; Alejandra Sardá (Argentina), Mulabi (sexual rights organization); and Peggy Antrobus (Barbados), Development Alternatives for Women in a New Era (DAWN).

*Bene Madunagu remained on campus till November 7th as a Visiting Global Associate, through an endowment to the Institute for Women’s Leadership from the Ford Foundation.

Strategic Conversation on Women’s Leadership Development
New Brunswick, New Jersey: October 24-29, 2006
The Center for Women’s Global Leadership convened a strategic conversation about the future of leadership development with fourteen international feminist activists from October 24th through the 29th. Over the past 15 years, many organizations have sponsored women’s leadership programs, trainings and events. CWGL pioneered much of this work with its Women’s Global Leadership Institutes (WGLIs) held at Rutgers University from 1991-2002, and three regional/thematic institutes in 1998 (Istanbul), 1999 (Lagos), and 2002 (Warsaw) where CWGL partnered twice with Women Living Under Muslim Laws and once with OSKa in Poland. The strategic conversation assessed what has happened in the field globally and looked at what has been the most successful approaches to leadership in this area. It explored challenges for advancing women’s leadership on human rights and social justice and looked at multigenerational issues. The invited participants discussed how to address the needs and concerns of young women in leadership and local/regional and global tensions in the women’s movement around leadership issues. The participants included: Peggy Antrobus (Barbados), Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN Caribbean); Youmna Chlala (Lebanon/USA), Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) for Human Rights; Kathryn Faulkner (UK), University of Edinburgh and Former Youth Officer in the Global Advocacy Department of IPPF; Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi (Nigeria/Ghana), African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF); Anissa Helie (Algeria/France), Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML); Marie-Claude Julsaint (Haiti/Switzerland), World YWCA for Americas and Caribbean; Bene Madunagu (Nigeria), Girls Power Initiative (GPI), Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) and 2006 Visiting Global Associate; Zeedah Meierhofer-Mangeli (Kenya/UK), Akina Mama wa Afrika; Vahida Nainar (India), Urgent Action Fund; Lina Quora (Jordan), Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP); Alejandra Sardá (Argentina), Mulabi-Latin American Space for Sexualities and Rights; Debra Schultz (USA), Open Society Institute (OSI) Network Women’s Program and Feminist Historian; Anasuya Sengupta (India), United Nations Children''s Fund (UNICEF) and Gender at Work; and Shamillah Wilson (South Africa), Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID).

UN Reform:  Strengthening Women’s Rights!
Gender Architecture & Gender Mainstreaming
CWGL has been working with global and local partners to monitor and advocate for women’s human rights and gender equality in the UN reform process launched as part of the World Summit in 2005.  We have monitored the human rights processes (see Human Rights Council below) as well as gender mainstreaming and the “gender architecture” of the UN (the infrastructure of women-specific UN bodies) in this process. CWGL and WEDO presented a position paper, “Gender Equality Architecture and UN Reforms,” as a submission to the Secretary General’s High Level Panel on System-wide Coherence in the areas of Development, Humanitarian Assistance, and the Environment. To read, click here. Signed by over 110 organizations from around the world, the paper calls for the creation of a strong women’s entity that can “deliver” at policy levels as well as in UN country-level offices and dramatic increases in resources for and the status of women’s work within the UN. It argues that gender mainstreaming within the UN can only be successful if it is coupled with strong women specific entities. In large part because of women’s advocacy, the Panel held a one-day consultation with civil society to hear concerns and suggestions about structural issues in and functioning of the UN system. CWGL, WILPF, WEDO and other partners from around the world helped to coordinate the gender theme within the Panel’s consultation, which took place in Geneva on July 2nd. We will continue to monitor and report on this work as it goes to the General Assembly in the fall. To read the CWGL and WEDO briefing note issued after the consultation, click here. For a description of the Panel and its work as well as gender-related concerns, click here.  To read about the civil society consultation, click here.

Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Council (HRC), which replaced the Commission on Human Rights, met for the first time in June 2006. At its inaugural session, the Human Rights Council, among other successes, adopted two landmark new draft human rights mechanisms: a new treaty, the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  For more information about the first HRC Session and to view CWGL statements on the Council and the CHR, click here. CWGL is about to publish an article on the Council and the concerns and interests of the women’s human rights community, such as preservation of the special procedures and of NGO access to Council meetings.  To read Human Rights Council: Women Monitor Advances and Note Concerns, click here. CWGL attended the second week of the session and gave the final regular NGO oral intervention in a feminist statement that focused on human rights education.  To read the statement, click here.

Commission on the Status of Women
United Nations, New York City: February 27-March 10, 2006
From February 27 to March 10, NGOs and civil society gathered at the United Nations to take part in the 50th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). This year’s themes focused on equal participation of women and men in decision making in all types of processes and enhanced participation of women in development. The Center for Women''s Global Leadership (CWGL) affiliates and staff took part in various activities at the CSW focusing on a plethora of issues concerning women’s human rights. CWGL co-sponsored numerous events and panels including Violence Against Indigenous Women; a celebration for International Women’s day; Defending Women, Defending Rights; and Linkage Caucuses. Charlotte Bunch, Executive Director of CWGL, participated and spoke at many events including the NGO Consultation: CSW at 50: Glancing Back, Moving Forward; Violence Against Indigenous Women; UN Special Rapporteurs, the Human Rights Council & NGO Networking; Violence Against Women: From Critical Concern to Collective Action; Defending Women, Defending Rights; and the International Women’s Day event 2006. Cynthia Rothschild, CWGL’s Senior Policy Advisor, also spoke at the NGO Consultation: CSW at 50: Glancing Back, Moving Forward;Defending Women, Defending Rights. Additionally, in an Open Letter to the Secretary General and Member States, CWGL, UN Committee on the Status of Women, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom repeated a call they made at the 2005 World Summit for UN systems and mechanisms to be significantly strengthened, upgraded and resourced in order to advance gender equality at international and country levels. The Open Letter has been endorsed by more than 240 women from over 50 countries and by numerous international and regional organizations.

Click here to view letter: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/globalcenter/policy/csw06/un%20reform%20open%20letter.pdf.

For more information regarding CWGL’s participation in the 50th session of the CSW, please visit: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/globalcenter/policy/csw06/index.html.

International Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders
Colombo, Sri Lanka: November 29-December 2, 2005
The Center for Women''s Global Leadership is a partner in a global campaign entitled "Defending Women Defending Rights," at the core of which was a consultation held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The consultation was attended by NGO advocates, UN experts and local government officials. CWGL served as an active participant of the 12 organization steering committee. The campaign was launched to call attention to the specific experiences of women who defend the full range of human rights, and all people who defend the rights of women. The WHRD campaign and consultation are and were organized around four foundational pillars as they affect the lives and work of rights defenders: violations perpetrated by state actors, violations committed within the family and in the community, implications for defenders of the rise in fundamentalisms on a global level, and ways sexuality cuts across many experiences of defenders. CWGL was one of several organizations highlighted in a press conference held at the close of the event: Press Release - Day 1 (Word, PDF), Press Release - Closing Day (Word, PDF). See http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org and the CWGL resources page (under Collaborations) for more information.

Association of Women’s Rights in Development
10th International Forum, How Does Change Happen?
Bangkok, Thailand: October 22-30, 2005
The Center for Women''s Global Leadership took part in the 10th AWID Forum that welcomed 1,600 women and men from all over the world. The Center sponsored one event entitled, Leadership Institutes: The Global Impact of Women’s Human Rights Activism and the Future of Leadership Developments, which featured various organizers of leadership programs. The speakers included Charlotte Bunch, CWGL; Geetanjali Misra, Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA); Mahnaz Afkhami, Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP); Shamillah Wilson, Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID); and Zeedah Meierhofer-Mangeli, Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA). The Center also co-sponsored the following events: Strategies, Struggles, and Moving Forward: Perspectives and Work to End Violence Against Women; Who Will Protect the Protectors? Making Activism Safer for Women; and Written Out 2005: Sexuality Baiting and Attacks on Women’s Organizing. Charlotte Bunch, Executive Director of CWGL, also participated in two sessions: How can we influence, use and benefit from the UN: A Strategy Session for the Next 5 Years and Contributing to the UN Secretary General’s study on Violence Against Women: An Opportunity for intervention.

As promised at the Leadership Institutes: The Global Impact of Women’s Human Rights Activism and the Future of Leadership Developments panel, below please find the organizations involved in the discussion:
 
Creating Resources for Empowerment (CREA) http://www.creaworld.org
Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) http://www.akinamama.org
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) http://www.awid.org
Women''s Learning Partnership (WLP) http://learningpartnership.org
 
Also, please continue to check CWGL’s list of current women''s human rights leadership institutes happening around the world. http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/wgli/about.html

Global Partners, Global Perspectives:
Women’s Reproductive and Sexual Rights on the Line
New Brunswick, New Jersey: September 28, 2005
On Wednesday, September 28, 2005, the Center for Women’s Global Leadership and Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey jointly sponsored a panel discussion surrounding the local to global connections within women’s access to health rights. The panel presentation centered on the similar and different issues that women share transnationally. The panelists, Charlotte Bunch, CWGL; Angeles Cabria, International Women’s Health Coalition; Julia Zingu, Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa; and Phyllis Kinsler, Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey, used their experience working within women’s reproductive and sexual rights to illustrate how women’s access is not only being denied, but also excluded from significant health rights conversations. The panelists discussed how their work is affected by women’s lack of access to reproductive and sexual rights; how local communities can raise awareness surrounding reproductive and sexual health of women to combat human rights violations; how the U.S.’s stance on women’s reproductive and sexual rights negatively impacts women’s access to reproductive rights in other countries; and how to positively make use of the local to global framework that we all live in while simultaneously promoting women’s access to health rights. The formal program concluded with a short question and answer period, and audience members and panelists continued their discussions at a lively outdoor reception.

2005 World Summit
United Nations, New York: September 14-16, 2005
CWGL partnered with several organization in New York and outside the United States to advance gender equality in the UN reform processes connected to the review of the 2000 Millennium Summit. CWGL''s goal was to garner attention to gender in a political context that was almost impenetrable. Against the backdrop of potential expansion of the Security Council, the creation of a Peacebuilding Commission and a Democracy Fund, and the transition of the Commission on Human Rights into a new Human Rights Council, it was often difficult to convince governments to integrate women''s experience into all aspects of their discussions. And while there was sufficient interest generated among women''s constituencies about the process itself, it was more difficult to mobilize people for action, as civil society participation was kept at a minimum, and for months governments negotiated in behind the scenes bilateral conversations. Yet, in the end, women''s rights advocates prevailed, both in terms of explicit references in the negotiated Outcome Document (paragraph 59, in particular, focuses on the importance of strengthening UN capacity in gender mainstreaming), in ensuring that other "pro-human rights" language was included in the document, in surfacing women''s experience in civil society hearings leading to the Summit, in exposing conservative states'' positions in media, and in informing and enhancing women''s participation throughout the processes. For more information, please visit http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/globalcenter/policy/millsummit/index.html.

Women’s Global Strategies for the 21st Century
Sarah Lawrence College, New York: September 10-13, 2005
CWGL was an active participant in the Women’s Global Strategies conference, which took place at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York, and brought together 100 women to discuss global to local perspectives and strategies towards a 21st century global women’s movement. Thirty percent of the women were from outside the United States, from indigenous communities, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe, while seventy percent were from the United States. The Women of Color Resource Center, based in California, worked with an international planning committee to create a space in which women could collectively address impacts of militarism, globalization, religious and political fundamentalisms, and the effects of U.S. foreign policy on the lives of women and their communities. During the three-day conference a number of breakout sessions were convened. Working groups met and discussed issues such as Militarism, Gender-Based Violence, and Trafficking; Militarism, Occupation, and Women’s Security; Globalization, Migration, and Citizenship; Globalization, Poverty, and Criminalization; and Religious Extremisms/Fundamentalisms, and Women’s Rights. There were also a number of panel discussions ranging from women’s resistance to grassroots activism to transnational organizing and its complexities.

Commission on Human Rights
United Nations, Geneva: March 14-April 22, 2005
In 2005, the 61st session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR) provided an opportunity for NGOs and human rights defenders from around the world to network, share ideas and voice their concerns. CWGL was an integral presence at the CHR, continuing work in a number of issue areas that are central to the Center’s program and goals. This year, the Center closely followed discussion around the reform process for the Commission, co-sponsoring a statement issued by the Conference of NGOs (CONGO) addressing principles to consider presently as well as in a potentially reformed CHR. The Center co-sponsored, and the Center’s executive director spoke at, Violence Against Women and HIV: Deadly Intersections, a panel organized with the World Health Organization, Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, Amnesty International, and the World YWCA. The Center also issued a joint statement with Amnesty International on the subject of violence against women. Additionally, the Center hosted a panel regarding its revised and updated version of the publication Written Out: How Sexuality Is Used to Attack Women’s Organizing. Finally, the Center also co-sponsored a panel and a joint statement on Women’s Human Rights Defenders. The Center’s executive director spoke at a number of other panels at the CHR including Violence Against Women in War: Justice, Redress and Empowerment for Women, Reflecting on Beijing +10: Future Challenges for Women’s Human Rights and Human Rights Violations on Grounds of Sexual Identity: Is the Commission on Human Rights Turning a Blind Eye? For more information, please visit: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/globalcenter/policy/chr05.htm.

Commission on the Status of Women
United Nations, New York City: February 28-March 11, 2005
From February 28 to March 11, 2005, the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) conducted the ten-year review and appraisal of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing +10). CWGL was a vocal and visible presence at the CSW, using the occasion to defend the Beijing Platform and to advance a feminist critique and agenda for the 21st century. To coincide with the CSW, the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL), Development Alternatives With Women For A New Era (DAWN), and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) initiated the Global Week of Action (March 1 - 8, 2005), a series of local, national and international activities intended to maximize women’s impact both at the national and global level throughout the Beijing+10 process. The Global Week of Action was itself part of a larger initiative, Beijing and Beyond (www.beijingandbeyond.com), which seeks to link the Beijing +10 process to the UN Millennium Summit five-year review to be held in September 2005. At the CSW, on March 7, 2005, the Center hosted Holding onto the Promise: Future Directions for Women''s Human Rights, a symposium celebrating past achievements and addressing future challenges and opportunities in the women''s human rights movement. On March 9, 2005, the Center and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission held a book launch entitled Written Out 2005: Sexuality-Baiting and Attacks on Women''s Organizing. The Center also co-sponsored panels on Defending Women’s Human Rights Defenders, Due Diligence and Violence Against Women, Women and AIDS, Using Human Rights to Evaluate Anti-Trafficking Strategies, and Women on the Move: Sex Work, Safe Migration, and Human Rights. For more information, please visit: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/globalcenter/policy/b10/index.html.

World Social Forum
Porto Alegre, Brazil: January 26-31, 2005
For the third year, CWGL participated in the World Social Forum (WSF). This year, the WSF served as a strategic venue for networking and working on international and regional activities around Beijing +10. As in past years, CWGL also co-sponsored and participated in a number of events. CWGL was one of the co-sponsors of a Women’s Orientation to the World Social Forum. This event provided an opportunity for newcomers to learn how women have been working to impact the WSF, how to take advantage of the space provided by WSF, and a chance for women to network, learn of events and share information. The Center co-sponsored the Feminist Dialogue at the World Social Forum, a gathering of about 300 people, to discuss feminist issues in relationship to the events of this year’s WSF agenda. CWGL was also one of the co-sponsors for a combined panel on Women Human Rights Defenders entitled Defending Women Defending Rights! and a panel on Beijing +10 entitled Taking Action for Women’s Rights: Beijing+10, MDGs and Beyond. About 200 people attended this combined panel. Finally, the Center hosted an event to launch a revised and updated version of the publication Written Out: How Sexuality Is Used to Attack Women’s Organizing. The Center’s executive director spoke at this event. For more information on the WSF, please visit: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br.

UNECE NGO Forum and Regional Preparatory Meeting
Geneva, Switzerland: December 12-15, 2004
The Economic Commission of Europe (ECE) recently met in Geneva to discuss both implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and plans for the Beijing +10 review. While government delegations met on December 14th and 15th, an NGO Forum was held for two days prior to the official governmental meeting. Four general topics were addressed in both meetings: Women and the Economy, Institutional Mechanisms, Trafficking and Emerging Issues. The Center for Women''s Global Leadership convened the "Emerging Issues" section of the NGO Forum. In that session, participants were asked to identify and meet in small groups to discuss critical issues that were either not represented well in the Beijing PFA or which have emerged since 1995 as important areas of concern. Among the topics addressed in the NGO Forum Emerging Issues session were: Militarism, Fundamentalisms, Sexual Rights, HIV/AIDS, Information/Communications/Technology and Public Services. Participants also noted the concerns of particular constituencies, including Romany, Indigenous, lesbian and bisexual, younger and older women, women with disabilities and widows. Additionally, Executive Director, Charlotte Bunch delivered a short presentation on Emerging Issues during the governmental session. For links to related documents, reports generated from the NGO forum and the presentation that Charlotte Bunch, Chair of the NGO Working Group on "Emerging Issues," delivered during the official governmental session, please visit: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/globalcenter/policy/b10/index.html.

Global Strategy Meeting for Beijing +10
New Brunswick, New Jersey: December 5-8, 2004
From February 28 to March 11, 2005, the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will conduct the ten-year review and appraisal of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing +10). CWGL, along with partner NGOs, will use this occasion to defend the Beijing Platform and to advance a feminist critique and agenda for the 21st century. To this end, the Center for Women''s Global Leadership, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) and Women''s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) hosted a strategy meeting in December of 2004 that brought together 27 key regional and global feminist leaders from around the world to develop strategy for the Beijing +10 process and to coordinate plans for a Global Week of Action. Participants discussed their experiences, strategies and challenges arising from the Beijing +10 as well as the Cairo +10 regional preparatory meetings and reflected on the current geopolitical context and lessons learned in previous UN meetings such as Beijing +5 and Cairo +10. The participants also discussed how to coordinate messages and support national activities around Beijing and Beyond, the Global Week of Action for Women''s Rights, in order to maximize its impact. On the last day, participants met with UN officials and New York based NGOs supportive of the Beijing Platform for Action. For more information on Beijing +10, please visit: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/globalcenter/policy/b10/index.html.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
For the Health of Women, For the Health of the World: No More Violence
November 25-December 10, 2004
Since the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Platform for Action, many significant gains have been made for women''s human rights, including the increasing acknowledgment of gender-based violence as a major global public health issue. Violence has a profound impact on the physical, psychological and emotional health of women. Violence prevents women from reaching their full potential as active members of their community, thus impairing the well-being of society as a whole. In 2005, the ten-year review of the UN Women’s Conference held in Beijing and the five-year review of the Millennium Summit, as well as preparations for the five-year review in 2006 of the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, present significant opportunities to highlight this intersection. For the 2004 16 Days campaign, participants were encouraged to plan events that emphasized the impact violence has on women’s physical, reproductive, sexual, emotional and social health. The theme was also intended to highlight the intersection of violence against women and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Specific attention must be paid to the issue of gender-based violence in order to effectively deal with the current HIV/AIDS crisis. A number of groups and initiatives are organizing around the issue of violence against women and HIV/AIDS, including the Global Coalition on Women and HIV/AIDS, the Amnesty International Stop Violence Against Women Campaign, the Global Campaign for Microbicides, and the 2004 UNAIDS World AIDS Campaign, as well as countless organizations at the grassroots level. When planning events for the 2004 16 Days Campaign, which includes World AIDS Day (December 1), participants were encouraged to ask themselves: What are the gender dimensions of HIV/AIDS in my community? What forms of violence do the women in my community face and how does this violence affect their ability to adequately deal with HIV/AIDS? What sort of research and activism is already happening around this issue and how can I get involved? For more information, please visit http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/home.html.

Women''s Human Rights Defenders International Coordinating Committee Meeting
New Brunswick, New Jersey: August 19-21, 2004
From August 19-21, eleven members of the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) gathered at the Center for Woman''s Global Leadership to continue an ongoing discussion around the issue of Women''s Human Rights Defenders (WHRD). Representatives from the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, Amnesty International, Center for Woman''s Global Leadership, FORUM-ASIA, Front Line, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, International League for Human Rights, International Service for Human Rights, Women Living Under Muslim Laws, and the World Organization Against Torture convened the meeting to discuss plans for a WHRD Campaign and International Conference to be held in the summer of 2005 in collaboration with the office of the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders. Topics included definitions of the term Women''s Human Rights Defenders, potential media and communication strategies for the planned campaign, and conversations around issues of funding. The three-day meeting commenced with a luncheon on Friday, August 19th where participants met with over 30 Rutgers University faculty members and other guests of CWGL. More information can be found at http://www.apwld.org.

Intersection of Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS
New York City: April 1, 2004
CWGL convened a meeting of activists, researchers and representatives of women''s human right organizations to discuss the intersections of violence against women and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The twenty-eight women emphasized the need to re-politicize discussions around violence against women so that the issue would no longer be marginalized and instead of always having to defend gains already secured, further progress could be made. There was a great interest on everyone''s part in deepening the conversations around violence against women and HIV/AIDS to consider not only how violence makes women more vulnerable to HIV, but also how women who are HIV positive face further violence because of their status; that is, how HIV/AIDS and violence against women are both a cause and a consequence of one another. Participants also emphasized the importance of recognizing and helping to make visible the work already being done at the grassroots level on this issue. There was a strategic discussion about the upcoming 2004 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, the theme of which will be centered around violence against women and women''s health with a special focus on the intersection of violence against women and HIV/AIDS. Participants offered both philosophical and practical suggestions for how best to use the resources of the campaign towards deepening this conversation, including how to link with other initiatives and organizations and how to help facilitate conversations between activists, advocates, policymakers, etc. from the two fields. Meeting Summary: PDF WORD

Commission on the Status of Women
United Nations, New York City: March 1-12, 2004
In 2004 the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) considered the following two thematic issues: (I) the role of men and boys in achieving gender equality; and (2) women''s equal participation in conflict prevention, management, and conflict resolution and in post-conflict peace- building. CWGL organized and co-sponsored a variety of events including four Linkage Caucuses and a panel entitled Weaving the World''s Women Together - Lessons for 2005 and Beyond where the Center''s executive director was a speaker. The Center''s executive director was also the principal speaker at Women Hold Up Half The Sky: Working Toward Peace, Gender Equality, Development for Women, a luncheon and talk sponsored by the Metropolitan New York Chapter of the United States Committee for UNIFEM and the keynote speaker at Women Forging New Alliances: Celebration of International Women''s Day 2004, in honor of the Women Ambassadors to the United Nations, a reception and talk sponsored by the Group on Equal Rights for Women in the United Nations (GERWUN) and the Women''s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO). For more information, please visit: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/globalcenter/policy/csw04/index.html.

World Social Forum
Mumbai, India: January 16-21, 2004
CWGL participated for the second time in the World Social Forum, a global civil society and social movements meeting, as part of its exploration of how women''s human rights relates to the diverse social forces seeking to influence the direction of globalization policies. The Center''s executive director participated in the International Invitational Meeting Building Solidarity: A Feminist Dialogue organized by the National Network of Autonomous Women''s Groups in India with DAWN, WICEJ, AFM, ISIS, FEMNET, and INFORM. The executive director was also a panelist at several events including: Crises, Violence and Rights: Finding Human Security in a Globalizing World; Peace Through Process: Interactive Discussion; and Political Bodies - New Emancipating Struggles that Foster a Radical Democracy.

16Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign
Violence Against Women Violates Human Rights: Maintaining the Momentum Ten Years After Vienna
November 25-December 10, 2003
In June of 1993, representatives of nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world gathered in Vienna, Austria for the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights. Women''s human rights advocates had worked for two years nationally, regionally and globally to ensure that women''s rights were recognized as human rights there and that violence against women was included in the discussion. The resulting document, the Vienna Declaration and Platform of Action signed by 171 states, was historic in its emphasis on the global pervasiveness of gender-based violence and in its compelling appeal to governments and the United Nations to take action to eliminate such violence. To mark the anniversary of this breakthrough, CWGL encouraged 2003 16 Days participants to focus their activities around the theme, Violence Against Women Violates Human Rights: Maintaining the Momentum Ten Years After Vienna, reflecting on the advances and challenges of their anti-violence work during the past decade. CWGL documented a multitude of diverse activities carried out by organizations in forty countries, as well as the new involvement of over 150 organizations in the 16 Days Campaign. For more information, please visit http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/home.html.

International Strategic Directions Consultation: November 18-21, 2003
New York Based Strategic Conversations: October and December 2003
A decade has passed since women''s rights were formally recognized as human rights at the UN world conference on Human Rights in Vienna, and the term of the first Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its Causes and Consequences has come to an end. Women have used the UN and its multilateral institutions effectively to advance women''s human rights, but much has changed that mandates critical reflection on the most strategic moves to make in this time of backlash and growing militarism. To address these issues, the Center marked the 10th Anniversary of the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights by engaging diverse women in a variety of forms of strategic conversations. In August 2003 the Center launched an E-Consultation Survey seeking as wide an input into this process as possible. In November 2003, the Center hosted an International Strategic Directions Consultation with a number of partners based outside of the US. In addition, on November 17th CWGL hosted a public forum at Rutgers University to introduce the participants in the international consultation to a wider audience. The Center also held two New York consultation meetings, one day each in October and December with women in the New York/East Coast region. These two New York meetings provided an opportunity to examine the current world situation and brainstorm about new possibilities in terms of strategies and venues for our future work, including but not limited to the UN. Together, these consultation meetings looked broadly at women''s human rights but also focused more particularly on how to advance work on violence against women in terms of its linkages to human rights, militarism, fundamentalisms, globalization, development and security.

World YWCA International Women''s Summit
Brisbane, Australia: July 5-7, 2003
CWGL worked for over a year in an advisory capacity to the World YWCA in the preparation of a series of Hearings on Women''s Human Rights that were conducted as a core activity at the International Women''s Summit held in conjunction with the quadrennial World YWCA Council Meeting on the theme of "Leading Change: The Power to Act." The hearings included testimony from women around the world in four areas: Peace with Justice; Violence Against Women; Economic Justice; and Health and HIV/AIDS. In addition, Charlotte Bunch, Executive Director, spoke on the Keynote Panel at the Summit on "From Vienna to Brisbane: The Human Rights of Women."

Claiming Sexual Rights: Advocacy in a World of Fundamentalisms
New York City: June 3, 2003
The Center for Women''s Global Leadership, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), the Law and Culture Society at Columbia University, and the Law and Policy Project of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University sponsored a panel titled Claiming Sexual Rights: Advocacy in a World of Fundamentalisms. Distinguished panelists included: Katherine Franke, IGLHRC and Law & Culture Society; Charlotte Bunch, Center for Women''s Global Leadership; Lohana Berkins, Transgender Activist from Argentina, Felipa de Souza Awardee 2003; Ayesha Imam, BAOBAB for Women''s Human Rights; and Ali Miller, Mailman School of Public Health, Law and Policy Project.

The Visiting Global Associates Program
Women''s Experiences and Peacemaking Initiatives in Times of War and Armed Conflict
New Brunswick, New Jersey: April 24, 2003
This year marked the inaugural event of the new Visiting Global Associates Program established by an endowment by the Ford Foundation. This endowment provides annual funding to bring a Visiting Associate from the global South to work closely with the Institute for Women''s Leadership consortium members and the Rutgers University community. Dr. Fathieh Saudi, a Jordanian pediatrician and a lifelong advocate for women''s human rights in the Middle East, who has worked on behalf of displaced women, and women and children in situations of armed conflict was selected to be the first Visiting Global Associate. During her stay, Dr. Saudi participated in a timely panel discussion sponsored by CWGL in collaboration with the Institute for Women''s Leadership consortium entitled Women''s Experiences and Peacemaking Initiatives in Times of War and Armed Conflict. The distinguished panel also featured Radhika Coomaraswamy, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women to the Commission on Human Rights and Patricia Guerrero, Founder and Legal Advisor, League of Displaced Women in Colombia, Human Rights Advocate with the Center for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University, and was moderated by the executive director of the Center for Women''s Global Leadership.

Commission on Human Rights
United Nations, Geneva: March 17-April 25, 2003
In 2003 the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR) was over-shadowed by the war in Iraq and therefore operated in a time of considerable global tensions. It was also the year when the third term of Radhika Coomaraswamy as Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its Causes and Consequences came to an end. CWGL focused the majority of its work at this Commission on the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for another three years and on ensuring that the resolution on violence against women did not back track from previous Commission''s commitment to dealing with this issue in a human rights context. The executive director of the Center spoke on two panels that addressed the question of the future of human rights work on violence against women. One panel was sponsored by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and another one focused primarily on violence against women and armed conflict sponsored by a coalition of NGOs.

Commission on the Status of Women
United Nations, New York City: March 3-14, 2003
In 2003 the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) considered the following two thematic issues: (I) participation and access of women to the media, and information and communication technologies; and (2) women''s human rights and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. CWGL organized and co-sponsored a variety of events: two Human Rights Caucuses; a panel on Vienna +10: Violence Against Women on the Human Rights Agenda - Assessment of Progress of Next Steps; a roundtable discussion on Gender and the Millennium Development Goals with the Women''s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO); and a panel on Human Rights and Human Security: Exploring Tools for Accountability in a New Political and Economic Environment with Development Alternatives for Women in a New Era (DAWN), Division for the Advancement of Women, National Council for Research on Women (NCRW), and Women''s International Coalition on Economic Justice (WICEJ). For more information, please visit http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/csw03/index.htm.

World Social Forum
Porto Alegre, Brazil: January 2003
CWGL participated for the first time in the World Social Forum, a global civil society and social movements meeting, under the theme, Another World is Possible, as part of its exploration of how women''s human rights relates to the diverse social forces seeking to influence the direction of globalization policies. The Center''s executive director spoke on a panel on Strategies of Citizen Control that was organized as part of the Civil Society and Democracy Axis as well as at the launching of the book and CD-ROM about the Against Fundamentalism, People are Fundamental global women''s campaign. The Center participated in a number of events in Porto Alegre as part of this campaign and as a member of the Women''s International Coalition for Economic Justice, both of which organized a number of activities to bring a greater feminist presence into the deliberations of the World Social Forum. Women''s Voices from Porto Alegre, Women''s International Coalition for Economic Justice (WICEJ).

New Releases in 2003: Women at the Intersection: Indivisible Rights, Identities, and Oppressions (Publication) and Women at the Intersection of Racism and Other Oppressions: A Human Rights Hearing (Video & Study Guide)
Publication: Women at the Intersection: Indivisible Rights, Identities, and Oppressions includes proceedings of the women''s human rights hearing held in Durban, South Africa, organized by the Center at the UN World Conference Against Racism in 2001. The book also includes reflections on the issues raised by the Conference as seen through the eyes of conference participants and an analysis of the gender outcomes of the conference.
Video: This new, intriguing video explores the meaning of intersectionality and women''s strategies for overcoming oppressions through focusing on highlights of three hearing testimonies: violations in war, conflict and genocide - ethnic Chinese women in Indonesia; violations of bodily integrity and sexuality - Roma women in Serbia; violations on account of migration and immigration - Haitian women immigrants in the Dominican Republic. The video also celebrates the organizing strategies used by women''s groups to work against intersectional discrimination.
Study Guide: A companion video study guide utilizes interactive methodologies to help groups develop strategies for analysis and action by gaining better understanding of intersectionality as presented in the video testimonies and by developing skills to use an intersectional human rights methodology in their work to overcome racism and the multiples oppressions women face.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign
November 25-December 10, 2002
Using the campaign theme, Creating a Culture that Says NO to Violence Against Women, advocates were encouraged to discuss and strategize around the link between culture and all forms of violence against women: violence that women experience in their homes, in their communities, by the state, by non-state actors, during times of war and during times of peace. In all regions of the world, culture has been used by individuals and institutions to support beliefs, norms, practices and institutions that legitimize and perpetuate violence against women. The campaign critically explored and challenged the history and construction of claims that use culture as a justification for violence against women and examined who has constructed or is constructing the cultural beliefs that legitimize violence against women and whose interests are served by these claims. To date, the Center has learned of over 1,200 organizations in 104 countries that have participated in the 16 Days Campaign.

Central and Eastern European Regional Women''s Leadership Institute
Warsaw Poland: October 21-November 1, 2002
The Center for Women''s Global Leadership joined the national Women''s Information Center of Poland (OSKa) and the Center for Russian, Central and Eastern European Studies of Rutgers University in organizing a leadership institute that brought together 21 women leaders from 16 countries in the region. The participants coming from Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Georgia, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Tajikistan and Ukraine were women who have been working on a variety of human rights issues such as violence against women, sexual and reproductive health and rights, trafficking in women, minority women''s rights, etc. The first week of the institute focused on broad issues such as: feminism and the human rights movement, the UN human rights framework, economic and social rights, health and reproductive rights and violence against women. The second week focused on issues of regional political and economic integration and advocacy skills building. A highlight of the two-week institute was an evening of discussion with more than 20 women leaders of Polish NGOs looking at current challenges facing feminism, inter-generational issues in the movement and U.S. policies on globalization and war. For more information, visit http://www.oska.org.pl/english/instytut/index.html.

Association for Women''s Rights in Development, Ninth International Forum
Guadalajara, Mexico: October 3-6, 2002
CWGL, the Women''s International Coalition for Economic Justice (WICEJ), Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML), and the Shirkat Gah Women''s Resource Center (SG) presented a series of workshops/caucuses to coincide with the AWID theme, Re-inventing Globalization: (1) Women''s Rights, Globalization, and Strategic International Venues provided a space for women working in different international policy arenas, such as the UN, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank, to share reflections on their experiences; (2) Fundamentalism, Globalization, and Women''s Human Rights focused on sharing and building an understanding regarding the complicated interactions between globalization and the rise of fundamentalist thinking and organizing, both North and South; and (3) Strategic International Venues Caucuses provided an opportunity to explore cooperative work strategies based on specific areas of interest. The Center and WICEJ also presented their World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) popular education session entitled, Race, Class, Gender and Rights: Building Justice in the Global Economy.

Realizing the Vision of Women''s Human Rights: Understanding the Intersection of Racism, Sexism and Other Oppressions
Ninth Women''s Global Leadership Institute
New Brunswick, New Jersey: June 10-21, 2002
The Ninth Women''s Global Leadership Institute focused on the refinement of an intersectional methodology and examined the complexities and interconnections between racism, sexism, and other oppressions. The Institute brought together 23 women leaders from 22 countries and explored challenges to women''s leadership in a world made increasingly complex by differences in class, sexual orientation, religion, and culture and assessed what the recognition of diversity means in all areas of women''s human rights, including confronting oppressions based on differences. The Institute also sought to strengthen skills for analysis and develop practical strategies for expanding and realizing the fullest range of women''s rights.

Women Speak Out for Human Rights, Peace, and Justice
September 11th, its Aftermath and Anti-War Activities
Like many of its friends and colleagues, the staff of CWGL has been deeply affected by the events of September 11, 2001, and by the developments that have followed. The Center has been involved in discussions regarding the manipulation of patriotism and nationalism; how to counter the various forms of fundamentalism which have grown stronger worldwide this past decade and which, particularly, threaten women''s rights; the means by which forces of globalization have both deepened poverty and sanctioned greed; issues concerning racism and the lessons learned from the World Conference Against Racism; and how to achieve justice more effectively through international law and UN mechanisms. At the AWID conference, the Center worked with other women''s organizations to develop a statement against the war in Iraq. The Center''s executive director''s article, Whose Security? (published in the September 23, 2002 issue of The Nation), presented gender perspectives on war, human rights, and security. In the months following the events September 11th, CWGL joined with concerned women around the world in developing the Twelve Points Petition encouraging an end to the war, the rebuilding of a just society in Afghanistan, and the support of women''s human rights.