[APWW-Meet] Third Global Congress of Women in Politics and Governance, =

[isiswomen.org@mail.isiswomen.org]

19-22 Oct
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Welcome to the APWW-Meet
An announcement list of the Asia Pacific Women Watch network
working for the advancement of the status of women.
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP), in partnership=20
with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction=20
(UN/ISDR) and the Women's Environment and Development Organization =
(WEDO),=20
is pleased to invite you to the Third Global Congress of Women in =
Politics=20
and Governance which will be held on October 19-22, 2008 at the Dusit=20
Thani Hotel, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The theme of the=20
congress is Gender in Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction.

Women and environment experts have raised concern over the absence of=20
women in the discourse and debate on climate change and disaster risk=20
reduction, both of which are global mainstream issues that are currently =

impacting the entire world. The involvement of women in areas of=20
environmental management and governance should not be perceived as an=20
afterthought. Women's roles are of considerable importance in the=20
promotion of environmental ethics.

The current imperative is for women to understand the phenomenon of=20
climate change and disaster risk reduction and their impacts and=20
implications at the individual, household, community and national =
levels.=20
Studies show that women have a definite information deficit on climate=20
politics, climate protection, and preparedness through disaster risk=20
reduction. Only with this information can women take their proper,=20
significant and strategic role in the issues of climate change and=20
disaster risk reduction.

Invited to this congress are parliamentarians, decision - makers in=20
national governments, environment ministries/ organizations, National=20
Disaster Organization/Councils, Disaster Relief Organizations, Red Cross =

Societies, youth leaders, media practitioners, funding/donor=20
agencies/organizations. (Female and male participants are welcome).=20
The Congress will have the following objectives:
Overall Purpose: To provide a forum for legislators and decision-makers =
in=20
national governments and leaders at all levels in formulating=20
gender-responsive legislation and programs related to gender in climate=20
change and disaster risk reduction.

Specific Objectives:=20
a) to understand the phenomenon of climate change, its impacts, and its=20
implications and study the appropriate risk reduction strategy;
b) to review and examine the gender aspects in climate change and =
disaster=20
risk reduction and formulate appropriate actions to address these;
c) to define the roles women can play in addressing the impacts of =
climate=20
change and disaster risk reduction programs and policies at the global,=20
national and sub-national levels; and=20
d) to identify and define the action agenda for parliamentarians, policy =

advocates, and women leaders to support global and national actions to=20
adapt gender responsive legislation and programs related to gender in=20
climate change and disaster risk reduction.
Congress Proceedings:
	The discussion on gender in climate change and disaster risk reduction=20
will be organized around identifying the challenges to action as well as =

defining the appropriate responses to effectively address the impacts of =

climate change and disaster risk reduction. Inputs to the discussion =
will=20
be collected and organized around: 1) geographic location and 2) types =
of=20
actions: i.e. preparedness, risk reduction: building community =
resilience;=20
adaptation; and mitigation. Cross cutting these discussions will be the=20
identification of technologies in aid of responding to climate change =
and=20
preparedness thru disaster risk reduction.=20

	The focus of the discussions will revolve around defining and =
elaborating=20
actions (i.e. preparedness, disaster risk reduction, adaptation, and=20
mitigation) to cope with climate change and its impacts and preparedness =

and disaster risk reduction.

	Preparedness and disaster risk reduction is about building individual =
and=20
community capacities to position themselves and their communities so =
that=20
the likelihood of climate change-induced disasters is reduced; the=20
intensity or adverse impacts of disasters are cushioned and that=20
inhabitants are able to respond promptly, expeditiously and effectively. =


	Adaptation entails actions that moderate harm, or exploit benefits, of=20
climate change. Mitigation entails actions that minimizes or cushions =
the=20
adverse impacts of climate change.=20

In all of these actions, special attention will be given to defining how =

women and gender could be mainstreamed. In other words, the Congress=20
should define how women can be given the social space to participate,=20
influence, and benefit from global and local responses to climate =
change.=20
The registration fee for the four day congress is One thousand five=20
hundred fifty US Dollars (US$ 1,550.) per person for twin room sharing=20
accommodations (two persons in one room) and one thousand nine hundred=20
fifty US Dollars (US$ 1,950.) per person for single room accommodations=20
(one person in one room).=20

The congress will be held on Oct 19-22, 2008. However, the participants=20
will be requested to be in Manila the day before, October 18, 2008 and=20
leave Manila only on October 23, 2008. The overnight hotel accommodation =

on October 18, 2008 is already included in the fee. Participants will be =

billeted in the Dusit Thani Hotel, the venue of the congress and hotels=20
near the Dusit Thani Hotel, accessible within walking distance. Room=20
accommodations in the Dusit Thani Hotel, the venue of the Congress will =
be=20
on a first come - first served basis.

Importance of the Congress

Today, on the average, one person out of nineteen in a developing =
country=20
will be hit by a climate disaster, compared to 1 out of 1,500 in an OECD =

country. Climate change creates life time traps: in Niger, a child born=20
during a drought is 72 percent more likely to be stunted than a child =
born=20
during a normal season.

We hope that you can help us generate more interest in the Third Global=20
Congress of Women in Politics and Governance. The Theme of Gender in=20
Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction is the first time this will =
be=20
discussed in a forum whose objective is to formulate gender responsive=20
legislation and policies for national governments and parliaments. I am=20
sure that the UNDP office in the Philippines also has such programs and =
we=20
hope that you will find the congress as a venue for deepening your=20
commitment to including the gender perspective in climate change and=20
disaster risk reduction in your country.

We truly hope that the environment organizations in your country will =
also=20
find this forum a good opportunity to advocate gender and climate change =

policies and programs through gender responsive legislation to the women =

parliamentarians, decision makers, the youth leaders, media and the=20
funding agencies/organizations. Let us join hands in promoting gender=20
responsive governance through transformative leadership and citizenship. =

We are looking forward to your participation.

Please download the full information sheet and registration form for =
this=20
Third Global Congress of Women in Politics and Governance from our=20
website, <http://www.capwip.org/3rdglobalcongress.htm>

We will be happy to discuss details of your participation anytime. We =
look=20
forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,


Jung-sook KIM (Ed.D.)=20
President=20
Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP)=20

Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP)
YSTAPHIL Building, 4227-4229 Tomas Claudio Street, Baclaran,=20
Para=F1=A1=B1=B5e City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel. (632) 8516934 (632) 8516954; Tele Fax: (632) 8522112 Mobile Phone=20
+639184596603=20
E-mail: globalcongress2008@gmail.com; globalcongress2008@capwip.org <
mailto:globalcongress2008@gmail.com; globalcongress2008@capwip.org>;=20
capwip@capwip.org <mailto:capwip@capwip.org> Web: www.capwip.org <
http://www.capwip.org>; www.onlinewomeninpolitics.org <
http://www.onlinewomeninpolitics.org>
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR)
International Environment House II, 7-9 Chemin de Balexert, CH 1219=20
Chatelaine, Geneva 10, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 917 8908/8907 Fax: +41 22 =

917 8964 E-mail: isdr@un.org <mailto:isdr@un.org>
Postal Address: UN/ISDR Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10, =
Switzerland
Women's Environment Development Organization
355 Lexington Ave., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10017, USA=20
Tel. +1 212.973.0325 Fax +1 212.973.0335 E-mail: wedo@wedo.org <
mailto:wedo@wedo.org>


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