[APWW-Meet] Opening day of the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico

[Rebekah@mail.isiswomen.org, Knapp@mail.isiswomen.org, [rebekahknapp@aids-freeworld.org]@mail.isiswomen.org]

City=20
Sender: apww-meet-owner@isiswomen.org
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: apww-meet@isiswomen.org

Welcome to the APWW-Meet
An announcement list of the Asia Pacific Women Watch network
working for the advancement of the status of women.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dear Friends,

On the opening day of the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico
City this week, former President Clinton endorsed AIDS-Free World's call
for a new UN agency for women:

"We all know we need to do more to promote the rights of women and girls
to end the epidemic of gender violence. Women already bear a
disproportionate burden as wives, mothers, grandmothers, and healthcare
workers in the AIDS crisis. Violence and discrimination should not add
to that burden. That is why I have decided to support the current effort
of many governments and advocates to create a new United Nations agency
for women, and I want to thank Stephen Lewis especially for his
passionate and unyielding support."

Please click here to see a clip of President Clinton's speech:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/player.cfm?id=3D4318

Clinton's remarks are part of a recent groundswell of support for a new
UN agency for women. Developing country governments from Africa to Asia
have publicly acknowledged the UN's failure to deliver on its
commitments to gender equality and have urged the Secretary-General to
act quickly to present a serious plan for a complete overhaul of the
UN's women's programs. With a speed rarely seen at the United Nations,
it's entirely possible that a resolution to create the new agency will
be adopted before the end of the year. Then the work really begins,
ensuring that the world's women get the international agency that they
deserve; an agency that is driven by their expertise and leadership,
with the authority, funding and capacity to make significant and lasting
changes in the lives of women around the word.=20

Our website features a behind-the-scenes account of AIDS-Free World's
efforts to urge UN Member States to support the new women's agency. It
can be found at: http://www.aids-freeworld.org/content/view/171/105/.=20

We think you'll enjoy reading the inside story behind this remarkable
turn of events. =20

Stephen Lewis
Paula Donovan
Co-Director, AIDS-Free World
Co-Director, AIDS-Free World





Rebekah Knapp
Operations Manager
AIDS-Free World
rebekahknapp@aids-freeworld.org
Phone: 617-938-3553
Fax: 617-938-3632
www.aids-freeworld.org

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The APWW-Meet is a moderated list hosted by Isis International-Manila for
the APWW network. To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo@isiswomen.org
and put the line "unsubscribe apww-meet" in the message body. To post
messages, send to apww-meet@isiswomen.org. For inquiries, send to
owner-apww-meet@isiswomen.org.