The Working Group on Girls is concentrating its major efforts on making preparations for the 2007 annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, hereafter referred to as CSW-51, to be held at the UN from 26 February to 9 March 2007. The theme of SW-51 will be “The Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination and Violence Against the Girl Child” - two of the problems on which the WGG members work diligently to combat. Accordingly, the WGG wants to guarantee that girls from all over the world will be a part of these important meetings and activities at the UN and that their collective voice be heard. To accomplish this goal, WGG has sent a message to NGOs asking that they consider sponsoring a girl to attend these meetings as a member of their CSW delegation. It should be noted that Teresa is working with me on the possibility of PPSEAWA’s sponsoring a young woman to attend the 2007 Conference.
At the NY meeting I brought up the idea of PPSEAWA’s sponsoring a girl to attend the forthcoming CSW and, though the participants were not wildly enthusiastic, some were interested and even indicated that they would contribute money to the project. Regarding the financial commitment, Teresa and I have been thinking along the lines of PPSEAWA’s providing money for the girl’s transportation to and from New York plus some money toward her meals and lodging while she is here. Our thought is to offer the girl a sum around $2200, depending on from which county she is traveling. Some of this might come from the Scholarship fund and the rest from donations of individual PPSEAWA members.
This is a wonderful opportunity for PPSEAWA’s to contribute to a very worthwhile endeavor - enhancing the education of a girl from Southeast Asia - and it would also put our NGO on the map as supporting a UN initiative - something that we have been delinquent in doing in the past. As you know, our accreditation as an NGO hinges on the way in which we work with the UN.
Contributions can be sent to the PPSEAWA treasurer earmarked for this purpose.