Carol Soelberg
UFI Builds Support for Empowerment of Women
March 15 , 2007
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), an annual United Nations event ended last Friday on a somewhat rewarding note. In the beginning of the two-week conference, the CSW document was riddled with language that was damaging to the family. UFI helped the United States delegation build support for the introduction of positive resolutions by working closely with supportive delegations and our NGO allies. We held a panel discussion to create new partners in our work to secure a future for the family, and teamed up to form strategy, make contacts and distribute our message.
UFI's representatives this year included Cecil and Linda Ash, Kathy Wall (team leader), Julie Titus, Marilyn Crittenden, Annie Franklin, Laura Knaperek, and several others. Together they were highly involved in the wording of the documents, creating flyers and distributing them to delegates. It was evident that this work did not go unnoticed. One such flyer that focused on ridding the world of prenatal sex-selection and female infanticide was seen across the convention floor, and referenced by several delegate speakers.
The flyer explained that 12 years after the Cairo and Beijing women's conferences that aimed to end discrimination against women, 100 million girls are missing from the world. The direct cause is due to anti-life practices that include sex selection abortion and the killing of newborn baby girls: "The CSW should draw the world's attention to this human rights violation—the ultimate form of gender discrimination and violence against the girl child…" The flyer also urged parents to love and value their daughters as they do their sons.
UFI's representatives warned countries of the danger posed by efforts to combine the CEDAW (Convention of the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child into one conference. Such a move would preclude any checks and balances in the process and adversely impact individual nations and their policies.
The final CSW outcome document, although not stellar, is better than it started out to be. But, with adversaries like The European Union and Canada, and numerous well-funded NGOs, who frequently are at odds with our pro-family/pro-life objectives, our side is simply outnumbered and out financed. Fortunately, because of hard work and perseverance on our part, we did prevail as reflected in much of the document.
Finally, the coup de grais came as friendly delegations stood their ground on the definition of "family." Oppositional forces lost to the efforts of the pro-family lobby. For now, traditional family still means what it says. The pro-family delegations in the minority reminded us of their need for our presence and support; urging UFI and the other coalition members to recommit to the ongoing effort to stand for the right and keep them armed with the tools needed to fight the good fight.
I wish to personally thank the women who represented UFI at CSW for the great work they continue to do. Most of them attend at their own expense and at great sacrifice to their families and personal lives. We are all recipients of their good efforts as families and women across the world are given greater consideration and protection.
Of course, this work can only continue with your support. Your generous contribution is essential to helping us secure a future for the family through our United Nations and International programs. As we prepare for the World Congress of Families in Poland this year, in which UFI is a co-sponsor, we ask for your help. If you have not done so, please become a UFI member today.
For a $25 yearly membership fee, you will receive quarterly newsletters that outline UFI's outstanding international work, future goals, and pro-family supportive articles and research. You will continue to receive our weekly news alerts and be invited to pro-family conferences and events throughout the year.
An additional way to support the cause is through gifting. We encourage you to consider a generous donation to UFI. Your donation of $50, $100, $250, $500 or more will go directly to support our efforts at the United Nations, Defend Marriage or the abstinence-based education program in Africa called Stay Alive.
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