Civil Society Participation
Since its founding, WEDO has worked to ensure women have official, recognized space at decision-making tables, at all levels and across sectors, and particularly on sustainable development issues. Put simply: women have a right to participate in all decisions that impact their lives, just as men do. For equitable and sustainable policy-making and programming that reflects the real needs and expertise of the global community, women’s direct participation and leadership is integral – and that includes women as diverse experts, stakeholders and rights holders amongst civil society.
Known to many as the founder of the ‘women’s caucus’, WEDO champions the essential role of civil society in inspiring collaboration, innovation and solutions to global problems, holding governments accountable and pushing a transformative agenda on the global decision-making stage. Women as a ‘major group’ have been recognized in a number of important processes now, including many that WEDO has been active in creating: the outcomes of the 1992 Earth Summit established a major groups system that recognized women as among nine key constituencies, and this legacy has translated into women’s official spaces in, among others, climate change and biodiversity policymaking spaces.
Currently, WEDO plays a role in facilitating or partnering in the Women’s Major Groups of the following processes:
UNFCCC – Together with GenderCC, LIFE, WECF, Energia and others, WEDO is a founding member of the Women and Gender Constituency
Rio+20 and its follow-up – WEDO is one of four steering committee members of this Women’s Major Group for Sustainable Development, along with WECF, DAWN and Global Forest Coalition
CBD – WEDO convenes and facilitates the Women’s Caucus at the major meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity
WEDO is also a member of the women’s major group to UNEP and is joining with many women’s organization allies to establish a women’s coalition around the post-2015 development framework, which must be anchored by gender equality and sustainable development.
WEDO supports women’s organizing in countless offshoots of the above processes and holds the Alternate seat for women and gender civil society representation at the meetings of the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs).
The Latest Civil Society Participation News
Environmental Sustainability in the Post-2015 Development Agenda
[ March 18, 2013 6:00 pm to March 19, 2013 6:00 pm. ]
COSTA RICA (March 18, 2013)–This week, WEDO Program Coordinator Eleanor Blomstrom is attending a consultation in Costa Rica around environmental sustainability in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Co-hosted by the Governments of France and Costa Rica, the Leadership Meeting is a milestone event for the Thematic Consultation on Environmental Sustainability, as it will bring together leading and emerging thinkers from around the world who can bring different perspectives and expertise to start generating consensus around …
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Women’s Rights Activists Welcome UN Agreements on Ending Violence Against Women
NEW YORK (March 15, 2013)– FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Today, the UN Member States resoundingly committed to ending violence against women and girls, including strong agreements on promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment, and ensuring reproductive rights and access to sexual and reproductive health services.
The Agreed Conclusions of the 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women represent another important step forward, building on the global momentum of the past twenty years, which has …
CSW57- Women’s Organizations DEMAND States Commitment to Advance Women’s Human Rights
STATEMENT OF FEMINIST AND WOMEN’S ORGANISATIONS ON THE VERY ALARMING TRENDS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS OF OUTCOME DOCUMENT OF THE 57TH SESSION OF THE UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
DOWNLOAD STATEMENT HERE.
We, the undersigned organisations and individuals across the globe, are again concerned that the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is wavering in its commitment to advance women’s human rights as demonstrated in the constant negotiation of the …
Partner In Focus: Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia, Mexico
MEXICO (March 1, 2013)– An interview with WEDO partner and colleague, Emilia Reyes, Director of Gender Policies and Budgets at Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia, Mexico
Q: Please describe your organization’s work and the work you have been doing with your organization and other orgs/stakeholders in Mexico as well as in international policy.
A: Equidad de Género is a civil society organization devoted to promoting gender equality and women’s rights. It has three main tracks: …
World Social Forum 2013
[ March 26, 2013 to March 30, 2013. ]
The social and citizens movements of Tunis and the Maghred invite you to the World Social Forum in Tunis, Tunisia 26-30 March 2013 to discuss the international situation and how to build an “other world” www.fsm2013.org
The organizing committee comprises, among others, Tunisian organisations who were driving forces in the revolutionary process which helped end the dictatorship and who continue the struggle to defend and expand social and democratic rights. For the first time since
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