The two weeks of the UN CSW are over. For the thousands of women and men attending, the UN building renovations made the 54th Session very difficult logistically. The financial and structural support for the UN women’s super agency has not been fulfilled and no final report was given. Many left disappointed but also energized to keep on carrying on.
I submitted a request for Ways Women Lead to give a Oral Report by presenting We, the Women Declaration. The UN CSW 54th Session Team apologized for not allowing us to deliver our statement. We, The Women Declaration is a powerful statement. The following is from the first and last two paragraphs.
We, the Women of the World,
Representing the great diversity of humankind, united in a global sisterhood of empathy, stand together for the dignity, respect and equality of each woman, girl child, and boy child in the world.
We, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and girlfriends, with fathers, grandfathers, sons, brothers, husbands, and boyfriends; from different countries, religions and beliefs, with one common love in our hearts for our families; declare our commitment to work together to bring safety and freedom to every woman and child.
Violence against women and their children is a gross breach of human rights. It prevents women and the children they raise from exercising their basic freedoms. Sex trafficking and slavery, still widely spread, are the most repulsive forms of violence, threatening women and children’s inherent integrity of being.
We commit to working together to do whatever is needed to prevent sex trafficking and all forms of enslavement, to change the attitudes which promote these behaviors, and to build new systems of health and well-being for the women and children of the world.
We further commit to our common values: to the value of each woman, each girl and boy child, each human being, that each of us may live safely, freely, creatively, with equal opportunity, and with equal responsibility to our whole human family. The Declaration is found on http://www.lightpages.net/mydocuments/we%20the%20women%20declaration%202-24-10.pdf.
March 8th we ended our events at the UN CSW by facilitating a women’s sacred circle. This link is to the YouTube video of our circle where we celebrated International Women’s Day and the power of circle for healing, empowerment and mobilizing. http://www.youtube.com/user/carboneffects#p/u/5/1_AYykibQao
We Women are awesome. Give yourself a hug and send out this love for self and others — circling the globe with courage to act, love and appreciation. Namaste!!! Ann
