Program Overview
One of UNANIMA’s principle aims is to advocate on behalf of women and children who live in economic poverty. We sponsor women and children from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to speak on their own behalf at the United Nations. Their experiences play a crucial role in our work for policy change. Additionally, our members produce alternative NGO reports for country reviews on the Committee to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in both New York and Geneva. We also provide similar reports for country reviews held in Geneva on the Rights of the Child.
Working to stop human trafficking is dangerous and courageous. Over the years, members of UNANIMA have been privileged to come to know many valiant persons who are engaged in this struggle world-wide. After consultation with our board members in 2008, we decided to begin recognizing one of these women each year with our annual Woman of Courage Award. Click here to learn more about the recipients.
Program Resources
UNANIMA International: CSW 55 Written Intervention (Link – NGO/58)
Alternative NGO Report for CEDAW: UK 2010 (DOC)
Alternative NGO Report for CEDAW: Cameroon 2008 (DOC)
Alternative NGO Report for CEDAW: Nigeria 2008 (DOC)
Alternative NGO Report for CEDAW: Australia 2007 (DOC)
Alternative NGO Report for CEDAW: Australia 2006 (PDF)
Alternative NGO Report for CEDAW: Pakistan 2006 (DOC)
Alternative NGO Report for CEDAW: Gabon 2005 (DOC)
Alternative NGO Report for CEDAW: Italy 2005 (DOC)
Alternative NGO Report for CEDAW: Equatorial Guinea 2004 (DOC)
UNANIMA’s Internship Program: Becky Mulqueen and Mariel Delgado (DOC)
Program Actions
None Currently
Women—Still Waiting at the Tomb
The document we hoped to see emerging from this year’s Commission on the Status of Women is still delayed, awaiting approval. The political “power plays” involving some of the resolutions apparently have not been settled. But women have a friend in Secretary General Bang Ki- moon, who said at the CSW “As I go around the world, men squirm and think I sound like a broken record – but I say what is broken is the system that does not let women develop to their potential,” referring to the fact that “rural women are 1/4 of the world’s population, but are at the bottom of every social indicator, and their low status affects the whole community. Investing in rural women is smart!”
Women RULE!
Thousands of women from thousands of organizations came to this year’s Commission on the Status of Women. Twelve women represented UNANIMA, three of whom spoke at UNANIMA’s side event: Models of Empowerment of Rural Women: Success Stories. Fortunata Msilu described several projects in Tanzania, Nely Rodriquez gave a powerful presentation about the tomato pickers in Florida, and Michele Morek told the engaging story of Casa Ursulina in Chile. Women from all over the world shared their stories—women and the Arab Spring, indigenous women, survivors, dynamic world-shapers, Nobel Laureates. One of the events was a march down 2nd Avenue, in which all participants wore yellow sashes noting one of the issues important to women. Pictured here are Fortunata, intern Carmenza, and Louise Dionne (who works with several of our Canadian communities on social issues). Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the UN delegates had not completed the official document (disagreement over some resolutions), but it will eventually appear on the UNWomen CSW56 website.
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