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Club Action Newsletter:
January 16th, 2023
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This publication contains time-sensitive information directed to Club Executives and members and pertains to CFUW activities and events.
Please send relevant pieces to ALL Club Members.
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- President's Message
- CFUW Welcomes Elizabeth Malcolm as the New Member Engagement Coordinator
- CFUW Charitable Trust - Creative Arts Award
- CFUW National Study Group on Long Term Care - Collecting Stories of Long Term Care across the country
- UNCSW67 CFUW Delegation Update
- Sharing Corner
- CFUW and International Relations Article
- CFUW Belleville & CFUW Ottawa Present a GWI Outreach Conversation - Education, Work, Freedom: What can we do for women and girls in Afghanistan? with Guest Speaker Fawzia Koofi - January 25th, 2023 @ 8:00 PM CET
- Summary of Events from CFUW Ottawa Rally for Afghan Women's Rights on December 10th, 2022
- GWI Updates
- Club Newsletters
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President's Message
January 16, 2023
Here we are in 2023. Y2K is now long behind us and 2030 with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is within sight.
The year is off to a great start in CFUW. Elizabeth Malcolm, joined the national office team in December as the Membership Engagement Coordinator. Elizabeth brings to the role a wealth of communication, social media and customer service experience.
I am very pleased to announce that Jaime Beagan will join CFUW as Executive Director on Feb 6, 2023. She is currently the Director of Programs & Services, Student Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) in Edmonton, Alberta.
CFUW continues to participate in the Girls on Boards program with Fora Network for Change. Gabrielle Feldmann is our second Young Director and will be interning with the CFUW Board for one year. She is a Master of Public Policy student at Simon Fraser University.
An informal virtual “meet and greet” on February 16th is being planned. This event will give members the opportunity to meet the national office team and talk with the national Board. Stay tuned for details.
Planning is well underway for in person annual regional meetings, Regional Directors have developed their regional plans, CFUW’s parallel event in New York has been confirmed, the CFUW Health Care study group had its inaugural meeting and the Board had its first meeting of 2023.
This is a busy but exciting time.
Joy Hurst
President, CFUW
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CFUW Welcomes Elizabeth Malcolm as the New Member Engagement Coordinator
Elizabeth (she/her) has lived in Ottawa since moving to the city in 2012 to study Communications and Canadian Studies at the University of Ottawa. Originally from Angus, Ontario, she fell in love with Ottawa’s small town in a big city feel and has lived here since! She brings to CFUW her experiences from previous work at membership-based organizations where she worked to ensure members were being heard and supported as well as a wealth of communications experience. Elizabeth’s personal experiences and interests in women’s issues (both inside of Canada and internationally), education rights, and 2SLGBTQIA+ activism motivated her to want to work with CFUW. In her time outside of work, you can find her watching hockey with her dog, reading something non-fiction, or at one of Ottawa’s many museums and galleries.
Feel free to reach out to Elizabeth to say hi or let her know how she can support you at memberservices@cfuw-fcfdu.ca.
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CFUW Charitable Trust - Creative Arts Award
Photo: Live Mural Painting by Sandeep Johal in Coquitlam, BC
The CFUW Creative Arts Award promotes interest and involvement in the creative arts by engaging audiences and inspiring discussion. Areas for consideration include a wide variety of arts such as music, drama, performing or film arts, dance, digital media, music, photography, etc. Cultural groups or community-based arts organizations or centres are eligible and must be nominated by a CFUW Club local to the organization. The award is granted through the CFUW Charitable Trust in the amount of $4000.00.
Details and application form linked here—please return to Valerie Hume (valeriehume@rogers.com), Chair of the Library and Creative Arts Committee by April 1, 2023.
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CFUW National Study Group on Long Term Care
Collecting stories of Long Term Care (LTC) across the country
The Long Term Care Study Group would like to hear your stories and experiences with Long Term Care (LTC). By collecting stories from across the country, we hope to create a national picture of LTC in Canada.
See the link below for more information.
Submit your story here.
Next meeting: February 9th, 2023 @ 1:00PM EST/10:00AM PST
Please email Audrey Hobbs-Johnson, co-chair of the CFUW National Study Group on Long Term Care and Elder Rights at audreyhj@shaw.ca if you would like to join the study group mailing list.
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UNCSW67 CFUW Delegation Update
From VP International Relations, Barbara DuMoulin:
We have a full complement of delegates!
We are delighted to announce that we had 22 members apply to be part of the CFUW delegation to this year's United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, CSW67. Two of our delegates will register with GWI, as NGOs are only allowed to have 20. This intense interest reflects the commitment of our CFUW members to the well-being and rights of women and children.
We will be attending the UN in person for the first week, March 6 - 10th (actually arriving on March 3rd), and hosting an in-person parallel event. CAMEUS (CFUW, FEMU, WG-USA) will host a virtual event during the second week.
We will provide more information in the coming weeks.
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International Relations Committee: CFUW and International Relations
Did you know that CFUW plays a leading role in global affairs? Are you aware of the many partnerships we forge with other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to pursue the rights of women and girls? Let us start with the United Nations.
The History of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and UN Women
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) first met at Lake Success, New York, in February 1947, soon after the founding of the United Nations. All 15 government representatives were women. From its inception, the Commission was supported by the United Nations later known as the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) in the UN Secretariat. The CSW forged a close relationship with non-governmental organizations -- those in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). They were invited to participate as observers.
The Commission’s focus, from 1947 to 1962, was setting standards and formulating international conventions to change discriminatory legislation and foster global awareness of women’s issues. In contributing to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the CSW successfully argued against references to “men” as a synonym for humanity. The Commission was also successful in introducing new, more inclusive language.
Since the codification of the legal rights of women needed to be supported by data and analysis, the Commission embarked on a global assessment of the status of women. Extensive research produced a detailed, country-by-country picture of their political and legal standing, which over time became a basis for drafting human rights instruments.
The Commission drafted the early international conventions on women’s rights, such as the:
- 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women,
- 1957 Convention on the Nationality of Married Women,
- 1962 Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages.
The Commission also contributed to the work of UN offices, such as the International Labour Organization’s 1951 Convention concerning Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value, which enshrined the principle of equal pay for equal work.
In 1963, efforts to consolidate standards on women’s rights led the UN General Assembly to request the Commission to draft a Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which the Assembly ultimately adopted in 1967. The legally binding Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), also drafted by the Commission, followed in 1979. In 1999, the Optional Protocol to the Convention introduced the right of petition for women victims of discrimination.
Accumulation of evidence gathered in the 1960s showed that women were disproportionately affected by poverty. As such, the work of the Commission centered on women’s needs in community and rural development, agricultural work, family planning, and scientific and technological advances. Encouraged by the Commission, the UN system began to expand its technical assistance to further the advancement of women, especially in developing countries.
In 1972, to mark its 25th anniversary, the Commission recommended that 1975 be designated International Women’s Year. It was marked by the First World Conference on Women in Mexico City, followed by the 1976–1985 UN Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace. Additional world conferences took place in Copenhagen in 1980 and Nairobi in 1985. New UN offices dedicated to women were established, in particular the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW).
In 1987, as part of follow-up to the Third World Conference on Women in Nairobi, efforts resulted in the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women adopted by the General Assembly on 20 December 1993. During 1994, an UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences was appointed by the Commission on Human Rights, with a mandate to investigate and report on all aspects of violence against women.
The Commission served as the preparatory body for the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women , which adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. After the conference, the Commission was mandated by the General Assembly to play a central role in monitoring implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and advising ECOSOC accordingly. As called for in the Platform for Action, an additional UN office for the promotion of gender equality was established, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI).
In 2011, the four parts of the UN system mentioned—DAW, INSTRAW, OSAGI and UNIFEM—merged to become UN Women, which is now the Secretariat of the Commission and, in that role, performs its substantive and administrative work.
UN Women works with member states in the following priority areas, with a focus on the Sustainable Goal #5 – Gender Equality:
- Increasing women’s leadership and participation
- Ending violence against women and girls
- Engaging women in all aspects of peace and security processes
- Enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and
- Making gender equality central to national development planning and building
During the Commission’s annual two-week session in New York, representatives of UN Member States, civil society organizations and UN entities gather at UN headquarters. Their focus is on a new theme and a review theme each year and includes discussions on the key global policy document on gender equality, implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action), and the 23rd special session of the General Assembly held in 2000 (Beijing+5), as well as emerging issues that affect gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Member States agree on further actions to accelerate progress and promote women’s enjoyment of their rights in political, economic, and social fields. The outcomes and recommendations of each session are forwarded to ECOSOC for follow-up.
CSW is the largest gathering of gender equality advocates in the world in which the annual session convenes Ministers, high level government officials and civil Society representatives (e.g. CFUW) to the UN. At CSW, the delegates’ role is to 1. Discuss progress; 2. Set policies; 3. Identify challenges and 4. Set global standards on gender equality and the rights of women and girls.
NGO CSW/NY – Its Role in the CSW
The NGO CSW Forum is the civil society side of the UN CSW. NGO CSW/NY was established in 1972 as one of the NGO Committees of the Conference of NGOs (CoNGO) in preparation for International Women’s Year (1975), the UN Decade of Women (1975-1985) and the First World Conference on Women held in Mexico City in 1975.The Forum runs parallel to the official CSW session taking place at the UN Headquarters. This provides civil society the opportunity to engage in the processes and CSW sessions without ECOSOC-accreditation or a UN grounds pass (both of which are needed to attend the CSW).
Over the two weeks of the UN CSW, NGO CSW/NY organizes hundreds of events that inform, engage and inspire grassroots efforts and advocacy needed to empower women and girls. Some of the events hosted are: Consultation Day, Orientation & Advocacy Training, Regional Caucuses and Conversation Circles. They attend, as well, the “Parallel Sessions” organized by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) around the globe and “Side” Sessions offered by Permanent Missions and United Nations entities. Side sessions are offered at the UN Building in New York City while the parallel sessions are in nearby locations.
Each year, the Commission focuses on specific themes related to gender equality, known as the 'priority' and 'review' themes. NGO-CSW/NY has an Advocacy Training Research Group (ARG) and offers advocacy training to civil society groups. ARG researches issues raised in the CSW priority theme with input from NGO CSWs in the Regions and civil society. In advance of negotiations, recommended language is provided to receptive government representatives for consideration and inclusion in their discussions, and to UN Women, the CSW Bureau and during opportunities for civil society input.
The Influencing Opportunities for CFUW
So how does CFUW fit in?
CFUW has been accredited through the ECOSOC since 1998. What does this mean to have special consultative status? The formal mechanisms granted to an NGO with consultative status are as follows: 1. We have access to the UN; 2. We contribute to the processes and discussions (written statements/oral statements);3. We are allowed to attend meetings, commissions, and the High-Level Platform (HLP) Forum on Sustainable Development.
Informally, we are able to organize events to showcase our work; network with other NGOs, with UN officials and other member state representatives. We work in and with the international community and interact with other actors and processes.
As such, CFUW contributes written and ‘oral statements’ every year which are circulated. The oral statement reflects the themes of the CSW session. We suggest language into the draft document to prepare for the Agreed Conclusions – the outcome document of the discussions and policies set for the member states to implement. Please read our written statement for 2023: CFUW's UNCSW67 written statement.
While in New York, CFUW delegates engage also with our government representatives to negotiate for gender equality language in the final Agreed Conclusions document.
We have engaged with other global NGOs who actively work on behalf of women’s rights and seek support for our issue positions. The ability to influence is evident by the support we get from other NGOs. We learn what is happening globally and where the gaps on “women’s rights” are – including within Canada. (Note the other NGOs who have cosigned our written statement.)
To further pursue the educational aspect to our global family, CFUW offers at CSW a “parallel event” to highlight the work advocated in Canada and with our partners, with respect to the priority and review themes. CFUW also presents a parallel session through the regional organization CAMEUS made up of Canada, (CFUW) Mexico (FEMU) and the USA (WG-USA).
Attending the Commission of the Status of Women is a major venue to connect, learn and share. It is about the work we do for the rights of women and girls. Each year CFUW members apply to our national office for the privilege of being one of CFUW’s 20 delegates. These delegates will self-fund a week at the United Nations attending CSW sessions with thousands of other women around the world who have come to New York City for this reason. Other CFUW members are invited to attend virtually and have access to a multitude of parallel events put on by other global NGOs (more information to come.)
Download this article in MS Word.
G. Hollett, International Relations Committee
S. Thomson, UN Agency Observer for CFUW
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Education, Work, Freedom: What Can We Do for Women and Girls in Afghanistan?
A GWI Outreach Conversation hosted by
Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Belleville and CFUW-Ottawa
Register in advance to participate in this powerful conversation HERE.
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CFUW-Ottawa and CW4WA-Ottawa Rally for Afghan Women’s Rights
On December 10th, International Human Rights Day, 80 people carried signs, chanted “Education is a Right”, and marched from the Parliament Buildings to the Human Rights Monument. There Naeem Ayubzada and Dr. Zarlasht Amini passionately appealed to Canadians to act against the shocking loss of human rights by women and girls in Afghanistan and to pressure the federal government to change anti-terror laws to permit aid to reach the Afghan people.
The group moved indoors where stories from individual Afghan women were read, revealing their struggles and how catastrophically their lives had changed under the Taliban. The event featured a video address from Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, films by local Afghan Canadians showing the barbaric violence the Taliban has inflicted on its people and the reality of daily life for Afghan women as they are being excluded from all aspects of society.
Throughout the afternoon five girls dressed in black with white head scarves, and carrying backpacks, silently walked around the room, symbolizing the Afghan girls who cannot go to school.
The day provided a visceral context for the present human rights disaster unfolding daily in Afghanistan.
“As the world marks Human Rights Day, I hope it serves as a reminder to take immediate action to condemn and put pressure on the Taliban to reduce the level of human rights violations witnessed by women and girls every day in Afghanistan.
Every human being deserves the right to live safely and express freely. Today, the people of Afghanistan, especially women, are experiencing numerous forms of violence and atrocities ruining all aspects of their lives.” Naeem Ayubzada
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