A 5th World Conference for Women

Proposal for 5th UN NGO World Conference on Women (5WCW)

Parallel Session

23 February 2011

This Parallel Session outlined reasons to have a 5th UN NGO World Conference for Women. In her keynote address to the NGO delegates at the NGO Consultation Day on 21 February, Michelle Bachelet pledged to do her best to see that a 5th World Conference for Women takes place.

NGO = Non-Governmental Organization

Jean Shinoda Bolen
Wrote the document to the UN calling for a 5th World Conference for Women.

Important to have UN Women as an equivalent of UNICEF for women - raise money and raise consciousness

The attendees of Beijing are getting older. Theoretically and practically, all 192 Member States are sponsors and so women from all of those countries can participate.

Would be first conference in 21st century - and can take advantage of the advances in technology

Young women could be sponsored by their countries to attend - could communicate with their peers on smart phones

Tap into speakers at the large conference but also use those same issues in smaller conferences or meetings nationally or locally. Each attendee of the World Conference could be the "emissary heroine."

Tap into the sense offinding meaning in one's life.

World Conference would portray to the whole planet what women have achieved and still need.
Cause has to matter for you.

Cause has to be enjoyable to do with others that you trust.

Cause is motivated by love - you love the principles.

A 5th UN World Conference to Jean is such a cause - referred to The Tipping Point, so that the critical mass of women can address the patriarchal divide in human rights and the quest for equality.

The bigger idea behind the 5th UN World Conference is breaking down patriarchy.

It's all outlined in Document 10, CSW55 - in six languages - and can be downloaded.
A petition already has over 11,000 names on it.

Go viral! Tell 3 people, and they can tell three people and so on....

Pam Rajput

Has attended CSW since the 38th session

The question is:
"From Mexico to Beijing: Do we stop here?"

The scenario of the rights asked for in the BPA has changed.

Re argument that we will lose the gains made to date on the BPA.

Have to think of new strategies and take stock of new realities.

Many of the younger people have not heard of Beijing.

Are we going to be happy with Beijing +15 where the NGOs had no input into the document that was basically decided upon before we even arrived at the CSW54?

Whole question of patriarchy.

India will offer to be the host country of the 5th UN World Conference.
Why India?

Largest functional democracy in the world
Has the strongest women's movement
Has the infrastructure to host this large a conference - and has the accommodation
Has more than a million locally elected women
And it has good shopping!!!!We need to have a positive" virus" and be cautious of negative ones.

Jean will speak about a 5th UN World Conference with Michelle Bachelet next week.