Men wanted! A call from UNIFEM's National Committees

Progress for Women Is Progress for All

Men wanted! A call from UNIFEM's National Committees

May 2007

The National Committees of UNIFEM believe that the next step to successful lobbying on women's issues is to encourage more men to join as members. This was the view of delegates at their 2007 annual meeting hosted by UNIFEM UK in London in May. They also agreed to work more closely together as plans for a coalition were drawn up and international coordinators appointed to take the forward.

National Committees like UNIFEM UK have been established in 16 countries and they offer an international network of support to UNIFEM. Delegates from 11 countries attended the 2007 annual meeting in London and the decision to encourage more men to get involved was one of the key outcomes. One country where this approach has worked is Australia. The white ribbon campaign headed by UNIFEM Australia has been highly successful in involving men in the campaign to stop violence against women.

Zarin Hainsworth, the newly elected President of UNIFEM UK says: "We were delighted that representatives from all over the world attended the meeting in London. By forming closer alliances we can really benefit from the success stories of each National Committee and work together to develop new ways of raising UNIFEM's profile and have greater strength when lobbying governments."

The delegates agreed that current discussions on UN Reform have raised awareness of the importance of a UN agency to champion women, but believe there is a real need for more lobbying on the issue. "It is imperative that a single entity is created, with robust finances to ensure that the work for the advancement of women world-wide continues. Without this, prosperity and peace for the world is not possible," says Zarin.

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