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Chers Famille, Amis, Collègues de “Mère Kaba Fofana” et Communauté libérale de Côte d’Ivoire,
C’est avec une profonde tristesse que nous faisons nos adieux à notre chère amie, notre collègue estimée et bien-aimée Madame Kaba Yaya Fofana Fanta. Sa disparition laisse un vide immense qui sera ressenti par tous ceux et celles qui ont eu la chance de la connaître et qui ont été touchés par son engagement indéfectible en faveur des droits des femmes et de l’inclusion. En ces moments difficiles nous, le Bureau Exécutif du Réseau International des Femmes Libérales (INLW), vous adressons nos sincères condoléances et partageons votre peine.
Madame Kaba Yaya Fofana Fanta n’était pas seulement une militante distinguée, elle était une figure emblématique dans le domaine des droits des femmes et de plaidoyer pour les valeurs libérales. Son engagement indéfectible pour la promotion et les droits des femmes et des filles a été un phare d’espoir pour beaucoup, et son courage remarquable et son dévouement ont laissé une empreinte indélébile tant sur la scène nationale qu’internationale. Pendant des années, son leadership en tant que Vice-Présidente du Réseau International des Femmes Libérales (INLW) a été marqué par ses discours passionnés et son détermination inflexible pour la justice et l’égalité, que ce soit lors des événements de la CSW- la Commission de la Condition de la Femme à l’ONU à New York ou lors des réunions et événements du Liberal International en Afrique en Côte d’Ivoire et au Sénégal ou dans d’autres pays du monde. Même lorsqu’elle a quitté la vice-présidence pour siéger en tant que membre sage de la Commission Consultative de l’INLW, son influence est restée profonde.
The International Network of Liberal Women INLW joins the important message for women’s rights in Shadow Report 2.0 (link) to the CEDAW Committee. The large number of signatures from non-governmental organizations underscores the significance of reporting. There is still much work to be done before gender equality in the Netherlands is achieved. Together, we are committed to achieving this goal and safeguarding the rights that all women and girls in the Netherlands have under the UN Convention on Women.
The report helps the CEDAW committee talk to the Dutch government constructively. It will occur in February 2025. During the 89th meeting of the CEDAW Committee, the Dutch government will talk constructively with the committee. This session was originally scheduled for October 20, 2024, but was postponed due to circumstances.
The UN Convention on Women in brief
The Istanbul Convention is a short name for the Council of Europe’s Convention on preventing and fighting violence against women and domestic violence. The Treaty entered into force on August 1, 2014. The aforementioned legislation has been in effect in the Netherlands since March 1, 2016.
At the start of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women Margaret de Vos and Lysbeth van Valkenburg were present at the start. The priority theme of this year’s CSW was “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”. It gave all speakers the opportunity of again stressing the fact that finance is an important issue especially for women to strengthen their position and give women possibilities to earn their own money.
The executive director at the UN, Sima Bahous started the morning with the following observations:
“We are here today because we, collectively, know that the backlash against gender equality is on the rise. Long-established, universal human rights and women’s rights frameworks are being challenged. National and multilateral policy discussions are marred by paralysing polarization. Hard-won gender equality gains are at risk and already being reversed. And advocates of equality face escalating hostilities, compromising their abilities to effect change. This is happening against a backdrop of cascading crises, from a planet on fire, to the wars and violence in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Haiti, and many other places in the world.
Continue readingOn March the 22nd World Waterday the UN Water releases a press report
One of the important highlights subject is:
Girls and women are the first victims of a lack of water
The first impact is the deterioration of living conditions, leading to heightened food insecurity and health risks. Water scarcity also has consequences on social development, particularly for girls and women. In many rural areas, they are the primary water collectors, spending up to several hours a day on this task. Reduced access to water supply exacerbates this burden, which undermines women’s education, economic participation and safety. This may also contribute to the higher secondary school dropout rate among girls compared to boys.
Also “Having to have sex in exchange for drinking water”. It happens, and it’s unacceptable! In a debate a Member of the Parliament in The Netherlands (ms Stieneke van der Graaf) stood up for the women and girls who are faced with sextortion due to water scarcity. A motion to ensure access to safe water for women and girls was adopted with broad support from the House of Representatives on July 5, 2023.
This year a few organizations in the Netherlands wants to collect at least 80,000 signatures and present them to the United Nations Special Rapporteur so that governments are held accountable for this human rights violation and to ban sextortion. This is an important next step in the fight against sex for water!
#WorldWaterDay
Read the full press release: https://unes.co/lt3ogj
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/water-crises-threaten-world-peace-report
| Version française ci-dessous | النسخة العربية أدناه |
Refugee Women in the Tindouf Camps
The International Network of Liberal Women – INLW is alarmed by the vulnerability of refugee women in the Tindouf camps,
Concerned by the very high tension in the Tindouf camps and the outbreak of an unprecedented cycle of sit-ins and demonstrations within the camps,
Alarmed by the violence suffered by women refugees in the camps by the militias, considering the seriousness of the conditions in which women live in conflict zones, particularly in the Tindouf camps.
We support the efforts of the United Nations to implement Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security.
We call on States to consider the normalization of gender-based violence and the worsening of human
trafficking which has serious repercussions on women
and girls.
We condemn the instrumentalization of women and the use of sexual violence as weapons of war used to implement political agendas and exercise power on the ground.
We condemn the involvement of civilian women in armed combat operations, under duress.
We call for the release of women sequestered in Tindouf camps against their will.
We call for action to remove the injustice and unfairness suffered by women detained in the Tindouf camps, allowing international organizations defending women’s rights to look closely at this situation, and to be able to organize hearings for victims of violence and rape, in order to prosecute criminals responsible for raping women, torturing them, and insulting their dignity.
We encourage all initiatives to support women’s freedom and the protection of their fundamental rights and freedoms.
Continue readingDuring the extra General Meeting of INLW December, 20th 2023 the members agreed to nominate Khadija Oum Bachair El Morabit as our new President. She accepted the nomination.
Her position as president will be re-confirmed in November 2024 during the regular GM.
The Board gives thanks to Mrs Jayanthi Devi Balaguru for all her work and commitment to INLW. We wish her all the best.
January 2024
Here are the Top 10 Moroccan Women who marked 2023 – L’Afrique Adulte “Work hard in silence and let your success make noise.” Napoleon Hill L’Afrique Adulte offers you a compilation of these exceptional women in this article. Without further ado, discover this top 10:
Khadija El Morabit: President of the International Network of Liberal Women
Khadija El Morabit, elected world president of the International Network of Liberal Women (INLW), during the extraordinary general assembly of this organization.
Before that, Khadija El Morabit, founder of the Moroccan chapter of the International Network of Liberal Women, participated in the RENEWPAC summit of liberal leaders from the Pacific, Africa and the Caribbean, organized in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, in the presence of the Senegalese president Macky Sall. This summit was held from December 3 to 5 in the Senegalese capital on the theme “Africa-Europe, how to promote sustainable development”.
Khadija El Morabit also attracted attention during her distinguished participation in the work of the General Assembly of the African Liberal Network to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the network on December 6, 2023, where she held numerous meetings with eminent African personalities on issues of development, democracy and human rights in the countries of the African continent.
Khadija El Morabit was a prominent member of the Popular Movement Party, where she led the Women’s Wing Organization before submitting her resignation in 2015.
Congratulations to Khadijah El Morabit
Elad International extends its heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Khadijah El Morabit on her distinguished election as the President of the International Network of Liberal Women.
We are confident that the INLW will take a new fruitful chapter, under her leadership.
Following an extensive experience in the private sector in London – UK, Khadija El Morabit became a Co-Founder, Entrepreneur in Real Estate Development and Hotel Management in Morocco for nearly 2 decades now. She is also International Consultant / Trainer on Gender Inclusion, Civic Engagement, Women / Youth Empowerment & Entrepreneurship, Political Participation & Leadership, Political Parties strengthening. Khadija is a civil society activist at national & international level. She is now the President of the International Network of Liberal Women (INLW) (after 2 mandates each as Deputy President and as Vice President in charge of MENA Region), the Founder of INLW Morocco Chapter, & member of the Liberal International Fair Trade Committee. Her other main areas of work are: International Politics & Diplomacy, Women’s Participation & Training in Politics, Election Observation, Advocacy for Women’s Rights, Gender Equality & minorities inclusion, Peace & Security, Democracy & Governance, Elimination of Discrimination & Violence against Women and Girls, Economic Empowerment (incubators / start-ups) & Capacity Building, Projects Management. She facilitates & speaks in conferences, workshops, worldwide.
Khadija is a Former President of Mouvement Populaire Political Party Women’s Wing in Morocco (Femmes Harakies Organization), Former member of the Party Political Bureau, its National Council & both its International Relations and Gender equality / Parity Committees. She was a candidate at the 2011 Parliament Elections Women National Quota. Khadija is a Former National Board member & Regional President of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Morocco (AFEM), Founder of AFEM Chapter (El Jadida Bureau), Founder of AFEM El Jadida’s Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Incubator inaugurated by His Majesty the King Mohamed VI in 2012. She is a former member of Human Rights Committee of Liberal International, Federation of liberal political parties in the world. She was a member of an International Observation Mission of Liberals and Democrats for the Presidential Elections 2020 in Ivory Coast.
Holder of an Executive MBA from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris & Ecole Hassania des Travaux Publics in Casa, a Higher National Diploma in Business and Finance from West London University (formerly called TVU).
In March 2013, she was nominated by “Forbes Middle East” Magazine as one of “the most influential Arab businesswomen in family businesses” in MENA Region according to the importance of women & their power and influence in family businesses (33rd place).
Read the article on ‘L’Afrique Adulte’ (in French):
Voici le Top 10 des Femmes Marocaines qui ont marqué 2023 – L’Afrique Adulte
Khadija Oum Bachair EL MORABIT, Deputy President of the International Network of Liberal Women (INLW) and the founder of INLW Morocco Chapter, has attended the RENEWPAC – Pacific, Africa and Caribbean Summit in Dakar, Senegal 3rd – 5th December 2023, with the presence of H.E. Macky Sall the President of the Republic of Senegal, under the theme of “how to foster the sustainable development between Europe and Africa”.
Meantime in Dakar, Khadija has also attended the African Liberal Network (ALN) General Assembly celebrating the Network’s 20th Anniversary 6th of December 2023, where Mr Jawad Chafil from the Constitutional Union Political Party in Morocco was elected Vice President of the African Liberal Network for North Africa, and Stenah Shampile for Southern Africa.
These events were very rich platforms for our INLW Deputy President to exchange and network with the European and the African Liberal Family and also discuss new partnerships with the Sahel region political parties such as the “Rassemblement pour la Mauritanie” from Mauritania and “Sudan of the Future” from the Republic of Sudan, in terms of women’s political leadership, women’s and youth capacity building, exchange of experiences and last but not least the possibility of founding new INLW chapters in these countries in the future.
