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The 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) was held from March 6-17 2023 at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
There were several members present during the CSW.
At the end of the first week we also held our postponed General Meeting. At this meeting our vice-president Maysing Yang ended her board membership and was appointed in our Consultative Committee.
During the General Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, the election and appointment took place of several (new) members of the INLW Board. The Board has also decided to install a Consultative Committee, acoording to art. 4.5 of the INLW Constitution.
Several members were present during the GM. There was a warm welcome for the New President, Jayanthi Devi Balaguru who was unable to be present herself because of her work obligations. She hopes to meet members in New York during the CSW in March.
Words of thanks were especially spoken to Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk, president of INLW during two terms. She gave a lot of energy, time, wisdom, enthousiasm and friendship to all members during those years. We all thank her and hope for her support in her new position as immediate Past President.
Here you find the new formation of the Board and also the group of members who were appointed as members of the Consultative Committee.
INLW MANAGEMENT BOARD
APPOINTED IN THE GENERAL MEETING IN DAKAR 2018
| President: | Jayanthi Devi Balaguru |
| Immediate Past President: | Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk |
| Deputy President: | Khadija El Morabit |
| Secretary General: | Mireia Huerte Sala |
| Treasurer: | Lysbeth van Valkenburg |
| Vice-president Europe: | Sal Brinton |
| Vice President Asia: | Maysing Yang |
| Vice President Mena: | Loubna Amhair |
| Vice President Africa: | nominated Awa Gueye Kebe |
| Vice President Latin America: | Patricia Olamendi |
| Member general affairs: | Leticia Gutíerrez |
| Member general affairs: | Ruth Richardson |
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE of INLW
Installed in Dakar, Senegal during the General Meeting of
The Interantional Network of Liberal Women
according to art. 4.5 of the INLW Constitution
Joaquima Alemany Roca, Spain
Marianne Kallen, The Netherlands
Denise Robinson, South Africa
Silvia Flury, Spain
Yaya Fanta Kaba Fofana, Ivory Coast
This year’s INLW General Meeting and Side Event took place in Andorra during the Liberal International Congress May 2017.
During the General Meeting, a few new members were appointed in the INLW Board.
We welcomed Ruth Richardson as Member of the Board. And we affirmed the appointment of Patricia Olamendi as Vice President of INLW for Latin America and Leticia Gutíerrez as Member of the Board. Both were present at the last GM in Mexico 2015, but had not yet been formally appointed by the GM.
We discussed the two resolutions that INLW had put to the LI Congress:
1: Child Abuse
2: Women water and Climate Change
Both were accepted unanimously on the last day during the LI Congress administrative session.
The Liberal Manifesto 2017, which was to be adopted by the LI Congress was discussed as far as the chapter dedicated to Women and Gender Equality is concerned:
“While the 20th century saw significant progress on the rights of women, inequalities for women, who represent more than half of the world’s population, still remain, especially in the uneven distribution of property and political representation, as well as the widespread use of violence against women and the denial of their sexual and reproductive rights. Some countries even retain these inequalities by law, denying women the right to vote, own property, benefit from education and enjoy personal freedom. We will therefore continue to fight fiercely for the rights of women.”
After the INLW GM we held a Side Event in which we celebrated our 20th official anniversary and discussed how women’s empowerment in Andorra is being achieved.
First though Joaquima Alemany Roca presented her book on “Women and Liberalism”.
The first 2 copies were presented to INLW President Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk and LI President Juli Minoves.
Margaret de Vos gave an insight of 20 years of INLW illustrated by some photos.
Carine Montaner, Andorra MP, spoke about the Economic Empowerment of Women in Andorra.
Also, Vice President Maysing Yang gave some details about the situation in Asia of empowerment of Women.
Starting up the discussion, CALD caucus Chair (Women’s Caucus of Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats), Mrs Jayanthi Balaguru took the floor to add her experience within CALD caucus.
During the lively discussion between the attendees and the panel, we dwelled on the fruitful relation INLW has had with Liberal International in its developm
ent to the organization that INLW has now become. A very important fact therein was the recognition of INLW as an NGO in Special Consultative Status at the UN ECOSOC in 2003, for which INLW received invaluable support from now President of LI, Juli Minoves at that time Foreign Minister of Andorra.
All in all it was made clear by the various speakers and the discussion, that the mission of INLW, “to fight the inequalities in the position of women in all fields and in all corners of the world”, is still very important!
The Parallel Event was well attended by many Congress members.
Resolution number: 02
Submitted by: INLW (International Network of Liberal Women)
The Congress of Liberal International, convened in Andorra, on 20 May 2017
Noting that:
Climate Change has significant impacts on fresh water sources, affecting the availability of water use for domestic and productive tasks. The consequences of the increased frequency in floods and droughts are far reaching, particularly for vulnerable groups, including women who are often responsible for water management at the household level
Around the world, women are coming together to address their own needs for water and sanitation. Their strength and courage transforms communities who are facing a huge change in the climate. In huge parts of the world such as Africa, Asia and South America water is a constant problem
Pursuing the Paris Agreement and COP22 decision 21/CP22 on climate change and gender, water and sanitation are at the very core of sustainable development, SDG 6 is critical for people, planet and prosperity.
Climate change presents the biggest threat to development, and its widespread, unprecedented impacts disproportionately burden the poorest and most vulnerable. SDG 13 aims to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.
Considering as examples:
In Mongolia (Nomads), women, families and farmers are in constant need of water due to the dryness. In the summer, it is getting harder to grow and harvest grass and autumnal rains have virtually disappeared. Shepherds have not enough fodder to feed the animals in the winter, weakening the animals. Climate change is one of the factors responsible for this loss of livestock.
The impacts of climate change on the agricultural forestry sectors in Latin America are becoming increasingly worrisome.
In Nicaragua and in Ecuador climate change requires that women rethink ways of farming. The women face serious water supply problems, insufficient for harvesting crops.
In Peru recently the authorities declared the intense rains, overflowing rivers, mudslides and flooding the worst in two decades in Peru. Often women and children are the biggest victims through the extreme flooding, isolating hospitals and small villages and homes washed away by mudslides, resulting in many deaths of women and children. Then resulting in a bad health and sanitation situation with no latrines which hits especially women and girls.
Liberal International calls on all member parties and other liberal organizations to urge their governments around the world to:
Encourage gender-sensitive frameworks in developing policies to address climate change and reducing gender gap of climate change-induced social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities assisting developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices through, inter alia, the Green Climate Fund.
Raise help and funds around the World and come together to help women and children
Invest in empowerment of women to change their surrounding world,
Implement and improve living conditions with measures to help women and children with access to clean water and sanitation, which helps sustain and prolong life of the poor population.
Prepare for and build women’s resilience and adapt to climate change impacts, increasing education and training opportunities for women to develop local resilience plans to address the effects of climate change; Create economic opportunities for small farmers in remote communities
Improve river basin management and save deltas (main)
Promote a balanced participation of men and women in climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, including in governance positions
Enable a local environment supportive of sustainable and inclusive water resources management and economic growth, by promoting public private alliances and by improving gender balance in negotiation processes.
Resolution number: 03
Title: Child Abuse
Submitted by: INLW (International Network of Liberal Women)
The Congress of Liberal International, convened in Andorra, on 20 May 2017
Noting that:
World Health Organization (WHO), distinguishes four types of child maltreatment: physical abuse; sexual abuse; neglect and negligent treatment; emotional abuse; and exploitation
Child abuse can result in immediate adverse physical effects but it is also strongly associated with developmental problems and with many chronic physical and psychological effects, including
subsequent ill-health, including higher rates of chronic conditions, high-risk health behaviours and shortened lifespan.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), of which Article 19 calls on all political parties to take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.
Child maltreatment is a global problem with serious life-long consequences
Despite recent national surveys in several low- and middle-income countries, data from many countries are still lacking
Considering it:
Worldwide because Child abuse occurs irrespective of gender, social standing, ethnicity, or religion. International child abuse statistics are difficult to come by due to the difficulty in keeping track of numbers and the hidden nature of some forms of abuse even in “financially sound” countries. Even though many countries keep no or inadequate records, politics are not doing enough. This is why we must raise awareness of the negative impact that violence and abuse have on women and children and rid society of abuse permanently.
Worldwide… because violence against children takes many forms, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and may involve neglect or deprivation. Violence occurs in many settings, including the home, school, community and over the Internet.
Worldwide…because thousands or refugee children are being abused exploited and arbitrarily detained.
Worldwide…because in many countries children are used as target for emotional abuse and of neglect. Is known that child abuse happens constantly in war zones, in schools and in child marketing.
Worldwide…because child abuse happens in advertising, the food and beverage industry is marketing our children and youth to sickness or even death
The nature of international communication means that abuse occurs across international borders.
Calls on upon member parties and other liberal organizations to urge their governments around the world to bring this issue to attention: Raise the alert and protect our future generations from ritual and sexual abuse.
Pay special attention to and raise the awareness of child abuse in war zones.
Draw attention to child abuse in schools.
Let political parties intervene and put an end to inappropriate marketing to children
Draw attention to children used as targets such as in Europe, Syria, Iraq, Africa and other countries.
Non-profit agencies should work together in seeking funding that supports preventive effort.
Partner with national experts who can collect data to build the evidence base. Make use of data to demonstrate the need for increased funding for prevention programs.
Political parties to focus on the issue “child abuse” and keep it on the political agenda. WHO’s and International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) Campaign on preventing child maltreatment.
Joaquima Alemany Roca has presented her book “Women and Liberalism” during the 20th anniversary of INLW, which was celebrated on the18th of May 2017 in Andorra.
Joaquima is Past President of INLW, but was involved as a lawyer and mediator, councilor of the Barcelona City Council, Member of the Spanish and the Catalan Parliament and many other o
rganizations concerning women’s freedom and democracy. She has written several works on Women’s rights and has participated in relevant international conferences. She was one of the group of lawyers who participated in the drafting of the Penal Code Law.
In her new book “Women and Liberalism” she describes and identifies the liberal values and principles that were born in Britain. This book enlightens us about the struggle for women’s equality going back for centuries.
Historical or Classical Liberalism has helped to prepare the ideological foundations of Western Democracies of today. The Liberal values and principles have led to new ways of doing politics, away from the totalitarian and dictatorial processes.
Juli Minoves/ Margaret de Vos/ Joaquima Alemany
President LI/ President INLW
We congratulate Joaquima on the presentation of her book.
18th May 2017 at Hotel Golden Tulip Fenix, Prat Gran 3-5, Andorra at 10.30 a
“20 YEARS INLW” And how is women’s empowerment in Andorra being achieved?
10.30 Opening of INLW panel event
Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk: Presentation 20 Years INLW
Carine Montaner, Andorra MP; Economic Empowerment of Women in Andorra,
Joaquima Alemany, Past President; Presentation of book
Maysing Yang, Vice President Asia; situation in Asia,
Panel Discussion
Followed by discussion with the speakers and among others Khadija El Morabit, Vice President MENA
Hereby we are sending you all the documents for our INLW General Meeting to be held in Andorra on May 18th 2017 at 9 am in Hotel Roc Blanc.
If you are considering coming to Andorra to participate at our General Meeting as well as at the Liberal International 70th Anniversary Congress you should inscribe for the Congress before 4 may it says on the inscription site! If you would like to participate as a delegate of INLW please let me know as soon as possible as there is a limit to the amount of delegates allowed per LI member (INLW can have 10 delegates).
For more information on the Congress please look at the LI website, www.liberal-international.org.
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