Press Release
Feminist boat sailing towards Beijing +10
by Andrea Alvarado
Porto Alegre, 28 January 2005

This morning, as part of the activities organized by the feminist movement in the V World Social Forum (WSF), women from different organizations met to discuss their concerns and strategies towards the 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women of the United Nations (UN), known as “Beijing + 10”. The name comes from the fact that the meeting will evaluate the implementation of the Platform of Action of the IV World Women’s Conference celebrated 10 years ago in Beijing, China. Such evaluation will be done at the UN Headquarters in New York from 28 February till 11 March, 2005.

The dialogue took place at the “Diversity Boat” in the midst of a pleasant trip by the Guaiba River in Porto Alegre, Brazil during the V World Social Forum. Among the themes of greater discussion were the interest to reaffirm the Beijing Platform of Action and the need for governments commit themselves to accelerate its implementation.

At the same time, feminists worked in the consolidation of a proposal by the Regional Follow-up Committee from Latin America and the Caribbean which includes the implementation of actions in each country and the support to the Non-Governmental Organizations’ panels as well as the official ones during their simultaneous meetings at Session 49.

As a working principle, consensus has been reached that strategically more feminist women should be in the official delegations so they can influence from inside the governments.

According to Ximena Machicao, General Coordinator of the Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Education Network (REPEM) and member of the Regional Follow-up Committee of Beijing + 10, “strategies have been consolidated at two levels; the first has to do with what we can do to influence governments. Ratification of the political resolution coming out of the working group on the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which must be a resolution reaffirming the Beijing Platform so that the governments really commit themselves to its implementation. The second level of our work refers to what we are going to do as a region in the context of the parallel actions to the official Session.”

The three parallel activities which the feminist movement will be doing in New York include a political panel on the UN reforms and the future role according to feminists. There is also an activity regarding sexual diversities. The third activity will be a space for the discussion of macroeconomic policies, specially the poverty issues.

The meeting closed with brasileiras turnovers, cool drinks and lots of samba.

Note: FIRE presented the call for the ceating of the Women´s Media Pool fro Beijing + 10, which was very well received by participants at the meeting. The Latin American And Caribbean Linking Committee Beijing + 10 immediately decided to name a liason prson between the Commiteee and The Pool.

FIRE/Radio Internacional Feminista (RIF) is doing live coverage from the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre. Visit us at www.fire.or.cr or www.radiofeminista.net