11 November 2004
The ANC Women's League welcomes members of the Socialist International Women to a Bureau meeting taking place in Johannesburg on 12-13 November 2004. The Socialist International Women Bureau meeting takes place under the theme "Women Speak Out On The UN Millennium Development Goals".
The ANC Women's League notes that this meeting comes at a time when the world is faced with complex challenges of poverty and social deprivation. Therefore women of the world will be meeting in our country to speak out on the UN Millennium development goals and its effects on the eradication of poverty and hunger. The bureau will also look into creative ways of developing a global partnership for development, at the heart of these discussions is the need to promote gender equality and empowering women to occupy the center stage in the development of the human race.
This meeting also comes a few days before the beginning of the 16 days of activism on no violence against women and children. We note that all women and children in the world still living under the conditions of emotional, sexual, physical and psychological abuse need unqualified support.
Some countries in the world continue to face conflicts and war. These conflicts have direct link with poverty; quite clearly the majority of countries experiencing conflicts are amongst the poorest.
In the recent conflicts there has been an escalation in targeting of civilians as well as an increase in gender based violence; from sexual abuse to systematic rape, enforced pregnancies and continuous violation of womens rights.
The ANC Women's League wishes the Socialist International Women Bureau fruitful deliberations.