[Gcap-mujeres] Delegacion oficial holandesa/Meeting with Duch ministers

[ana]

Queridas amigas (espanhol en mensaje aparte)
dear friends,

Rosa and I and other women's organisations (AWID, DAWN, CRIA, and others) 
just came back from a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Minister for 
Development Cooperation of the Netherlands. The meeting was with several 
NOGs to address three issues that are of major concern for the Dutch 
official delegation:
- water and sanitation
- gender equality
- sexual and reproductive health, maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS

We had worked on a specific petition on gender and the MDGs which I am 
enclosing to this message. Gita Misra from CRIA introduced the background of 
the document, Marina Durano from DAWN talked on the financial implications 
and the need to have secure commitments for funding irrespective of the 
financial crisis, and Cyndy from AWID presented the demands and handed in a 
folder with the petition and other information. Our document on women's 
response to the food crisis was included in the folder. I am also attaching 
the last version with the latest signatures.

The response of both ministers was very positive, on the three issues. 
Specifically on gender they said that they are convinced no talk can take 
place on development that does not place women at the centre. They announced 
that the Dutch government is increasing its contribution to MDG 3 by 20 
million Euros. 
They also said that gender equality is a priority in all their policies and 
they are in negotiations with other governments to promote this view. They 
mentioned specific cases in relation to violence against women, that for 
them is unacaptable that ideological struggles get on the way for the 
implementation and funding of MDGs 4, 5 and 6, that they are willing to 
provide leaderships so issues that they see as central (reducing maternal 
mortality) and are long away from meeting the target will be priorities in 
their negotiations with the EU and other governments. 

This afternoon we have a meeting with the civil society representatives that 
will attend the HLE and we will also present to them these demands (MDG 3 
and women and the food crisis) and we are also going to add the link to 
Financing for Development.
We will be reporting later.
Greetings,
Ana