<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<TITLE>Message</TITLE>
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3059" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><SPAN class=667114014-08032007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Dear
Comrades and Friends,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=667114014-08032007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=667114014-08032007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>This
is to wish you all much strength in the important work you do, to make every
day, international women's day. As Ana said in her message, we need to
make sure that every GCAP mobilisation this year keeps the spirit of the work
being done by the Feminist Task Force and that Gender Equality continues to
becomes central to everything that we try to do jointly as
GCAP.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=667114014-08032007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=667114014-08032007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Today,
here at the CIVICUS headquarters in Johannesburg, we found that because National
Women's Day in South Africa is on 9 August (When 20 000 women marched to the
seat of government in the 1956 to protest against apartheid) is now a public
holiday that is when the big mobilisations happen. Sadly, our enquiries with
local NGOs and women's organisation is that March 8, is not that high a
priority, since we were wanting to undertake a joint mobilisation. In the
end, CIVICUS staff got together this morning and made banners and posters that
now adorn our building, commemorating International Women's Day.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=667114014-08032007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=667114014-08032007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Heres
hoping that 2007 will see gender equality move towards becoming a norm rather
than an exception in our deeply sexist world. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=667114014-08032007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=667114014-08032007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>In
solidarity,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kumi</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kumi
Naidoo<BR>Secreretary General<BR>CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen
Participation<BR>24 Gwigwi Mrwebi Street (former Pim) corner Quinn St., Newtown
2001 Johannesburg, South Africa<BR>Tel: 27 11 833-5959, ext. 104<?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Fax: 27 11
833-7997<BR>E-mail: naomi@civicus.org<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><A
href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Kumi%20Naidoo/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.civicus.org">www.civicus.org</A></SPAN><SPAN
lang=EN-US
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR><BR>Save the date
for Civicus World Assembly 23-27 May 2007 </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns
= "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place><st1:City><SPAN
lang=EN-US
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Glasgow</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN
lang=EN-US style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">,
</SPAN><st1:country-region><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Scotland</SPAN></st1:country-region></st1:place><SPAN
lang=EN-US
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR></SPAN><U><SPAN
lang=EN-US
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">www.civicus.org/
www.civicusassembly.org</SPAN></U><SPAN lang=EN-US
style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
gcap-women-bounces@lists.apcwomen.org
[mailto:gcap-women-bounces@lists.apcwomen.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Ana
Agostino<BR><B>Sent:</B> 08 March 2007 15:56<BR><B>To:</B> GCAP
Women<BR><B>Cc:</B> Rahul Kumar;
gcap-mujeres@listas.chasque.net<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Gcap-women] 8
March/marzo<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear colleagues, amigas (español abajo)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Happy Women´s Day! Feliz Día Internacional de la
Mujer!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>And thanks to all of you who contributed with
putting together the GCAP website. As you know, today GCAP is having its first
mobilisation day and it is for the first time that this happens on 8 March!
The website is a reflection of the work of the FTF around the world, and also
of the fact that GCAP is fully incorporating the demand of Gender Equality to
End Poverty as a central one! We hope that this will be reflected in the work
throughout the year. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>You will find information, resources, samples of
letters and e-cards that you can send to your governments, etc. A sample of
what you can find in the site is below. We encourage all of you to visit the
link under 8 March and make use of the available documents. And thanks again
to all of you who shared information about your specific countries and
regions, and also to the colleagues from Oneworld Asia, responsible for the
site, who have been working hard supporting us for this day. Rosa and I have
been working very closely and it really makes a difference! Thanks
Rosa!!!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well, it´s just the beginning of the year, let´s
make it one in which our demand Gender Equality to End Poverty is strong
within GCAP and it brings us closer to the reality we struggle for!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Warm greetings,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ana</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gracias a todas las que han colaborado para que
tengamos hoy tanta información en torno al 8 de marzo en el sitio web de GCAP.
Como saben, hoy es el primer día de movilización del Llamado Mundial y por
primera vez esto ocurre un 8 de marzo!! El sitio refleja el trabajo del Equipo
de Trabajo Feminista alrededor del mundo y también el hecho de que GCAP ha
incorporado plenamente la demanda por Igualdad de Género para Poner Fin a la
Pobreza como una de sus demandas centrales. Confiamos que esto se refleje en
el trabajo a lo largo de todo el año.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>En el sitio van a encontrar información, recursos,
ejemplos de cartas y postales que les pueden enviar a sus gobiernos, etc.
Debajo hay una muestra del material disponible en el sitio (esa carta está en
inglés pero hay varias cosas también en español, inlcuidos logos, formatos de
postales, etc.). Las invitamos a que visiten el sitio y hagan uso de los
documentos disponibles. Y gracias nuevamente a todas las que mandaron
información sobre las actividades en vuestros países y regiones y también a
todos los compañeros de Oneworld Asia, responsables del sitio web, que nos
apoyaron muchísimo para este día. Rosa y yo trabajamos muy cerca, y eso
realmente fue muy bueno. Muchas gracias Rosa!!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bien, es apenas el comienzo del año, hagamos de
este un año en el que nuestra demanda Igualdad de Género Para Poner Fin a
la Pobreza se siente fuerte dentro de GCAP y nos acerque a la realidad que
queremos construir!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Un abrazo,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ana</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </P>
<P>8 March 2007 <I>Sample letter</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Full title</P>
<P>Address</P>
<P>City, Country</P></I>
<P>RE: International Women’s Day call to action</P>
<P>Dear <I>(full title: e.g. President; Minister)</P></I><FONT face=Verdana
size=2>
<P>I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to protect the rights and
lives of women and girls. Seventy percent of the world's poor and sixty-five
percent of the world's illiterate are women. Of the 1 billion people who live
on less than $1 a day, 70 per cent are women. Women make up 65 percent of the
world’s illiterate. Although women do two thirds of the work in the world, the
rate of paid employment for women is two thirds that of men. Women hold less
than 6 percent of senior management positions in the world. </P>
<P>These facts highlight how gender discrimination and inequality extends from
education to the workplace and beyond, and how the feminization of poverty is
a reality. <BR><BR>In spite of increasing wealth indicating growing global
economic indicators, women and children are the ones with the highest numbers
of illiteracy, lack of primary education, school drop outs, maternal and
infant mortality, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, sexual
exploitation and abuse, and forced pregnancies.<BR><BR>This constant
impoverishment can only be overcome with the political will and commitment of
the world’s governments. It can only be overcome by changing the orientation
of public investments, giving priority to social investments, avoiding
corruption, and working together with civil society organizations, among them
the women’s organizations, who work at the country and regional level for the
eradication of poverty and implementation of fair and just social
policies.<BR><BR>It requires the implementation of concrete measures in
support of women’s equality and to put an end to the reproduction of poverty.
Therefore, I write to you today with a message for International Women’s
Day:<BR><BR><B>We demand:</P>
<DIR>
<DIR></B>
<P>1. Gender equality to end poverty; </P>
<P>2. the promotion of gender equality and women’s rights in all national
policies;</P>
<P>3. a commitment to gender equity at all government levels;</P>
<P>4. a commitment to resources for gender equality and women’s empowerment
programs. </P></DIR><I>
<P>(Personalize letter here with another demand)</P></DIR></I>
<P>Without the inclusion of gender equality, no development policies can be
accepted. Without the inclusion of gender equality and women’s empowerment,
the Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved by 2015. </P>
<P>I urge you to take action for women around the world.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Yours sincerely,</P><I>
<P> </P>
<P>Name</P>
<P>address</P></I></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ICAE<BR>International Council for Adult
Education<BR>General Secretariat<BR>18 de Julio 2095 apto. 301<BR>11200
Montevideo - Uruguay<BR>Tel/fax: (598-2) 409 7982<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:ana@icae.org.uy">ana@icae.org.uy</A><BR><A
href="http://www.icae.org.uy">www.icae.org.uy</A>
<BR></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>