Wednesday, March 9, 2011

UN WOMEN PRESS RELEASE

UN Women Celebrates Launch as Powerful Driver of Women’s Equality

Press contact: Gretchen Luchsinger, Media Specialist, UN Women Headquarters, +1 212 906-6506, gretchen.luchsinger[at]unwomen.org

New York, 24 February 2011 — The UN today celebrates the historic launch of UN Women, its newest organization, with an evening including luminaries from the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, the media, music and film in the UN General Assembly Hall.

UN Women, formally known as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, combines four previous UN bodies and represents the United Nations’ most ambitious effort ever to accelerate actions to achieve gender equality. Around the world, supporters of women’s rights have heralded its debut.

“With the birth of UN Women, we welcome a powerful new agent for progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment,” says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “The challenges are great, but I believe that with the new energy, the new momentum and the new authority that UN Women brings, these challenges will be met. True gender equality should be our shared legacy in the 21st Century.”

The Secretary-General appointed former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to be the first Executive Director of UN Women. Calling the launch the first of many important milestones in the global pursuit of gender equality, she emphasizes that the decision to establish UN Women reflects ongoing frustration with the slow pace of change. UN Member States unanimously agreed to create the new organization, following longstanding advocacy by women’s activists.

“Think of how much more we can do once women are fully empowered as active agents of change and progress within their societies,” Ms. Bachelet says. “Historically, we are at a point of great potential and change for women. Now we must seize that opportunity.”

She adds, “My own experience has taught me that there is no limit to what women can do.”

UN Women will support individual countries in moving towards gender equality in economics and politics, and ending the worldwide phenomenon of violence against women. It will assist in setting international standards for progress, and lead coordinated UN efforts to make new opportunities for women and girls central to all UN programmes for development and peace.

UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and Academy-Award winner Nicole Kidman describes personal experiences of seeing women change the world. “There are incredible testimonies of resilience, strength and dignity — and ultimately of hope,” she says. “This is why I say that the women and girls I have met are my personal heroes. It is my pleasure and pride to be with UN Women, the new, strong voice for women around the world.”

H.R.H. Princess Cristina of Spain, in her capacity as President of the Institute of Health of Barcelona, urges broader understanding of how an investment in women is an investment in families, communities and nations. Citing uneven progress on aspects of the Millennium Development Goals such as reduced maternal mortality, she calls on“all stakeholders and champions — governments, foundations, the private sector, civil society, academic institutions and individuals — to invest in women’s empowerment as an instrumental strategy to achieve the MDGs.”

Ms. Juju Chang, news anchor for ABC’s Good Morning America, serves as emcee of the celebration. Other speakers include UN General Assembly President Joseph Deiss; the President of the UN Women Executive Board and former Foreign Minister of Nigeria, Ambassador Joy Ogwu; Nepalese activist Bandana Rana and former Commander of the all-female Formed Police Unit in Liberia Rakhi Sahi.

CNN founder and Chairman of the UN Foundation Ted Turner urges men and the private sector to get involved in achieving gender equality. Actress Geena Davis highlights the role of the media in promoting positive images. The singer Shakira has offered a special message emphasizing the importance of education.

The programme concludes with the performance of the song “One Woman,” which was written for the occasion, with lyrics by Beth Blatt, and music co-composed by Graham Lyle and Clay.

The celebration of the launch of UN Women can be seen via webcast athttp://bit.ly/unwomenlaunch

So many things happening everyday!

Sorry, I have to upload all these in one sitting:

The NGO Committee on Migration

Co-sponsored by

Gray Panthers, International Council of Psychologists, International Federation of Business and Professional Women, Loretto Community

Presents

Access to Education in Science and Technology: Building Capacity in Migrant Women and Girls

Thursday, 3 March 2011

Church Center, 777 UN Plaza

44th Street and 1st Avenue, 10th Floor

10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Introduction: Sally Dunne, Loretto Community; Executive Committee, NGO Committee on Migration

Moderator: Eva Richter, International Federation of Business and Professional Women; Vice Chair, NGO Committee on Migration

Speakers:

Jean D’Cunha

Global Migration Adviser, UN Women

Carol Hanlon

Founder/CEO Belmont Business Enterprise Centre Inc.; Textile Clothing Footwear Resource Centre of Western Australia, Inc.; Multicultural Women’s Sewing Project

Sarah Ak Ahmed

Iraqi Student Project; Iraqi Refugee now living in Syria


THE NEW ZEALAND FEDERATION OF BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL WOMEN INC
47th ANNUAL CONFERENCE
“Power to Make A Difference”
THROUGH ACTION AND ADVOCACY.
Saturday 2nd April 2011
Hosted by BPW NZ Executive
Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre
58 Waipuna Rd
Mt Wellington
Auckland.
ONE DAY CONFERENCE AND AGM EARLY REGISTRATION:-
To assist with early planning the Conference Committee is opening Registration for
Conference 2011 NOW.
We want to get an early indication of possible numbers and an indication of interest in a
partners program.
Accommodation to be booked directly with WAIPUNA HOTEL. Please see separate
accommodation sheet.
Complete a separate registration form for each delegate.
Copies of registration form are available on the BPW NZ Website (www,bpwnz.org.nz).
Please retain a copy for your records.
BPW NZ Conference Planning Committee
PO Box 51085
PAKURANGA 2140



INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF FASHION INCUBATORS
11-13 September, 2011 - Hilton Hotel - Perth, Australia
The conference aims to further professional development and to promote best practice across the industry. The International Conference of Fashion Incubators will present challenging speakers at the forefront of the fashion industry as well as a range of practitioners willing to share their experiences and expertise, exhibitors and great opportunities for global networking.

www.tcfaustralia.com
TCF Australia was launched in 2006 to assist the fashion and TCFL industries across
Australia, including regional and remote creative industries. Industry specific small
business training & mentoring is provided through the delivery of projects that include workshops, online mentoring, events and exhibitions. Buying missions are also co-ordinated to numerous global trade fashion events.
• Fashion business growth and professional development
• Incubator best practice, financing and business support available
• International fashion trade exhibitions, festivals & marketing opportunities
• Sourcing global networks: raw materials, manufacturers, agents, retailers
• Indigenous fibres, textiles, traditional crafts, global village sewing projects
• Expand the global fashion ‘helpline’ network and fashion designer exchange
• Managing Intellectual Property in global fashion & design industries
• Environmental, Ethical & Eco Friendly Sustainable fashion development
• International trend development and forecasting services in Fashion
• Virtual Business Incubation, mentoring online, webinars solutions
• Doing Business Online and creating social media fashion networks

WHO WILL ATTEND AND WHO WILL YOUR MESSAGE REACH?
The Third International Conference of Fashion Incubators will offer new opportunities for fashion business educators and fashion trade events from around the globe to network, discuss best practice and expand global designer marketing and promotional opportunities. It will assist the growth and development of fashion industry business educators and those that nurture and support emerging designers, as well as elevating Perth on the international fashion stage.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS:
TCFWA is a member of the Asia Pacific Incubator Network, iDISC, InfoDev - www.idisc.net/en/Incubator.330.html
TCFWA has a strategic link with Belmont Business Enterprise Centre Inc - www.belmontbec.com
Textile Clothing Footwear Resource Centre of WA Inc.
Street address: 7 Fairbrother Street, Belmont WA 6104, Australia | Postal address: PO Box 370, Cloverdale WA 6985, Australia
Phone: +61 8 9479 3777 | Fax: +61 8 9479 3888 | Mobile: +61 433 349 521 | info@tcfwa.com

www.fashionincubators.com
11-13 September, 2011 - Hilton Hotel - Perth, Australia
11-13 September, 2011 - Hilton Hotel - Perth, Australia
www.myfashionincubator.com

www.designedge.net.au
Designedge Fashion Incubator was first launched in 2003 and has since developed to be a retail incubator and more recently a virtual fashion incubator, providing online shops and designer profiles.

www.tcfwa.com
Textile Clothing Footwear Resource Centre of WA Inc. (TCFWA) was founded in 1998 and has developed an extensive range of innovative small business training & mentoring projects for creative fashion and textile micro enterprises across Australia. TCFWA is a nonprofit community based organisation.

www.tcfglobal.com TCF Global was launched in 2007 and facilitates village community sewing
projects or assists with linkages in the global supply chain to connect fashion designers with global manufacturing, raw materials and global fashion trade and industry networks.

The conference aims to further professional development and to promote best practice across the industry. The International Conference of
Fashion Incubators will present challenging speakers at the forefront of the fashion industry as well as a range of practitioners willing to share
their experiences and expertise, exhibitors and great opportunities for global networking.
www.tcfaustralia.com