North America

Four young women, who attended the World YWCA meeting in Zurich this past summer, will represent the YWCA USA at the 56^th  Session of the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women in February – World YWCA Broad member Luna Lee and Kris Silvestry from the Northeast, Jenna Lodge from the Southeast and Leanne Baumung from the Pacific Region, who in 2008 worked in Geneva as part of the World YWCA team as a one year intern .

The World YWCA welcomes the Outcome Document of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding, adopted on June 13, 2011, in New York. The commitments made echo and affirm the issues that the YWCA movement has for years been advocating, including the leadership of girls and young women, thus giving them the opportunity to have a voice on issues that affect their lives.

On April 13, 2011, the African Women Leaders Network for Reproductive Health and Family Planning (AWLN) convened in New York to submit a joint statement to the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD. The meeting also introduced members of the network to civil society organisations and development partners united in the common goal of the provision of universal access to reproductive health and family planning. Members of the network included H.E. Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, President of African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) and First Lady of Ekiti State, Nigeria; Yvonne Chaka Chaka, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for RollBack Malaria; Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, General Secretary of the World YWCA; Hon. Ruth Kavuma, Member of Parliament, Uganda; Hon. Marie Rose Nguini-Effa, Member of the Pan-African Parliament; Tabitha Njoroge, Executive Director of WILDAF Kenya; and Dr Hilda Tadria, Executive Director of MEMPROW and AWDF Board Chair.

Representatives of civil society organisations, including the World YWCA, addressed UN Member States and observers on April 8, 2011 in an interactive hearing in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

On February 24, 2011, the YWCA participated in the launch of UN Women.  Hundreds of women and men participated in this historic moment by joining together to honour the past and to celebrate and envision the future for women and girls.

The Commission on the Status of Women provides an excellent opportunity for delegates to progress on their national advocacy agenda. The YWCA delegates from Australia, accompanied by Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, World YWCA General Secretary, met with other Australian participants on February 23, 2011, to discuss various issues relevant to women’s rights in Australia.

Tuesday February 22, 2011, marked the beginning of the 55^th  Commission for the Status of Women. Michelle Bachelet, the Undersecretary General and Executive Director of UN Women, opened the ceremony. In her opening remarks she talked about the establishment of the new Organisation as the mechanism that will further push towards the UN’s goals of achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women. Ms. Bachelet talked about the importance of having more “women decision makers”.

World YWCA statement to 55th session of Commission on the Status of Women

A World YWCA delegation will head to New York City to participate in the fifty-fifth session of the United Nation's Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from February 22 to March 4, 2011.