August-September 1994 Home   Newsletters

October 1994

November 1994

President's Message: LWV to Go to Beijing Conference (Suzanne Meisenzahl)
Political Ads Found to Lack Substance
Volunteers Needed for October Vote Count (Arlene Ellis)
Leaguer Authors Book about Peace
Planning and Zoning Committee Faces Post Election Challenges (Astrid Monson)
Environment Committee to Work with Other Groups
League Involved in Convention Center Planning
Human Resources Committee: LWV on Violence Prevention (Suzanne Meisenzahl)
1994-95 Membership Directory Changes

President's Message: LWV to Go to Beijing Conference

League members will be at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, titled Action for Equality, Development and Peace, planned for Sept. 4-15, 1995, in Beijing, China. The conference will seek to mobilize women and men toward achieving the goals set out by the report issued from the 1985 conference on women held in Nairobi in 1985, titled Forward-looking Strategies for Advancement of Women to the Year 2000.

At Beijing, governments will decide on a platform for action that is intended to facilitate implementation of the strategies outlined in the 1985 report. The platform is divided into a number of topics, and in order to make the most effective contribution, LWV has decided to focus on two of these topics:

  1. Inequality in access to education, health and related service

  2. Inequality between men and women in the sharing of power and decision- making at all levels.

In addition to the Beijing conference there will be a series of regional preparatory meetings conducted by the Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of State. The purpose of the regional meetings is to provide information about the Beijing Conference and the issues to be addressed there and to identify successful strategies for action. They will also provide an opportunity for nongovernmental organizations at the community level to inform government representatives about their concerns and hopes for the Beijing Conference.

A group of Honolulu League members and I are considering attending the Beijing conference and the Oakland regional meeting, titled Women Thinking Globally, Acting Locally On the Road to Beijing and the 21st Century, on Nov. 16, 1994. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a co-convenor of the Oakland meeting, which will also feature a special focus on women and the environment, with a subfocus on particular problems and perspectives as seen by women of color and indigenous communities. We welcome any League members interested in attending either or both of these conferences to please call me at the office.

Suzanne Meisenzahl

"Every major change in recent American history has resulted from citizen action. From civil rights and the modern women's movement to the environmental movement and anti-war activities, it has been citizens in the lead.

"Our comprehensive approach to advocacy has earned the League of Women Voters unequaled credibility and respect in the political arena. Our strength is at the grassroots. By all levels of the League - local, state and national - working together on top-priority national issues, the League will continue as the premier advocacy organization of the voters."

- Nancy M. Neuman, President
League of Women Voters

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