GIRLS’ RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS ActionGIRLS’ for RIGHTS ARE HUMANGirls RIGHTS Newsletter of the Working Group on Girls (WGG) and its International Network for Girls (INFG). WGG Prepares Recommendations for CSW 57 to CSW56 Reflect Rural Girls’ Needs girls through the adoption of policies and strategies that ensure GirlsAction Tribunal Is Special Feature of CSW for 57 equalWGG access Membership Girlsto education, Produces physical and Advocacy mental health care, Newsletter of the Working Group on Girls (WGG) and its International Network for Girls (INFG). o improve the employmentSheets for opportunities; CSW 57 and economic resources, including WGGgirls’ tribunal Advocates on for Girls Withconditions Differing the Abilitiesright to inheritance and to ownership of land and other violence. of rural girls, property,To promote credit, its natural goal resourcesof focusing and primarily appropriate on technologies. actions to Bearing Witness to Girls’ Activism he Working Group 3. INTENSIFY EFFORTS TO REDUCE POVERTY 57th UN Commission on the WGG urges all stakeholders prevent violence against girls, the members of the Working Status of Women T “Break the barriers Tonwhich Girls segregate has people organized with disabilities an to: ANDThe ECONOMICWorking Group INEQUALITY: on Girls Inc.The feminization of Tuesday, March 5th forcing them to the margins of society.” Group on Girls have met in regular discussion about some 2:00 PM event, “Girls Tribunal on povertyA historic requires moment: investing On August sufficient 30, 2011 resources ‘Working for gender equality Salvation Army Auditorium of the issues of violence against girls singled out in the 221 E. 52nd Street - Chin, Director General, World Health Organization, Group on Girls of the NGO Committee on UNICEF’ 1.Violence: PROMOTE Bearing A HUMAN Witness and the empowerment of girls, taking into account the diversity Join us as we hear the testimony of Report on Disabilities, 2011 UNtook Expert a new identity Group and meeting became in‘The Bangkok. Working The result is ten girls from around the world, sharing to Girls’ Activism” on the powerful and unique ways they RIGHTS-BASED of needs between those in urban and rural areas. Promoting have stood up to violence in their separateGroup on advocacy Girls Inc.’ Oversheets: the Childpast two Marriage, years Female Genital communities. Tuesday, March 5th at 2 A distinguished panel of jurists will WGG has as itsAPPROACH purpose “making TOthe girlGENDER child visible genderthe WGG equality membership and empowerment has given considerable within rural communities respond to the testimony. Mutilation, Child Pornography of Girls, Domestic Violence in documents, parallelPM events,at the andSalvation high level Army, meetings: To learn more, visit girlsrights.org EQUALITY: Strengthen the helpsandthought Girls,to to reduce becomingGirls andpoverty, an HIV/AIDS,independent hunger, organization;Honor disease, Killing, environmental Raping of with permanent implementationmissions221 East and 52nd UN agencies”. Street.and monitor On This behalf degradationand the WGG and Steering violence. Group There has actively must be greater investment in of girls with differing abilities, WGG will accomplish Girls, Sexual Harassment of Girls and Young Women, Son progressevent willof provideall existingyouth ruralpursued development questions concerning and agriculture, the incorporation labour-saving technology, Sponsors: this work by raising awareness and advocating for key Preference and Trafficking of Girls. delegates an opportunity andof theclean Working and renewable Group on energyGirls. Should in rural WGG communities. commitments, in particularpolicies around the become incorporated as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt UN Photo to interact with girls who provisions of the Conventiongirls with 4.Each INVEST issue sheet IN includesQUALITY statistical EDUCATION information; ANDbest have witnessed violence in organization? When the NGO Committee on on the Rights of dthe i f fChild e r i n g TRAINING:practices;UNICEF underwent actions Enhanced evaluation that investmentshould and reconstitution be intaken quality by educationthe UN, some aspect of their lives and to learn what strategies they (CRC), the Conventionabilities. on andgovernments,with training Task Forces, in businesses ruraland not areas, Working includingand Groups NGOs; vocationalit and some and literacyuseful developed to advocate against violence. the Elimination of All Forms training,documents.became isclear a central that the intervention Working Group with on strongGirls, multiplier effects. Girls walk to school in of DiscriminationAs aagainst result of ComprehensiveNGO Committee national on UNICEF, education could no strategies longer must be developed ruralPresentations Botswana. will Maire consist Ni of three panels: one onthis violence activity, continue to exist within the NGO Committee on Women (CEDAW), including thatThese include sheets long-term will be fundingused as thattalking ensures points adequate at our education Mission Shuilleabhain/Passionistsin media, one on violence in communities andWGG one on has UNICEF. Article 14 which createdfocuses aon fact infrastructurevisits, distributed and prioritizes at our Teen girls’ Orientation education in and all developmentwill be used Internationalviolence in schools each with three girl “witnesses”. A those in rural communities,sheet on Girls and poverty reduction plans. panel of “jurists” will then provide commentary for further byThe members move to become at parallel a self-sufficient events to assist entity focused was interventions and the goals of the Beijing Declaration and Platformwith for Action, Differing 5. encouraged IMPROVE by Mr.DATA Andreas COLLECTION Guerrero-Feliu, NGO AND ANALYSIS: discussions in each segment. This year’s jurists include that emphasize action. in particular Section L. Abilities citing TheFocal developmentPoint at UNICEF. of WGGeffective agreed policies and filed and the programmes for noted film maker Abigail Disney, UN Women’simportant Deputy 2. SUPPORT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT VIA girls’Ourpapers advocacyempowerment to become sheets a 501(c canand )(3) be ruralorganization. found development on our To this website will at require Secretary General Dan SeymourKim and Robey/2011 former Girlconsiderations Delegate strengtheningend we acknowledge countries’ of workcapacity of Ballard to collect Spahr, and LLP, analyze data that EQUAL ACCESS TO ECONOMIC RESOURCES:to be taken into www.girlsrights.org. Faith Meitiaki of Kenya. arehttp://www.ballardspahr.com disaggregated by sex and/ whoage, providedas well aspro by rural and urban FulfillmentMalin Johansson, of human Youth Representative, rights is a Nationalprecondition foraccount girls as toone bono legal services for the incorporation. Council of Swedish Youth and Youth Representative population. Better use of existing data, such as available time- successfullyWGG Girls transition Tribunal to Chair adulthood Sally and Dunne to become notes empoweredsupports that the the of Sweden to the UN General Assembly 2011, useWGG surveys, Recommendations should be made by policy makers. for Gender CSW markers 57 economicallyTribunal is “a and unique socially. opportunity Barriers to for the teen full girlsenjoyment todevelopment share of theirthe of The new identity provides the Working Group addresses the October WGG meeting best practices and indicators should be used to measure the impact of policies rightsimpact persist that violence in practice has (e.g.,had ingender their ownstereotypes, lives.” patriarchal Despiteon Girls commitmentsInc. with rich opportunities made, girls to fulfillare denied our their political, for girls with ondreams girls in of rural actively areas empowering. girls and bringing attitudes and discriminatory practices) and in law (e.g., land, economic, social and cultural rights and subjected to disabilities http://girlsrights.org/fact-sheets/ We 6.them LAUNCH to the table PUBLICto speak on theirCAMPAIGNS own behalf. The TO CREATE property,Christina inheritance Selby, current rights) WGG and must Girl be Advocate, removed with adds, urgency. “the behaviours that hinder their physical, psychological, have found that more than one in four children in the AWARENESS:Working Group on Public Girls Co-Chairs, campaigns and Pastare Chair vital to eliminate IntensiveTribunal reformswill also mustworld show promote live other with disabilitythegirls economic how and they that empowerment therecan isstand a lack upof of data spiritualare members and of social-emotional the newly formed Board.development. The Board to violence.” as to how many girls are born with or acquire disability. discriminationalso requires members based withon theadditional notion skills of ingirls’ the inferiority and support positive attitudes and behaviors that encourage girls’ Girls of all abilities, however, can achieve their potential Asareas CSW of visioning,57 meets social in the media, shadow public of relations, the First International Action for Girls full partnership. Such campaigns must utilize the media and cont. p. 2 Dayfundraising of the and Girl finance (11 October in order to 2012), implement The its Working Group addressmission the statement active androle develop of men fully and the boys capabilities by establishing gender VOLUME III, NUMBER 12, on Girls has prepared this joint statement and calls upon equalitywhich incorporation and emphasizing has brought the societalus. benefits for all of girls’ ActionFebruary for 2012 Girls Member States, UN agencies