Topic for

2010

Topic For 2010

"Current global and national trends and challenges and their impact on gender equality and empowerment of women"

This year's topic refers to Millennium Development Goal #3 which aims to "Promote gender equality and empower women".

 

In order to accomplish this goal the target is to "eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015."

 

The United Nation's has set the following as indicators to measure the achievement of this goal:

  • "-Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education
  • -Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector
  • -Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament"

Source: http://www.undp.org/mdg/goal3.shtml

 

During the 2010 UN/NGO IRENE Conference we have invited a number of outstanding international and national speakers who will speak about best practices and experiences regarding the Economic and Social Council theme for this year.  We will hear from:

  • Doreen Spence, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and Executive Director of the Canadian Indigenous Women's Institute
  • Lauryn Oates, Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan
  • Lynn Thornton, Victoria International Development Agency

There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions to these individuals and a panel including:

  • John Baigent, Partners in the Horn of Africa
  • Chomno In, CEO/Director Cambodian Hope Organization

But, we also will be asking for your experiences and insights through a Round Table Brainstorming Session where will begin to outline a paper to be submitted to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High Level Substantive Session of the UN. 

 

You will also be asked to actually help draft the paper on Saturday, April 24 during the morning session.