On 24 November 1998, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), in collaboration with other UN agencies, will host a landmark event on the most effective strategies being used at local and national levels to end violence against women. The event - a global Videoconference - will link advocates in the field with co-sponsoring UN Funds and Programmes and delegates from UN member states. Human rights advocates, government representatives, parliamentarians, academics, media representatives and others will meet with UN decision-makers via live, two-way video to discuss critical policy directions, steps that must be taken, and successful experiences in eradicating violence against women.

UNIFEM is committed to ensuring that the Videoconference furthers the agenda of advocates working to end gender-based violence around the globe. The event will:

• showcase success stories and future challenges to achieving women's human rights and eradicating violence against women
• share effective strategies to end gender-based violence
• honor human rights defenders who have made significant contributions to eradicating violence against women
• help to build a global partnership to end violence against women
• challenge the international community to commit increased resources to end violence against women

In preparation for the Videoconference, the World Bank, the Global Knowledge Partnership, and UNIFEM are sponsoring a "Virtual Working Group," <end-violencence>. The Working Group, which will begin 7 October 1998, will discuss:

• Policies, legislation, strategies, and partnerships that will help end violence against women around the world
• Case studies, best practices, and other examples representing successful government and civil society efforts to overcome challenges and help to eliminate violence against women
• Ways in which new information/communications technologies can be used to support efforts to end violence against women

The results will feed into the Videoconference, become part of the 1999 review of the International Conference on Population and Development, and be a permanent, publicly available reference.

Join this 6-week working group! Don't miss this opportunity to help Formulate suggestions and demands which will be heard at the UN General Assembly, as they commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Univeral Declaration on Human Rights!

UNIFEM extends a special invitation to those in the South, and especially to grant recipients from UNIFEM's Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women -- we hope you will share your experience and express your needs!

A travel grant will be awarded for the working group member who contributes the most striking example of an action or strategy that has helped to prevent and/or eradicate violence against women. The member who is selected will be invited to attend UNIFEM's Videoconference in one of the participating sites (New York, Brussels, Washington, DC, and a site in Africa, Asia and Latin America). All travel expenses for the selected member will be covered by UNIFEM.

How to Join the <end-violence> Working Group

Anyone who has electronic mail with Internet access can subscribe to the <end-violence> Working Group. To join, please send an e-mail to the LISTSERV host:

majordomo@edc-cit.org

Do not enter a subject. In the body of the message, type the text:

SUBSCRIBE end-violence

Do not put anything after <end-violence>. You will receive a Welcome Letter to the Working Group.

World Wide Web Sites for the Working Group

The Global Knowledge for Development Web site http://www.globalknowledge.org provides information about the <end-violence> Working Group, as well as archives of <end-violence> messages. The WomenWatch Web site http://www.un.org/womenwatch provides the <end-violence> archives and information about the videoconference. Also UNIFEM Web site http://www.unifem.undp.org links to the <end-violence> Working Group and gives a wide range of information on efforts to end violence against women and related activities. In addition, the Development Forum, a global discussion space opening early October 1998, on the World Bank's Web site http://www.worldbank.org, will provide access to the <end-violence> archives as well as related material and presentations.

Working Group Administrator

This Working Group is administered and moderated by Education Development Center, a nonprofit organization. EDC is working collaboratively with UNIFEM and is directly supported by the World Bank, the Global Knowledge Partnership, and UNIFEM for the activities in this project.

For Further Information

For further information about <end-violence>, please contact:

Janice Brodman
EDC
janiceb@edc.org

About UNIFEM

UNIFEM is the women's fund at the United Nations that provides financial support and technical assistance to innovative programmes promoting women's human rights, their economic and political empowerment and gender equality. UNIFEM advocates within the UN system to link women's interests and concerns to all critical issues on the national, regional and global agenda.