WUNRN
CALL FOR SIGNATURES TO SUPPORT
AFGHANISTAN WOMEN VOICES IN DECIDING AFGHAN FUTURE
Letter for full representation of
Afghan Women at the Bonn Conference in December 2011, which will discuss the
future of Afghanistan.
URGENT - Please send sign on by
NOVEMBER 19 to:
FULL 2-PAGE STATEMENT IS ATTACHED.
Type Size Larger for Easier Reading.
Dear All,
This letter concerns an initiative supporting the full representation of Afghan
Women at the Bonn Conference in December 2011, which will discuss the future of
Afghanistan. A delegation of Afghan women visiting Geneva recently met
with IFUW and other organizations to voice their concerns that no or very few
women would be represented in the official Afghan delegation to this
Conference. They asked for the support of Geneva and international
NGOs.
IFUW initiated its own campaign with letters to the Minister for Foreign
Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Dr. Guido Westerwelle and to the
Ambassador of Afghanistan in Germany Dr. Abdul Rahman Ashraf, among others. In
addition IFUW asked its members to lobby their national governments to bring
pressure for a strong representation of Afghan women, inclusion of women's
issues on the agenda, and full representation of women in their own national
delegations to this meeting.
The NGO CSW Geneva has joined this initiative and has already sent letters to
the UN Secretary General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights asking them
to use their influence for these ends.
NGO CSW Geneva is now asking for your support in signing the attached position
statement, signed by Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, NGO CSW President, which will
also be sent to the German Foreign Minister and the Afghan Ambassador to
Germany.
Action is needed urgently. NGOs wishing to sign should send their
endorsement to ngocsw.geneva@hotmail.com or lbr@ifuw.org by Saturday 19 November 2011.
We’d be very appreciative of being kept informed of any efforts you may make so
as to be able to coordinate globally.
Thank you so much for your concern and support,
Arielle Wagenknecht
IFUW Representative