Women with Disabilities & Beijing+5
May 31-June 8, New York
................................................
an education & training opportunity
.................................................
 

In 1995 the landmark UN Fourth World Conference on Women took place in Beijing. Among many historic firsts at that gathering was the coming together of more than 250 women with disabilities to take their rightful place within the worldwide women's movement. In early June, the United Nations will hold "Beijing+5,"a meeting of its General Assembly to review progress in the advancement of women since the event.

It is essential that women with disabilities have a presence at this significant UN event and the related NGO activities, to build on the momentum toward inclusion and collaboration between disabled and nondisabled women started in Beijing. In addition, the occasion is a unique opportunity to involve and train young women with disabilities as leaders in the international movement toward equality for all women.
 

Participants

More than 60 women from 25 countries applied from scholarships. The deadline for applications was May 1 and the organizers are now reviewing the candidates.
 

Objectives

Specifically, during this period of Beijing +5 activities, several of the groups that organized the disability initiatives in Beijing will convene and collaborate to:

· Take inventory of how disabled women and girls around the world have fared with implementation of the main "planks" of the Beijing Platform of Action;

· Provide an opportunity for young women with disabilities to participate in an intensive education and training program focused on working with the UN, its specialized agencies and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) committed to advancing the status of people with disabilities and/or of women, so that those trained can participate in and be a proactive influence on the work of these bodies; and

· Expand and strengthen the International Disability Caucus, incorporating the young women trainees, so that it can effectively work with the Beijing+5 review and future planning initiatives.
 

Education & Training

A series of workshops will be offered in New York, June 1-8, for up to 35 selected participants. Workshops will cover:
· Disability initiatives & the UN: a history & assessment of impact
· Priorities & achievements of the international disability NGOs
· Disability & International Human Rights Law
· Review of Disability "planks" in the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action
· Disability & the UN specialized agencies: ILO, UNICEF, WHO, others
· UN Standard Rules for Equalization of Opportunities for People with Disabilities
· Women & the UN, including Commission on Status of Women, Division for Advancement of Women, and the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
· History of international initiatives focused on women, including the extent to which these have incorporated issues on women and girls with disabilities
· 1995-2000: Highlights of international disabled women's projects & initiatives
· Advocacy with UN bodies, member states & meetings: basic rules & tools
· Translating information & messages into UN parlance: working examples
· Engaging allies: successful strategies & approaches
 

Workshops

Workshops will be conducted by an international faculty knowledgeable about disability and women's rights. In addition, it is expected that a number of delegates representing UN member states at the Beijing+5 events will make presentations concerning disability issues and/or women's issues.

Workshops will offer information sharing and skill development, provided in a variety of formats, with a strong emphasis on active, participatory learning. Participants will develop a broad range of leadership skills essential for effective work at the UN and other international arenas, including strategies for negotiating, building alliances and/or working in coalitions across issues; and designing effective public relations campaigns. Trainees will be provided with diverse hands-on opportunities to use and further develop their new skills and knowledge during Beijing +5 activities. Follow-up mechanisms will be devised to assist participants to stay connected and involved in the international arena beyond the completion of the training.
 

Collaborators

The complete list of collaborating groups is still being finalized, but the following agencies, organizations and consultants have been invited to participate: several UN divisions and the UN specialized agencies; disability organizations in consultative status with Beijing+5, including Disabled People's International, Inclusion International, Mobility International USA, Rehabilitation International, and the World Blind Union, World Federation of the Deaf.

Also invited are other organizations involved with disability rights on an international scale, including the World Institute on Disability and Mental Disability Rights International, university faculty representing human rights law, disability studies programs that incorporate disabled women's issues and women's studies programs that incorporate disability issues; and selected women-focused NGOs that are acting as valuable allies and mentors.
 

Project Organizers

This project has been planned as one in a series of activities to follow-up on the 1997 International Leadership Forum for Women with Disabilities, which attracted more than 600 participants from 80 countries and territories to Washington, D.C. Funded primarily by the U.S. Social Security Administration and Department of Education, the organizers of the project are Rehabilitation International and the World Institute of Disability. RI & WID have been working closely with representatives of Disabled People's International and the World Blind Union to plan and design the Beijing+5 training project.
 

Further Information

1) Rehabilitation International, 25 E. 21st St., New York, N.Y. 10010;
Project Co-Director, Barbara Duncan; email bjdnycla@aol.com; tel 510 527 1719;

2) World Institute on Disability, 510 16th Street, Oakland, CA 94612;
Project Co-Director, Kathy Martinez; email kathy@wid.org; tel 510 251 4326;

3) Background paper: "Girls & Women with Disabilities: an international overview and summary of research," February 2000 by Harilyn Rousso, Disabilities Unlimited Consulting Services; email HarilynR@aol.com; tel 212 673 4284