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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN


THE POWER OF WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTION AS VOLUNTEERS
A Presentation to the Fourth World Conference on Women
Beijing, September 1995

by Brenda Gael McSweeney
Executive Co-ordinator United Nations Volunteers


MADAM CHAIR,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

AS WE WORK TO INCLUDE WOMEN MEANINGFULLY IN ALL ARENAS OF LIFE, WE VALUE
THE IMMENSE CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN MAKE WORLDWIDE AS VOLUNTEERS: 

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAMILIES--
COMMUNITIES--
COUNTRIES.

THE WORK OF VOLUNTEERS IS DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE-BUILDING. IT MAKES FOR
BETTER LIVES, AND INCREASES GLOBAL STABILITY. 

IT ALSO EMPOWERS THROUGH ACTION.

THE ACT OF VOLUNTEERING IS A POWERHOUSE FOR CHANGE IN SOCIETY. LINKED TO
TASKS AT HAND, VOLUNTEER ACTION TRANSFORMS GOALS INTOREALITY, AND MAKES A
DIFFERENCE FOR THE ISSUES THIS CONFERENCE IS GRAPPLING WITH. 

IT ALREADY HAS.

HAND IN HAND WITH THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA, UNVs HELPED ORGANIZE
THE REGIONAL CONFERENCE, INFORMED PARTICIPANTS OF ISSUES, CONTRIBUTED TO
THE FINAL REPORT. 

AND IN BOTSWANA, TOGETHER WITH WOMEN IN THEIR OWN UMBRELLA GROUP, A UN
VOLUNTEER SPREAD THE NEWS OF BEIJING TO WOMEN IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. 

UNV PROMOTES THE WORK OF VOLUNTEERS THE WORLD OVER --- WOMEN AND MEN AS
THEY ASSIST DEVELOPMENT, PROMOTE EQUITY, AND BUILD DEMOCRACY AND PEACE. 

UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS, THE VOLUNTEER ARM FOR THE ENTIRE UN SYSTEM,
VALUES THE POWER OF WOMEN AND THEIR VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS. WE APPLAUD
THE SERVICE OF MILLIONS WHO SERVE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES:

  TO EDUCATE--
  IMPROVE HEALTH--
  COMBAT POVERTY. 

TO BOOST WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT, UNV EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
HELP WOMEN IMPROVE THEIR DAILY LIVES. 

FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE COMOROS ISLAND, I MET A CHINESE WOMAN UNV, A
GYNAECOLOGIST, SUPPORTING A NATIONAL PROGRAMME ON SAFE MOTHERHOOD. 

IN THE CONGO, UNVs LEND THEIR HANDS TO THE NATIONAL AIDS PROGRAMME,
CENTRED ON EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION. 

POVERTY HAS A WOMAN'S FACE. ACCESS TO CREDIT IS A KEY WAY OUT. UNVs ARE
ASSISTING WOMEN TO GET CREDIT -- THEN TO EXPAND THIS CREDIT INTO WORKING
CAPITAL. 

CAMBODIAN WOMEN HAVE TRANSFORMED THEIR SMALL ENTERPRISE -- A COOKING POT
COMPANY -- INTO A THRIVING EXPORT BUSINESS, WITH THE HELP OF UNV. 

UNDP's HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT FOUND IMPRESSIVE GAINS FOR WOMEN IN
EDUCATION AND HEALTH. YET IT HIGHLIGHTS MAJOR GENDER GAPS THAT REMAIN IN
THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SPHERES. 

PARTNERING THE UN SYSTEM, NGOs AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, UNV BRIDGES WITH
POWERFUL VOICES OF WOMEN AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL TO ENRICH NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL POLICY AGENDAS. PARTICIPATION IS KEY TO WOMEN'S ADVANCEMENT.
NEARLY A THOUSAND UNVs ASSISTED IN ORGANIZING DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN
CAMBODIA, MOZAMBIQUE AND HAITI. TODAY IN SOUTH AFRICA, THE NUMBER OF WOMEN
IN PARLIAMENT IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD. 

WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.
IN CENTRAL AMERICA, UNV IS WORKING WITH INDIGENOUS WOMEN'S GROUPS TO GET
THEIR VOICES HEARD.

UNVs HAVE SERVED ALONGSIDE WOMEN IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS TO GET THEM
RECOGNIZED AND REPRESENTED. IN SOMALIA, WOMEN GAINED A PLACE ON LOCAL
COUNCILS THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF UN VOLUNTEERS. 

UNVs HAVE HELPED BOTH WOMEN AND MEN REBUILD THEIR LIVES IN THE AFTERMATH
OF WAR. A FORMER FREEDOM FIGHTER IN HER OWN COUNTRY NOW LEADS A TEAM OF
UNVs WORKING TOWARDS THE REINTEGRATION OF DEMOBILIZED SOLDIERS IN
MOZAMBIQUE. THE TEAM IS HELPING THEM TO GET AGRICULTURE MOVING AGAIN. 

EXPERIENCE SHOWS THAT WOMEN AS VOLUNTEER CHANGE AGENTS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE
CLOSE TO PEOPLE --- AT THE GRASSROOTS. THE LARGEST NUMBER OF WOMEN UN
VOLUNTEERS SERVE IN COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVES. 

WE SEE THAT WOMEN DO NOT WAIT -- THEY ACT TO BENEFIT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. 

THE UNITED NATIONS VOLUNTEERS PROGRAMME IS STANDING BY IN 150 COUNTRIES,
AND CAN BE APPROACHED THROUGH THE UN RESIDENT COORDINATORS. UNV IS READY
TO JOIN HANDS TO HELP FURTHER THE WORK OF VOLUNTEERS FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND
PEACE. I HAVE AT HAND A POWERBOOK WHICH CAN SHOW YOU AT THE PRESS OF A
BUTTON, VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION WORLDWIDE. YOU ARE INVITED TO SEE YOUR
VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION. 

YOUR TALENTS -- AND THE WISDOM, COMPASSION AND POWER OF VOLUNTEERWOMEN - -
ARE FELT AROUND THE GLOBE, BUILDING NEW LIVES FOR THE NEXT CENTURY. 

THANK YOU.