By Marina Maria*
The 11th AWID International Forum entitled “Women’s Rights and Development” was held from November 14th to 17th 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa. About two thousand people from all over the world attended the meeting, which was the site of a wide range of activities, such as plenary speeches, workshops, panel sessions, debates, artistic presentations, and protest marches against violence. The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Center for Women (ARROW) organized a book launch and invited SPW’s to present its recent publications at this event, which was held at the Fountains Hotel, Suites & Conference Center and attended by nearly 50 people.
ARROW launched its publication Surfacing: Selected Papers on Religious Fundamentalisms and Their Impact on Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights! as well as those of its partner organizations, including, for example, the book Deconstructing Sexuality in the Middle East: Challenges and Discourses, which was presented by its editor, Pinar Ilkkaracan, from WWHR – New Ways, who is also a member of SPW Advisory Group. Gloria Careaga, member of SPW’ s steering committee and the recently elected General Co-Secretary of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), presented the book Sexuality, Health and Human Rights, authored by Sonia Corrêa, Richard Parker e Rosalind Petchesky. Wanda Nowicka, also a member of SPW Advisory Group and co-founder of the Polish Federation for Woman and Family Planning (FEDERA), presented the e-book SexPolitics: Reports from the Front Lines, which was originally launched in 2007 and is now available in Spanish.
Other SPW members present at the AWID Forum were Codou Bop, member of the SPW advisory group and coordinator of GREFELS (International Network on Women Living under Muslim Laws), and Marina Maria, SPW’s communication and project assistant at ABIA Secretariat.
* Marina Maria is a journalist from the SPW – Abia Secretariat Team
:: Posted in 01/23/2009 ::