The Women's Edge Coalition is joining with other organizations to call on the US to reaffirm the Beijing Platform for Action at the upcoming UN 10 year review. Your action is urgently needed to encourage the US to join other nations around the world in advancing women's equality.
Sincerely,
Barb Gottlieb
Outreach Director
Women's Edge Coalition

Tell President Bush to Support Women's Human Rights Worldwide by
Reaffirming The Beijing Platform for Action on Women's Rights

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, at which the United States signed the Beijing Platform for Action. The Platform is a landmark international agreement that committed governments to promoting women's freedom and equality through proven strategies such as access to education, employment, and health care. (Click here for Basic Facts on the Beijing Platform for Action From the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)  http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=21073504&u=192337 or visit  http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=21073504&u=192338).

In early March, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will meet in New York to review progress on the Beijing Platform for Action. This presents a critical opportunity for the United States to publicly and unequivocally reaffirm its support for this historic agreement -- and continued gains for women and girls here in the United States and worldwide. Last year, however, in several UN regional meetings, the United States government refused to support reaffirmation of the Platform for Action. (Click here for talking points about the CSW and the Platform for Action  http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=21073504&u=192339+10TalkPts.php).

We need your help! Today, 23 leading U.S. women's organizations are calling on women throughout the United States to urge President Bush to reaffirm the Beijing Platform for Action.

What You Can Do
Email the President today!!! Write your own email or use our sample letter text accessible through this link  http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=21073504&u=192340+10ltr.php. Email President George W. Bush at  president@whitehouse.gov and tell the President to reaffirm the Beijing platform. If you could, please let us know you've taken action by sending an email to  change.info@genderhealth.org.

It is critical that the White House hear from as many U.S. citizens as possible, starting today through Wednesday, February 23rd. Take Action Now!!!

For more information on the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women and the Beijing Platform for Action, please contact the Women's Environment and Development Organization ( http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=21073504&u=192341), or the Center for Health and Gender Equity ( http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=21073504&u=192342). For information on support among U.S. Catholics for the Beijing platform, please contact Catholics for a Free Choice at  http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=21073504&u=192343 or  http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=21073504&u=192344.

Sponsoring Organizations:

American Association of University Women (AAUW) * Amnesty International (AI) * Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC) * Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) * Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) * Center for Women's Global Leadership * Communications Consortium Media Center (CCMC) * Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) * Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) * League of Women Voters (LWV) * Ms. Foundation for Women (MFW) * National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) * National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) * National Organization for Women (NOW) * Open Society Institute (OSI) / Connect US Network * Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) * Population Action International (PAI) * United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) * Vital Voices Global Partnership * Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) * White House Project * Women for Women International (WWI) * Women's Edge Coalition

With best wishes,

Jodi Jacobson
Executive Director
Center for Health and Gender Equality

June Zeitlin
Executive Director
Women's Environment and Development Organization