Vrouwenbelangen Internationaal
Women's Rights Worldwide
IAW Congress 2010
A new Board, a warm reception, interesting seminars and a well organised Congress by the Mmabatho Foundation for Women's Development in South Africa!
IAW received a warm welcome from Mmabatho Ramagoshi, President of the Mmabatho Foundation for Women's Development, her 
South African team and all the African participants.
To our pleasant surprise our African sisters started our first meeting with singing feminist songs and dancing. How different from the more formal and sometimes even dull meetings we (Europeans) are used to! The Congress was very well organised. We thank our South African sisters cordially for an inspiring, interesting and sometimes 'deeply moving' IAW Congress!
Seminars
There were excellent seminars with interesting introductions from experts and with discussion afterwards. For example:
* On Gender Justice;
* The role of women in Peace building-linked to violence against women 
and women only seen as victims;
* Women's Health, UNPFA, UNAIDS;
* Women's Economic Empowerment with emphasis on cooperatives and the role of governments in ensuring access to resources.
On Gender Justice - Thokozani Khupe
The MDC Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Hon. Thokozani Khupe, officially opened the 35th World Congress of the International Alliance of Women in Boksburg, Johannesburg in South Africa.
In her keynote address on Gender Justice Hon.
Khupe said women were an invincible part of society whose roles were being undermined in spite of their leadership prowess. “Women have never walked behind any man. Women have always been in the forefront. This is demonstrated by the work we do as women.”
One woman can make a difference
but many women can change the world
We are workers, organisers, managers, advisors and more importantly,
we are nation builders
November 24 2010, in an article from the Zimbabwean, mailed to us by IAW member Arina Angerman
!6 Days of Activisim against Gender Violence
25 November - 16 December 2010
International Day of 'No to violence of Women'
On November 25, the keynote address was given by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr. Paul Mashatile. He started singing and all the South African women joined him. What did they sing? In translation:
"My mother was a kitchen girl, My father was a garden boy,
And that 's why I am a communist/activist".
There seems to be another sentence: "And that why I am so poor", but he did not sing that!
Anyhow, when visiting the Apartheid Museum and the Mandela house after Congress, we saw how proud South Africans are of their recent history. And, of course, of Mandela, the world famous activist who was in his time a leader of communists and socialists.
Parallel Sessions for non IAW members
Very interesting also were the Parallel Sessions for non IAW members. It was difficult to make a choice: to attend the IAW Business sections with the IAW agenda, programme, reports etc. or go instead to:
* a Workshop on Human Trafficking (very moving);
* Gender, Science and Women in Technology (excellent!);
* Women's equal access to full employment and decent work, with MS Gertrude of the Domestic Workers Union (remarkable!);
* Workshop on Customary Marriage and its impact on women (still lots of action needed);
* Workshop on green economy and its benefit to women (there are new jobs here);
* Workshop on UN instruments and how women should apply them in their daily work (IAW's speciality).
Picture: Mapula Ncanyw, the new IAW Vice-President, from South Africa.
Welcome dinners and keynote addresses
* Nov. 23 - Welcome Gala Dinner - Mmabatho Ramagoshi, chairperson of MFWD and regional vice-president of IAW, introduced the Minister of Public Works, Hon Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde who gave us a splendid Welcome address.
* Nov. 24 - a Braai Dinner, very enjoyable. We also enjoyed entertainment from groups of dancers and singers.
* Nov 25 - the Formal Dinner, with an introduction by Ms Nthabiseng Mogale and a keynote address by the Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr. Joe Phaahia.
Dinner, music and key-notes
An international cultural evening followed with dances and music. The entertainment included, to our great pleasure, the Song of the Lion.
* Nov. 26 - This Dinner was chaired by Ms Mapula Ncanywa, who later became one of the two vice-presidents of the IAW Board. An address too by Ms Phumelele Nzimande, Chief People Officer: SABC.
* Nov. 27 - Closing Ceremony Gala Dinner, chaired by Ms Malebona Matsoso, Director General, Dept of Health and a keynote address by Advocate Thulisile Madonsela on the Public Protector and the end of Congress.
The end of the IAW Congress
Outgoing President Rosy Weiss expressed a Voice of Thanks during the Closing Ceremony, and the new IAW President Lyda Verstegen gave her maiden speech.
Editor's comment:
Thank you, dear Rosy Weiss, for all the excellent work you did for IAW in six, sometimes turbulent years. Our compliments!
Welcome, new IAW President Lyda Verstegen,
new Vice-Presidents Mapula Ncanywa and
Bashra Rafique, new Treasurer Inga Thorbjorg
and all other new IAW Board members and
IAW representatives.
We wish the IAW Board lots of success in the coming three years!
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