Catherine Tinker
T.I.L.L.O.
25 West Ninth St., Suite 3B
New York, NY 10011
U.S.A
During the Earth Summit and the preparatory committee meetings at then United Nations, a women's advocacy group organized by WEDO (Women's Environment and Development Organization, an international group of feminists headed by Bella Abzug and Mim Kelber) raised issues affecting women and added women's perspective to the official debates. WEDO succeeded in introducing specific language regarding women and sustainable development in 150 places throughout the final text of Agenda 21, the official Action Plan emerging from the conference and the blueprint for global sustainable development. By early, steady, and vocal participation in the UN meetings, Bella Abzug won designation as a spokesperson for women's non-governmental organizations and used this platform to raise women's concerns on every agenda item. WEDO convened daily meetings or briefing sessions of a broadly-based women's caucus, open to all, which developed strategies for ensuring that language reflective of women's perspe ctive was included in each chapter of the debate over Agenda 21. Future implementation of the Agenda 21 action plan acknowledges the need for women's participation in decision-making on every level and recognizes the effect on women of choices, good and bad, concerning the earth's air, water, soil, plants, and animals.
What lessons have we learned from this experience which are useful for future organizing and advocacy in international fora and at the local level? How are the two connected? How can women be active in monitoring compliance with Agenda 21 and new environmental treaties both on the global level and in local communities? How can existing international environmental NGOs be useful in providing information, support, and linkage for grassroots women's groups in specific local environment and development campaigns? What new issues have arisen in the preparatory meetings for other conferences at the United Nations around social and economic issues impacting the environment and women's lives, such as the Social Summit, the Population Conference, and the World Women's Conference scheduled for Beijing in 1995?
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