The 4th Forum on the Eradication of Poverty will consider family as one of the most strategic focal points for integrating Individual and collective health needs. Family "whatever its state or structure" is the place where individual needs meet collective realities and responsibilities.
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 25th, 3-6PM (Register: 2PM)
Venue: Conference Rm 4, UN HQ, New York.
Download: Draft Program - Flyer

June 17-18, 2008. WFWPI 12th Annual Women’s Conference for Peace in the Middle East

June 27-29, 2008. WFWPI organized an international conference to commemorate the 60 year anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to "Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women" (Millennium Dev. Goal No. 3).

It is a great privilege for WFWP International as an NGO in General Consultative Status with ECOSOC, to participate in ECOSOC’s main event. We, the NGO community deeply appreciate the effort of NGO Section of DESA, led by Ms. Hanifa D. Mezoui, Chief of NGO Section for efforts to involve ECOSOC NGOs in ECOSOCs most important annual event.

Being on the ground in more than 50 nations worldwide, WFWPI staff and volunteers face the daily challenges of sustaining grassroots efforts to empower women and change lives. The micro implementation challenges WFWPI faces parallel the macro challenges of each nation committed to sustainable development...

It was and is more difficult for women to find jobs than men. In light of this circumstance, WFWP volunteers wanted to empower women in Senegal through technology and open the way to economic independence for women. To this end, WFWP established the Social Self-Support Assistance Center "JAMOO" in Dakar, in 1995. "JAMOO" means "Bringing Peace" in the local Wolof language.

In 1994, the first WFWP volunteer in Niger realized the country’s mortality rates for infants, children under five and pregnant women were the worst in the world. According to a 2006 UNICEF report, out of 1,000 children below age five, 253 die, ranking Niger fourth worst in the world. WFWP volunteers in Niger recognized that the health and medical fields were in dire need of support and development. We discovered through research conducted by a WFWP representative in 1999 with village women that most mothers lose 2 to 3 children by disease or accident before they reach maturity. WFWP volunteers began focusing on improving healthcare.

Small amounts of money in the hands of motivated women and their families make a lasting difference in lives by empowering women to start small, successful businesses. Financing for these endeavors came largely from project initiators own friends, family and community in the developed world. In addition, a young woman participant of a WFWP USA volunteer trip to Africa presented her experience in this inaugural service learning trip.