We've come a long way since the establishment of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law, and Development in December 1986. Immediately after they were elected at the Manila conference, the Steering Committee went to work. It took the geographically spread-out, seven-women committee the whole year of 1987 to design the APWLD programme, to find the initial financial resources, to legally register the organisation, and to setup its Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as decided by the organising members from 16 countries who met in Manila, Philippines.
Over fifty women from about 16 countries in the region participated in the deliberations, discussions, and decisions that led to the establishment of the APWLD.
The over-all objectives of the APWLD as expressed by the participants at the Manila conference are as follows:
• To empower women in the Asia Pacific region in the use of law as an instrument of social change for equality and development.
• To enable women to use the law and legal institutions in the furtherance of the Forum's objectives.
• To promote the basic concept of human rights in the region as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• The specific aims are:
• To work towards the development of a model code of values which reflect women's quest for equality and justice.
• To urge national governments to ratify and effectively implement the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1981).
• To work towards the realization of the full potential of women and their position of equality within the family structure and society.
• To promote women's equal political and economic rights and participation in the political and macroeconomic development strategies in their own country and the region.
• To facilitate the exchange of information, expertise, experiences, and resources to develop and
strengthen individual and collective action.
• To express solidarity, to mobilize members of the Forum, and stimulate public opinion in cases of exploitation of women and violation of their rights.
The APWLD is open to individuals or organisations in the region who are committed to the objectives of the Forum. The APWLD Secretariat is in the 9th Floor of the Asian and Pacific Development Centre Building at Pesiaran Duta, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The present staff include: Emelina Quintillan as Regional Coordinator, Shanthi Dair2uam as Programme Associate and Sherine Abdullah as Secretary.
Source: Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development Forum News, Vol. 1, No. 1 APWLD, 9th Floor, APDCBldg Pesiaran Duta, P.O. Box 12224, 50770 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Seriti Sechaba Publishing House
Ceriti sa Sechaba (the Spirit of the Nation) was started in March 1987 by African women in Soweto, Johannesburg, to answer some of the reading and writing needs of women and children in South Africa. It is the first omen's publishing house in the region, possibly the first anywhere in Africa.
Seriti also seeks to uphold women's traditional role as educators of the family and custodians of culture, while also fighting the oppression of black women. "We have two battles", says Seriti founder Dina Lefakane, "against apartheid, and also against our own men." In its children's department, it aims to produce 'culturally suitable' reading materials, books which will increase children's knowledge of and pride in African achievement, even under apartheid.
Seriti also has an outreach programme with two aspects: to make publishing skills available to the community, and to co-operate with grassroots organisations, providing them with publishing support.
One of Seriti's publications was a result of these outreach activities. From the Heart, an anthology of short stories by women, developed from a women's writing group. Seriti's editors encouraged the writers, many of whom had never written for publication before, worked with them through many drafts, and finally published their output. The book has a wonderful freshness and directness - From the Heart very accurately describes its impact.
This young organisation faces many battles: Pretoria has cast a cold eye on its children's books, making it virtually impossible for teachers to order them for classroom use. The white-owned bookshops are not interested in stocking its products.
And the people for whom the books are aimed, black women, are the poorest sector of society. None the less, supplementing its income through brochures and booklets for trade unions and other profitable activities and with warm backing from the publishing sectors of the women's movement internationally, Seriti is battling on, producing books for the society it is helping to bring to birth.
Source: Link In Nos.14115, September-December Women and Development Programme, Human Resource Development Group, Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall London SW1Y5HX, UK
Women's Research and Action Front
The Muslim Women's Research and Action Front was inaugurated in 1979 by a group of five women. Its regular activities include organising lectures, panel discussions and conducting seminars, workshops and media programmes. Its recent activities included a workshop "Challenge for Change" held in October 1987, which discussed a wide range of issues facing the Muslim community.
Currently, MWRAF is engaged in a research project on Muslim Women and Family Law in Sri Lanka. The basis for this project is the premise that legal rights embodied by law necessarily indicate the status of women in society. The research study proposes to identify institutional and other barriers in the Muslim legal structure and directions for reform. The study will include a macro study as well as 4 empirical studies.
A series of programmes have been organised for consciousness raising in order to strive towards progress based on justice. First in the series is a legal literacy programme organised with the co-operation of the Women Lawyers' Association to explain the personal laws governing Muslims in Sri Lanka.
For more information, please write to Muslim Women's Research and Action Front, 159 Kynsey Road, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka.
Source: Sthree Prabodha Vol. 1, No. 1 Newlsetter of CENWOR 125 Kirula Road, Colombo 5 Sri Lanka