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Read by Ms Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada, from Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean on behalf of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Nations represented at the Third World Congress on Rural Women.
Statement:
The women of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific nations express their sincere appreciation to the Government of Spain, represented by the Women's Institute, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR) for their support and hospitality in facilitating our participation at the Third World Congress of Rural Women.
We are aware that our representation in this Congress needs to be strengthened in number and content for the next forum. We are again thankful for the opportunity afforded to us to be present at this significant international forum, which has facilitated the interaction with other women from different cultures and has sensitised us to the need to mobilize our rural women to become more involved.
To this end we commit ourselves at national and regional levels to preparatory consultations and we recommend the establishment of an international steering committee with representatives from each region, to facilitate a greater and more interactive participation of rural women at the next Congress.
We are reassured that the Governments of Spain, together with the other international partners, which have been supportive to us will continue to provide their expertise for the preparation of the next Congress.
You can understand our tremendous pride to welcome you to Africa for the next Congress. We will not disappoint you!
Recommendations of the Participants from the African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries to the III World Congress for Rural women Spain October 4th, 2002
We the women from the ACP countries, meeting in Madrid from the 1st - 4th of October 2002, would like to thank
- The Congress organizers
- CTA for noting the absence of ACP countries Representatives in previous meetings in Sydney and Washington and thus sponsoring a number of women from these countries to attend this meeting.
IN THIS MEETING WE NOTE that the representation of Rural Women from the ACP countries is still low, especially from the Carribean and the Pacific countries;
WE are CONCERNED about the lack of responsiveness from our governments to issues of Rural Women as demonstrated by lack of support to attend this congress and others before it;
WE are AWARE that there has been a clear divergence of opinion as to the conceptualization of "Rural Women" in the congress, which has resulted in the needs and concerns of the rural women from the ACP countries not being highlighted enough in the congress;
WE therefore RECOMMEND as follows:
PARTICPANTS to:
- Report to our government, the outcomes of the Congress.
- Identify groups that champion the issues of Rural Women and encourage the formation of others.
- Encourage the design of projects to uplift the status of Rural Women in the ACP countries.
GOVERNMENTS to:
- Take an interest in the contributions Rural Women are making to National Development and create the necessary structures for them to voice their concerns, participate in rural development and access the necessary resources.
CTA and ISNAR to:
- Provide support to develop and build networks at the National and Regional levels;
- Facilitate the development of an ACP Rural Womenґs network;
- Facilitate the coordination of the involvement of our Governments, Regional and International Agencies in the activities of the Network;
- Fund and source funding for related activities of groups of rural women in the region;
- Organise and facilitate e-consultations; organize relevant material on their websites (CTA and ISNAR)
- Assist the ACP countries to build and update a Directory of Resources on Rural Development within the Regions;
- Facilitate future Pre-Congress meetings and other Preparatory Activities for their World Rural Women's Congress.
- Provide support for the enforcement of the impact of activities identified by the rural women from ACP countries
- Assist in the making of a development network
- Build a workshop on the strategies of empowerment of women
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