Women's International Forum

07/02/2019

WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL FORUM | General Assembly of the United Nations

For the members who missed the event, here is a link to the speech by Her Excellency María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés
President of the UN General Assembly at our “WIF end of season event”

https://www.un.org/pga/73/2019/06/13/womens-international-forum/

WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL FORUM 13 Jun 2019 – As delivered – Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly 13 June 2019 Ms Latica Tomasic Kickert, President of the Women’s International Forum, Your Excellency, Burhan Gafoor, Per...

06/13/2019

The Women's International Forum's June Talk "Women In Leadership: How to build Cohesive and Inclusive Societies" by Her Excellency Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, 73rd President of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA) and end of season reception was graciously hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Singapore to the United Nations. In the interactive dialogue, the PGA shared the lessons she has learned from her many years of service and accomplishments in positions of leadership in various roles both in Ecuador as well as internationally. In showcasing brilliant and exemplary women leaders, WIF hopes to inspire other women and girls to be in the forefront of change.

05/21/2019

Women's International Forum

Interesting and thoughtful discussion today at the WIF panel on Mining and Gender Equality:Promoting Women’s Inclusion for Sustainable Development”, sponsored by the Permanent Mission Of Peru to the United Nations. Our panelist shared their experiences and strategies used to giving women more access to the wealth and economic opportunities in the sector as well as strategies to ensure sustainability in mining.

05/21/2019

Interesting and thoughtful discussion today at the WIF panel on Mining and Gender Equality:Promoting Women’s Inclusion for Sustainable Development”, sponsored by the Permanent Mission Of Peru to the United Nations. Our panelist shared their experiences and strategies used to giving women more access to the wealth and economic opportunities in the sector as well as strategies to ensure sustainability in mining.

05/20/2019

We are looking forward to our May Panel discussion on Women in the Mining Industry, tommorrow Tuesday 21 May at 1.15-2.30 at the UN!

Mining has been practiced since the beginning of civilization and still remains a very important industry in several countries, contributing to their wealth and economic growth. However, the Mining industry and its activities not only have an effect on the environment but also on the lives of the people who work in this industry. In particular, women. Our panelists will address strategies and best practices in the Mining Industry to be more inclusive of women’s participation with an eye to a better distribution of its benefits to women.

We hope to see many of our members tomorrow.

04/25/2019

Women’s International Forum
sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Peru to the United Nations
is pleased to organise a panel on
“Mining and Gender Equality: Promoting Women’s Inclusion for Sustainable Development”
on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 1.15 - 2.30 pm.

The panel will be comprised of outstanding representatives from government, mining companies and mining international specialists to discuss lessons learned, best practices and challenges on implementing and supporting gender strategies and programs in the mining sector. This event provides a unique opportunity to turn the light on a subject that is not often discussed at the United Nations but that is crucial “in leaving no women behind”.

Our panelists
:
• H.E Ambassador Martha Pobee, Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations
• Alexandra Guaqueta, Global Practice Leader, External Affairs and Communities, Rio Tinto
• Tracy Bame, President Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold Foundation and Social Responsibility Director
• Casper Sonesson, Global Policy Advisor, Extractive Industries, UNDP
• Natasha Nunes da Cunha, Senior Specialist- Extractives, Inter-American Development Bank

04/15/2019

Rep. Donna Bullock

Rep. Donna Bullock rocking our April panel:

Climate change is not just about polar bears and butterflies in other parts of the world. It is real and it has very real effects on nearly every aspect of our lives in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania. Watch my comments at a United Nations panel about my experiences becoming an advocate for climate change solutions and how we can get future generations involved.

Thank you Women's International Forum, Moms Clean Air Force - PA, DearTomorrow and ClimateMama for the invitation.

04/12/2019

We had another successfull panel to mark the Earth Day ”Leave it Better Than We Found”
A panel on the role of women, parents and youth in developing effective climate solutions for the coming generations.
Organized by Women's International Forum with the sponsorship of the Permanent Mission of Austria to the UN. in partnership with Dear Tomorrow.

04/11/2019

Leave it Better Than We Found (to mark UN Earth Day 2019)

http://webtv.un.org/watch/leave-it-better-than-we-found-to-mark-un-earth-day-2019/6025274657001/

A panel on the role of women, parents and youth in developing effective climate solutions for the coming generations. Marking UN Earth Day 2019. Organized by Women's International Forum with the sponsorship of the Permanent Mission of

03/30/2019

Leave It Better Than We Found: Women's International Forum April 11th Panel on the Role of Women, Parents and Youth in Developing Effective Climate Solutions for the Coming Generations

Join us for the next Panel on April 11th, marking UN Earth Day 2019:

“Leave It Better Than We Found”

A panel on the role of women, parents and youth in developing effective climate solutions for the coming generations

With the sponsorship of the Permanent Mission of Austria 🇦🇹 to the UN and in partnership with Dear Tomorrow

April 11th 2019 at 1.15pm to 2.30pm

UN Headquarters NYC, Conference Room 6

Registration at https://forms.gle/Roq12mxYDCcqxP4YA remains open until April 9th at 9am.

Opening remarks to be delivered by H.E. Juliane Bogner Strauß - Minister of Women, Families and Youth of the Republic of Austria.

Panelists: H.E. Ngedikes Olai Uludong, PR Palau; Rep. Donna Bullock; Vanessa Hauc; Gina McCarthy; Jill Kubit: Gretchen Dahlkemper.

April11th 2019 at 1.15pm to 2.30pm UN Headquarters NYC, Conference Room 6

03/19/2019

Last night we shared the story of the African doctor Denis MUKWEGE, Peace Novel Prize 2018 ”The man who mends women” followed by a panel with the presence of the film director Thierry MICHEL, and other important panelists , Susan O’Malley, chair of NGO CSW; Cathleen de Kerchove, director of the NGO The Children of Panzi and Marie Claudine Mukamabano, NGO Kuki Ndiho.

The film was heartbreaking, sad and painful, it made us feel upset about crimes that are being committed to women and families in the DRC. It also encourages us to bring more awareness on the issue of sexual violence in the DRC.
“We need more Dr. Mukwege in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the rest of the world”.

The children are not forgotten thanks to the NGO the children of Panzi and elsewhere providing psychosocial support to the children and the family
On fb les enfants de Panzi et d’ailleurs
Www.lesenfantsdepanzi.org

03/18/2019

Trailer "The man who mends women - the wrath of Hippocrates"

In New York
This Monday March 18, 2019
Cinema Village
22E 12 St. New York - NY 10003

The man who Mends Women
The wrath of Hippocrates

The film about the african doctor
Denis MUKWEGE
Peace Nobel Prize 2018

in the presence of the director
Thierry MICHEL

Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU62X6iV1ZI

18h30 screening film
THE MAN WHO MENDS WOMEN
Cinema Village

20H30 Spotlight Panel
WOMEN and CHILDREN

03/08/2019

Happy Women’s Day ❤️

03/03/2019

We were delighted to have a wonderful presentation and open discussion with H.E. Ambassador Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of St. Vincent and the Granadines and current President of the ECOSOC at the UN.
Thanks to the Mission of Slovakia for sponsoring this event.

02/23/2019

Women's International Forum

You have till Monday 25th February midnight to register! Join us for an insight into “ Women as Agents of Change” a Conversation with Ambassador Rhonda King #Ecosoc #unwomen

Dear Members:
We invite you to join for our February event. We hope to see many of you at the UN.

RSVP : http://bit.ly/eventwif

"Women as Agents of Change: The Role of the UN ECOSOC - A conversation
with Her Excellency, Ambassador Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative
of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in her capacity as the current President of ECOSOC"

H.E. Ambassador Inga Rhonda King

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2019
Time: 1:15 – 2:30 pm
Venue: ROOM 7, UN Headquarters, New York

Her Excellency Ambassador Inga Rhonda King is the 74th President of the Economic and Social Council of the ECOSOC. She comes to diplomacy from the private sector, has lived and worked in several Caribbean countries, the United States of America, and China. She is a small business owner, business strategist, the author of three books, and a management accountant with more than two decades of professional experience. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and chemistry, is the immediate past chair of the Investment Promotions Agency of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Invest SVG), and a former Honorary Consul for Portugal to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Since becoming Permanent Representative in September 2013, Ambassador King has held several leadership roles which include:

Chair/Spokesperson of L69 (2016 - present), the largest reform group for the Security Council Reform of the United Nations.
Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council for the period 2017-2018.
Chair of the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly of the 71st Session (2016 - 2017). At the time of her chairmanship, she was only the second woman to chair this committee in the history of the United Nations.
Immediate-past chair of the Island Women Open Network (IWON) (2014 - July 2018). The IWON is tasked with ensuring gender-mainstreaming in the renewable energy sector of Small Island Developing States by building capacity at the grassroots and community level. The IWON is a part of the SIDS DOCK Secretariat platform. SIDS Dock is a UN registered SIDS International Organization.

ECOSOC's role in the UN
The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.

02/19/2019

Join us for another captivating conversation with an impressive woman change-maker: Ambassador I. Rhonda King, President of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and Permanent Representative of St. Vincent and Grenadines. One of UN’s leading experts in the field of Social Development Goals, Amb. King is a dedicated fighter for their achievement and integration into everyday policies worldwide. #sdgs #agenda2030 #unsdgs #womenleaders #womenwholead #fightforabetterworld #sustainability #womensrights #socialdevelopment #socialdevelopmentgoals #stvincentandthegrenadines #ecosoc #unitednations #womensinternationalforum

02/14/2019

UK at the UN 🇬🇧 on Twitter

We congratulate our Honorary Board Member Her Excellency Karen Pierce on her
Formal investiture of “Dame” today at Buckingham Palace.

“Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has bestowed the honour of Dame Commander of St Michael and St George upon @KarenPierceUN in recognition of her long-term outstanding contribution to British foreign policy.”

https://twitter.com/ukun_newyork/status/1095720812051685376?s=21

“Formal investiture of Dame Karen Pierce today at Buckingham Palace. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has bestowed the honour of Dame Commander of St Michael and St George upon @KarenPierceUN in recognition of her long-term outstanding contribution to British foreign policy.”

02/14/2019

WIF RSVP - Women as Agents of Change: The role of the UN ECOSOC - A Conversation with Ambassador Rhonda King, President of ECOSOC and PR of St Vincents and the Grenadines

Dear Members:
We invite you to join for our February event. We hope to see many of you at the UN.

RSVP : http://bit.ly/eventwif

"Women as Agents of Change: The Role of the UN ECOSOC - A conversation
with Her Excellency, Ambassador Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative
of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in her capacity as the current President of ECOSOC"

H.E. Ambassador Inga Rhonda King

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2019
Time: 1:15 – 2:30 pm
Venue: ROOM 7, UN Headquarters, New York

Her Excellency Ambassador Inga Rhonda King is the 74th President of the Economic and Social Council of the ECOSOC. She comes to diplomacy from the private sector, has lived and worked in several Caribbean countries, the United States of America, and China. She is a small business owner, business strategist, the author of three books, and a management accountant with more than two decades of professional experience. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and chemistry, is the immediate past chair of the Investment Promotions Agency of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Invest SVG), and a former Honorary Consul for Portugal to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Since becoming Permanent Representative in September 2013, Ambassador King has held several leadership roles which include:

Chair/Spokesperson of L69 (2016 - present), the largest reform group for the Security Council Reform of the United Nations.
Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council for the period 2017-2018.
Chair of the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly of the 71st Session (2016 - 2017). At the time of her chairmanship, she was only the second woman to chair this committee in the history of the United Nations.
Immediate-past chair of the Island Women Open Network (IWON) (2014 - July 2018). The IWON is tasked with ensuring gender-mainstreaming in the renewable energy sector of Small Island Developing States by building capacity at the grassroots and community level. The IWON is a part of the SIDS DOCK Secretariat platform. SIDS Dock is a UN registered SIDS International Organization.

ECOSOC's role in the UN
The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental. It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.

Sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the United Nations

02/07/2019

Dear WIF members, save the date 28 February, Thursday, for a Members only conversation with Ambassador Rhonda King, President Of the Economic and Social Council.
Details and rsvp to follow soon.

01/19/2019

Thanks to the Permanent Mission of Singapore, we had an interesting brain storming lunch with our Honorary Board.

01/16/2019

Women Professionals in the Music Industry (Mission of Peru)

If you missed our panel discussion today, you can watch it on http://webtv.un.org/watch/women-professionals-in-the-music-industry-mission-of-peru/5990228972001/

Women International Forum (WIF) is bringing attention to the music industry's challenges regarding gender equality, with a particular accent on the classical music industry.

01/16/2019

We were proud to host a very lively discussion with a panel on Women Professionals in the Music Industry. Our panelist shared their unique perspectives on challenges faced by women in the Music Industry such as lack of visibility, inability to own their own works, lower salary, restrictions on the kind of instruments they can play and even restrictions on what they can wear! This was followed by thoughts and sharing of experiences by several other music professionals amongst the audience. We ended on the hopeful note that there can be positive changes if we try and change access to music and music education to make it gender balance and empower women to take charge of their music career.

01/16/2019

01/07/2019

WIF January Panel on Women Professionals in the Music Industry

Women’s International Forum ! sponsored by
The Permanent Mission of Peru to the United Nations
is pleased to invite you to the panel:
“Women Professionals in the Music Industry”
Neeta Ragoowansi–Veronica Sabbag-Jane Meryll
Date: Wednesday, January 16, 2019� Time: 1:15 – 2:30 pm�
Venue: Room 12, UN Headquarters, New York
WIF is bringing attention to the music industry’s challenges regarding gender equality, with a particular accent on the classical music industry. Statistics show a clear disadvantaged: for instance, the Guardian article: Female composers are largely ignored by concert line-ups shows that from around 1400 concerts programed in 2018-2019 across the globe, only 76 have included a work by a woman. Similarly, among more than twenty of the American largest orchestras, only one is led by a women director (as highlighted in the PBS’s show Bringing women conductors to the front of the orchestra). Additionally, women in the business side of the industry are struggling to be promoted to senior management of record labels and music technology platforms.
Why is this happening and what needs to change? We are delighted to feature a discussion with three impressive women who are working tirelessly to promote gender equality, pluralism and diversity in music:

Neeta Ragoowansi (India-USA) Board officer and ex-President of Women in Music, the leading international non-profit promoting women in music. An entertainment attorney and music business professional focusing on music licensing, rights administration, and related technology development, Neeta is co-founder for NPREX (National Performing Rights Exchange) a first-ever online platform for direct licensing of performance, mechanical and sync rights between music copyright owners and music users (e.g. radio, TV, streaming services, etc.)
She was Board Governor for the Recording Academy (Grammy) and Asst. General Counsel for The Kennedy Center and National Symphony Orchestra. Neeta serves on the Boards of Women in Music and the American Bar Association’s Forum on Entertainment & Sports Law, among others. Neeta is also an award-winning songwriter, lead singer and keyboard player of her rock band the Oxymorons. Neeta received her B.A. from Emory University, Atlanta, GA and her J.D. from American University, Washington DC, and attended Georgetown University and University College, Oxford, UK.
Veronica Sabbag (Spain/EU) European Union diplomat, is founder and CEO of the NGO "United Voices 4 Peace", a citizen-led initiative promoting diverse forms of inter-cultural exchanges to foster a universal culture of peace through music and the arts.
In 2018, under the auspices of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Voices 4 Peace launched the project "Global Women In Music 4 Human Rights" in partnership with the "Fondazione Patricia Adkins Chiti: Donne in Musica" from Italy. The project made a global call for scores written by women. Veronica holds a Degree in Law from the University of La Sorbonne, a Masters Degree in European Studies from L'Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and a Certificate on Cultural Diplomacy from the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD). She served with the European Union in different positions for over 20 years.
Jane Meryll (USA) Grammy nominated pianist, composer, singer, music director, music publisher and performing coach, Jane has worked as a studio musician on the New York advertising music and recording scene, working alongside celebrated artists such as Leonard Bernstein, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Blossom Dearie, Luther Vandross, and others. She is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) whose song “So Near So Far” was nominated for a Grammy in the jazz category in 1996. Jane was one of winners of the “Global Women in Music 4 Women Rights" 2018 award.
Jane works on performance anxiety coaching for people who feel held back when in the “spotlight” whether in business, school or life, with StageFright SolutionsTM. Jane Meryll began studying classical piano at age 4 and has an majored atBoston University (Gladys Ondricek), later working with Edwine Behre (Leszetycki method). She studied jazz at Berklee College of Music in Boston with Ray Santisi and later with Sir Roland Hanna, with interim studies at NYU and Juilliard, and holds a certificate in piano pedagogy from Westminster Choir College.

RSVP and UN Admission:
1.Please RSVP by filling the form (click on the link below or copy/paste the link into your browser) latest by January 14th 2018 at 9am. Upon completing the form you will get a confirmation message and a copy of your replies will be sent to the email you registered. No further confirmation is necessary.
https://goo.gl/forms/uCQTb7YhNM4Of6Gx1
2. In case of any difficulties registering, please contact us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at: 1-212-963-3112. Due to high interest we kindly ask all attendees, including UN ID holders, to RSVP. Spaces will be assigned by order of RSVP till capacity is reached.
As spaces are limited we ask you to please notify WIF of possible cancellations.
3. State-issued Photo ID will be required to pass Security.
Please register with the name identical to the one on the photo ID you will be using.�
Ground Passes should be picked up from WIF Board members in front of the Visitor’s Entrance to the UN on 1st Avenue at 46 Street, between 12:15 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Please allow ample time to pass through Security lines and reach the Room 12 before the event starts – we recommend arriving by 12.30pm.
Women’s International Forum Executive Board: Latica Tomašić Kickert (Croatia/ Austria) President, Sonia de Meza-Cuadra (Peru) Vice-President, Zarina Varukatty (Singapore) Vice-President, Andrea Mlynarova (Slovakia) Treasurer, Pamela Jacovides (USA), Miriam Oueslati Khiari (Tunisia), Tanya Rattray (Jamaica), Manipreet Tina Kaur Koonjul (Mauritius), Adriana Arriola (Paraguay), Amy Gertze (Namibia), Paula Lopes (Portugal), Cathleen de Kerchove (Belgium); Under the Patronage of Ms. Catarina Vaz Pinto (Portugal), Spouse of the Secretary- General of the United Nations.

Venue: United Nations HQ, Room 12 Date and Time: January 16th 2019, 1.15pm - 2.30pm