Dear Friends,

Our partner from Uzbekistan came to visit us last week. She brought with her a collection of photographs that depicted participation of women in Uzbek society in the last hundred years. Beautiful images of women from a variety of backgrounds--young and old, rich and poor, professionals and home makers. Then she spoke about the conditions in her country and environs. Closed borders that made it difficult to congregate to plan together or to acquire knowledge or establish contacts. Closed arenas of civic activism that made it impossible to work as an independent non-governmental organization. Girls stolen by suitors so they would be forced to marry a man they did not want rather than bring shame to their families. She had not been with us last month when WLP partners gathered in Jakarta for our annual meeting. We shared with her the stories of our partner who spoke about women standing for political office in the face of severe hardship and harassment in Mauritania. We shared our Afghan partner's narrative of how they held meetings in places under tenuous security conditions, yet continued to hold workshops on leadership. Our Iranian colleague, just out of prison and forced into exile, described how every leading activist who had participated in gathering signatures in support of family law reform had been imprisoned, and several had been forced into exile. Nevertheless, despite the regime's efforts to behead the movement inside the country and outside, Iranian activists continued to speak up, to interact, and to publicize their demands.

Each case of oppression had a counter-narrative of courage, perseverance, and consistent and focused commitment. Our Kyrgyz partner was unable to come to Jakarta because the airport was closed on the morning of her departure due to political upheaval, but she played a leading role in the negotiations and consensus-building process that followed. There were bright moments and significant achievements shared as well. The Moroccans achieved land rights for women. The Lebanese achieved a 20 percent quota for women candidates in local councils. Young people from Bahrain to Nigeria, from UAE to Nepal, participated in our CEDAW youth essay contest on women's rights, bringing innovative ideas and inspiring the thousands from over 40 countries who participated in the online dialogue that followed.

Our shared experiences have brought home the extent and complexity of the challenges we face in every region of the world. We know that building free, just, and democratic societies is closely related to practicing non-violence and creating a culture of peace. As you will see in this eNews, we believe that to tackle these challenges successfully, we need to connect the best experiences of grassroots activists with the best ideas of women and men who are experienced in nation building and global interaction. We know that the work is slow and difficult, especially because so much lies outside our reach and seemingly beyond our control. But someone has to fix things. That someone is each of us.

Warm Regards,

Mahnaz Afkhami
President and CEO

Thoraya Obaid, Mary Robinson, & Asma Khader
at 2020 Vision symposium
Photos on Flickr | Videos on YouTube

Kim Campbell, Hafsat Abiola, and Carl Gershman
launch Leading to Action
More photos on Flickr

Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh & Wai Ling Ho
at Transnational Partners Convening.
More photos on Flickr

CEDAW Youth Essay Contest winners
with family members at award ceremony
More photos on Flickr

• Leading to Action: A Political Participation Handbook for Women is designed for use as a learning tool by those who are challenging themselves to play a more significant political role in their communities. Women's participation is a critical step towards reshaping economic, political, and social conditions to allow for equality in opportunities and results for both women and men. WLP's latest publication was developed to empower women to become democratic and participatory leaders. Whether the goal is to be elected to office, support a campaign, encourage women to vote, or secure better legislation for the community, this handbook helps women hone their skills to take the next political step. Scenarios give real life examples of successes and challenges women face in the political sphere. Learn more » or Order Online Now »
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