14-15 United Nations:issue 1 28/8/08 14:24 Page 12
Policywatch
Mothers’ Union lobbying
the United Nations
When boys and girls are educated, whole communities can be transformed.
That’s the motive behind the Mothers’ Union campaign which calls on
governments to back Millennium Development Goal 3 (ensuring that boys
and girls have equal access to education).
S
ince 2000 Mothers’ Union has been
Community action
lobbying at the highest international
Our recommendations to the UN are based
levels thanks to our ‘special
on practical experience with real people.
consultative status’ at the United Nations
Mothers’ Union addresses gender equality
(UN). This means we have a voice at the UN
at the family and community level through
representing our 3.6 million members on
its programmes, such as the Family Life
the Commission on the Status of Women
Programme in Uganda and the Literacy and
(CSW) – one of the Economic and Social
Development Programme in Malawi, Sudan
Council (ECOSOC) committees.
and Burundi. These programmes challenge
In 2001 Kofi Annan, former Secretary-
gender stereotyping, as well as providing
General of the UN, underlined the
vital skills such as literacy and income
importance of giving girls and boys equal
generation. Mothers’ Union emphasises the
access to education. He said ‘Gender
importance of enabling whole families and
equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a
communities to take part in these
precondition for meeting the challenge of
programmes. Women cannot be
reducing poverty, promoting sustainable
empowered in isolation; men and boys also
development and building good
need to be affirmed within their own roles.
governance.’
Mothers’ Union also tackles gender equality
at an international level through its
The facts are recognised, but gender
worldwide social policy work. We seek to
inequality persists across all societies. In
influence governments by
failing to address these injustices, women
sharing our
throughout the world continue to face
experiences,
education, health and social inequalities,
showing how
physical and sexual violence, harmful
gender
cultural practices and other human rights
equality
violations. Not only are these
inequalities a matter of justice, they
Learning to write as
are also inequalities that affect part of a Mothers'
relationships – within families,
Union Literacy Circle
in Sudan - find out
within communities and within more in the
global society.
September 2008 issue
of Families First
12 www.themothersunion.org
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