（紐約訊）台灣自2001年開始參與聯合國非政府組織婦女地位委員會的年度會議。今年計有31位來自民間團體的代表及學者專家參與會議，成員們除除透過所屬國際非政府組織（INGOs）報名外，並於會議期間籌組10場論壇。
聯合國婦女地位委員會 (CSW)於今日(3月10日)在紐約召開，舉辦為期12天的會議。此一年度會議旨在促進性別平等及婦女權益，今年優先主題旨在評估千禧年發展目標及這些目標對婦女及女童的影響。
NGO與INGO的參與，對聯合國婦女地位委員會而言十分重要。今年非政府組織周邊會議將在12天內舉辦350場次的平行會議，其中來自台灣的NGO，包括婦權基金會、勵馨基金會、駐紐約台北經濟文化辦事處、中華心理衛生協會、世界和平婦女會，以及台灣心理健康行動聯盟與INGO，如PPSEAWA International (泛太平洋暨東南亞婦女會) 策略聯盟，共計舉辦10場的聯合國場外平行會議。
3月10日上午8點30分，勵馨基金會籌組｢亞太庇護所：透過支持與服務持續前進｣論壇，由勵馨基金會紀執行長惠容主持，講者Saathi理事說明其如何在尼泊爾開展其相關工作，以協助當地婦女改善政治和社會地位；Anthony Carlisle，勵馨基金會國際事務主任，提到應投入更多的資源以協助婦女在離開庇護所後的各項生活，以重建其生活；Kristen Liu，勵馨基金會紐約分會，以及Alena Victor，assistant director of the New York Asian Women’s Center (紐約亞洲婦女中心)，說明其對在紐約的亞洲婦女所進行的經濟賦權計畫；Margaret Augerinos, CEO of the Centre for Non-Violence (無暴力中心執行長), and Julie Oberin, CEO of the Annie North Women’s Refuge (安妮北方婦女難民執行長), 則提到澳洲減少對單親媽媽的社福措施，以及遭受家暴而無家可歸的婦女所面臨的威脅。Ivy Josiah, Women’s Aid Organization in Malaysia (馬來西亞婦女援助組織)執行長，則分享其承辦的一項針對34位受暴倖存者的計畫，結果卻呈現出馬國政府相關家暴法令的不切實際。
婦權基金會亦於3月10日上午10點30分舉辦｢達成千禧年發展目標的優良範例分享｣論壇，由中華民國婦女聯合會汲副秘書長宇荷主持，講者Elisabeth Newman，ICW-CIF副會長分享了澳洲在千禧年發展目標下，婦女健康及照護的達成情形，除了清楚點出城鄉間差距的問題，也認為政府應持續增加對婦女健康及照護的投入，改善相關政策措施（報告內容由Magdalena Simonis, the immediate past President of the Victorian Medical Women’s Society提供）；林靜儀，台灣女人連線理事，為婦產科職業醫師，則說明我國婦女及嬰幼兒保健政策施行情形，並指出我國應正視未婚懷孕婦女的相關保健福利；Taina Woodward, PPSEAWA USA執行長十分感興的提出｢婦女是家庭的重心，而家庭又是社會的核心｣，因此，婦女的賦權十分重要。此外，並說明該組織在各地所進行的賦權計畫。
前國際蘭馨交流協會會長Sharon Fisher，感性地介紹該組織長期以來所實行的計畫，同時鼓勵婦女積極發揮影響力，對社會有所貢獻；現代婦女基金會南部辦公室主任吳淑美，則呼籲與社會大眾應重視受暴婦女的處境，並強調陪伴與賦權的重要性，同時透露已著設立社會企業，以協助受暴婦女經濟賦權。婦女救援基金會國際事務專員耿雙雙，說明日本二戰期間強迫我婦女於軍中提供性服務（日本政府以｢慰安婦｣稱之，企圖扭曲事實）的｢阿媽｣們，在透過各項活動的協助下，以｢原諒｣代替｢憎恨｣。據該基金會估計，台灣應有2000名婦女受害，雖只掌握58名婦女，但隨著時間的流逝，目前只有5名｢阿媽｣倖存，然而日本政府卻無意承認這項史實，至今未曾道歉。
NGO CSW是一個開放型的會議，然而台灣代表即使透過所屬INGOs報名，卻仍被阻擋在外，無法換證。此與會議宗旨似乎相違。紐約台北經濟文化辦事處亦將在會議期間的3月12日，假辦事處舉辦｢千禧年發展目標下女性的挑戰與成就｣研討會，歡迎各界共襄盛舉。台灣與會成員們希望經由此次會議擴展其視野，並積極與其他團體互動，建立友好連結網絡，並與世界各國的姊妹們分享台灣經驗。
(Press Release)
31 Taiwanese delegates organize 10 panels at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
(March 3, 2014. New York) The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) opened in New York today. CSW runs form March 10-21, 2014 at the United Nations in New York. The two-week gathering is an annual meeting dedicated to gender equality and the advancement of women. This year UN member states are evaluating development goals and how they impact women and girls.
A total of 31 delegates from Taiwan are taking part in CSW this year. The delegates come from women’s groups, universities, and other institutions in Taiwan. At the UN they are representing various international non-government organizations (NGOs).
NGO participation is a very important part of CSW. This year the NGO CSW Forum includes an agenda of over 350 parallel events held at venues in and around the UN from March 9-21. Taiwanese NGO delegates are organizing ten panels at the NGO CSW Forum. The Garden of Hope and the Chinese Psychological Health Association are each hosting three events; and the Foundation for Women’s Rights Promotion and Development (FWRPD), the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), the Taiwan Psychological Health Alliance, and World Peace Women’s Foundation are each holding one event.
Today, on Monday, March 10, the Garden of Hope held its first panel on “Asia-Pacific Shelters: Going the Second Mile with Advocacy and Service Work”. Bandana Rana, president of Saathi spoke about how her pioneering service work in Nepal had helped move forward political and social changes in the status of women. Anthony Carlisle, international affairs supervisor at the Garden of Hope, talked about the need to invest more in the long recovery phase after women leave shelters and try to rebuild their lives. Kristen Liu, executive director of the Garden of Hope in New York, and Alena Victor, assistant director of the New York Asian Women’s Center, spoke about economic empowerment services for Asian women in the New York. Margaret Augerinos, CEO of the Centre for Non-Violence, and Julie Oberin, CEO of the Annie North Women’s Refuge, talked about recent benefit cuts for Australian single mothers and the threat of homelessness for victims of domestic violence. Ivy Josiah, executive director of the Women’s Aid Organization in Malaysia, introduced a study she conducted on 34 survivors of violence which showed that the Malaysian law on domestic violence is not working in practice.
Also on Monday morning, FWRPD held a panel on “Good Practices of Achieving MDGs”. Elisabeth Newman, vice president of ICW-CIF, talked about the plight of Australian women survivors of violence. Dr. Lin Ching-Yi, board member of Taiwan Women’s Link, discussed maternal health and how unmarried mothers do not receive full coverage under national health insurance. Taina Woodward, president of PPSEAWA USA, and Sharon Fisher, former president of Soroptimist, talked about empowerment of women. Shu Mei Wu, regional director of Modern Women’s Foundation, talked about invisible violence and how she helped survivors to establish their own social enterprise. Shuang-shuang Keng, international affairs specialist at Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation, discussed the issue of Japanese army comfort women: she estimated over 2,000 Taiwanese women were forced into prostitution by Japan during World War II, but only 58 were found and only five are still alive.
While participation in NGO CSW is open to all, this year some delegates from Taiwan were not allowed to register for the official UN CSW meeting because they were carrying Taiwanese passports. TECO is working on allowing the delegates to enter the UN.
As well as its diplomatic work, TECO is also hosting an event on “Challenges and Achievements in Implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for Women and Girls” on Wednesday, March 12 at its office in New York.
The Taiwanese NGO delegates say they hope to expand their horizons, make connections with sister organizations in other countries, and share the experience of Taiwan with the international community.