NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN TO HOLD PANEL DISCUSSIONS ON POVERTY,

12 March 1996

Press Release

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN TO HOLD PANEL DISCUSSIONS ON POVERTY,

19960312 MEDIA, AND CHILD AND DEPENDENT CARE

Interactive Format to Focus on Outcome of 1995 Women's Conference

The Commission on the Status of Women, which is currently holding its fortieth session, will hold three expert panel discussions on poverty; women and the media; and child and dependent care, including sharing of responsibilities between men and women.

The discussions, which formed part of the substantive work of the Commission on the implementation of strategic objectives and actions in the critical areas of concern adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), will have a dialogue format. This approach, undertaken on an experimental basis at the recommendation of the Bureau of the Commission, is in keeping with the general trend within the Economic and Social Council to eschew prepared statements in favour of a more spontaneous approach. This would permit governments, organizations of the United Nations system and representatives of non-governmental organizations as well as the media, to whom recommendations have been addressed under the Beijing Platform for Action, to discuss practical issues of implementation.

The panel on poverty will meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 13 March, in Conference Room 1. Panel members are Elisabeth d'Hondt, Director, Women in Development Division, Family and Youth Issues, Federal Ministry for Development and Cooperation, Germany; Ishrat Husain, Director, Poverty and Social Policy Department, World Bank; Aruna Rau, consultant, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee; Jennifer Riria-Ouko, Managing Director, Kenya's Women's Finance Trust, and member of the Global Board of Directors of Women's World Banking; Mubyarto Martodinoto, Assistant State Minister for Eradication of Poverty, Ministry of National Development Planning, Indonesia; and Gaston Ibanez, Deputy Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations.

The panel on women and the media, meeting at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 14 March, in Conference Room 1, will comprise the following: Margaret Gallagher, media consultant and former coordinator of the European Union Steering Committee for Equal Opportunities in Broadcasting; Alain Modoux, Director, Division for Communications, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; Joan Pennefather, Director-General, National Arts

- 2 - Note No. 5326 12 March 1996

Center, Canada; Lyndall Shope-Mafole, Counsellor, Independent Broadcasting Authority, South Africa; and Teresa Rodriguez, Chief, International Department, Ministry of Women's Affairs, Chile.

The panel on child care and dependent care will meet at 3 p.m. on Friday, 15 March, in Conference Room 1. Panel members are: Chen Guomei, Vice-President, China Family Education Association, and Professor, Beijing Normal University; T. Prada de Mesa, Deputy Director, International Labour Organisation Liaison Office, New York; R. Stanoiu, Secretary of State on Women's Affairs and Family Policies, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Romania; K. Stoltenberg, Director-General, Ministry of Children and Family Affairs, Norway; Mizrak Elias, Senior Adviser, Women in Development, United Nations Children's Fund; and Catheryn Tolbert, Population Council, Mexico Office.

Each session is open for comments and questions. Accredited journalists and representatives of non-governmental organizations are invited to attend.

For further information, contact Hasan Ferdous, (212) 963-6555; or Oliva Acosta, (212) 963-0272.

* *** *