 Thursday
at the Prepcom
Advocates plan to get girls back in the Outcome Document
New York, June 14 - For anyone who has been involved in one, the
advocacy meeting for girls' issues on Thursday recalled the behind-the-scenes
strategizing of a political campaign.
Lively, inclusive and well-organized, the meeting brought together
interest groups to share their experiences and tactics,
and to rally support around getting the girl-child back
into the Outcome Document for the UN General Assembly's
Special Session.
"It's very disappointing," said a representative of
the Working Group on Girls (WGG). "It is as if we've gone backwards.
Now they're taking girls out instead of putting girls in!"
Participants, who are attending the third Preparatory Committee
(Prepcom) of the Special Session, discussed how to gain access to
government delegations to lobby them.
"I've found that if you stick around Conference Room 4 after
the lunch session you can catch some of the delegations when they
come back in," said one.
The group agreed that attractively prepared fact sheets were effective
and that a future WGG analysis of positive actions or statements
by countries would provide useful information that could be used
to lobby delegations.
The group also discussed what was to be done after the Prepcom
was over. A participant from Nigeria said she planned to start two
websites. Others said they would train peer educators and establish
an ongoing information and support network via e-mail and other
means. A few participants talked about using a variety of media
such as pamphlets, letters to the editor and articles in newspapers
and magazines, community television broadcasts, radio and personal
lobbying to keep the girl-child at the top of the agenda.
Use of folklore and songs relaying the messages of what had happened
at this Prepcom were suggested as ways to reach children not served
by traditional media.
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