Introduction
What is WWSF?
WWSF, a humanitarian, non-governmental and international,
non-confessional and non-profit organization with United Nations consultative
status (ECOSOC, UNFPA and DPI), works for a new development paradigm with
and for women and children.
Created in Geneva on 8 March 1991 (International Women's
Day), its principle objective is to empower women, children and NGOs.
WWSF programs serve to help implement women's and children's rights, to
generate increased commitment and support for the realization of agreed
development goals, and to hold world leaders accountable to their promises
made at numerous UN summits and international conferences.
Alerting Governments and civil society organizations
to play a more active role in the promotion of and respect for the rights
of the child (article 19 and 34 of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child), and contributing to the prevention of child abuse, WWSF launched
in 2000 the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse, a Day to be
commemorated every 19 November in synergy with the anniversary
of the International Day for the rights of the child (20 November).
Why was WWSF created?
Recognizing that women and children (girls and boys under
the age of 18) represent the world's largest constituency who have almost
nothing to say in shaping the economic and political space in which they
live, it is imperative that their thoughts and visions, intuitive skills,
concrete and effective participation in development, and their deep aspiration
for a more peaceful world be considered to help catalyze the necessary
political will for the transformation of systems and structures into pathways
of equality, development and peace.
What are WWSF programs?
Women's Section:
Prize
for women's creativity in rural life, awarded every year since
1994 to women and women's groups for their creative work to improve the
quality of life in rural communities.
International Day of Rural Women - 15 October -an annual global
awareness campaign to increase rural women's knowledge and empowerment.
Mali Micro Credit Sheep Project - A different way of making your gifts
By offering a sheep to raise, you enable a rural family in Mali
to have two meals per day. A WWSF project to help implement the United
Nations Millennium Development Goals MDGs
Children's Section:
World
Day for Prevention of Child Abuse - 19 November - and an international
NGO coalition to mark the Day. Objective: to create a culture
of prevention and service as a rallying point for increased effective
prevention measures, protection skills and rehabilitation programs.
Prize
for Prevention of Child Abuse Activities, an award to NGOs marking
the World Day for innovative and pertinent programs.
WWSF Clearinghouse for Prevention of Child Abuse and Violence Against
Children , (since 2006) a database of Internet links to good practices
and innovative prevention measures.
Signature
Card Campaign to make prevention of child abuse a global
priority. Add your voice here.
Youth
Engage International - Young people pledge to prevent abuse and
violence against children and adolescents. The YouthEngage-International.ch
website is in preparation.
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