Participants at FAWCO's biennial conference celebrated International Women's Day with a variety of empowering activities. The conference attendees began the day with workshops on topics such as active aging, maternal health, climate change, and The FAWCO Foundation's charity updates. The morning's first conference session immediately followed and featured an inspirational address from U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Betty E. King.

Not happy that your representative voted AGAINST the Violence Against Women Act that the president just signed into law? Tell him! Find email templates here - http://4vawa.org/ Please THANK your representative if he or she voted in favor of renewing this legislation. Sadly, American women living overseas still will not benefit from these protections...

On Thursday, February 28, the House voted to approve the already passed Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which, though not perfect and despite the fact that overseas Americans were absent from the act, did not include last-minute tweaks that could have seriously weakened it.

Following the 236 to 138 vote, the bill now heads for the White House and President Obama's signature.

While overall VAWA funding was down since its last reauthorization in 2005 and, despite calls from FAWCO and its long-standing partner organization AODVC, funding was still not included for victims of domestic violence overseas, its passage in today's Congress must be seen as a victory for women's rights.

Click here for the full article in the February 28 Washington Post.

As an organization dedicated to women's rights, FAWCO has signed The World YWCA petition to end child marriage and urges other organizations and individuals to lend their support. Sign on and share! The World YWCA will be bringing a petition to the 57th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, for a Resolution to End Child Marriage within a generation. They are inviting you, as organisations and individuals to lend your voice to this effort. The World YWCA is co-hosting a High Level Panel on Child Marriage on the 7th of March in New York, where the petition to the Liberian Ambassador to the UN, who is the Chair of the CSW Bureau, will be presented. The online sign-on facility is now activated, and The World YWCA can be contacted at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you would like your organisation to be featured in this effort, kindly email your logo, and a short message to the above email. FAWCO continues to strive for human dignity and protection of human rights and urges the same.

Click here for Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda of The World YWCA's call for support.

Hurry and apply, applicaitons must be postmarked 15 March 2013

Every year at Eleanor Roosevelt's home in Val Kill New York, the nine day Eleanor Roosevelt Girls Leadership Workshop takes place. This workshop for girls emphasizes leadership skills and self awareness designed to encourage young women interested in social justice issues.  FAWCO is the proud supporter of this outstanding program and has had several daughters of FAWCO members attend. For more information on the program and to APPLY go to The Eleanor Roosevelt Leadership Center and for information on FAWCOs involvement and the past FAWCO girls who have attended go to FAWCO UN NGO.