FAWCO's Report to the Economic and Social
Council of the United Nations for the
Period 2001 through 2004

About FAWCO
The Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO) was founded1931 with the belief that enlightened women working together in different countries throughout the world could do much to achieve peace. Today, FAWCO is an international network of 76 independent clubs with a combined membership of over 18,000 women in 35 countries worldwide. It serves as a support network for American women living and working abroad. FAWCO is particularly active in the field of education, environmental protection, literacy, women’s rights, children’s rights and US citizens concerns. It is a not-for-profit corporation made up entirely of volunteers. The majority of members are American women living and working abroad, some temporarily and some permanently.

While each member club is strictly independent and operates within the laws of its local community, FAWCO is incorporated as a not-for-profit, non-partisan, umbrella organization with its own officers, administration and philanthropic endeavors, and works in concert with the local member organizations. For more background on FAWCO, its history and its activities, visit the FAWCO website at www.fawco.org.

Participation in UN Conferences
FAWCO has had an interest in international, social and community activism since its inception. After receiving NGO status in 1995 and ECOSOC status in 1997, it has had regular representation at the UN Headquarters in New York as well as in Geneva. In 2001, we joined CONGO and now have a regular representative attending CONGO meetings in Geneva.

Representatives of FAWCO have attended the annual DPI/NGO conferences New York including NGO’s Today- Diversity of Volunteer Experience (2001), Rebuilding Society Emerging from Conflict (2002), Human Security and Dignity (2003) and Millennium Goals (2004). FAWCO’s NYC Liaison also attended the regular weekly DPI briefings at Headquarters in New York.

FAWCO is now a member of the Commission on the Status of Women Committee in both NY and Geneva and representatives have attended the CSW Women’s Day Celebrations in NY as well as attended regular CSW conferences in New York(2001,2002, 2003,2004), in Geneva ( 2003, 2004) and in Vienna (2003). FAWCO’s NGO Director also participated in the CSW Joint Meeting on Women, Environment and Health in Geneva in 2001.

FAWCO’s NGO Director actively participated in drawing up resolutions in the Prep Conference to the Special Session on Children in 2002 and several representatives from FAWCO attended the UN Special Assembly on Children in May 2002 in NY. Several FAWCO representatives, including FAWCO’s President attended the World Assembly on Aging in April 2002 in Madrid. In April 2003, the Director of FAWCO’s Environmental Committee participated in the 12th International Conference on Water and Health in NY.

In 2003, FAWCO’s NGO Director attended the CONGO General Assemblies in April and December as well as the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva She also was present for the World Summit on Information Society(WSIS) in December. This was preceded by attendance by a FAWCO representative at the Intercessional meeting on WSIS in Paris 2003.

In 2003, FAWCO was asked to be a founding member of the CONGO HIV/AIDS Committee in Geneva and New York. In addition to regular attendance on meetings, the NY Liaison has participated at various programs in NY including the NGO Round Table on Millennium Goals- Health Progress and Prospects in 2004.

The President of FAWCO attended the World Urban Forum in June, 2004 in Barcelona and local club representatives went to the UN Conference on Asian Civil Society Reform in Bangkok in 2004.

FAWCO Conferences
Every year, FAWCO holds its major conference where representatives of member clubs can meet, exchange ideas and continue the work of the organization. FAWCO has tried to ensure that each conference showcases or reflects some aspect of UN-related activities. In 2001, the President of the European Network of Ombudsmen for Children discussed the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In 2003 in Stockholm, Elisabeth Rehn, Special Representative of the Secretary General in Bosnia Herzegovina and co-author of Women War and Peace,a book on the impact of armed conflict on women and women’s role in peace building ,was the keynote speaker. In 2004, in The Hague, there was a panel devoted to Women, War and Peace where representatives of the International Court, International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons shared their experiences.

ECOSOC-Related Activities
Since 1967, the philanthropic arm of the Federation, the FAWCO Foundation, has diligently fulfilled its mandate to raise funds and administer them for charitable, scientific and educational purposes. It administers a program of grants for projects proposed by individual member club to benefit mainly women and children in developing countries. Each year the Foundation gives between $15,000- 20,000 in grants to organizations which normally do not receive major donations from other sources.
In 2001, grants went to Transit Homes for Girls in Maiti, Nepal which assists young girls who have been trafficked with counseling, health care and education; Chivuna Mission in Zambia providing medical supplies to a maternity and children’s ward; School for Girls in Upper Mustang, Nepal; a Women’s center in Azzib Morocco which assists on literacy projects and money for the Punjabi Hospital to work on infant mortality problems.