28 September 2006

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Women Increase Connections

Today members of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) will be converging on Invercargill for the 2006 National Conference. The Conference will run from Thursday 28 September to Sunday 1 October 2006, at the Ascot Park Hotel.

The theme for the Conference is ncwnz + connections = ACCESS. This theme will explore ways for women to increase their access to skills development and equal employment opportunities, to health services, to economic opportunities, to advocacy and to increase access for rural communities.

The Conference programme includes a keynote address by Dr Anamah Tan, International Council of Women (ICW) President, and United Nations CEDAW Monitoring Committee member. Dr Tan will be focussing on women’s participation in the democratic process, overcoming barriers to leadership and governance positions and the elimination of discrimination against women.

The opening keynote address will be provided by Alana Bowman, Strategic Alliances Coordinator for the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges, picking up on the issues of violence in the communities.

Saturday’s programme will include an address by the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Hon. Lianne Dalziel. She will be reporting on the Government’s progress on key policies NCWNZ has been lobbying for since their ratification at last year’s National meeting in Nelson.

Local seminar facilitators presenting at the public session on Saturday 30 September include:

- Mary-Jane Thomas, Preston Russell Law, on Advocacy (Access to Justice)

- Mark O’Connor, Southport NZ, on Commerce (Access to Markets)

- Penny Simmonds, Southern Institute of Technology, on Skills (Access to Education)

- Leanne Samuels, Southland District Health Board on Services (Access to Health)

Two further seminar facilitators have been engaged, Philippa Reed, EEO Trust, on Employment (Access to Opportunities), and Ellen Ramsay, Rural Women New Zealand on Country (Access for rural families).

“This conference will provide the women influencing policy access to connections at national and international levels,” said Christine Low, National President, NCWNZ.

ENDS

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