July 5, 1995 - Episode 341 - Women of Achievement and Herstory

           > Continued from July 7, Point 7 addresses power sharing in
     WOA's continuing presentation of the proposals for The Platform for
     Action: 12 Critical Areas of Concern, a blueprint for women's
     advancement in countries around the world, which will be the main
     document to be adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women to
     be held in Beijing, China, September 4-15, 1995. <

           7. INEQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN THE SHARING OF
     POWER AND DECISION-MAKING AT ALL LEVELS

           Women have made little progress in attaining political positions
     in legislative bodies or in achieving the target of 30% in decision-
     making levels proposed by the Economic and Social Council. Although
     they constitute at least half of the electorate in almost all countries
     and have had the right to vote and hold office for more than a
     generation, few women are candidates for public office. According to
     the draft Platform "Discriminatory attitudes which permeate education
     and training, political party culture and government structures
     restrict women's political participation and deprive the world of
     women's leadership and vision."
           In 1993, there were only six female heads of Government
     worldwide. At the UN only six of the 186 Member countries have
     women Permanent Representatives. More than 100 countries have no 
     women in parliament at all. Developing countries have a better record
     of women's parliamentary representation (12 percent) than the
     industrialized nations (9 percent).
           Actions proposed include: Commit to establish the goal of
     gender balance in governmental bodies and committees. Consider
     examining party structures and procedures to remove discrimination
     against women's participation. Develop mechanism to appoint women in
     senior posts in UN organizations;
           << Continued on July 8, Point 8: Insufficient Mechanism at all
     Levels to Promote the Advancement of Women.>>

     07-05 .................................................

           B. July 5, 1755, Sarah Siddons, fabled British tragic actress.

           B. July 5, 1870, Wanda Landowska, Polish-born high priestess
     of the harpsichord, founded _Ecole de Musique Ancienne_ (1925) in
     Paris for experienced musicians to learn old musical instruments and
     musical styles. She also gave her much lauded concerts there. She
     was *the* recognized authority on keyboard instruments of the 17th
     and 18th centuries. Her harpsichord was specially built to her
     specification after Landowska painstakingly personally researched by
     studying and examining a large number of museum harpsichords so
     that her own would reflect the sounds of the mid-1700's when
     harpsichord usage was at its peak. Fleeing before Hitler's armies,
     Landowska, a Jew, had to abandon her 10,000 volume library and
     world collection of old instruments.  He mother was a linguist in
     Warsaw, Poland.

           Event July 5, 1870: St. Louis passed ordinance requiring
     prostitutes to be medically inspected for venereal disease (male
     customers were not inspected, as if the prostitutes spontaneously
     developed a venereal disease on their own.)

           Event July 5, 1900, Elizabeth Cohn becomes the first woman
     allowed to second the nomination of national convention when she
     spoke on behalf of William Jennings Bryan for President of the
     United States in the Democratic National Convention at Kansas City.

     Quotes du jour ................................................

           "Many women do not recognize themselves as discriminated
     against; no better proof could be found of the totality of their
     conditioning."
           -- Kate Millett in _Sexual Politics_.

           .................................................

           WOA salutes volunteers Jennifer Gagliardi for posting Women of
     Achievement and Herstory and Catt's Claws through her listserv and
     Paula Levine for her proofreading.  WOA depends on its readers to
     point out any factual mistakes. Try though we may, inadvertent
     errors occur, and sometimes recognized sources err. 

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