What
is the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women?
In 1995, approximately 50,000 girls, women and men from around the world went to Beijing,
China for this huge conference. It was an
amazing experience with cultural events and shared stories.
Most important, 189 governments signed a document called the Platform for Action, which
specifies a series of obligations under 12 different issue areas. This document sets minimum standards for
women’s and girls rights around the world. Although
it does not force governments to empower women and girls, it is important because it is a
United Nations document that places international pressure on them to change their laws
and behaviors to ensure women’s and girls’ human rights. People like us can use
the Platform for Action
to pressure our governments to follow-through on their promises to girls.
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What is the Platform for Action?
The Platform for Action
was the result of a two-year process that included meetings at the community, national
and international level and which engaged thousands of women in the policy-making process,
many for the first time. The Platform is not legally binding, but sets forth goals to
serve as a guide for improving the lives of women and girls. The role of governments is to
implement the Platform. The role of non-government organizations (NGOs) is to hold them
accountable, and to assist governments in implementation. The Platform for Action is an
important tool for NGOs efforts to promote the advancement of women. Click here for
a copy of the Beijing Platform for Action.
UN Special Session on Beijing
+5
In June 2000, the United Nations (UN) and its
member governments assessed progress in implementation of the Platform for Action.
This assessment, called "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the
Twenty First Century," took place in June 2000 at UN headquarters in New York. Also
known as "Beijing +5," the process allowed women’s communities throughout
the world to see how far their governments have come in implementing the Platform
for Action and their country-level national agendas for action. In preparation for Beijing + 5, regional meetings
were organized at the global level to prepare the meeting’s agenda. For the reports
of these global meetings, click here. The U.S.
government organized regional meetings with NGOs in the U.S. to assess implementation and
develop recommendations for further implementation of the Platform for Action
and the U.S. Women’s National
Action Agenda.
For reports of these U.S. regional meetings, click
here.
At the end of the UN Special Session on
Beijing + 5, member governments adopted a political declaration and outcome document
entitled "Further Actions and Initiatives to Implement the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action (click here ).”
Working with their governments, NGOs helped in the formulation of the outcome document.
Governments are now expected to implement the Platform for Action
as well as the recommendations from the Beijing + 5 outcomes document.
Beijing +5 was a strategic opportunity
for women and girls to strengthen their efforts to hold government accountable, at the
national, state and local levels on issues they identify as priorities. The recommendations from these meetings are
central to USWC’s vision for women’s and girls’ empowerment.
USWC Girls Speak Up Internet Forum
Report:
In the spring of last year, U.S. girls formed a working
group with US Women Connect to learn more about their lives, as well as identify ways to
make them better. The report from this online talk was sent to different groups,
including the U.S. government!
The report was also used in preparation for the United
Nations “Beijing + 5” activities which took place in New York City in June,
2000. “Beijing + 5” was a follow-up
meeting to review the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women that was held in
1995 in Beijing. Ever since 1995, girls have been ‘speaking up’ about our rights
to our government and the United Nations. This girls report includes our opinions on
leadership and self-esteem, school and careers, health and wellness, violence, research
about girls, and girls’ rights over a month-long electronic discussion.
Click here for a full copy of the
report. |
Girl Sites
…Cybergrrl
www.cybergrrl.com
Age: late middle/high school
This site contains articles on technology, religion, movies, pop culture and much, much
more. You'll find everything from feature stories to interviews, and everything in
between. Well designed, full of graphics, easy to navigate and full of interesting
stuff, it's a great site tostop by.
…Girls Place
www.girlsplace.com
Age: late elementary/middle school s
Written by four cool girls, Girls Place features articles on topics ranging from anorexia
to softball to interracial marriages.
…Girl Power!
www.health.org/gpower
Age: 9-14
Girl Power! is a national public education campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services to help encourage and empower 9- to 14-year-old girls to
make the most of their lives. The site features information for girls on a variety
of topics (such as alcohol, teen pregnancy, health and fitness, mental health, eating
disorders), as well as games and other fun stuff.
…GirlSite
www.girlsite.org
Age: middle school
GirlSite is a California-based organization devoted to teaching girls about technology and
the Internet through workshops and hands-on teaching. The web site, however, features a
little bit of everything: chat rooms, artwork and articles on books, sports, careers,
dreams, fashion and shopping.
…Girl Tech
www.girltech.com
Age: late elementary/middle/early high school
This is a fantastic site packed with profiles on girls and women in history and in the
news, girl reviews of books and movies, information on sports and math, and word games and
female inventors! Girls can also post their opinions, which are easy and fun to read. This
is an easy-to-navigate site with great graphics. The site also includes resources for
parents and schools, as well as links to other sites for girls to learn about a variety of
other topics.
…Girl Zone
www.girlzone.com
Age: late elementary/middle school
A place where every girl is cool, Girl Zone is a very cool site! Full of
graphics, site is a breeze to navigate and offers articles on a wide range of topics, such
as a first-person essay on a day-in-the-life of a girl in Pakistan, fads and fashion,
sports, emotions, relationships and other both silly and serious topics. There also are
places to chat and read other girls' opinions.
…Purple Moon
www.purple-moon.com
Age: elementary/middle school
This interactive site has lots of things to do, including scavenger hunts, games and chat
areas. While Purple Moon is sponsored by the software company of the same name, there are
almost no advertisements at this site. Instead, you can hook up with a pen pal, read
yummy girl-submitted recipes, read and send in poetry and more.
…Quest Beyond the PinkCollar
www-atdp.berkeley.edu/1623/students/quest/NewHome.html
Age: middle/high school
As this great site proclaims, it's a place where girls can learnabout themselves,
explore non-traditional career options, and learn about female role-models of the past,
present and future. The site features articles on sports, herstory, body image and
entertainment, as well as a bulletin board and chat room.
…Razzberry
www.razzberry.com
Age: high school
Razzberry is a cool chat room for girls on all sorts of topics. (You can click on a topic
to chat about it.) The site also posts the day's news so girls know what's happening
around the world at large.
…SmartGirl
www.smartgirl.com
Age: late middle/high school
This site is mostly geared toward discussion of relationships, health and other wellness
issues, as well as reviews of books, movies and music. The chat rooms contain lots of
postings, though, and are interesting to read. This site also has a good section of
girl-written reviews of computergames.
…Troom
www.troom.com
Age: middle school
Created by Tampax tampons, Troom is a general site with information on sports, travel,
fashion, make-up, music and cartoons-and lots of information on puberty and
menstruation. The site, which has pretty good graphics, is narrated by a girl
named Tina. It's an OK site, but definitely not the best or most entertaining. Some of the
advice to girls about topics such as fashion is either silly or simply not good.
Groups
& Organizations
…Girl Scouts
www.gsusa.org
Age: elementary/middle school
This site is for Scouts and non-Scouts alike. It features a section called Just 4
Girls, which contains craft ideas, art from girls, information on topics such as
science, a space for girls to submit questions (which are answered by a mom and her
daughter) on things such as relationships and bodies. The site also features links on a
variety of topics.
…Girls, Inc.
www.girlsinc.org
Age: elementary/middle school
This amazing organization is dedicated to helping every girl become strong, smart
and bold. Girls, Inc. is known for its excellent programs, including programs on
girls and money ( She's On the Money!), sports (Sporting Chance) and TV images of girls
(Girls Re-Cast TV). At the Girls, Inc. web site you will find activities and
articles, as well as statistics and neat resources about a particular topic. Other
sections of the site are for parents, teachers and adults who care about girls.
…Girls Unlimited
www.girlsunlimited.com
Age: middle/high school.
This site features articles on money, adventures, summer camps and colleges, as well as
profiles of young college women.
…An Income of Her Own
www.anincomeofherown.com
Age: all
An Income of Her Own is an organization devoted to supporting the economic empowerment of
young women, and this site lists programs, conferences and resources designed to do just
that.
…YWCA of the USA
www.ywca.org
Age: all
Dedicated to empowering girls and women and eliminating racism, the YWCA boasts two
national programs for girls. The YWCA is one of five groups sponsoring the National Girls
and Women in Sport Day (NGWSD). This year, the organization piloted TechGYRLS, an
initiative for girls ages 9-13 to help familiarize girls with careers in technology
as well as the use of technology in various aspects of their lives.
Health
& Wellness
…About-Face
www.about-face.org
Age: all
Want to learn more about how the media affect our perceptions of beauty? Visit this
informative website by About-Face, a San Francisco-based organization dedicated to
combating distorted and harmful images of girls and women. You can read poems and essays
abut female bodies, as well as view a Top Ten slide show of ads featuring
degrading images of women and girls.
…Eating Disorders Awarenessand Prevention, Inc. (EDAP)
members.aol.com/edapinc/home.html
Age: any
EDAP is a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the awareness and
prevention of eating disorders. The home page provides basic information on eating
disorders, as well as additional resources. The organization's toll-free hotline is (800)
931-2237 and will connect callers with resources, information and referrals to national
and local treatment providers.
…Go Ask Alice!
www.goaskalice.edu
Age: all
Go Ask Alice! is the health question and answer Internet site produced by Alice!, Columbia
University's Health Education Program, a division of the Columbia University Health
Service. You can submit your own questions about both physical and mental health and
relationships, as well as view others' questions and answers. It's a great, private way to
find out more about health and wellness.
…KidsHealth
www.kidshealth.org
Age: all
Want to find out more information about on just about every health topic?
Then log on to this website, which is packed with health articles for kids! You can also
submit health questions and read answers other kidshave sent in.
…Something Fishy
www.something-fishy.com/ed-4.htm
Age: all
This great website will link you to other eating disorder resources, including
organizations, hotline phone numbers and articles.
Art &
Music
…National Museum of Women in the Arts
www.nmwa.org
You don't have to go to Washington, D.C. to see visit the incredible National Museum of
Women in the Arts! Instead, head to this site for a view of the beautiful artwork
contained there! You can take a virtual tour of the museum, as well as read about women
artists.
…Womynlynks
www.netins.net/showcase/slake/women.html
Age: all
Womynlynks will directly link you to the websites about the lives and accomplishments of
women in music, literature, television, activism and the performing arts. Just scroll down
the list of women and click on the name of the women you want to learn more about.
…WOW'EM: Women On theWeb-ElectronMedia
raven.dartmouth.edu/~wowem
Age: high school/college
This site features a lots of information for girls interested in pursuing a career that
involves art and computers or math. Here you'll find job descriptions, tips on launching a
career in art and technology and schools with good music and art technology programs.
Math, Science & Technology
…The Backyard Project
www.backyard.org
Age: late middle/high school
This is a very hip, easy-to-navigate site for girls thinking about or already exploring a
career in computer science. The site contains information on a wide variety of
computer-related jobs, computer job salaries, interviews with women in the computer
business and advice on what you need to launch a successful career in computers.
…SmartGirl Computer GameReviews
www.smartgirl.com/pages/games.html
Age: late middle/high school
A portion of the SmartGirl website, this section features girl-written reviews of computer
games.
…Swarthmore College MathForum
forum.swarthmore.edu/social/math.women.html
Age: all
Part of the Swarthmore College Math Forum, this site contains information and lists of
other resources about women, girls and math.
…Women in Mathematics
www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/women.htm
Age: all
Sponsored by Agnes College, this site features relatively long biographies and photographs
of women mathematicians, as well as places to find more information about a particular
woman.
Sports
& Recreation
…Just Sports for Women
www.justwomen.com
Age: middle/high school
This site offers articles on all sorts of sports, features on female athletes (both
amateur and pro), athletic advice and a space to chat.
…Melpomene Institute
www.melpomene.org
Age: all
The nation's leading source of reliable information on the relationship between girls and
women's health and physical activity, Melpomene offers research, articles and resources
for girls and women interested in sports and recreation.
Women's Soccer World
www.womensoccer.com
Age: middle/high school
If you like soccer, you'll love this site sponsored by Women's Soccer World magazine! It's
packed with color photos and articles about women's soccer at the high school, college and
national level.
Writing
…A Girl's World Pen-Pal Spectacular
www.agirlsworld.com/geri/penpal/index.html
Age: all
Maintained by A Girl's World, this pen-pal site is comprehensive, fun and safe. You do not
need to give out your email address or any other personal information to receive and chat
with an on-line pen-pal.
Camps
…CampPage
www.camppage.com
Age: all
This comprehensive site contains contact and other information aboutvarious camps for
kids, including a directory of camps just for girls.
Magazines
…Cicada
www.cicadamag.com
Age: 14 and up
Looking for short stories and other writings for teens? You'll find lots of cool writing
in Cicada, a literary magazine for teens and young adults.
…Latina
www.latina.com
Age: high school
This site for Latina magazine has the latest information for, by and about Latina women.
You'll find articles on politics, fashion, education, business, finance, technology and
much more.
…Teen Voices
www.teenvoices.com
Age: middle/high school
With the motto, Because you're more than just a pretty face, Teen Voices is a
magazine dedicated to fostering teenage girls' positive self-image. The magazine is
published four times a year, and you can view portions of each issue on-line.
…Women's Feature Service
www.igc.apc.org/wfs
Age: middle/high school
WFS is a news-feature service that reports from 40 countries in all regions of the world.
WFS's network of women journalists produces approximately 400 articles a year, written
from a women's perspective, with a special focus on developing countries. While a monthly
email subscription of articles costs $6 for an individual, one current WFS article and
summaries of all other WFS features are posted weekly.
Virtual
Magazines (Also known as e-zines)
…CyberGrrlz
www.cybergrrlz.com
Age: late middle, high school
This cool site features articles, reviews and chat rooms on a variety of subjects. Put
together by girls and young women, this is a very pro-girl, down-to-earth site with lots
to offer.
Women's History
…4000 Years of Women in Science
www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/4000WS.html
Age: all
Features long lists by name, time period or subject-of women who have made a wide range of
scientific contributions. The biographies are only a few sentences long, but it will give
you names and information to get you started on a more in-depth search.
…The Declaration of Sentiments
www.rochester.edu/SBA/declare.html
Age: all
This address gets you right to a copy of the Declaration of Sentiments, a document similar
to the Declaration of Independence but written about women's rights. It was adopted in
1848 at the historic national women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York.
…Jewish Women's Archive
www.jwa.org
Age: all
The mission of the Jewish Women's Archive is to uncover, chronicle and transmit the
rich legacy of Jewish women and their contributions to our families and communities, to
our people and our world. At this site you will find tons of resources for and about
Jewish women and girls, past and present.
…Living the Legacy
www.legacy98.org
Age: all
Legacy 1998 celebrated the 150th anniversary of the 1848 women's rights convention in
Seneca Falls, New York. At this website, you can read what happened at the 150th
anniversary celebration, as well as a timeline of the women's rights movement in the
United States.
…National Women's Hall ofFame
www.greatwomen.org
Age: all
Contains short biographies and photographs of the women in the Hall of Fame, as well as
information on how to nominate a woman.
…National Women's History Project
www.nwhp.org
Age: all
Features resources and websites from the organization who helps us celebrate National
Women's History Week each March. Contains links to many other websites about women in
particular subjects.
…National Museum of Women's History
www.nwhm.org/exhibits/exhibit_frames.html
Age: all
This site lets you walk through a virtual museum dedicated to the U.S. women's
movement. You can view photos, buttons, banners and other items, as well as read about the
campaign to give women the right to vote.
…Women in Congress
clerkweb.house.gov/womenbio/alpha/alpha.htm
Age: all
Here you'll find short biographies and photographs of women who served in Congress.
OTHER
…Brave Girls and Strong Women book list
member.aol.com/brvgirls/
Age: elementary/middle school
This on-line library describes more than 40 little-known books that empower
girls. The list was compiled by Jyotsna Sreevivasan, who wrote the popular girl-empowering
books Aruna's Journeys and The Moon Over Crete.
…Ms. Foundation for Women
www.ms.foundation.org/ms/index.html
Age: all
This site contains information on Ms. Foundation events such as Take Our Daughters to Work
Day, as well as other resources (books, papers, media) for women and girls. The Ms.
Foundation funds and assists women's self-help organizing efforts, and pursues
changes in public consciousness, law, philanthropy and social policy. The site
contains information on how girls' groups can receive Ms. Foundation money and better
serve girls.
…New Moon: The Resource for Girls and Their Dreams
www.newmoon.org
Age: 8-14
New Moon is totally awesome! The magazine is advertising-free andwritten and edited by and
for girls. It features articles on girls and women from the past and present, games and
activities, poetry, fiction, advice and a whole host of other issues about growing up as a
girl. From the New Moon website you can read portions of each issue, as well as order New
Moon merchandise (including books and other resources for girls and adults) and connect to
New Moon Network, a publication for adults who care about girls.
…Voices of Youth
www.unicef.org/voy
Ages: all
Sponsored by UNICEF, the branch of the United Nations dedicated to improving the lives of
children throughout the world, Voices of Youth is a place for kids to talk about the
problems young people face throughout the world. You can take a quiz on topics such as the
rights of girls, as well as join a live chat. Resources for parents and teachers are also
provided. |
