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OAS AND CANADIAN AGENCY LAUNCH GENDER MAINSTREAMING PROJECT

  May 20, 2002

The Organization of American States (OAS) through the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), its advisory body on matters related to women, and the Canadian Agency for International Development (CIDA) will launch a Gender Mainstreaming Project as mandated by the Organization's General Assembly.

The jointly coordinated endeavor aims at equally, equitably and appropriately benefiting women and men in OAS funded projects.

The joint OAS/CIDA project presentation will take place on May 22 at 9:45 a.m. in the OAS Hall of the Americas, within the framework of the implementation of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of the Women's Human Rights and Gender Equality and Equality. Participants will include; Directors, Executive Secretaries, representatives from diplomatic Missions to the OAS as well members from other international organizations.

OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria and the Canadian Representative to the OAS, Ambassador Paul Durand, will open the meeting. The Executive Secretary of CIM, Carmen Lomellin, will proceed with the presentation of the project.

Other speakers will include; Diana Rivington, Director of the Equality of Gender and Protection of Youth of CIDA; Cecilia Valdivieso, Manager of the Gender and Development Group of the World Bank's Network of Poverty Reduction and Economic Management; and Claudio Grossman, Dean of the School of Law of American University and former President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The project is financed by the Canadian Government and seeks to train 200 OAS professionals at headquarters and 40 abroad in the integration of a gender perspective in all phases of OAS projects. The courses will be offered between November 2002 and April 2003.

Reference: E-101/02