Day2 of the Global NGO Forum featured 2 further panels –‘Voices from Around the World : Regional Priorities and Action” and “Fulfilling the promise of gender equality, peace and development; Women Peace and Security, Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms, World Economic Crisis, Building Women’s Leadership and the Millennium Development Goals”.

While I missed the morning session due to having to get my UN pass, I heard that Cai Yiping from ISIS International presented extremely well. The morning panel allowed each of the world’s 6mregions to present the outcomes from their regional processes. Issues and recommendations from the Asia Pacific NGO Forum Declaration, presented to UN ESCAP in November, 2009 were shared with representatives from global NGOs. It is interesting to note that the Global NGO Forum attracted approximately the same number of women which attended the AP NGO Forum approx 700 women.

It is at this juncture I will point out some of the practicalities of a women’s forum with over 700 women in attendance. The forum was kindly supported by the Salvation Army who provided free venue for the forum. Given the balance between male and female was a little weighed towards female, some of the male toilets were given over to the women. Just imagine, in the breaks, the numbers waiting for the toilets….. While this is common practice in many establishments (a queue at the ladies room), these queues allowed an opportunity to meet and talk with women from many different countries and backgrounds. The conversation was stimulating and at times very funny as globally women discussed the presence of queues at the ladies room in their own countries….! Little did we know that the queuing for the bathroom was merely a training ground for the next few days when many women would need to queue for up to 5 hours to get their passes to get into the United Nations building.

During the lunch period, regional meetings were held to compile once again summary information from NGO’s present on the challenges, needs and future actions on key issues in their region. These were later presented back to the audience in summary form.

The speakers in the afternoon Panel brought informed insights into good practice examples for strengthening institutional mechanisms and addressing the issue of the world economic crisis.

Following the panel, Lynn Nottage presented a section of her Broadway play “Ruined” one girl’s story of rape and sexual slavery in the Congo. A reading that both shocked and angered the listener all at the same time.

As the end of the forum drew to a close special guests Rachel Mayanja, UN Secretary General, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women; Thora Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, HE Mr Garen Nazarien, Chair of the Bureau of CSW54 and Gertrude Mongella, President of the Pan African Parliament (Tanzania) were invited to the podium to be presented with the Global call to action, a statement drawn from the issues of the women of the world and presented to this illustrious group.

There is no formal linkage between the Global NGO Forum and CSW 54, but in the acceptance of the call to action, each special guest spoke on the importance of NGO participation in the development of policy, and in keeping their governments accountable to the commitments made. (video of the speeches can be found on the JERA International Face Book page and podcasting of all the four panels can be found on the ISIS International website.)

In the call to action, Pam Rajput shared with the Global NGO forum the initiative presented at the Asia Pacific NGO Forum where to support the GEAR entity, each woman puts one dollar into a fund that shows, as it grows, that governments need to take account for women and allows funding for women’s projects. As there are over 1 billion women in this world, this would soon reach proportions where governments and UN agencies would need to act and listen.

The session finished with a rendition of “We shall overcome” to new words. Conversations continued as women poured out of the auditorium and made their way to the subway and surrounding coffee shops.