Global Network-Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management

[Katalin Fabian]

New Global Network-Women Organizing for Change in
Agriculture and Natural Resource Management(WOCAN) / For more
information,
please visit: http://www.wocan.org
or contact: jeannettegurung at wocan.org

"A new global network has been formed for women professionals
working in
agriculture and natural resource management around the world to
build an
alliance of women (and men who support them) to support a
process of
change for gender equality in programs and organizations, and to
advocate
for the same in governments, national and international
agencies. A
fundamental principle of this network is that organizations
themselves
need to become gender sensitive in order to promote sustainable
development for rural communities.

The objective of WOCAN is to address three major gaps that
persist with
regards to sustainable and rural development processes: 1)
policies
regarding gender within the natural resource management sectors;
2) roles
of professional women in implementing policies for rural women's
empowerment and gender equality within these sectors, and 3)
organizational barriers that obstruct women from realizing
positions of
leadership and influence to take on such roles.

WOCAN members believe that the goal of improving gender
sensitivity within
organizations and their programs can best be addressed by a
group of
concerned women professionals who understand the obstacles faced
by most
women working in these sectors, who can develop a support
network that
provides: mentors, capacity building to act as facilitators of
change,
leadership development, a forum to share successful approaches
and
methods, and an alliance large and strong enough to challenge
existing
ways of doing things at all levels. And to, finally, enhance
their
effectiveness and service to rural women to assure their equal
access to
benefits of resources managed for sustainable development.

Membership in WOCAN is open to women who meet the following
qualifications: a. have degrees or diplomas in natural resources
related
sectors, including agriculture, livestock management, water,
forestry,
environmental studies, etc. OR b. have experience in the fields
of
agriculture or natural resource management (NRM) AND are
committed to the
goals of WOCAN and agree to its guiding principles c. can
contribute to
the network's goals (i.e., mentorship, training, proposal
writing, access
and share of information, research, influence/advocate, funding,
etc.) d.
pay annual dues (special provision made for lower income
members). We have
a special category for MEN who are supportive of our goals as
well, who
meet the same qualifications as above. With WOCAN membership,
you can join
this alliance and become either an individual or organizational
member.
Membership will bring you a regular newsletter with information,
events,
people in the news, a message board, reviews of books and
articles, etc.

We are now offering FREE MEMBERSHIP for a trial period through
March,
2005. If you qualify for membership, agree with our Guiding
Principles,
and would like to join us in this endeavor, please go to our
website,
www.wocan.org to complete the the application form, and return
it by email
or post to: Jeannette D. Gurung, PhD, Director, WOCAN 26 Beckett
Way,
Ithaca, New York 14850, U.S.A. Phone: 607-257-9795 Email:
jeannettegurung at wocan.org Website: http://www.wocan.org"

______________________________________________________________

Location: n/a
Deadline: April 1, 2005

--
Katalin Fabian
Lafayette College
Department of Government and Law
Kirby Hall 103
Easton, PA 18042-1780

Tel: (610) 330-5392
Fax: (610) 330-5397