April 1, 2003

Dear readers and UNWLA members:

In March I briefed our readers on one of the topic that the 47th session of the Commission on the Status of Women addressed. Today I would like to mention several others: trafficking in women and girls, gender equality, women's human right, elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls as defined in the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome document of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly and other topics related to the Beijing Platform for Action. One has to look at the roots and causes to find strategies to stop this modern day slavery, and violation of human rights. The economic situation, demand for cheap labor and the growth of the commercial sex industry are the factors for trafficking. The restrictive immigration policy and law are obstacles that somehow have to be overcome.

As long as trafficking has a supply and demand dimension, it is very hard to get to the core of the problem. No matter what the situation is, the women once entrapped in this situation cannot escape from their captor. She has no passport, therefore she has no identity and afraid to go the authorities because she will have to testify and that will endanger her family. Without her testimony there is no case and she is deported. No matter what the law, the woman is always the victim.

Ukrainian National Women's League of America, has been looking for a champion, for making the changes in the immigration and labor laws in Congress, it is a long process. As I am finishing this writing, news came in that seminars are to be launched in Ukraine next week aimed at instructing prosecutors and investigators from the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) and other law enforcement bodies in the use of mutual legal assistance and extradition treaties with other countries. The two-day seminars will be held throughout the country over a 10 month period. This most certainly is a step in the right direction.

At the 47th session of the Commission on the Status of Women the newly elected president Maria Shkambara of the World Federation of the Ukrainian Women's Organizations participated, we had a very special guest from Ukraine Olha Kobec, president of "Olena Teliha" organization. The Division of Advanceman of Women in UN sponsored her for the Commission.

We had the honor to meet with the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Valeriy Kuchinsky and his wife Alla. Later there was a reception for the newly elected president and our guest from Ukraine.

For the Commission the WFUWO presented a statement and I as the liaison officer with UN for the International Council of Women presented a statement with official number that was distributed to the official delegation during the 47th session.

The Executive Committee of UNWLA salutes the newly elected president of Detroit Regional Council Lidia Kazewich.

The reelected presidents of Regional Council New England, Zoryana Mishtal and Regional Council Chicago Lubomyra Kalin.

We wish them well in all their endeavors.

Iryna Kurowyckyj, President