WINNIPEG – The job is not done, said Ursula Goh, president of the Associated Country Women of the World.
Interviewed at the ACWW’s Canada area conference in Winnipeg Sept. 18-19, Goh said the group’s seven million members do not represent all countries. About 72 countries, almost half of the world’s total, have rural societies affiliated with the ACWW, including Canada’s women’s institutes.
“We’re still working on the Middle East,” said Goh.
She represents Malaysia, a multicultural country in South Asia. She said the Muslim religion in her country is peaceful and the different faiths respect each other’s beliefs.
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In responding to a question about whether the ACWW can help combat terrorism, the world president said, “this is a sad situation but ACWW believes women can play a big part in peace making. Our hope is that through our links with United Nations agencies, we can put our voice across. We, as women, are ready to do that. We emphasize that peace in the world is one of our greatest ambitions to achieve.”
Even where there is an ACWW affiliate, Goh said each country has areas where politics or the economy have created problems for women’s rights.
Canada’s representative to ACWW’s board, Margaret Yetman of Newfoundland and Labrador, said the opportunity to work worldwide empowers women in Canada.
Yetman, who will be attending her second ACWW board meeting next month in London, U.K., said one of her duties is to ensure Canadian WI members contribute $7,000 over her three year term to support an orphanage set up in India for the children of tsunami victims. During the first year $3,500 has been raised.
Goh said the ACWW and its affiliates support a number of such projects that build women’s leadership skills or assist them in raising income such as pig or chicken rearing. The members’ donations, grouped under the Pennies for Friendship label, allows ACWW to distribute $155,000 a year.
Goh noted that taxation laws in Canada and England have cost the ACWW projects money because groups that have charitable status cannot donate to another charity like ACWW. So the Manitoba WI, which has charity status, must find its own project to donate to, in addition to whatever individual WI women send to the Pennies for Friendship. MWI is raising $11,000 for a community water project in Kenya.
