Representatives of African Women's Organizations meet with Under Secretary – General of the UN Women Ms. Michelle Bachelet

United Nations under Secretary General for the UN Women Ms. Michelle Bachelet says she is in the process of developing a clear vision and plan for the first 100 days (three months) after the UN Women becomes operational on the 2nd of January 2011 and has since called on UN member states and other stakeholders like women's organizations and networks to provide concrete ideas that can inform this plan. Ms. Bachelet said this during a meeting she had with representatives of African Women leaders drawn from regional women's organizations and networks who met with her on 26th November, 2010 at the Transition offices of the UN Women in New York.

The African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) together with a wide range of African women's organizations, activists and members of the Africa Feminist Forum (AFF), organized to meet with Ms. Bachelet to start conversations regarding the vision for the UN Women. FEMNET in partnership with the African Women's Development Fund (AWDF), the convener of the African Feminist Forum and with the support of Urgent Action Fund – Africa facilitated a high level delegation of African women leaders to travel to New York to meet with the newly appointed head of the UN Women. FEMNET is a focal point organization for Africa in the Network of the Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign.

The delegation of African women leaders included Dr. Thelma Awori, Chairperson, Isis – WICCE, Dr. Hilda Tadria Chairperson, AWDF Ms. Ticky Monekosso Treasurer, FAS, Ms. Imane Belghiti Association Nationale AL HIDN (Consultative Status with ECOSOC, UN) GEAR Campaign, Focal Point North Africa/ Board Member, FEMNET and Ms. Norah Matovu Winyi Executive Director, FEMNET.

Ms. Bachelet mentioned that the policy team within the UN Women will make deliberate efforts to develop new and compelling arguments for supporting women's empowerment and gender equality programmes (WEGE). These could be political, social or economic arguments, which will be used in persuading member states to prioritize these issues in their national plans and budget allocations and monitor closely the impact of the programmes. The arguments for supporting WEGE will also be relevant to the resource mobilization efforts in order for the UN Women to achieve the initial budget of US D 500 million.