The IFLA Women, Information and Libraries Special Interest Group (WIL) in cooperation with the University of South Africa (UNISA) Library and the UNISA Women’s Forum have the great pleasure of inviting colleagues to their satellite meeting in Pretoria, South Africa.

This is an official United Nations Beijing +20 event, part of the thematic events related to women issues being held around the world leading up to the UN Global Leaders’ Commitment Forum to Achieve Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in September 2015

Scope / Objectives

The purpose of this event is to encourage robust discussions and stimulate critical debate on how the Library and Information Services profession can contribute to the UN post-2015 sustainable development goals related to women.

Papers will cover areas closely related to the Conference aims, which are:

  • To evaluate the impact that Library and Information Services professionals have had towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals related to women.
  • To review what kind of best practices have been implemented in different countries to support achieving gender equality and women empowerment.
  • To discuss potential contributions that Library and Information Services professionals can make to the achievement of the Beijing+20 Campaign and the Sustainable Development goals related to women. 

The outcomes emanating from the meeting will be compiled and published locally. 

This event follows on from the inaugural IFLA Women, Information and Libraries conference session Women, Information and Libraries in relation to the UN Millennium Development Goals which took place at the World Library and Information Congress in Durban, South Africa in August 2007.

Background information

The UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a new universal set of goals, targets and indicators that UN Member States will be expected to use to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years. The SDGs follow, and expand on, the millennium development goals  (MDGs), which were agreed by governments in 2000 and are due to expire at the end of this year.

The Millennium Declaration, also adopted at the Millennium Submit on 8 September 2000, confirmed Member States’ resolve to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and to stimulate truly sustainable development. It highlighted the importance of ensuring equal human rights of women and men and implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

To register:   PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

                   PROGRAMME

For more information go to:  Women, Information and Libraries SIG Satellite Meeting