This is being sent to all CFUW Presidents, Board members, and RDs as it contains information about the GWI Triennial in Lusaka, Zambia. The Triennial is open to any CFUW members who wish to attend, although only members from GWI-supporting Clubs (paying GWI dues)  may be voting delegates. Please distribute to all CFUW members in your Clubs. 

• GWI Triennial Planning
• CAMEUS
• Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69)

It is my pleasure to forward this GWI E-Blast featuring items of interest relating to the GWI and CFUW connection as well as other international work being engaged in by CFUW. This edition will deal with the GWI Triennial in some detail.

The current area of concentration is the GWI Triennial being held at Lusaka, Zambia September 11-13, 2025. The GWI Triennial Planning sub-committee of the CFUW International Relations Standing Committee was formed September 2024 with Chair Joy Hurst (Past President), and members; Grace Hollett, Lynne Kent, Pat Patton, Tamara Stomp, Kathryn Wilkinson.

Knowing that certain submissions to GWI would require approval at the IR Committee and Board levels, we checked the GWI Constitution and GWI Triennial Circulars of  2022 to estimate dates for the IR work plan, and deadlines  for submissions to GWI. This proved to be very helpful as some deadlines were as close as 12 days from the notification e.g., Constitutional Amendments. CFUW has, however, responded to GWI on all calls for action. Although information has been distributed as received from GWI, a full record of items relating to the Triennium is contained in this GWl E-Blast.

• Resolutions:  Four previously accepted CFUW Resolutions were modified for global applicability and approved by the CFUW Board for forwarding to GWI. Those, (familiar to you from CFUW Policy Sessions of 2023 and 2024) are International Trade, Prevention of Maternal Death, Peatland Preservation and Deep Sea Ecosystems.
  
  

Currently, we are working with the GWI Resolutions Committee Convener, Cats Sutherland on final wording that conforms to GWI’s requirements without compromising the CFUW thrust of the Resolutions.  In due course all proposed Advocacy resolutions accepted by the GWI Resolutions Committee will be circulated and NFAs will be given an opportunity to provide feedback and propose amendments, much like the CFUW process, with proposers having the opportunity to modify the proposed resolution prior to the Triennial General Assembly meeting. GWI supporting clubs will be asked to provide feedback and the International Relations Committee will co-ordinate and consolidate a CFUW response for submission prior to the GWI deadline for NFA response.

• Constitutional Amendments: Circular 7 was issued on March 29, 2025 calling for proposed amendments to the GWI constitution. A smaller group of the Triennial Committee, headed by Pat Patton, had reviewed the GWI constitution and   developed a list of proposed amendments which was taken to the IR committee. Those were approved by the CFUW Board and submitted by the deadline of April 10, 2025. A response was received, May 16, 2025 from GWI in the form of Circular 8.
  
  

The full list of CFUW’s proposed GWI constitutional amendments is here.

• Triennial Agenda: The draft agenda was circulated by GWI in Circular 2 on March 11th with a response date of April 30th.  The Planning committee reviewed it and submitted new items and other suggestions for the order of agenda items.  We are most concerned that an opportunity be available for NFA discussion ensuring GWI’s sustainability into the future. We asked that the budget and financial session be moved to earlier in the GA agenda. We also proposed that time on the agenda be dedicated for facilitated dialogue regarding NFA priorities and discussion about how GWI headquarters can advance those priorities and how NFAs can work together to further common areas of focus and action.
  
  

GWI released its 2024 Annual Report which included a financial section. 

Within CFUW we have found that the pre-AGM finance webinar has been well received and gives adequate time for member’s questions and dialogue regarding CFUW’s financial status. We have asked that GWI provide a pre-triennial finance workshop.

• Call for Nominations to GWI Board and Committees:  GWI circular 3 speaks to Board eligibility and circular 4 outlines the process. We revised the Nominations form being submitted to CFUW and published it in Club Action News.
  Nomination applications from individuals in CFUW were approved by the CFUW Board and submitted to GWI as per CFUW requirements and the processes required by GWI. 

Note that on receipt of nominations, the GWI Nominations Committee interviews nominees, and works to have nominations in place for all positions, which may involve negotiating with nominees and others.

In the next E-Blast we will look more closely at the involvement CFUW members have had in GWI committee work since the Triennial of 2022.

• Call for Delegates. We updated the form to be completed by voting delegates and other attendees, pointing out that only members from GWI-supporting Clubs should apply to be a delegate or alternate but a CFUW member from any Club may attend the Triennial. We asked all who plan to attend to complete the appropriate sections of the form and to pay close attention to the health information for travelling to Zambia. The deadline to complete the voting delegates and attendees form is May 31st, 2025.
• Registration information for GWI Triennial in Lusaka, Zambia Sept. 11-13: The registration information was received from GWI International News as an unnumbered circular on May 9th and was published same day in Club Action News. The online registration form is easy to complete.  The registration fee is 350 Swiss Francs and does not include food. This is $586.67 in Canadian dollars as of May 22, 2025. This correspondence includes some information about tours. (See below.)
  • Tours: A list is included along with the Registration information. However, before booking flights and a hotel room, you may need the dates and costs of the tours if you are considering spending additional time before or after the business meetings and conference. This information has been requested but not received as of May 22.

Workshops and Interdisciplinary Seminar Papers

Workshops are allocated 90 minutes, Interdisciplinary Seminar papers 20 minutes.

The themes for both types of presentation are:

1. Education and empowerment for women in diverse contexts: Pathways to a sustainable future.
2. What is a future context in which education, culture, gender and the economy will operate?
3. Gender-based cultural issues and barriers in education in relation to gender equity.
4. How relationships including intergenerational and community enable growth and sustainability.
5. Technology, AI, and Innovation: Relevance to Empowering Women for the Future.

Please see Circular 5 Workshops and Circular 6 Interdisciplinary Seminar Papers for additional details and submission process. 

The time is very short as applications must be received by GWI by June 1st. Prior to that, applications to do a workshop or an Interdisciplinary Seminar Paper must be received by CFUW at execdir@cfuw-fcfdu.ca and vpinternational@cfuw.ca by May 28th. Workshop applications will be forwarded directly to GWI by CFUW as required. Applications for the 20 minute Interdisciplinary Seminar Papers will be returned to the applicant for forwarding to GWI.

The CFUW lead and Chair of CAMEUS is Barbara DuMoulin, (Past VP International Relations 2022-2024). The information below is from her report.

Overview

CAMEUS, the North American regional affiliation of GWI members from CFUW, WG-USA, and FEMU of Mexico, focuses primarily on issues that migrant women and children face in our three countries due to social, political, and climate changes.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing our partnership was signed in March 2023 at the Mexican embassy in NYC while we were attending CSW67.

Recent Activities

We hold monthly meetings on Zoom. Our focus each fall is preparation for CSW and our own virtual presentation. This involves research, discussion about, and refinement of the topic, followed by a search for speakers from our respective countries.

• AT CSW69: In March 2025, CAMEUS presented a CSW69 virtual parallel session titled Recognizing Qualifications for Employment of Women Migrating to North America. This focused on issues faced by educated migrant women in having their professional credentials accepted by host countries. This topic encompasses two perspectives—the necessity for host countries to ensure immigrants are competently trained, and the experiences and frustrations of individual migrants as they prepare for employment aligned with their qualifications.
  
  

The session is available on our CFUW YouTube channel HERE

• Follow-up to CSW69: CAMEUS Members will review the session. prepare summaries of the credential issues and discuss potential follow-up actions
• CSW70: Planning for the CAMEUS CSW70 presentation in March 2026 has begun.
• Statement: We are working on a draft statement by CAMEUS to express our concerns over the political instability and hardships caused by changes in USA Government policies.
  
  

Future Possibilities for Research and Presentations

Due to the impact of international trade agreements on countries and individuals, we are considering hosting a webinar focusing on general trade agreements, with a specific emphasis on the USMCA.

Legislation and Advocacy

CAMEUS members regularly monitor actions and legislation within their countries affecting women and girls and share research through email.

Please note:

1. The next issue of the CFUW GWI E-Blast will be later in June and will include Triennial updates, Peer to Peer programs and  reports   from CFUW members on GWI committees. You can subscribe to the CFUW GWI E-Blast HERE
2. Subscribe to the GWI Update HERE
3. For items III-V, about CFUW’s other international programs, click HERE