Who We Are

• Our Mandate
• Coordinating Committee & Staff
• Annual Reports
• Bylaws
  
• History
• Funding
• Become a Member

Our Mandate

UNPAC is an association of Manitoba women supporting women's equality and empowerment – locally and globally – through community action and education.

The purpose of UNPAC is to pursue implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action signed by Canada at the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women and to invite all women of Manitoba to participate in meeting the following objectives:

1. To facilitate the empowerment of women in all aspects of their lives.

2. To provide women with skills and information necessary for positive action in their own lives and in their communities

3. To promote understanding of and commitment to principles of women’s equality internationally accepted by the United Nations

4. To maintain and broaden connections with local and global women’s movements

5. To educate the Manitoba public about gender equality and about the impact that inequality has on the lives of girls and women through the production of information resources, speaking engagements and other activities.

6. To participate in the development of effective public policy which reflects the priorities of Manitoba women

7. To conduct research and analysis of the progress toward gender equality by all levels of government

   Back to Top

Coordinating Committee (Board)

UNPAC could not exist without the fabulous contributions of our Coordinating Committee and staff.

2009/2010 UNPAC Coordinating Committee Members

Kate Dobie
Gillian Doucet-Campbell
Caryn Douglas
Mara Fridell
Barbara Johnson
Athena Kovacs
Anna Liza Malaban
Robyn McEvoy
Gerri Thorsteinson
Britany Ying-Ying Vinluan
Gayle Zacharias

Click here to see bios of our Coordinating Commmittee members.

UNPAC Staff

Jennifer deGroot (Executive Director)
Susan Wadien (Project Coordinator)
Shuping Zhang (Bookkeeper)

Click here to see bios of our staff.

Annual Reports

• 2009-2010 Annual Report (Word document)
• 2008-2009 Annual Report
• 2007-2008 Annual Report
• 2006-2007 Annual Report
• 2005-2006 Annual Report
• 2004-2005 Annual Report (PDF format)
• 2003-2004 Annual Report (Word document)
• 2002-03 Annual Report (PDF format)
• 2001-02 Annual Report
• 2000-01 Annual Report
• 1999-00 Annual Report
• 1998-99 Annual Report
• 1997-98 Annual Report

Our bylaws

See UNPAC's bylaws.

Our history

UNPAC in Manitoba, Canada was established in 1995 after the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing to advocate for the implementation of the Platform for Action born out of Beijing as well as other United Nations agreements which advance women’s equality. UNPAC’s predecessor was the UN Decades for Women, which was formed when Manitoba women participated in the Third World Conference on Women in Nairobi in 1985.

Ten years later, 45 Manitoba women went to Beijing for the Fourth World Conference, participating in both the UN conference and the parallel NGO Conference. They returned to Manitoba with a commitment to see the recommendations in the Platform for Action implemented. UNPAC supports the objectives of the Platform for Action by working through community action and with other organizations, locally and globally, for equality, development, and peace.

In the years since Beijing, UNPAC has found many ways to encourage Manitobans and their elected officials to implement the recommendations of the Platform for Action right here at home. At the same time we have kept ourselves informed on progress around the world. UNPAC has organized conferences on such topics as “Girls Today, Women Tomorrow,” and “Preparing for Beijing+5”.

Five years after the Beijing conference, UNPAC prepared a Beijing+5 Report on the progress of the implementation of the Platform for Action in Manitoba focusing on health, violence, and poverty. Shortly after the Beijing+5 meetings in New York in 2000, UNPAC began working on the Women & Economy Project. By the time of the Beijing+10 meetings held in New York in 2005, UNPAC had initiated phase two of our Women & Economy Project, the Gender Budget Project. In 2008 and beyond UNPAC continues to work towards women's economic equality through the Women's Mentorship Project.

UNPAC logo

The UNPAC logo was designed by artist Kady Denton of Brandon upon her return from Beijing. The logo signifies UNPAC’s work of ‘unpacking’ the Platform for Action, ensuring that the document leads to real changes in the lives of women in Manitoba and around the world.

Funding

UNPAC gratefully acknowledges Status of Women Canada Women’s Program for funding our work for many years. We are also grateful to the Province of Manitoba for their support of our work.

Become a Member

UNPAC's work is sustained by our membership. As a member, you:

• receive electronic updates from us about workshop and action opportunities;
• get access to our feminist and justice materials (you can borrow materials from our office);can vote at our Annual General Meeting (held in Winnipeg each spring);can participate in our working groups and sit on our Coordinating Committee;
• support our vital work of supporting feminist education, organizing and advocacy!

Download our membership form (PDF).