Women's Plans Foundation
NEWS! Click the blue link to beam the Conference!
On May 28 – 30, thousands of leaders and advocates from 160 countries are gathering in Kuala Lumpur for Women Deliver 2013, one of the decades’ largest and most influential conferences on girls’ and women’s health and rights. Follow the conversation via the Women Deliver 2013 webcast, www.womendeliver.org featuring talks by some of the world’s leading voices on girls’ and women’s issues, including Melinda Gates, Graça Machel, Cecile Richards, Tewodros Melesse, and three UN agency heads, among many others. Over the course of the conference, sessions will address progress and ongoing challenges in maternal health, family planning, equality, education, and violence against women, with an overarching focus on why investments in girls and women must remain a global priority in the lead-up to the 2015 Millennium Development Goal deadline and beyond.
International Women's Day was celebrated by WPF at the UN Women's IWD Breakfast in Darling Harbour. Thoughful speeches were given by Her Excellency, Prof. Marie Bashir, Magistrate Rosie Johnson of the PNG Magisterial Services and two student speakers. Most eloquent of all was the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, in a moving tribute to women and a call to all to be involved. Did the media report this gathering of 1,700, including corporate tables, school tables, Federal and State Government leaders and give quotations from speeches? No.
Current Alert: /wpf/file/%20WPF%20%20A%20l%20e%20r%20t%20%20April_%20'13.pdf
Dr Stefania Siedlecky AM honoured
Her Excellency, NSW Governor Marie Bashir presented certificates valuing the service of women 90 years of age or more, at the Jean Arnot Memorial Lunch at Parliament House on May 10th, held by the National Council of Women and Business and Professional Women Australia. Stefania began with her medical practice, worked in gyneaecology, was senior advisor in Family Planning and Women's Health in the Commonwealth Department of Health. She was President of the Family Planning Association (now SH&FPA) and of the NSW body, and was on the UNFPA Advisory Committee on Women, Population and Development. Stefania has been Australian delgate to UN Conferences, and in 1980 she co-authored Populate and Perish - Australian Women's Fight for Birth Control. She was Honorary Associate in Demography, Macquarie University, lecturing until 2007. Stefania was an inaugural Trustee of Women's Plans Foundation, serving until 2010, and she continues as valued advisor. At the lunch, Alice Oppen, Stefania and Marjorie James. 
Launch of Consortium at Parliament House, Canberra, March 13, 2012
CARE Australia, Marie Stopes International Australia, the Burnet Institute, the Internaitonal Women's Development Agency and Plan Australia have joined to urge prioritisation of reproductive health in Australia's overseas aid program. CARE CEO Dr Julia Newton-Howes said, "Led by the Gates Foundation and the UK and US governments, this commitment will see billions invested in promoting women's reproductive choices. This is an initiative that will literally change the world. We hope to see Australia commit to this important initiative." Ms Maria Deveson-Crabbe, CEO of Marie Stopes said, "With increased collaboration between leading aid agencies, Australia can be part of catalytic change that will save lives. Tonight marks a very exciting opportunity to begin working together." Women's Plans Foundation's three attenders were Jess Cordingly, Helen Sheffer and Alice Oppen.
Roundtable Forum on Population Pressures:
Fifteen experts from science, medicine, women's advocacy, religion, economics and politics met in the Servcorp Boardroom, courtesy of Servcorp, on July 27th.
Read Communique here: wpf/file/Roundtable Communiqué for email(1).pdf
wpf/file/Media Release_July 27 Roundtable.pdf
Full publication, Population, Culture and Climate Change
or email WomensPlansFoundation@bigpond.com for a copies.
wpf/file/WPF Presentation_23_3_11(1).pdf
Around the Globe features new legislation making contraception legal in the Philippines. Awards, reports, coming events.
Past Alerts
wpf/file/February2012 Alert.pdf contains news:
10 Anniversary Celebration Lunch, April 3rd
Brief summary of NGO programs WPF augments.
"Around the Globe" - updates on needs and funding.
Tribute to ARHA
wpf/file/Feb11Alert(1).pdf
Updates on the need for contraception around the world, coming events, latest Awardee.
See Education page for Award ($1,000) applications.
The Women's Plans Scholarship Award for 2012 was presented to Kathleen Foster, Master of Nursing student at the University of Sydney. Kathleen was inspired by her time as a volunteer in St. Luke's Mission Hospital in Kenya. She saw firsthand the effects of nonexistent family planning, many of the women having their fourth or fifth child before age 25.
The Women's Plans Scholarship Award for 2011 was presented at the National Council of Women's Celebrate Being Australian Lunch on January 25, 2012 to Jacqueline Goss, who completed a Masters of Plubic Health at UNSW, majoring in International Heath, including Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, earning the Family Planning Certificate with Family Planning NSW. 
Photo of Jacqueline Goss and Alice Oppen at the ceremony.
Download the text of the presentation to the International Conference on Health and Development Rights for All, Hanoi, Vietnam, October 26 - 29, 2009 wpf/file/Raising public support(1).pdf and a feedback report wpf/file/Report- Int_ Conf_ Realising the Rights(1).pdf
Read this issue for photos, events, up to date articles on connections between global population and global warming.
Karina Sjibat (right) receiving her WPF Award.
Women's Plans Foundation Alert May 09
Women's Plans Foundation is delighted to announce that Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, has accepted the position of Patron.
The Women's Plans Foundation Scholarship Award for 2009 was presented by the National Council of Women at Parliament House, to Erin Law.
photo of Erin Law and Alice Oppen before the presentation.
Erin Law has had three years' experience in Bangladesh implementing and evaluating a health program specifically for women and children. She is interested in enabling women to develop strategies regarding their own reproductive health, and her goals are to train as a midwife and continue working on health in developing countries. This will complete her third degree, giving a broad range for public health overseas.
Update on what has been achieved with donations including
- Midwives on Bikes in Timor-Leste
- Training courses in Vietnam
- Health Education in 395 Remote Villages
- 1500 radio spots in the Solomon Islands
- ...and more
Controversy and Contraception
The use of condoms is beginning to be acceptable in areas of HIV/AIDS in Africa, but continuing are the many consequences of the Vatican's opposition to contraceptives in third world areas of poverty and famine.
Coming Events
Events for 2013
Book Now: PayPal or download form on Events Page
Card and Games Day
11 to 3, April 11th
Crescent Street, Hunter's Hill
Waterfront gardens, light lunch, wine.
$45
Morning Tea & Susannah Fullerton 200th anniversary of Pride & Prejudice The Women's Club, Elizabeth Street $50
Book Now: PayPal or download form on Events Page
Pre-pay for your tickets to WPF events with PayPal, who notify us of payment. Include address, email and event. Your receipt from us will include venue details.
RSVP helpful: 02 9817-5175 or email WomensPlansFoundation@bigpond.com