Dear Feminist Task Force partners and friends,

After so much talk of the year 2015, it is finally here.  Much of our social, environmental, economic and gender justice work has focused on reaching a “post 2015” world. Yet, while emphasis is placed heavily on post 2015 processes, we may likely not see the forest for the trees. We will be so concentrated on the details, we may miss seeing the situation as a whole.

Many have noticed that last year, 2014, was busier than ever. The potential exists in 2015that we will be chasing our tail far into 2016 without having the time to truly examine the larger global picture and discern on the necessary changes vital for our world, or in our personal realm. 2015 will bring us the commemoration of Beijing +20 and possibly the Fifth World Conference on Women, the convergence of a Post 2015 and Sustainable Development agendas, a UN conference for governments to commit to financing development and a major milestone meeting on Climate Change. 

For the FTF, 2015 offers an opportunity to reflect not only on our past, but to do some deep thinking about our future.  This March will mark our 10 year anniversary providing us the opportunity to view our past work, to envision a new future and reinstate our hope and vision for a world without women and girls’ poverty and impoverishment is no more. We hope you will join us in this venture by participating in forthcoming activities:

In 2015,

     –  Commemorating 10 years of bringing the message of gender equality to end poverty and advocating for women’s rights and empowerment;

     –  Bringing women’s visibility to the Financing for Development process and advocating for financing for gender equality;

     –  Bringing the voices of women to bear on the Post 2015 and Sustainable Development Goal agendas;

     –  Highlighting the impact of climate change and the extractives development model on lives of women, their families and communities;

• Converting women’s tribunal testimony and experiences into data sets and working to bridge the gender digital divide.

Whether you are caught in the whirlwinds of 2015, or ensuring a more contemplative approach, or somehow being tossed between both, our wish for you is for health, happiness and harmony in 2015!