National women's conference

By Lara Pullin

CANBERRA -- CAPOW!, the Coalition of Australian Participating Organisations of Women!, is a new networking body which is establishing itself as a powerful force for the more than 50 national women's organisations involved.

CAPOW! is in the throes of organising its inaugural national conference, to be held here from November 26 to 28. The theme of the conference is “networking”.

“It is going to be fantastic”, CAPOW!'s only paid organiser, Ingrid Fitzgerald, told Green Left Weekly. “The enthusiasm is overwhelming, especially from young women. This is an opportunity for all women, not just those who work in the area, to make the links.”

Fitzgerald said that the network “allows for and encourages the diversity of women, which really is as fundamental as those things which unite us. Diversity isn't always divisive.

“CAPOW! doesn't exist to replace women's organisations and the work they do. Rather, we aim to facilitate women's groups to work more effectively.”

She is quick to point out that CAPOW! is not, and has no desire to be, a peak body for women's organisations.

Although funding was sought for and granted to CAPOW! only 10 months ago, its successes in improving communications has led to the steering committee applying for a grant to staff a full-time secretariat and to fund research and training for women in the use of electronic networking software and databases.

For more information regarding the conference or CAPOW!, contact Ingrid Fitzgerald on (06) 247 7446 (phone and fax).

This article was posted on the Green Left Weekly Home Page.
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