Industrialist Rakesh Dhawan
Dehradun, 6 Nov: Another feather has been added to the achievements of well known social worker and leading industrialist Rakesh Dhawan, which has also brought renown to Uttarakhand.
Dhawan has been elected Treasurer of the prestigious ‘International Alliance of Women (IAW)’. The election of the organisation was held some days ago, in which Rakesh Dhawan got 234 votes out of 235 cast by representatives from 47 countries.
Rakesh Dhawan was the first Indian Women to be elected to any post in the 103 year old organisation. Rosy Weiss of Austria was elected President and Lene Pind of Denmark as Secretary General.
The respective secretariats of the primary office-bearers function from their cities of residence. As such, Dehradun has come on the map for numerous women’s initiatives that the IAW would take.
Other women elected as board members from India were Manorama Bawa and Meena Pimpalapure.
Dhawan is also associated with the 80 year old ‘All India Women’s Conference’ and was Project Coordinator of ‘International Alliance of Women’ in the past.
An International Women’s Conference was organised recently in Doon through the efforts of Rakesh Dhawan at which renowned IPS officer Kiran Bedi was the Chief Guest.
The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) serves as the global umbrella organisation that unites, supports and promotes professional women and their networks to work together, share resources and leverage ideas.
The motto of the ‘International Alliance of Women’ is ‘Equal Rights – Equal Responsibilities’. The Alliance affirms that full and equal enjoyment of human rights – as laid down in treaties, conventions and declarations – is due to all women and girls. The IAW maintains that a prerequisite to securing these rights is the universal ratification and implementation without reservation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). IAW urges government to ratify and implement the optional protocol to CEDAW. The importance and value of women’s contribution as equal partners has been acknowledged in the numerous United Nations World Conferences held from 1975 through to the present time. Of particular relevance for women is the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, as amplified in 2000 and 2005, to which 189 member states have committed themselves.
For the years 2008 to 2010, the IAW has defined four pillars: Justice-Human Rights, Democracy, Peace and Elimination of Violence