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Letter from Lincoln Chen and Balla Silla

Dear Friend,

As the September date for the Fourth World Conference on Women approaches, we would like to mobilize broad-based participation in support of gender equality. For this purpose, the enclosed statement was drafted which we are now circulating for endorsement. We hope when you have read it you will be willing to join us.

The aim of the statement is to foster dialogue and raise awareness about the importance of gender equality as well as to counter the idea that gender equality is advocated only by women or only for the benefit of women. We believe that many men support gender equality and that the benefits of gender equality would accrue to all members of society.

Signatories of the statement are participating in their individual capacities and not as official representatives of their respective institutions. Please feel free to distribute this statement to all potential participants and encourage them to submit the enclosed signature form by mail or fax. We are especially keen on diversity of backgrounds and experiences. The statement will be disseminated to official Conference delegations, the public and the media, before, during and after the Beijing Conference. If you have any questions or if we can provide additional information about this initiative, please do not hesitate to contact us at (Email) ctcahill@hsphsun2.harvard.edu or (Tel) 617.496.4856 or (Fax) 617.495.5418.

Thank you very much for your support. We hope that you will join us in this effort.

Yours sincerely,

Lincoln C. Chen, Takemi Professor, Harvard School of Public Health

Balla Silla, David E. Bell Fellow, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies

(Follow this link to the Statement and this link to the Form)