@LATEST NEWS (as of MAY 28, 2025)
AWC Berlin is a proud founding member of FAWCO (www.fawco.org), an international network of independent volunteer clubs and associations with a total membership of around 12,000 in nearly 35 countries. FAWCO is active as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with special consultative status to the UN Economic and Social Council. FAWCO is non-profit and non-political. As a member of AWC Berlin, you are also a member of FAWCO.
If you are interested in learning more about FAWCO or if you have any questions, please contact your NEW FAWCO Representative Veronica Riffle (fawco.awcberlin@gmail.com). www.fawco.org, is where you can register and subscribe to receive FAWCO Newsletters.
Greetings to all as we officially approach Summer this month.
At the UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting in March, FAWCO hosted a powerful and eye-opening panel on non-consensual, image-based digital violence. The session opened with a stark and unsettling question: “What would you do if, on a Wednesday morning, you woke up to find hundreds of nude and compromising photos of yourself circulating online?” The answer is far from simple—and the consequences can lead to profound anguish and lifelong trauma.
Here’s the link to the full recording: UN CSW Panel: Tackling Non-Consensual Image-Based Violence Online
In May, the bipartisan Take It Down Act was signed into law in an effort to combat non-consensual intimate imagery, including deep fakes and real images and revenge porn.
Thank you to Jean Sands for submitting a quilt square for the 2026 FAWCO Friendship Quilt themed “Stand for Women”. The quilt will be unveiled at the global FAWCO conference in March and ticket sales fund the FAWCO Foundation programs.
I want to remind everyone that FAWCO has so many activities to support each of us and to make connections across the member clubs.I will continue to post these activities on our private FB page to remind you of them.
Here are FAWCO events on the calendar for June:
Thursday, June 5, 2 pm CET Target Project Application Open Meeting
This open meeting is intended to answer any questions you may have about the application materials as well as the application process for the Target Project. Any AWC member can nominate a project to be considered for this Target Project cycle (2025-2028) with the theme of HUMAN RIGHTS – find out criteria & process at this meeting.
Tuesday, June 10, 5 pm CET Human Rights Team Open Meeting: The Girl Child
The Human Rights Team will continue their speaker series on the 12 critical areas of concern from the Beijing Platform for Action – this month with guest speaker Karen Castellon to discuss the topic of The Girl Child, focusing on mental health, child brides and child widows.
News from the FAUSA World!
FAUSA (FAWCO Alumae USA) is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Their Getaway event will be live on OneCause. If you are going to be in or around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, October 9–12, consider joining their Getaway event. Check back here next month for the link! At FAUSA they are always looking for ways to connect with FAWCO clubs and disseminate info on repatriating to the US. Please send any ideas or requests to fawcoliaison@fausa.org!
Remember, as the school year is ending and if you are repatriating to the US this year, FAUSA can help through the “Homeward Bound” program. Go to the website https://www.fawco.org/ to see what services and support they can provide as you relocate to the States.
INSPIRING WOMEN MAGAZINE
The next issue of Inspiring Women, Women in the UN and Multilateral Diplomacy, will be out Thursday, June 5th! Read about FAWCO and FAUSA members fighting for the rights of the world’s most vulnerable people. Subscribe now for free and have it delivered directly to your inbox.
Looking ahead to our September issue, as part of the FAWCO Global Health Team’s 2025 focus on the topic, the theme is “The Phases of Womanhood”. Each phase brings unique and sometimes familiar health concerns and changes. There is much to share and learn in our community of women. Send nominations to iw.editor@fawco.org by Monday, June 9th.
In the meantime, don’t miss our favorite Profiles and Features from last year in our 2024 Highlights issue – including pictures of AWC Berlin’s 130th Anniversary Gala starting on page 63 – and stay in-the-loop with everything we’re doing by following us on Facebook.
Follow us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on what we’re doing – our next issue, Women in the UN and Multilateral Diplomacy, will be out June 5th!
Subscribe now to have it delivered (for free) directly to your inbox.
FAWCO was present with 20 live delegates at the 2024 UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York! Read about their experiences in blog posts on the FAWCO website.
FOR OUR MEMBERS WHO ARE US CITIZENS:
It’s Time to Register to VOTE 2025!
Don’t forget to register to vote in the new year. We have to register every year to vote in the US. Click www.votefromabroad.org for more information.
ID.me
ID.me allows US citizens/lawful permanent residents to verify their identity and access various US government agency websites, including the IRS, Social Security, the Veterans Administration and many individual state agencies. Get your verified digital ID card here.
FATCA 101: What American Investors Need to Know
Do you invest from outside the USA and are curious about how the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) affects you and your taxes? Read this article for an insightful overview.