SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN WOMEN'S CONFERENCE STARTS IN POREC

POREC, June 29 (Hina) - A three-day regional conference of women from south eastern Europe started in the northern Croatian coastal town of Porec on Thursday evening. The conference, organised by the Zagreb office of the U.S non- profit-making organisation Star Network of World Learning, has drawn about 60 women from Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and about 20 guests from central and eastern Europe and the United States. The goal of the conference, dedicated on strategies for advocating the economic and political strengthening of women in society, is to enable business women, female politicians unionists and women- members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in south eastern Europe to exchange their experience in order to draft strategies at national levels for support to women's efforts to establish their reputation in the economic and political sphere. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Commission for women's position and the Washington-based alternative policy centre's head, Linda Tarr- Whelen, addressed the Porec event, advocating strongly the gender equality. The conference will consist of four workshops - on women and labour market, women and business, women and social welfare and women and politics. (hina) ms