LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Respected Editors,

I represent The Center for Gender Studies at the Non-Governmental Western University in Baku, Azerbaidzhan. The center was founded in June 2000 as a non-commercial public association. The center has students and teachers, specialists in this field, and representatives of non-governmental women's organizations. The international magazine, "The Women's Dialogue" published by you is of great interest to us. Our earnest request is that you send copies of the magazine to our center address. We'll be most grateful. You will find information about our center on the website of Western University - www.wu.aznet.org

Respectfully, Lidia Rasulova, Director of the Center for Gender Studies

Goodday, dear Colleagues,

My name is Oksana Ivanina and I am the editor of the paper "Svetlovsk News." I live in the town of Svetlovsk in Kaliningrad region. I am 23 and this is my fourth year of work here. With each year our paper has been broadening its scope. We now put out two issues a week, of 12 and 4 type pages respectively. Next January we plan to become "a little fatter." Our newspaper is well thought of and many people cite it as a good example. It pleases us that our readership continues to grow.

I was very happy to receive a few recent issues of "The Women's Dialogue." Many thanks. Even more so that you published my article on my stay in Washington sponsored by the program "Open World." When I sent out my articles, I was not confident that they would be accepted and published. After all, we live in a small town and our level here might not be up to Moscow's. It was therefore very pleasant to see my text in the pages of such an interesting and important magazine. Thanks for that.

Now about the magazine itself. I really like it. The subjects you cover agitate many of our contemporaries. Frankly speaking, I've never seen anything like this magazine. It's very up to date, very topical. It helps women not just to learn something new, but to develop by focusing on defending their rights. I think this kind of publication is simply essential for our women. The materials in it can be used in various seminars.

As to the format, it corresponds to the contents of the magazine. The quality is good. The one thing I would like to see are more photos and perhaps something a bit more artistic in layout. In my view, it would add to the magazine's appeal.

Respectfully, Oksana Ivanina

How do you do!

Congratulations to your staff on the celebration of journalism's 300th anniversary. May you have creative achievements and new interesting themes to write about! Let me thank you for continuing to put out such an important and stimulating magazine for women. Women in our region read "We/Myi" with great interest; it covers many current themes rarely discussed in other publications. One wish: that you would write more often about the problems of women in the North and in our republic of SAKHA. Perhaps you would advise me what more I could do to broaden the sources of information for the women of our republic.

Thanks in advance for your assistance. Respectfully, Marina Belozerova, President of the women's regional public education institution, "Association of Humanitarian Initiatives," in Yakutsk