The African delegation to the International Conference on Racism in August will highlight issues of poverty, racism and gender, the SA National Non-Governmental Coalition said on Monday. After a meeting to start a joint civil society preparatory initiative, Sangoco president Mercia Andrews said: "It will be a very difficult conference because it is about the underbelly of our society at the moment. "Poverty in South Africa has a certain face... very much a rural women's face. Racism is very much tied up with economics here."