An international delegation from the School Sisters of Notre Dame, including students from SSND schools in Austria, Brazil, Japan and the United States, attended the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women meeting earlier this year in New York City, where they addressed the challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls.
In addition to the priority theme on the empowerment of rural women and girls, the CSW evaluated progress on participation in and access of women to the media and information and communications technologies (ICTs) and their impact on and use as an instrument for the advancement and empowerment of women. The CSW also discussed emerging issues, trends, focus areas and new approaches to questions affecting the situation of women, including equality between women and men.
Member states, as well as representatives of United Nations entities and of non-governmental organizations such as the School Sisters of Notre Dame, all participated in the two-week session.
“This year’s theme was especially relevant to us, because we have always seen our mission as a call to meet urgent needs not met by others,” said Sister Eileen Reilly, SSND, director of the SSND UN-NGO Office. Additionally, as the U.N. focuses on ‘Leaving No One Behind,’ we believe that rural women and girls are too often among those who are left behind.”
As a registered NGO (non-governmental organization) with the U.N. Department of Public Information since 1993, the School Sisters of Notre Dame also have Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC, which provides them with the opportunity to submit statements for consideration by the U.N. secretary general and the CSW. Past statements have reflected the SSND commitment to ensure that girls have a place at the table and a voice during these deliberations.
This year’s SSND delegation demonstrated that commitment. High school and college students have a unique role to play in reminding participants that girls must not be forgotten in the push for gender equality, and the SSNDs have been sponsoring high school or college students at CSW meetings for more than 10 years.
“The intersection of the priority theme of rural women and girls, who can be some of the most isolated people, and the review theme of access to media and ICTs gives us all opportunities to learn and share about some the best practices in empowering rural women and girls,” Sister Eileen said.
In addition to Sister Eileen, the SSND delegation for the first week of the two-week CSW session included Sister Carolyn Jost, SSND, of Brookfield, Illinois, and participants from Firesgasse School in Vienna, Austria; Notre Dame Jogakuin High School in Kyoto, Japan; the Institute of Notre Dame in Baltimore, Maryland; and three SSND-sponsored schools in Brazil.
SSND-sponsored Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, also sent a delegation to the CSW. Those participants incldued Sister Zipporah Marigwa, SSND, Professor Julie Tatlock, and eight students.
