Empowering Moments That Open Our Eyes

Listening to the stories – real stories – opened our eyes to a host of conditions and challenges confronting women and girls throughout the world on a daily basis. One interactive workshop in particular – Financing for Gender Equality: What’s Race, Class and Gender got to do with? – presented an opportunity “to consider the inter-linking problems that women face because of their gender, race ethnicity, caste, class, national origin or citizen status, sexual orientation, age and other factors.”

Participants gathered in 10 small groups to tell personal stories. They recounted the myriad number of ways that they or someone they knew were kept from resources necessary for fulfilling their basic rights. Although they came from diverse backgrounds and circumstances, these delegates to the Commission on the Status of Women shared easily with one another as they explored the common threads in the stories they heard.

As they reached consensus on the changes and policies that must occur, the participants showed just how much in harmony they really are. Their solidarity is empowering on many levels. Yet, later that evening, as I listened to our SSND group of students, sisters and colleagues discuss the day’s events I realized just how relative that sense of empowerment can be and how privileged we are to be at the heart of these dialogues.

Julie Gilberto-Brady
SSND Communications Coordinator

Students join SSND delegation to advocate for change

As a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the School Sisters of Notre Dame are afforded a powerful platform for advocacy. Responding to that responsibility, the School Sisters of Notre Dame have been taking a dynamic role in activities at the United Nations, such as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), for the past 15 years.

This year, the SSND delegation to the CSW includes a class from Mount Mary College, an SSND-sponsored school in Milwaukee. Those students arrived in New York today well-versed on this year’s CSW theme – financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women – and ready to advocate on behalf of concerns important to the School Sisters of Notre Dame – education, economic justice and girls’ and women’s human rights.

They believe education is vital means for economic and social development, that economic justice for girls creates a strong foundation for the rest of the population and that governments must invest in girls. And they won’t hesitate to tell any CSW delegate they meet during the course of the week how and why they must focus on solving these problems. These students are resolute in their objective to promote change that will lead to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Julie Gilberto-Brady

SSND Communications Coordinator

Determined to Make a Difference

Sometimes you need to force yourself to break a comfortable routine to get a fresh perspective on your goals. I was fortunate to be gifted with such an opportunity last year at the 51st Commission on the Status of Women meeting at the United Nations. The experience has continued to inspire my day-to-day life.

The CSW conference offered a chance to hear first-hand the devastating stories of violence and discrimination against girls worldwide. Yet it also was a time of great hope. The gathering provided the chance to see how determinedly and selflessly thousands of organizations and their members, like the School Sisters of Notre Dame, are making a difference in the lives of the oppressed.

It is difficult to do justice explaining just how significant this impact can be, for it is not just the “organization” and its members who are making a difference. In our delegation were eight high school students from the United States, as well as Africa, Germany and Peru. All were students who had been inspired by the influence of SSND teachers. All were students who clearly embraced the values and vision of SSND Foundress Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger and who were committed to following her example to bring about transformation so that all children may reach their full potential.

Yes, it was impressive to see the power of so many organizations working with the same purpose in mind. As one, they returned to their far-flung homes determined to make a difference just as Blessed Theresa did in her lifetime. The SSNDs, students and teachers who attended the conference have initiated service projects, shared their experiences with television and radio audiences, lobbied public officials, spoken to student groups and forged relationships with peers across the globe. You can take a look at a few of the things they have accomplished in the past year on this web page: http://www.ssnd.org/External/News&Events/CSW/followup/csw_reports.htm .

This year, the SSND delegation to the CSW includes nine students from Mount Mary College in Milwaukee. They already have spent a semester preparing for this opportunity which will place them at the heart of change. They are eager to tackle the CSW theme for 2008 and join the movement to promote financing for gender equality around the world.

--Julie Gilberto-Brady

SSND Communications Coordinator