Women of the world

In March I had the opportunity to travel to the United Nations in New York City to be a non-governmental organization (NGO) representative at the UN's 54th Conference on the Status of Women (CSW). My experience there was profound and eye-opening; I learned about gender justice issues, government and, ultimately, my faith. My attendance at the CSW was sponsored by the National Council of Churches (NCC) and, as a result, the seven other young women sponsored by the NCC and I became a part of the larger Christian-women's rights advocacy group present at the UN: the Ecumenical Women, an international coalition which has status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN, composed of gender-justice minded women and men from all denominations across the whole world.

As is obvious already, there was a lot of "alphabet soup" to be learned at the UN and, as a first-year college student considering a future in government work, I enjoyed throwing these terms around-at first. I was learning about government simply as I tried to keep all these acronyms straight!

As an Ecumenical Women representative, I attended plenary sessions, workshops, and caucuses to discuss CEDAW (Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) or the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals). These meetings highlighted the obstacles that women still face today-from workplace discrimination, to health issues, to poverty. The meetings were sometimes fascinating, sometimes depressing, sometimes dry and sometimes inspiring.

I heard women from Nigeria passionately recall progress made on the issue of female genital mutilation, but recognize the need for more attention on the issue. I heard American women call for our country's approval of CEDAW and felt embarrassed that we have not done so yet. I saw women from China sit next to women from Korea and Lebanon, all discussing their countries' concerns.

Yet, a common theme amidst every meeting was the conference's inadequate facilities and overcrowding. While our NCC leader warned us about these issues (they are apparently endemic at the CSW), I was incredibly concerned by them. Thousands of women from every corner of the world traveled to the UNCSW and, once they arrived, there was simply not enough room for them or systems in place to organize everyone. As a result, we were relegated to crowding into small rooms, sitting on the floor clamoring to hear (microphones were scarce) and waiting in six-hour security lines. At times, in the midst of these overcrowded meetings, alphabet soup and Robert's Rules of Order, I became incredibly frustrated; feeling that there was no way to solve the real issues of gender inequality if those who are concerned with making a change were given what seemed to be an ineffective platform to make that change. I almost felt defeated, but, thankfully, I did find hope.

As I have before in my life, I found hope in people and in faith. While sitting on the floor (especially in crowded rooms, heated to the toasty warmth of a New Yorkers' taste in a snowstorm) is not comfortable, it is conducive to bonding. It was easy to strike up a conversation with the person next to you, saying something akin to "Do you need me to scoot over?" or "Are your legs asleep yet?" and I found myself doing just that. I learned a lot in these conversations. One time, I sat next to a middle aged woman from Afghanistan. I asked her about a sheet of paper she carried; it outlined her advocacy issues, and she carried it with her so that she would be able to tell UN representatives her story in clear English. I was struck by her determination and dedication.

Sometimes these conversations caught me off-guard. While in New York, I did not feel close to home, but when I told a young woman from Kenya that I had traveled from Texas, she looked at me and said "Oh, so you are not too far from home." At first I was struck and wanted to say that I was pretty far. But I quickly realized, she was right, I was not too far from home. I did not have to learn a new language, get a passport or fly overseas. In that instant, my eyes were opened in a new way to the challenges that many of these women met and I was inspired by their perseverance. Through conversations with these women, I was truly moved. I was reminded of the importance of what we were doing and was grateful that there was a platform such as the UN (despite its frustrating problems) to have these conversations. I was glad that there were people, dedicated enough to these important issues, that they would endure these challenges to stand for what they believe.

Yet, what gave me hope more than anything was my faith. As a faith-based delegation, the Ecumenical Women began each day with a short morning worship. In those moments of worship, we, women and men from all parts of the world and denominations, sang songs — both new and familiar — prayed and read Bible verses. This worship was important to me for many reasons. I saw the greater church. I was touched to see people of such diverse backgrounds worshipping together. I saw the uniting power of faith. I was again reminded that my faith is something that calls me to action. And I was reminded of God's constant presence in life.

I also began to reflect on the role that my experience with the church has had on my development as a woman. My mother is a minister and, as the daughter of a female minister, I have grown up with a strong female presence in both my church and in my home. I have also been lucky to attend churches in which women have filled leading roles on the board, committees, and in worship. As a result, I have seen the church's tremendous capability to be a body which empowers women, and I believe that this power is only multiplied by the church's role as a faith body. I am proud that as a denomination the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) strongly supports women, and I believe my upbringing in this supportive environment has allowed me to develop into the person that I am today.

However, I am aware that this is not the case at all churches. At the CSW, I heard stories of women who were isolated from the church because of their gender. I found these stories heartbreaking and even angering. Yet, upon reflection, I have become attuned to the fact that, even in my church, women encounter difficulties that their male counterparts do not. Now, more than ever, I believe that these issues must be a central part of discussion and churches should intentionally encourage women to take on leadership roles in the church.

I know that it is difficult to have these difficult conversations in the context of church, a place where people try to avoid offense, but I believe that they are imperative. For, the church has tremendous capability to be a positive force in all social movements, including the gender justice movement. As more women lead in the church, stereotypes will change and girls, like myself, who are brought up in the church will have strong female leaders to encourage them. My experience at the CSW showed me that secular bodies, such as the UN, are essential components of change, but that for real change to occur people need something more; something to encourage them as they sit on the floor in crowded rooms and learn the intricacies of "alphabet soup." I know that for me, and the women of Ecumenical Women, the church has proven that it can be that "something more" and I hope that it will continue to be that "something more" for generations to come.