Four Academy of the Holy Angels students seized an incredible opportunity by joining 12,000 international leaders at the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. On March 11 and 12, Taylor Glynn, Lauren Gumban, Alexa Diaz, and Katherine Langan represented AHA with Director of Mission & Ministry Joan Connelly and international studies teacher/Model UN Moderator Jennifer Cucchisi.
This visit was made possible by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, AHA's foundresses and sponsors, who are an accredited non-governmental agency and hold a UN seat. Sister Beatriz Martinez-Garcia, SSND, director of the School Sisters' UN-NGO Office, welcomed the Academy's guests.
CSW promotes gender equality and female empowerment, shapes global standards, and documents the lives of women around the world. The first CSW was held in Lake Success, New York, in 1947.
“As a school sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, we believe in transformative education, and our time spent at the Commission on the Status of Women is transformative,” Connelly said. “I love that our students can witness women leaders from around the globe who are making a positive impact on the world. Our students see how one woman’s actions can effect change. After a couple of days at the UN, students are moved to, as Gandhi said, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.’
“We attended one workshop entitled Crimes Against Humanity in Afghanistan with a Gender Lens: Strengthening Global Coordination. We heard from several researchers on the impact of Taliban rule on Afghan women. While I knew the situation in Afghanistan was deteriorating, especially for girls and women, I was unaware of the extent of these human rights violations. One researcher used the phrase ‘institutional impunity’ for men engaging in violence, kidnapping, and forced marriage. We must not forget our sisters in Afghanistan.”
The students described being excited, honored, and privileged to participate in CSW68. AHA’s representatives attended committees concerning poverty in Cameroon, women in Gaza, how women resolve conflicts peacefully, and more.
“(CSW68) reinforced my view that the world is far from perfect and, as inhabitants of it, we must join together to work toward positive change,” Lauren Gumban observed. “My most memorable takeaway was the session we attended about the plight of Palestinian women. Seeing so many people come together to advocate for peace struck me emotionally…As a filmmaker, I realize that I have a voice that can reach all parts of the world. As such, learning more about current events is vital to my development as a storyteller and a global advocate.”
Kate Langan added, “I was pleasantly surprised to see so many women and men from around the world attending these sessions to better educate themselves and add to the discussions. As someone who plans to major in international relations and hopes to, one day, return to the UN in a more professional capacity, this experience has helped fuel my passion for working for women's rights…I became more knowledgeable about the pressing issues women around the world are facing, and the need for people like me to listen to the stories of other women and work with them to build a better tomorrow.”
Taylor Glynn described those in attendance as brilliant leaders and peacemakers of the world.
“It was incredible to hear these people speak, as the sense of dedication toward progress on the status of women was palpable in every room we visited,” Glynn shared. “My time at the UN both expanded and reinforced my worldview, as I had the opportunity to learn from experts and advocates about issues that I have taken a lot of time to educate myself about. Their insights helped offer new perspectives on these issues, and I am really grateful for the opportunity to participate in a global conversation about these important issues.”
Glynn particularly appreciated how people with diverse views were able to have a respectful discussion about complicated issues to effect change.
“World leaders can argue about the world's problems all they want, but it is only when they respectfully present multilateral solutions that address the concerns of many voices that real change will occur,” she observed.
Ms. Cucchisi noted, “It was a true honor to be able to attend CSW68 with such an incredible group of young women. This is such a wonderful opportunity for them to be able to live out part of our mission statement, ‘Our students are called to be leaders who recognize the dignity of all persons and promote justice and peace and care of all of God’s creation,’ as they not only attended the conference for two days, but they will also be sharing what they learned during a workshop at AHA.”
Cucchisi said the conference highlighted how women are agents for conflict resolution and peace.
“We have seen this before in so many places throughout the world, such as in the Liberian civil war and right now, with so many conflicts, wars, and human rights violations being committed throughout the world, it is so important that women be given the chance to have that seat at the table in peace talks and mediation.”
