Day 1 : Ecumenical Women

Saturday, March 11, 2017 - Day One of Our CSW61 Gathering

Ecumenical women, an international coalition of church denominations with status through ECOSOC at the UN (see overview post for more on UN organization), hosted us for our first day at UNCSW.

It was a Saturday and we arrived bright and early en masse to a breakfast, and was greeted by my first exposure to a multinational community. I had the pleasure of sitting next to a woman named Sar Kabaw Htoo who was from a diocese in Burma. She shared with me the project they've been working on in their community. The children all play outside in nature, and as a result don't often connect with one another. So they built a playground at the center of a number of living regions, not only for the kids to play together, but for the women to connect. This is proving to be a much needed central hub for women to share ideas, struggles and joy. Their diocese also gives out micro loans for women to make soap, thus allowing them to become more economically independent.

After a chance to chat, we move downstairs into the chapel.

The Church Center at the United Nations Chapel

A number of moving things said in this chapel throughout the day - not to mention the whole two weeks! Gorgeous stained glass windows border a crowded 2nd avenue, but inside the atmosphere is warm and intimate. We had the total pleasure of optional daily sermons and service by Rev. Dionne Boissiere, the Chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations. This first day, she spoke of "The Women Who Work." We began to explore just a bit of feminist theology by looking at influential female figures in the Old and New Testament. There is still so much more to learn about this, but I was touched by how many leaders across the globe are committed to analyzing the Bible with a feminist lens for the sake of, amongst other reasons, using faith to fight for justice.

There was a great panel of speakers after this. It featured Lopa Banerjee, Chief of the Civil Society Section at UN Women, the current Director of the International Labor Organization (ILO), and Rev. Catalina, a pastor from Brazil. They each spoke about their takes on this year's theme, "Women's Economic Empowerment in a Changing World of Work." Just as Lopa was getting started with her talk, the "headlining" speaker of the day came in to speak. She was running late from the Youth Forum, whose proceedings were taking place simultaneously. Eloquent and intelligent each time she spoke, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, seemed to have the respect and admiration of everyone in the room. Here are some take aways from all of these talks.

From Phumzile, the main focuses of CSW this year will be on :

1. Care economy : Creating a safe and reliable environment for care workers (nannies, housekeepers, etc.) to thrive in.
2. Informal sector : From taking care of the home for free, to selling fruit on the streets, remembering the contributions (to the GDP for example) that of work that our global citizens provide. Working to fight for justice for these individuals, as well as more clearly define this category.
3. Definition of a family : This basic understanding of an "acceptable" unit of society allows for necessary protection, funding and more. With just under half of the world's countries outlawing same-sex relations, and single-parent homes growing, this a particularly pressing issue.
4. Digital competency : Very soon, 90% of jobs will require some basic level of digital competency. All of the difficulties getting girls in basic eduction in most developing countries, alongside inequality in the tech sector of developed countries, this is an important issue when considering women in the changing world of work.
5. Stereotyping : Breaking cultural norms and expectations that perpetuate unjust practices.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of South Africa, Executive Director of UN Women

Other take aways from the panel :

• We need more implementation on a local level, and unless we address the root causes (gender education and behavior awareness in men and boys), we cannot succeed in this.
• The laws won't change on their own, people need enforcement - greater penalties.
• Necessary to see women's equality as an investment, not just a moral issue. Improving women's equality would add $12 trillion to global growth.
• Gender based violence (GBV) is a social and economic issue - GBV in the home effects women at work, and normative practices seep into work culture and compromise women' productivity.
• The "jeans and t-shirt" level of work has the most issues, as the manufacturers of these goods are 98% women, and often in sub-par working conditions.
• A site visit as a part of the "Better Work Program" by ILO to an underperforming textile plant was illuminating - women we waking up at 3am to fetch water, cook food and tend to children, and then showing up to work at 8am exhausted and unfed. Providing the women with fruit and water upon their arrival increased productivity 250%.
• The faith community can be powerful advocates when scripture is analyzed with a feminist perspective.
• Need to provide minimum wage, collective bargaining organizations, and social protection systems to ensure safety and equal rights in work.
• Making the global local : municipal action needs to be in tandem with global policy, affirimng the efficacy, dignity and power of the individual.
• We are the agents of change in our own life.

Some of the 2017 Episcopal delegation

The latter half of the day was filled with meeting the other Episcopal delegates, and a reception to close the day. Some take away comments, paraphrased..

 - From a pastor who had previously studies political science :

At first I was studying all of these things, and it made me angry in a political way. And then I was studying scripture and it all started to make me angry in a spiritual way. That's when I realized I couldn't make the change I wanted to see just lecturing at the front of a classroom. 

- From a women who had worked in the military for years :

When the treaties are signed, supportive mechanisms aren't there.. we need more women at the table when peacemaking happens.

Powerful Quotes:

"Intellectual property is our work."

"We must pray for peace."

[ A Palestinian political leader in reference to Israeli-Palestinain conflict ]

"With gratitude, let us pick up the work they have already begun."

[ In closing recognition of women who have come before ]

A "shrine" to women and all the types of work they do. The notes are names of women we from each of us at the service, from all around the world.