CSW63 Day 2: NGO Community, A China Horror story and Cities for CEDAW

Today started off with my fellow WomenNC scholars and I attending a orientation meeting for NGOCSW as it pertains to the differences we have while being here at the United Nations. During the guide session, we were walked through the differences between the parallel events and side events. Were also graced by the presence of Dr. Lopa Bangeree, Director of Society Division UN Women. She spoke to us about the importance of setting the standard for cohesive policy action and to pursue urgent actions of implications. Soon-Young Yoon, US representative for the international Alliance of Women, also came and shared the story about "Beijing + 25" and the importance of its acceleration.

After the orientation, I went to the "China-Abandoned Social Protection for Baby Girls and Elderly Widows" parallel event. During this session I was happy, saddened, angry and I wanted to do something. I was happy to know that lawyer Reggie Little-John had brought about awareness to the mass forced abortion incidents that occur in China. I was saddened because I could feel the pain of the girls who had there babies taken away from them because they did not have a birthing permit. I felt, Why does a woman need permission to have a child, that is something women were created to do. That is to reproduce. In china now, you are allowed to have two children but the killing or taken away of a third child still remains. I was angry because of the upfront, raw de-humanization women in China have to face, Dr. Little-John shared a story with us about a client she had who was dragged from her home at 7 months of being pregnant, forced to have an abortion and was shackled while the procedure was being done. There was no care for her pain and after-which because she had no money to get rid of her now deceased baby, she was left with the baby at the corner of her bed for her to look at.  I had no idea that women in China were going through this, I knew there was a major population control but had no knowledge that this was one of the ways they kept there human population under control.  It was truly a intense session yet much needed session. As a woman of African decent I can relate through my ancestors of the way women have been forced to give up there children and endure pain as if they were not human.

As my day continued, I became excited about the WomenNC presentations. I had great hope that each and every WomenNC Scholarship that presented today would do a phenomenal job. They did just that! I was pleased to have seen so many women come and support WomenNC/Cities for CEDAW session today. It was simply amazing! Attending college in North Carolina has brought me so many opportunities, ones that have led me to WomenNC and has brought me to United Nations. One thing I got to do today that I have never done before was BE A PHOTOGRAPHER!! I took so many pictures on a professional camera of my fellow WomenNC scholars as they presented there research, I wanted to get every angle. I can't say they were the best, but I tried and I was just happy to be of a support to them in their moment of greatness! #WomenNCScholars2019ROCK!!

Best Regards,

Zybrea M. Knight