We are the Youth and We are the Future

Today was a relatively busy day. I enjoyed a morning in. However, my first session was entitled: Women, Peace, and Security National Action Plans(NAPs) in the Arab Region: Lebanon and Jordan. It was moderated by the first woman Minister of the Arts in the world. I really appreciated learning the logistics behind developing National Action Committees. Both countries have spoken on forming 1325 steering committees of the highest degree to alleviate possible governmental dissent. The committees comprised to complete the following steps in order to achieve their goal:

1. Adoption of national priorities
2. Development of activities (through sectorial meetings)
3.Budgeting the cost of the NAP
4. Endorsement of the NAP (through governmental funds and international donors)

Jordan serves as an excellent example of regional support prevailing with the help of national and international stakeholders. Lebanon is working to follow in their footsteps. Both nations' ultimate goal is to create a culture that understanding gender specific needs.

My afternoon session was one that I have been looking forward to for a while. It involved advanced notice, tickets and individual RSVPs. I was proud to watch my fellow WomenNC scholars volunteer to help with the session registration!

Take the Hot Seat:An Inter-generational Dialogue was a panel discussion with world leaders and the young advocates attending CSW. I thoroughly enjoyed it; my only complaint was that it wasn't longer. The panel included: the Executive of U.N. Women, the Chair of CSW, the Vice President of Colombia, the President of the National Institute of Women in Mexico, and the youngest person to serve as the Senate President in Bolivia, and the Youth Envoy to the U.N. Some of the top things I gleaned from this session were: That we as women are not part of the future, but rather part of the present because we're here now in the present. I took from that that we can make our impact now. We don't want to pull men back, we simply want to be able to go forward on equal footing.

I also thought it was extremely interesting that one of the panelist emphasize the importance of leisure time for  women as we often carry the burdens of society. I was struck by how inclusive the session was with several translators and sign interpreters. We discussed a youth strategy meant to be targeted before 2030 and ways to engage doubly marginalized groups, such as disabled women.

I also saw an abridged screening of WOMAN tonight in the EcoSoc chamber at the U.N. General Assembly Building. I don't have enough words to describe how moving, powerful, clever, grounded and inspiring it was. From the film, which I can't wait to go see in its entirety, I have taken that violence thrives in silence; the resistance of the patriarchy is the greatest threat to the fight to stop violence against women; and that a man's reputation should never be viewed above a woman's dignity.

Quote of the Day: I often hear inclusion is expensive. Accommodating those that are different is expensive. Let it be expensive because it is an investment in our future.If there's not room at the table for everyone, we need to build a larger table. -Jayathma Wickramanyake, Youth Envoy to the U.N.