Day 5 - Josh

Today was the big day, the one we’ve been working towards steadily over these last five months: our presentations and WomenNC panel! We met in front of the UN for pictures at 11:30, and then journeyed over to Pazzo Pizza (my new favorite eatery in New York) for pizza and pasta shortly afterwards. It was around this time that the butterflies began setting in – this was it, the culmination of our months of research and writing and rehearsing and learning. After stopping for coffee and making sure our blogs were in order, the other fellows and I walked over to the Church Center with Isabella around 2:00 to set up.

And then it happened. People slowly trickled into until the room was at capacity while we watched from a table set up at the front of the room. At just after 2:30, Jane introduced WomenNC and talked about CSW Fellowship program specifics. Then each of us presented our work. Afterwards, Jane helped us field questions from the audience. Everyone was incredibly kind, incredibly gracious. Their support radiated out at us; it was clear that people in the audience were invested and engaged.

This evening we attended a presentation by the Women’s Freedom Forum and it was one of the more powerful events I’ve witnessed here. The most emotional moment occurred when an Iranian activist spoke about her time as a political prisoner in the 1980s, when she was imprisoned for five years. Hearing her speak about the torture she endured, both physical and psychological, was genuinely moving.

I’m excited for the panels I’ve got planned tomorrow! There’s one about transilience that I’m particularly thrilled about.

Until then,

Josh

NYC Day 5: Justine Schnitzler New York Day 5

New York Day 5: Justine Schnitzler

Today, we had our WomenNC panel on the tenth floor of the Church Center of the United Nations. Though the presentation room was absolutely sweltering, the English language (or any language, for that matter) cannot even begin to express the feeling of watching a room fill with people eager to hear about the research we Fellows had conducted. I felt a swirling pit of nerves as soon as Dina began to descend from the podium and I walked toward the mic—but the moment I began to speak, all of my anxieties vanished and my voice came forth clear and strong. It’s an intoxicatingly powerful feeling to see an audience reacting to your words—and this panel was no exception. I can only say I am incredibly grateful for this entire opportunity—for WomenNC, for Beth, for the other Fellows, and for the opportunity to pursue this kind of research.

Tomorrow, we have another packed day of events. If all I have experienced so far is any indication, tomorrow will be incredible.

Until then,

Justine

Blog-12 PRESENTATIONS!- Liv

Blog #12-PRESENTATIONS!!

We presented today!  What am empowering feeling to share with the world your hard work and passions.  Despite our technical difficulties at the beginning, we ended on a high note resulting in amazing networking opportunities with other organizations from around the United States.  

 On three notable occasions, NGOs from other states requested information about the organization of WomenNC, that they might implement a similar program in their state.  I was flattered when a women from another part of North Carolina approached me and requested to keep in touch with me that we might work together to bring to light the issues presented through my talk.  It was wonderful to see a room filled to capacity with men and women who were there to support and learn from us. 

On several occasions as we spoke, comments and praises from audience members could be heard when poignant themes were revealed by our presentations.

Throughout the sessions here at CSW there has been a consistent focus on the importance that youth can have on the impact of women’s rights.  Today’s presentations demonstrate the power that younger members of the women’s movement can have to move others in the right direction. 

One of the largest and most consistent themes of CSW has been women in decision making positions and the significance of educating the youth of the world.  If a program like WomenNC can be replicated and implemented properly in other states, imagine the impact that the youth will have on the future.  Thank you to all of the other fellows for all of your hard work.  You inspire me on a daily basis and I am honored to have had the chance to work with leaders who will shape the future of our world.

Dina Shehata_Blog 12

Presentation Day!

Today was the day of our presentations and it's been such a crazy day, in a good way! We spent the morning relaxing and finalizing everything for our presentations and had lunch at an amazing pizza place. No pizza competes with New York pizza! We had some technical difficulties with our presentations because the microphone was not working properly but we got through it and everyone did such an amazing job! I have to say that I am relieved now that our presentations are over because I have definitely been nervous.

I want to say that all of the fellows did such an awesome job and I am proud of all the hard work and effort that everyone put into their presentations from the very start of the fellowship. We all have very different topics and we do not necessarily agree with each other all of the time but we worked together to represent WomenNC as best as we could!

We went to an event by the Women's Freedom Forum later in the evening that discussed the problems facing women in the Middle East. Their vision is for women to live in a world with dignity, equality, and respect. There were several panelists including a professor named Donna Hughes who made a point that is necessary to make because of the current problems we are facing worldwide. She said the Quran isn't the problem. The incorrect interpretations and assumptions people of all religions make about their own religions create negativity and misunderstandings of those religions as a whole. We need to educate ourselves so as to not penalize entire religions for the actions of a few. During this session, they showed a video of women who had been attacked with acid because they "did not wear their scarves properly." In no way does Islam condone that kind of behavior and it certainly condemns it. For people to take actions such as acid throwing in the name of my own religion is truly an outrage. At the end of the video, one woman had a sign that said "You can destroy my face but never my beliefs." Women are strong and will never stop fighting for the end of these atrocities and for equality.

On another note, I want to move to NYC because I have fallen in love with this place.

We will be heading out to dinner shortly to celebrate a job well done this afternoon!

Until tomorrow,

Dina Shehata

CSW Day 4 Blog

Today was another exciting day at CSW; however, today was the big day: our presentations! Our presentations were all amazing. The audience really connected with each of us, and I felt like they got a lot from the projects we all have spent so much time working on. I remember afterwards, I spoke with one man extensively about my topic of women in the prison system, and he actually said that while he had been aware of the issue of incarceration, I had introduced him to the gendered lens of understanding the issue. That was really cool to hear.

Before our presentations, I actually attended an event put on by the Black Women’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission based in Brooklyn, NY that tried to speak truth to power about sexual assault against black women in the United States and create spaces of healing and reconciliation around the history of sexual violence against black women. I really want to speak more with the women in the organization about the work that they do, especially as it pertains to restorative justice and the possibility of reconciliation when addressing gender-based violence not just between survivors and harm-doers but also between all involved members of a the community.

After our presentations, we attended an event hosted by the Women’s Freedom Forum, concerning women’s human rights in Iran. One woman, who was a political activist in Iran and was imprisoned for many years, shared a powerful testimony that led most of the audience in tears. She spoke the names of her fellow comrades and political prisoners, who were executed by the Iranian regime. Her testimony made me all the more conscious of my privilege as an American feminist and the freedoms I have to speak out against my government; however, listening to her story made me wonder how exactly feminist activists like myself could effectively be in international solidarity with our sisters fighting their struggles in other parts of the world. Hopefully, the rest of this week will give me more insight.

- Mina 

We are enough - Alison CSW Day 4

I truly wish I could explain my entire day of interesting sessions to our blog readers, but in the interest of time I will unfortunately have to cover just the highlights :) First, I attended a session hosted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Sweden and Zambia. Listening to Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of UNFPA, call for continued focus on sexual and reproductive human rights despite current conservative pushback around the world was phenomenal. I learned there that Sweden has an officially declared "feminist government" and that Zambia is a very progressive government regarding reproductive health.

Another highlight was attending the "ministerial panel" on women and political participation. Just putting on the headset and listening to the live translation of languages (from Japanese to Arabic to Spanish) while sitting in the official government chambers was such a rush, reminding of the utterly unique privilege WomenNC provides.

My view at the ministerial panel.

I entitled this blog "we are enough," inspired by an event entitled "The Effects of Armed Conflict on the Status of Women in the Arab World." The event was sobering--bringing to light the harsh treatment and particular dangers faced by women's rights activists in Bahrain and Egypt. Following the shocking stories of violence, however, a Jordanian activist shared her conception of women's power. She adamantly stated that Arab women do not need to be "saved" or "rescued" (certainly not by war) and that Arab women are volcanoes, are changemakers, fighters, are full of potential and that women are enough. 

This resonated with me, the idea that in all sectors of life around the world, women can be empowered to improve their situation exactly how they see fit (without anyone else defining this for them) and that women are enough. It may seem like a truism, but I think women's agency is often overlooked, even here at the CSW, and the conception of self-worth is important for all areas of women's rights. I especially see this in my own research--women whose work isn't valued, whose struggle is invisible to most must appreciate that they are enough. I hope as activists that can be one of our roles: to propagate self-worth and the appreciation that all struggles and all areas of human rights are worthy of concern. Simply, to spread the realization that we are enough.

Loved these posters calling for the involvement of young women and girls displayed in the UN lobby. Dismantle this flawed and failed patriarchy!!

Tomorrow is our presentation and I do plan to attend some additional sessions. Can't wait to report back on our experience!

CSW Day 4--Justine Schnitzler

Blog Post: Day 4

Today was an absolute whirlwind. I began my day in a session dedicated to understanding the effects political instability has had on Palestinian women. I was very disheartened to see so many individuals in the session came solely to propagate anti-Palestine views, when the panelists came to discuss not politics, but the humanity of women trapped in conflict zones. Regardless of personal feelings regarding Palestine statehood, real women live in Palestine, often without choice.

            The second session I attended, regarding innovative solutions to improve worldwide maternal health, was a real treat—primarily because an organization I worked with in high school, called Days for Girls, had a representative on the panel. Days for Girls attempts to “get back” the days girls miss from school and social activities while menstruating in many developing countries through handmade “kits”, which include hand-sewn reusable, sustainable cloth sanitary pads. I was so excited to see their mission shared at a panel, with so many other great speakers.

            The third session I attended was regarding the effects of armed conflict on women in the Arab world. Truly, I was completely blown away by the amount of information I was able to obtain in an hour and a half. My favorite quote of the event came from a panelist who said, “We come from the womb of Arab countries. We do not need a savior narrative”. It really made me think about how NGOS (and myself) can be most effective in helping in conflict issues—how to treat those in need with respect and the understanding that they need the opportunity to thrive within their own society, not us “creating” stability for them.

            Finally, I attended an event on youth in feminism in the same room that the WomenNC Fellows will be presenting in tomorrow (!). It was a fun event geared toward discussing how to overcome the limitations youth often place on themselves when striving to become feminist leaders.

            I cannot believe our panel is tomorrow. This week is flying by, and I can’t wait to share my knowledge with the rest of the conference.

Justine