Presbyterians head to global gathering at the U.N. at a ‘critical time’ for women
Stated Clerk to join nearly 70 women in joint delegation coordinated by Presbyterian Women and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations
LOUISVILLE — The rights of women and girls will be top-of-mind as Presbyterian delegates, led by the Rev. Jihyun Oh, head to New York this week for the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, an international gathering focused on women’s empowerment.
The contingent, recruited by the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations and Presbyterian Women, will arrive Friday for an orientation at the Church of the Covenant. The informational meeting will take place during the run-up to CSW69, the official gathering at U.N. headquarters from March 10 to 21.
CSW is the U.N.’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment and attracts thousands of participants from governments and civil society organizations, along with experts and activists from across the world, to consider actions, strategies and investments for gender equality, according to U.N. Women.
“We are really looking forward to this time together and thankful to God for his goodness,” said Sue Rheem, who manages PMUN, part of the Interim Unified Agency (IUA).
“Through the years, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has adopted progressive policies advocating for women’s right to education, equality with men in decision-making, fair employment and reproductive rights,” Rheem continued. CSW “is a great opportunity for Presbyterians to come together to ensure women’s rights, to reduce the gender gaps and work for equal access to power and leadership opportunities and achieve justice for women and girls throughout the church, society and the world.”
Oh, who is the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of PC(USA) and Executive Director of the IUA, is scheduled to join the Presbyterian delegation remotely and in person. Also present will be representatives from various IUA ministries, such as the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness, the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, and Racial Equity and Women’s Intercultural Ministries.
The joint Presbyterian delegation consists of 68 delegates, representing 22 states, Puerto Rico and Germany.
“We will be hosting what we think will be the largest and most diverse delegation in the history of PMUN,” Rheem said. “The delegation consists of mid council leaders, synod commissioners and moderators, advisory committee members. We have pastors, elders, deacons, music directors, campus ministers, young seminarians and national church staff.”
Many delegates, including Laura Zhang Choi of New Jersey, will be participating for the first time.
“I want to learn how to engage congregations and our faith communities to better care for the least of these, especially women and girls whose rights are being stripped, even in our own country,” said Zhang Choi, a member of the Educate a Child roundtable. “I've always believed that to change the destiny of a family and the world, we have to educate girls — remove barriers and provide more opportunities. I hope to learn that from fellow Presbyterians and international leaders who are passionate about the same, and (who) have the will and determination to change policies to reflect that.”
Attending CSW is an annual tradition for members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and this year’s is particularly important, some say.
“CSW is meeting at a critical time when many of the gains that we’ve worked hard to achieve in gender equality and women’s empowerment are being eroded here at home in the United States and around the world,” Rheem said.
One of the main priorities of the official CSW69 gathering, also known as Beiing+30, is reviewing the progress of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was adopted three decades ago, according to U.N. Women.
“This year we mark the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995 and the adoption of the Beijing Platform of Action,” Rheem said. “It was considered to be the most comprehensive document on women’s rights ever agreed on by governments. The Commission will review the achievements and the current challenges that affect the implementation of the Platform of Action.”
Many educational side and parallel events will be held throughout CSW69. Presbyterians are hosting an intergenerational conversation coordinated entirely by young people. It will be 1 p.m. EDT March 12 at the Church of the Covenant.
“Our hope for this event is that it will foster deeper relationships and connections between Presbyterian women of all generations,” said Clare Balsan, advocacy associate for PMUN and a key organizer of the Presbyterian delegation. “As we look to our young adults as the future of the church, we must make sure we also listen to the wisdom and experiences of our older generations. We hope to show the wider church community that the church is still alive, active, involved and youthful, regardless of individual age!”
Bella Ramos, a Young Adult Volunteer at PMUN, added, “During the intergenerational event we are hosting, we hope to gain perspective from people of different generations about how they feel the church has changed over their lifetime, specifically relating to gender justice, and what they see that still needs to be done. We hope to create a space for young adults to reflect with those who have been in church for a long time to share hopes and dreams for the future of the church.”
The Presbyterian News Service will be following Presbyterian happenings at CSW, so check pcusa.org regularly. Also, follow these social media channels for blog, photo and multimedia posts: PC(USA), PMUN, Compassion, Peace & Justice. Instagram: PC(USA), PMUN
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