News & Events    
Monday, February 25, 2008

Participants in SSND-sponsored caucus
begin reviewing draft outcome document


Sister Ann Scholz, SSND, moderates the Caucus on Girls' Issues and Concerns at the Commission on the Status of Women.     

          Bringing a wealth of interests and backgrounds to the Caucus on Girls Issues and Concerns sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, an overflow group of more than 50 began the process Monday of examining and revising the draft of the Commission on the Status of Women’s outcome document.

          The caucus, co-sponsored by SSND and the Working Group on Girls of the NGO Committee on UNICEF, brought together CSW delegates from more than 15 countries, including Senegal, Canada, Romania, the Philippines, Switzerland, Poland, South Korea, Australia, Belgium and the United States.

          Commission on the Status of Women delegates began their two-week meeting Monday on the theme of financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women. During this session, they will draft an outcome document that includes their agreed conclusions and their policy statement.

          Although the caucus participants shared a common interest in the rights and needs of girls, each also identified specific area of concerns, including violence against women and girls, education, trafficking, leadership, bridging the generation gap, health, the influence of media and music lyrics, sexual exploitation and teen mothers.

          Directing the participants to break into small groups according to their areas of interest, Sister Ann Scholz, SSND, who moderated the session, initiated the process for a constructive review of the CSW draft outcome document.

          “The Working Group on Girls already has developed alternative language for the draft document, and we want you to review those suggestions,” Sister Ann said to the group. “Take that document and look at it from your perspective. Identify what is missing from the draft document.”

          The small groups will submit their suggestions to Sister Ann and the Working Group on Girls. Those ideas will be incorporated into the document for the caucus to review when they meet again on Wednesday. The next step will be for caucus participants to take the new document and distribute it to the missions attending the CSW.

          To read the draft outcome document with the suggested amendments from the Working Group on Girls, click here for a Word document or click here for a .pdf document.

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Notes from the CSW

Taking Responsibility
           Presenting best practices that illustrate corporate commitment to gender equality, panelists discussed Corporate Social Responsibilities to Empower Women Economically during a parallel event sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United States and the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW).
           "Corporate Social Responsiblity is the continuing commitment by businesses to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community," said Thitinan Wattanavekin, head of deposits and marketing at Kiatnakin Bank in Thailand and finance director of BPW.
           She was joined on the panel by Ines Bozzini, executive of BOVESPA, the third largest stock exchange in the World; Bianca Stringuini, talent development diversity manager for American Express in Japan/Asia Pacific/Australia; and Ursula Wynhoven, special assistant to the executive director of the United National Global Compact Office.
           BOVESPA has been successful in its efforts to educate and engage women in Brazil in participating in stock trading. America Express has focused both internally and externally on gender issues, resulting in policies such as the requirement that women comprise one-third of all those interviewed for a job openings, as well as intiatives that help women start small businesses.

Challenges and Opportunities
           After Mount Mary College students with the delegation from the School Sisters of Notre Dame spent the day observing panel discussions and networking with other CSW participants, the spent the evening preparing for the next day's session.
           Above (from left) students Christine Behn, Briony Zlomke and Mollyrose Mahoney use a world map to indicate how many participants they met from other countries. The students also spent time journaling and Blogging about their experiences.