By Shelley Hannah
I am in New York City to participate in events surrounding the meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations.
I am joining thousands of women and some men who gather every year around this time, usually in this city, to advance the participation of women in our society. We are here to witness government meetings in action, as well as to share our thoughts, knowledge, experiences and opinions at hundreds of official UN, and other civil society and non-governmental organizations’, forums and meetings.
I have come for the second time now in as many years because I am shocked, appalled… and inspired.
Let me explain. I learned about this event in 2012 after being introduced to the Voice of Women for Peace. VOW is a Canadian non-governmental organization that began in the early 1960s as a result of the deep concern of some Canadian women about the growing threat of nuclear war. The women in this group felt a strong need to have women’s voices be heard.
My introduction to VOW was through a Women’s Peacemaker Camp held in Waubashene in August 2012. There I learned about UN Security Council Resolution 1325, passed unanimously in 2000, which calls for the inclusion of women in peace and conflict negotiations.
To me, this landed as a no-brainer. Clearly, to many, it is not. Fourteen years later, fewer than 50 of the 193 UN member countries have adopted this agreement into a National Action Plan.
(Canada is among the 43 countries that have.)
This news stunned and angered me. And it has called me to action like my early Canadian VOW predecessors – to find ways to have women’s voices included.
Unbelievably, in 2014, the situation really has not changed significantly. Even here in Canada, on our own political front, it’s hard to celebrate “achieving” the fact that 25% of our nationally elected officials are women (77 out of 207 MPs), 28% of our provincial MPs (30 out of 107) and 22% of our local municipal officials in Clearview (two out of nine Councillors, Deputy Mayor and Mayor).
And so I have come to New York City to see how I might channel my incredulity, anger and, ultimately, love in creative ways to advance this call for the full inclusion of women in this world.
First step: spread the word!
Step two: begin a conversation locally – in my own life, and within the pages of the Echo. Beginning next month, I will write a column titled “Women Matter.” This will also serve, I am hoping, to act as an invitation to your Step 1 – to step into the conversation!
If this article has sparked anything for you, I welcome your comments, ideas and questions. Send them to me at anewworldcoaching@gmail.com.