Closed Doors UNCSW62 blog 8

            With hundreds of side and parallel events during CSW, the logistics of assigning times and room sizes (capacity ranging from 60-571) based on expected turnout and technological requirement is a best-guess adventure. It's impressive to see the coordination.

            A few times I've arrived at my intended location for a session to discover a closed door. Sometimes, an event fills to capacity, and that's that. In those times one can head to a different event, or engage in conversation with fellow delegates or new connections.

            At one event, however, we encountered locked doors: there was no signage, no one we asked knew what we were talking about. It was awkward, as more and more people arrived for the event, and we were standing on the street corner. As it turns out, the host building intended us to use an unmarked side door (with a different street address altogether), that necessitated buzzing in. When we were finally sorted, someone said "we all knew to come to this door, we didn't think of putting up a sign."

            Hmm. Not exactly helpful.

            It made me wonder how we, as the church, open our doors to the world. Do we provide enough information for people to find us, and come inside? Have we marked if our office door is at the back, or if there's a buzzer to ring if it's locked? Those f us within the church may be accustomed to our practices, but unless we are clear, we may inadvertently send a "closed" message to new folks.

            It also made me wonder about how we, as the church, open ourselves to the world. Are we willing to see the homeless person on the corner as a beloved child of God? Are we able to open our hearts to extend kindness to someone who is cruel to us, realising that they are simply lashing out from a place of deep pain? Are we capable of opening our ears to hear stories of injustice, and be compelled by the Gospel to take action?

            When we open ourselves, we are making ourselves vulnerable: we are engaging with someone else in ways that may cause us to change, to grow, to see the world differently. But should we remain closed, we will never see the benefit of new friendships, we will not engage in the healing power of reconciliation, we will reject the possibility of new ministries. Should we remain closed, we are telling people that their experience is unwanted, because it is different. "We know what we do" suggests that church is a secret society, a members-only club, rather than a community collected to praise and pray and serve.

            The door to the event was closed; but the teachings of the speakers were not. This invited us, as listeners, to ponder how we might open ourselves and engage in justice work.

            And we learned that we need to be clear in letting the world know where to find us; that we will be waiting to welcome them - at any age and stage; that we are faith-full enough to bravely embrace the hard work of BEing the church, striving for peace and justice. I expect that when we bravely fling open the door, we will find ourselves awed by the beauty of an enlarged reality, invited into a mission zone, embraced by the power of the Spirit that has finally been given a way in.

            May we find ways to remove those doors, to never be closed to the cries of the poor, the lonely, the hungry, the oppressed... but rather be a community which actively participates in God's work for God's world.

Stretching Tight Shoes UNCSW62 blog 7

"Pretty Shoes" CC BY2.0 by Denise Krebs. From Flickr

            An inspiring activist shared an analogy of tight shoes today. She said that as children, whenever new shoes arrived, she would wear her sister's smaller shoes for a day or two. The purpose for this was to stretch them out a little bit, breaking them in, so that they would be more comfortably wearable for her sister. Despite any personal discomfort, she was, in her words, making more space.

            This seemed to be a theme in my very busy day. I attended 6 distinct sessions Thursday, and all of them had the intention of making more space for justice for those who were restricted in some way.

            In the regional caucus meeting, discussions were held about the need for making space for NGOs to communicate in meaningful ways with the negotiating countries: identifying spaces that are friendly, spaces that are less receptive, and spaces that have been removed (a distressingly increasing number).

            The impact of faith was predominant in a number of discussions: a panel shared experiences and perspectives on climate change; it aimed to highlight church efforts of making space for women, as they are disproportionately impacted negatively by human-influenced climate change.

            In another, faith agencies identified what might be possible for justice issues affecting women and girls after mainstream media have "moved on", using examples of the Boko Haram atrocities which began the #bringbackourgirls campaign (distressingly, nearly 4 years ago) and local trafficking concerns (any night in New York City, some 5000 women and girls are being trafficked). We were challenged to find ways to make space for these issues to remain at the fore until they are fully resolved.

            A number of faith-based development organisations identified how working on cross-cutting themes, towards the Sustainable Development Goals, is making space for gender justice policies to become mainstream, thereby educating all people on gender equality to do things like dismantle the stigma of HIV/AIDS and educate communities on ending dangerous traditions to stop the spread of diseases like ebola.

            Migrant workers discussed the injustices that they face on a regular basis, inviting support against the rampant abuse in the agricultural sector, including psychological, physcal, and sexual abuses. The women told us how space was being made as they campaigned corporate buyers, 90% of whom work under their new third-party 'fair food standards council', under which the workers earn 1 cent more per pound of tomatoes picked and have access and structure to report abuses should any occur. This has led to a decrease in challenges.

            Most of my energy, however, went into a session addressing the intersectionality of human trafficking and the #MeToo movement. A crowded area was a space in which several survivors of human trafficking bravely shared their experiences. The stories were devastating; from a 5-year-old child raped (in front of her family), to a Harvey Weinstein victim, to a woman who escaped after 20 years of oppression and deals with the physical and psychological impacts of her harrowing experience. Her story will not be forgotten.

The victims thanked the participants for giving them space to share their story; they asked us to be aware that others may be needing such space, and to advocate and be intentional about creating safe space. Human trafficking denies humanity, it commodifies a woman or girl into an object for purchase or rent (globally the average price to buy a human in 2017 was $90 USD), it is anything but a victimless crime. And through the #MeToo movement, a voice is starting to be heard; a space is being made; a movement is demanding that the world eliminate the demand for this toxic evil in our culture. Any day when a woman or girl is trafficked is a day too many for this institutionalised violence. "Indifference is the largest threat to society today." (Ingibjorg Gisladottir)

            It was a heavy day; it was a long day. It was a day of eye-opening statistics and heart-gripping stories. People were gracious in sharing their narratives, their histories, their realities. They detailed the importance of having space made, of keeping space open, and encouraged that we all go out and make space.

            So how will you make space, for the equality of women and girls? What mild and temporary discomfort would you undertake in order that a woman or girl else might be more comfortable and safe? What actions might you undertake proactively to prevent harm to a sister in Christ?

            Whatever it might be, I pray we keep our eyes open for opportunities. Stretching a shoe is an easy piece of justice that makes the journey so much easier for us all.

It's Time To Act UNCSW62 blog 6

            Part of the reality of activism is the action itself: The policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change. (OED)

            People who participate in activism do it for many reasons: it's a cause they believe in, to support their peers and friends, to promote equality, for the betterment of society. For some it's out of a negative context; from a place of anger or hurt or rebellion.

            So why I am an activist for gender equality? Partly because I believe that women ad men were made equal in the eyes of God, and as such we should be afforded equal status in society. Partly because I come from a comfortable place of privilege where I have the option to stand up for those who are not as fortunate. Partly because the more I hear and learn and see about the subtle and overt forms of rampant sexism in our society, the more I feel called to action.

            Today I heard numerous examples of gender injustice and gender inequality, and I heard many examples of people acting out against it. It was a powerful and inspiring day.

            My day started with worship, hearing the story of Hagar's empowerment as child of God. Sameera Nazir of PODA spoke passionately of her work to change the role of women and girls in rural Pakistan from 'vulnerable' to 'effective change makers'. The UN World Food Program shared newest data on the interconnectivity of rural women's empowerment as a result of the Food Assistance for Assets program, from increases in nutrition, livelihood, leadership and decision-making, social connections, and understanding of rights. Mary Robinson and Geraldine Nason led a dialogue on enabling grassroots and indigenous women's participation in gender responsive climate action, highlighting the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and men in rural settings, and the need to re-imagine the conversation around policy creation and implementation at the local, national, and international levels. The day finished with a networking opportunity through Ecumenical Women.

            So why am I an activist? Because I listened to experts discuss what is possible, and questions began to form. I wondered how PODA provides age-appropriate programs for the women and the girls. I wondered how the WFP would use empowered FAA-recipient women to make the shift from food security to food sovereignty. I wondered if they were still using terminator seeds as part of their program. I wondered if Canada was a cautionary tale as the Missing and Murdered Women and Girls demonstrates a marginalised community being doubly silenced. I wondered if it was appropriate to invite people to challenge their faith leaders to openly discuss climate change and it's devastating impacts as a response to the innate spirituality of the planet (and that we have the community partners, mandate for justice, and forum for communication). I wondered... a lot of things. And I know that my sisters and brothers at dinner had wonderments of their own.

            And I knew that while I wondered these things, the time to of wonder is over; the time to act is now. Carefully, and learning from new mistakes, it is imperative to respond to gender inequality; by taking action: in prayer, in protest, in advocacy.

            Why am I an activist? Because I can be: and because the world needs me.

Is it About You, or Is it About the Common Good? UNCSW62 blog 5

            Being part of a large and diverse delegation is a beautiful opportunity. The Anglican Communion Delegation is comprises 20 women from every corner of the globe. We are possibly the most diverse delegation here at the CSW; representing Australia, Botswana, Canada, Central Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, England, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, Mexico, New Zealand, USA, Scotland, the Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania, and Wales. We are clergy, youth workers, students, entrepreneurs, ministry developers, lawyers, government officials, nurses. We are feminists, activists, strong Christian women who have come together, in faith, to learn how we might best respond to the challenges of women and girls who live in rural areas.

            As the delegation, we are here collectively, to be and celebrate and witness to the body of Christ. We are here to contribute in real and important ways to the common good; and discern ways to bring this common good back home with us. While we bring our own perspectives and contexts, we strongly carry the privilege and honour of being the Anglican Communion Delegation. 

            Part of the experience of being such a diverse delegation is the intentionality with which we come together. In a few short days, we have found ways to communicate across languages and jet lag. We've been using social media like Facebook and What'sApp to connect with one another, meeting up to attend sessions together, offering insights to the best places to eat, even planning an impromptu birthday party! We have come together in life-changing ways that deeply embraces what it means to be community.

            And so it is about the Common Good - as our rural specialist stated as she led a parallel session today on community governance. It is about the common good, as we shared our experiences of the Town Hall meeting with the UN Secretary-General. It is about the common good as our afternoon sessions focused on empowerment of women and girls in a variety of contexts. It is about the common good as we collected to hear about women engaging religious leaders to promote gender quality.

            It is not about any one of us singularly: if anyone was here for that purpose, they'd be in the wrong delegation. It is about the common good; because we really are stronger together, empowered and inspired and engaged in the work of being the worldwide church. And with 10 full days left, the possibility of our collective sisterhood is astonishing. We are here for the common good - thanks be to God!