By Therese Hartwell, FAUSA
The UN Commission on the Status of Women proved to be rather overwhelming online, as it is in person, at least minus the need to travel from site to site for sessions. So much information—both disturbing and inspiring.
One of the most moving sessions for me was one on forced (often under-age) marriage in the United States, including a documentary film called “Knots.” The session served as a reminder to me that issues that we sometimes consider a problem only in “other places” also present serious challenges in the US—forced marriage, FGM, human trafficking. I know these things, but it is easy to lose a sense of these tragedies occurring in your own backyard.
Likewise, the stories shared in sessions like the Conversation Circles on Violence Against Women and Maternal Health and Black Women in the United States were heartbreaking. So often we talk about these types of issues conceptually, but when you hear the stories of individual people, you are reminded of the individual lives impacted—such an important reminder. I was struck by all the many ways violence is perpetrated against women and girls, especially females of color—physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.
And, as usual, I was immensely proud of the increasing role that FAWCO played in CSW. What an impact our relatively small but mighty organization makes!