Empower Women for a Better World (2011)

Each year the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) hosts our Intergenerational Spring Seminar. Our 2011 theme was Empower Women for a Better World. Below is the statement complied by attendees to represent Unitarian Universalist voices at the United Nations. Learn more about UU-UNO work for women.

UU United Nations 2011 Seminar Statement

Whereas:

  • Women represent over 50% of the population yet carry the burden of systemic, global injustices and inequalities;
  • Women are victims of violence, rape, and torture;
  • One hundred countries do not have any laws against domestic violence, and seventy percent of women worldwide experience some form of violence in their lives;
  • Sex trafficking of women and children is an escalating issue in all countries;
  • Significant social change and economic development occurs when a country invests in its girls’ education;
  • When women have access to family planning services, they choose to have smaller, healthier families;
  • Women’s reproductive rights can mitigate the negative impacts of climate change by eliminating 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions;
  • Agricultural workers, the majority of whom are women, are unaware of and most subject to the effects of climate change;
  • Global climate change exacerbates war and gender disparity;
  • The presence of women normalizes the volatile climate in areas of conflict;
  • Women are underrepresented in policy-making and decision-making yet bring equally beneficial perspectives, talents, and abilities to the political arena;
  • Women’s rights are human rights,

We hereby resolve to:

  • Demonstrate the Unitarian Universalist principles and values instilled in our faith to the world community.
  • Continue to educate ourselves and our communities on global women’s issues.
  • Support implementation of General Assembly Resolutions 1325 and 1820 and the initiatives of “UN Women” to strengthen the power of our civil society.
  • Advocate for all businesses involved in the tourism industry to commit to the code of conduct for the protection of children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism.
  • Lead a faith-based effort to demand the ratification of CEDAW by the US Senate.
  • Invest in the education, healthcare, and security of women to empower women for a better world.
  • Provide voluntary family planning services to all women, specifically those in countries where women’s reproductive rights go unrecognized.
  • Encourage women to educate, advocate, and organize to support sustainable living.
  • Help women be equally and proportionally represented in government and international affairs.
  • Urge women to join together to work towards peace and civility in the world.