February 24, 2005
New York, NY—"Women's Voices: Contested Territories," a dynamic side event of the 49th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), will generate provocative discussion about: who speaks for women, why it matters, and how it shapes public policy. Moderated by Susan McGee Bailey, Ph.D., the Executive Director of the Wellesley Centers for Women, the presentation will feature Jean B. Hardisty, Ph.D., Founder and President Emeritus of Political Research Associates and Senior Scholar at the Wellesley Centers for Women; the Reverend Margaret Rose, M. Div., Director for Women's Ministries, Episcopal Church, USA; and Avis Jones-DeWeever, Ph.D., Study Director for Poverty and Income Security at the Institute for Women's Policy Research. The program is open to conference attendees as well as the public and will be held Wednesday, March 2, 2005, from 6:30-8:00 p.m., 10th Floor, Room 10H at the UN Church Center, 777 UN Plaza (First Avenue and 44th Street).
During the panel presentation:
- Dr. Hardisty will identify various groups that speak for women and will define ideological differences between the often politically charged organizations.
- Reverend Rose will address the value of encouraging more active roles for women in government and church to enhance positive dialogues across the globe.
- Dr. Jones-DeWeever will share examples of women's programs and projects that have directly impacted changes to public policy.
The program will conclude with open discussion among attendees and presenters, moderated by Dr. Bailey.
This year's CSW conference, which runs February 28 through March 11, will focus on two thematic issues: review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the special session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century;" and current challenges and forward-looking strategies for the advancement and empowerment of women and girls.
Side events throughout the conference are organized by Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as the Wellesley Centers for Women and the Anglican Consultative Council, co-sponsors of "Women's Voices: Contested Territories."
