In February, Rangita de Silva-de Alwis, S.J.D. served as a panelist on the program, “Expanding Access to Education and Employment Opportunities for Girls and Women with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) —Strategy for Action!” during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women meetings in New York, NY. Her presentation was on “STEM: Expanding opportunities for women and girls with disabilities in education and employment.” Also in February, de Silvade Alwis presented her paper, “Examining Gender Stereotypes in New Work/ Family Reconciliation Policies,” accepted for publishing in the Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy, during the Duke University Law School spring symposium.
Under the auspices of the Ford Foundation, de Silvade Alwis, lectured at University of Wuhan; the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and the Women’s University, Beijing, China; and convened a Gender and the Law Expert Group Meeting at the Ford Foundation in Beijing in March. Issues discussed included the proposal to equalize retirement ages for both men and women in China, the draft national domestic violence law, and innovative courses on Gender and the Law in Chinese law schools.
In April, de Silva-de Alwis offered a keynote presentation, “The Transformative Potential of the Human Rights Framework to address the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” during the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disabilities held in Honolulu, HI. She additionally presented during a pre-conference event, the International Forum on the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Transforming Global Visions to Local Actions. Also in April, de Silva-de Alwis was invited by Ambassador Melanne Verveer to attend a lunch in Washington, D.C. with Vice President of the All-China Women’s Federation Madam Meng Xiaosi in honor of the launch of the U.S.- China Women’s Leadership Exchange and Dialogue.
