UUCA’s Support for
Women’s Rights Worldwide
By Phyllis Marsh
As part of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8, I want to share with you how the Women’s Rights Worldwide program UUCA supported beginning in 2004 is still growing and making a difference.
In 2004 and 2005, at the urging of its UN Global Justice Committee, UUCA supported a Study/Action issue at UUA’s General Assembly on women’s rights. Pictured above are UUCA members in 2005 who urged its adoption at GA wearing the distinctive orange shirts with our logo. We lost but did not give up on the issue. Working with the Unitarian Universal Church of the Philippines, we sponsored several workshops to find ways in which Philippine women could earn money. One of the projects, the Doldol Garment Center, is still in operation today. It has won many awards and was there in early 2020 to supply masks to help fight COVID-19.
UUCA also supported the International Council of Unitarian Universalist Women from its beginning. Because of its many projects, that organization (now known as International Women’s Convocation (IWC) is recognized as being in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. This month IWC is presenting three virtual programs as part of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women CSW65, and I am moderating one of the panels.
UUCA offered wonderful support to fellow UUs working to empower women. Recently, I was asked by the Collington Residents Association where I now live to do a program on my involvement in women’s rights. Below is a link to my presentation in which I praise UUCA for its support.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdbyTl8uQ6w&feature=youtu.be
Thank you, UUCA. You made a difference!