The Final Day: Thank You

The session I am going to focus on for my final blog is the Rural Women's Empowerment, Strategies and Challenges of Women's NGOs by the International Alliance of Women, which included our own Cheryl Heyles. It was the perfect final session to attend.

The session had six powerful women (again from around the globe) who, although they acknowledged the difficulties that still exist, are perfect role models for women like myself on how to keep pushing through adversity with tenacity, grit, and drive.  They were full of positive energy, which would seem impossible to maintain considering the what they have faced...and yet, here they are. 

It was an absolute delight to once again hear Sizani Ngubane, the co-founded the Rural Women’s Movement (RWM) in South Africa, which is an organization by rural women for rural women. In addition to raising women up around her for at least 28 years, she has been awarded the 2018 Woman of Distinction Award and it is well deserved. She has survived attempts on her life while building an organization which is now, according the CSW62, "a coalition of more than 500 community based organizations comprised with a membership of 50,000 indigenous women and girls. This grassroots movement led an intensive campaign for women and girls’ independent land, property and inheritance rights by providing advocacy training and lobbying National Parliament and policy-makers for policies that are friendly to indigenous and rural women and girls. Additionally, RWM provides women training in farming, establishing land rights, networking to deal with crises and countering corruption."

I can hardly believe I got a second opportunity to hear her again! 

After the session, I headed back to the UN Headquarters and took advantage of the free tour.  With that, I went off to meet with some family that I had just met for the first time in my life! 

I would like to thank the CFUW for providing me with this absolutely fantastic opportunity. I have been fundamentally changed, and although I cannot describe perfectly how or why, I know that I view the world differently.  It is impossible to hear the stories that I was fortunate enough to hear and not be changed in some way forever.  I learned that if I listen, the possibility of helping communities becomes a true and viable option. I learned that although the reality of the world can be grim and difficult to look at, there are hundreds of amazing women, and people, dedicating their lives to addressing these issues.  I learned that there is an opportunity for everyone to contribute, regardless of what they may or may not think about themselves. 

I am looking forward to more fully engaging in this incredible federation, once again thank you.