Advocating for gender equality
Awc professor in nyc to work with united nations
Arizona Western College Professor of History & Sociology Monica Ketchum-cárdenas has begun work representing Soroptimist International (SI) as a delegate to the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67). From March 6-17 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, she’ll be advocating for gender equality as part of SI’S global volunteer movement in lieu of the ordinary schedule that teaching in Yuma might require.
Per AWC, Ketchum-cárdenas was selected to participate along with 13 other women from SI of the Americas (SIA), which includes North and South America, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines. Additional delegates have joined from SI Great Britain & Ireland; SI Europe; SI Africa and SI South East Asia Pacific.
Collectively, advocating for human rights and gender equality through education and empowerment has been SI’S self-described purpose. They consult with the Economic and Social Council and have a permanent seat on the Commission on the Status of Women. Each year, the organization’s president leads a delegation to the annual CSW Session where leaders discuss progress and gaps in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, recommending further actions to promote gender equality.
And in the midst of this, Ketchum-cárdenas is officially representing SIA and the Women for Water Partnership. This year’s priority theme is “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.” During the session, the CSW will also review progress made toward the 2018 priority theme, “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls.”
“I am excited to participate in CSW67 as I have been following the progress made toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), particularly as they relate to gender issues,” Ketchum-cárdenas relayed. “This year’s theme truly resonates with me, as I have experienced how technology has improved access to education on one hand, yet has created new challenges on the other. I’m eager to convene with representatives from NGOS around the world who are collaborating to support the SDGS with gender equality front and center.”
As a delegate, the professor will be networking with United Nations officials and members of non-governmental organizations to advocate for SI’S positions on gender equality and share the organization’s work at the local and global levels.
While there, she’ll also be attending the SI of New York City’s Centennial Celebration since the “Global Voice for Women” was founded in Oakland, CA in 1921 and SI New York City was one of the first five clubs chartered.
While her membership doesn’t extend that far, Ketchum-cárdenas has been a member of SIA at the local, district and regional levels since 2006, chartering Soroptimist International of Greater Yuma in 2019 and was also the 2019 recipient of the Governor’s Award for the Desert Coast Region.