[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs press release] Applications are being accepted for a provincial delegate and up to 20 churchwide delegates to represent the Episcopal Church at the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) in New York, New York, March 13-24, 2017.

The provincial delegate and the churchwide delegates will be able to attend the official UNCSW proceedings at the United Nations and will represent the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion in their advocacy at the United Nations, including joint advocacy with the group Ecumenical Women.

The 2017 UNCSW’s priority theme is “Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work”; and the review theme is “Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls (agreed conclusions of the fifty-eighth session).” See more here.

Applications are open to an adult or youth (ages 14-19), woman or man, who can speak to the priority or review theme and are willing to participate in advocacy at the UNSCW.  Youth must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.

Applicants should have a relevant role at the parish, diocesan and/or provincial level, be accountable to a diocesan or provincial authority, and have a process for reporting back to the local community after participating in the UNCSW.

Delegates will be expected to be present in New York City for the UNSCW meeting between March 10 and 24 or as close to the entire stay as possible. Delegates will be responsible for their own travel, housing and program expenses.

Following a review of the applications, the delegates will be chosen by Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. All applicants will be notified by mid-October.

The application is available here. The deadline is Sept. 16.

For more information contact Lynnaia Main, Episcopal Church Global Relations Officer, lmain@episcopalchurch.org.