Episcopal, Anglican women gather in New York for 63rd annual UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting

Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs
Posted Feb 28, 2019

The 63rd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW 63) meeting in New York City March 11 to March 22 will gather women and girls, men and boys from The Episcopal Church and throughout the Anglican Communion.

During this meeting, Episcopal delegates will observe the official UNCSW meetings at United Nations headquarters and will represent the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. Along with the delegates from across the Anglican Communion and the faith-based coalition, Ecumenical Women, these Episcopal delegates will engage in advocacy related to the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church’s written statement on the 2019 priority theme, “Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.”  The written statement submitted by the Presiding Bishop to UNCSW is based on General Convention resolutions and can be found here. In addition to this meeting, each delegate is expected to participate in training prior to the UNCSW meeting and evaluations, reports and follow-up actions once back home.

Delegates
The delegates named by Presiding Bishop Curry are: Charlotte Healy, Diocese of Connecticut (Province I); the Rev. Martha Korienek, Diocese of New York (Province II); Michele Roberts, Diocese of Delaware (Province III); Karen Patterson, Diocese of Southwest Florida (Province IV); Samantha Hynes, Diocese of South Dakota (Province VI); Dana Jean, Diocese of Dallas (Province VII); Dr. Chiseche Mibenge, Diocese of El Camino Real (Province VIII); Luz Maria Lambis Garcés, Diocese of Colombia (Province IX) and Cynthia Wilson D’Alimonte (Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe).

Presiding Bishop’s staff members and interns accompanying the delegation are: Lynnaia Main, Episcopal Church representative to the United Nations; Katelyn Kenney, the Julia Chester Emery intern for the United Thank Offering serving at the Office of Government Relations in Washington, DC; the Rev. Glenda McQueen, staff officer for Latin America and the Caribbean; Jennifer Grant, staff officer for Global Relations and Networking; and Misty Kiwak Jacobs, Global Partnerships/Episcopal UN intern and seminarian at Berkeley at Yale Divinity School.

Presiding Bishop Curry named Jennifer Allen of the Diocese of Kansas as the Episcopal provincial delegate to the Anglican Communion delegation.

Additionally, Episcopalians and Anglicans will participate in UNCSW in groups or individually. The Episcopal Church Center will welcome participants from the Anglican Communion delegation, Mother’s Union, United Society Partners in the Gospel, St. George’s Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia, churches in the Diocese of New York and from ecumenical faith partners with the Ecumenical Women coalition.

Of note for the event:

  • The Episcopal Church will welcome all participants at UNCSW 63 on Monday, March 11 beginning at 9:00 am Eastern with welcome remarks, viewing of the UNCSW 63 opening session via livestream beginning at 10:00 am, and an opening Eucharist at 12:10 pm. The Reverend Glenda McQueen, partnership officer for Latin America and the Caribbean will celebrate and preach. The Eucharist will be followed by an orientation for newcomers.
  • A closing Eucharist on March 22 at 12:10 pm Eastern will be led by UNCSW delegates and will incorporate their stories, songs, and experiences.

In addition to these events at The Episcopal Church Center, Episcopalians and Anglicans will be organizing many other UNCSW parallel events and worship opportunities throughout New York City, at the Church Center for the United Nations, and at churches in the Episcopal Diocese of New York.  More information is located here.

The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion are members of and participate in advocacy with the faith-based coalition Ecumenical Women. Both organizations are signatories to Ecumenical Women’s joint written statement, found here. In addition, both delegations will participate in Ecumenical Women’s advocacy by wearing black in order to raise awareness and end gender-based violence, during a #LinkUp2EndGBV event on March 10 and a #ThursdaysinBlack event on March 14.

For more information contact Main at lmain@episcopalchurch.org.


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