In marking the International Women’s Day today, the council said they were grateful of the support provided by Sister Margaret.
She is fondly remembered as the lady who patiently taught the inmates to read and write at the Arorangi Prison.
Posted to the United Nations by her Order, Daughters of Charity, Sister Margaret has represented the policies and directions of her Order while also representing, where she can, the interests of the council members since 2014, on voluntary basis.
“Annually the United Nations convenes the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). This year marks the 63rd session of the CSW in New York. CSW is the principal global agency exclusively dedicated to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women; it was established by a UN Council resolution in 1946,” the statement said.
“The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
“Sister Margaret has her hands full at this session. Besides human trafficking and the impacts on refugee and migrant worker status, she will also be attending on behalf of the CINCW lobbying events relating to women and climate change, women and economic empowerment in small island states, and the ocean’s agendas.”
CINCW said it acknowledges the country’s latest gender policy (2019) which includes all of the council’s priority statements.
However it is concerned that not enough is covered on the impacts climate change, women’s economic empowerment, and health promotion agenda.
“It has been an ongoing request of the council that government maintain a stand-alone agency to address the broad and specific issues that impact women and their families, relating to domestic violence, leadership and governance, resilience and climate impacts on communities.
“Why? Without such an agency, all women and their family’s issues get pushed back again to fine print clauses that become less evident in island and national policies.
“For this reason, having friends in the right positions in faraway places has supported CINCW ensure development friends and governments uphold their side of the international commitments to improving the lives of women and their families.”
Originally published by Cook Island News.