UN Commision on the Status of Women 2012

Welcome to Our Rural Sisters from Around the World!!

After RDLN's panel on Empowering Rural Women in Poor Communities

From February 28th through March 4th, the Rural Development Leadership Network convened grassroots women (and men) working to overcome poverty and hunger in poor rural communities in the United States for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women nongovernmental organization sessions in New York.

RDLN Leaders work to support land ownership and stewardship among indigenous and grassroots people, strengthen family farms, promote opportunity for farmworker women, foster new small enterprises, and create a better quality of life through access to education, healthcare, housing, capital and other resources.  We organize for social justice and promote women’s leadership.

RDLN women come from areas that are historically oppressed and persistently poor, such as African-American parts of the rural South, Hispanic farmworker areas, Indian country, Appalachia, and refugee and immigrant communities.  We believe that some of the factors that perpetuate poverty in the developing world do the same in developing parts of the United States.

We have been privileged to exchange ideas, experience, and practices with women from other countries. We learn from each other as we share experiences. We welcome rural women from around the world who participated in the Commission on the Status of Women meetings this year!

RDLN Panel & Discussion - Empowering Rural Women in Poor Communities

U.S. rural women from poor communities shared their experiences and invited women from other countries to join in dialogue on Land, Unemployment, Entrepreneurship, Advocacy and more. Panelists included the following women:

RDLN Panelists: Shirley Sherrod, Marie Cirillo, Carol Judy, Theresa Isley, Scherri Greene, Meredith McGee

Marie Cirillo and Carol Judy - TN, Clearfork Community Institute Land Trust/Stewardship
---Paper by Marie Cirillo and Carol Judy: Our Fifty Years of Learning
Alina Diaz - NY, Catholic Charities volunteer Farmworker Women
Sherri Greene - Nez Perce Nation, ID Nontraditional work for women: Fishing/Energy Technology
Theresa Isley - NC, Family Violence & Rape Crisis Center Plant Closings
Meredith McGee - MS, Mendenhall Ministries, Entrepreneur, Author: Hunger, Family dysfunction
Shirley Sherrod - GA, Former Georgia Director, USDA Community Economic Development
Starry Krueger, RDLN, Moderator

Rural Caucus Meeting

• Artisans Market participation •
Friday, March 2 3-7 pm Church Center 2nd floor
Products from Southern Journeys, Nez Perce Nation, Mountain Made/Mountain Ways, Mississippi author, RDLN Leaders and guests

RDLN Issue Coordinaotr, (right) spoke on a panel with Rep Rosa De Lauro (D-CT), left, with other RDLN CSW delegates.

RDLN also cosponsored four events:
Maryknoll Sisters: "Panama: Rural Women Respond to Poverty Challenges, 2/27 8:30 am CCUN, 10th fl
Starry Krueger, Moderator

International Federation of University Women: "Rural Women of the Americas" 2/28 10:30 am CCUN 8th fl
Starry Krueger, Panelist

Women's International League for Peace & Freedom: "Rural Women-Food Sovereignty-Conflict-Peace" 3/1 10:30 Salvation Army, Main Auditorium, Alina Diaz, Panelist

National Council on Women United States "Challenges of Rural Women: Africa and the United States" 3/2 10:30 CCUN 11th fl Shirley McClain, Panelist.
----Paper by Shirley McClain: We are Making Progress: There are Many Hurdles to Overcome

Thanks to:  Orchard House, Southern Partners Fund, Common Counsel, Bank of America Foundation,CHS Foundation, Presbyterian Hunger Program, New Communities, Sponsoring Organizations and individuals.