Celebrating Young Women Leaders at World Council
The World YWCA has established the Mary Robinson Award for Young Women's Leadership in Human Rights to recognise young women leaders and human rights activists at the World Council and International Women's Summit in Zurich, Switzerland. Mary Robinson will present the awards during the Summit, as we celebrate young women's outstanding leadership on July 12. 2011.
Former Norwegian AIDS Ambassador and Special Adviser to the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Sigrun Mogedal, who is one of the Co-Chairs of the Mary Robinson Award Review Panel, shares her thoughts on young women's leadership and the importance of their work in human rights.
Why did you accept to co-chair the Mary Robinson Award for Young Women's Leadership in Human Rights?
I accepted to co-chair this award because it is an important initiative and because of the deep respect I have for Mary Robinson and everything that she stands for. She has protected and promoted the human rights of all, especially women and young people. I also have a strong belief in upholding human rights. These awards demonstrate the essential challenges and opportunities in human rights work, and they place young women at the centre of human rights.
Why are young women essential in human rights work, and why is it important to recognise their work in addressing human rights violations?
Women are essential in human rights work because they live in communities, families, and societies where they experience human rights violations. In this context, young women are especially vulnerable. Within this struggle, women have been able to fend for their family, their community and for what they believe in, and they represent a tremendous force for change. If they are given the chance, young women have a particular energy, and as they grow they have to orientate themselves into a society that does not always support their views or allow them to have a voice. Young women are fighting for their own life, for their own protection, but also for other young people who follow in their footsteps. Young women need to be at the centre of our work with women as they offer new perspectives, and also as a source for sustainability.
In a specific way, young women are struggling to secure their sexual and reproductive health and rights in an age where growing up with HIV is becoming normal in some countries, but stigma remains. Young women are also struggling to enjoy the right to education, to participation and inclusion. All of these challenges are experienced by young women in different parts of the world, along with the many challenges around civil and political rights.
How do you think we can better support young women?
Young women are often constrained by, and have to live with, decisions that are made for them. Due to this there is a real need for intergenerational dialogue. These dialogues often support a process of learning from each other, broaden perspectives and open minds to understand and overcome barriers. It is important to create spaces for this learning and to celebrate the diversity that we offer each other. Intergenerational dialogue can be an empowering experience for older women as well. It can embolden young women to find their way with confidence and move forward with new ideas and new ways of doing things.
Extracted from December 2010 Common Concern, Issue 145
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