NCJW and Global Violence Against Women
Sunday evening delegates heard a more sobering though hopeful discussion of the status of women’s progress around the world from Melanne Verveer, US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues. Verveer was appointed by President Obama as the first such ambassador in our nation’s history. She outlined the growing understanding worldwide of the critical role played by women in such leading issues as peace, stability, economic justice, and public health. Verveer pointed out that where women’s rights are respected and violence minimized, governments are more stable and just overall. She also outlined the efforts of the Obama Administration to bolster efforts against violence through the UN and international agreements.
Verveer was followed by NCJW’s own Shari Eshet, director of NCJW’s Israel office. Eshet began with a commentary on Israel as the ultimate “start-up” nation, whose democratic ethos of challenge and inquiry has enabled it to “start up” a nation from scratch and decades later lead the world in start-up enterprises. But Eshet noted that in the chaos of nation start-up, weaker minorities — Arabs, immigrants, and women — can be at risk. She summarized the current struggles over access to the Wall and gender segregation on certain public bus lines. She also noted the many steps forward for women’s rights in Israel, some of which would put the US to shame. Eshet brought Israel to life as a work in progress whose well-being and struggle for full equality is a key part of NCJW’s program.
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