Two Canadian Bahá’í girls joined about 200 other youth from around the world at the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women to study the question of gender equality.
Sophie Turbide, of les Îles de la Madeleine, Québec, and Jasmine Aleck, of Westbank, British Columbia, were among 11 other Bahá’í girls coming from such areas as Alaska, Brazil, India, Italy, and Tanzania to attend the Commission, which took place from 26 February to 9 March 2007.
For the girls, meeting other youth from around the world who share their concern about the advancement of women was as memorable as being able to contribute to the international dialogue on the issue.
“One of the best things was meeting all of the girls,” recalls Aleck, who returned home from the Commission last week. “We would talk about the issues in their countries and about the issues in our country and how a lot of them are the same.”
The invitation that the Commission extended to girls worldwide was fitting, as the session’s theme this year was “The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child.”
On most of the evenings during the two-week event, the youth convened for caucuses that took place in a specially prepared tent just outside of United Nations headquarters. There, the girls consulted about the draft Conclusions that were being discussed in the main session. The contributions made by the girls were then incorporated into subsequent drafts.
One of the most important conclusions that Aleck saw emerge from the girls’ caucus tied into the session’s sub-theme: “the role of men and boys in achieving gender equality.”
“We decided that education is the most important thing that is needed,” explains Aleck. “You can’t stop violence against girls if men and boys don’t think that they should have to. They need to be educated about it.”
The strong representation of the Bahá’í community at the Commission—52 adult delegates representing 27 national communities, and 11 girls out of approximately 200—points to the importance that the Bahá’í Faith attaches to the issue.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the head of the Faith following Bahá’u’lláh’s passing, stated that, “Until the reality of equality between man and woman is fully established and attained, the highest social development of mankind is not possible.”
Read the statement published by the Bahá’í International Community on the issue of violence against women, entitled “Beyond Legal Reforms.”
Visit the Commission on the Status of Women website for more information.