The Rev. Irene Miller Radcliff
Member at Large,
Social Justice
National Episcopal Church Women 2009-2012
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The Rev. Irene Miller Radcliff
Social Justice
Click to read about Irene's impressions of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
View the Social
Justice Photo Album Here
It is a great joy and honor to greet you as the new Member at Large, Social Justice of the ECW National Board. In this position, I chair the
Social Justice Committee which includes the Women to Women program.
The Women to Women program assists women by granting seed funds for education for the development and establishment of projects providing sustainable income, life-styles
improvement and strengthening communities.
Women to Women programs give women the tools they need to empower themselves. Since the establishment of Women to Women more than 15 years ago, many
local chapters of Episcopal Church Women, along with dioceses and individuals, have spiritually and financially supported these projects. A few examples of what your
past support has provided include:
- Anti-Violence Campaign and Curriculum Translation Services Program, Episcopal Cathedral School
- Women’s Poultry Farm, Diocese of Lui in Sudan
- Bethlehem Tailor’s Training Centre, Diocese of Kajo Keji in Sudan
- MatEnwa Community Arts Project, MatEnwa Learning Center, Cambridge, Massasschutes
- Blanketing Navajoland, Episcopal Church in Navajoland
Your support has provided the opportunity for many women to become educated, own and operate businesses. And for that
support, I thank you.
For this Triennial year (2009 - 2012), I want to recommend to the ECW National Board similar projects that
also incorporate one or more of the Millennium Development Goals. In order to do that, I need your input and support.
I also need information about similar projects, plans or ideas for projects in Companion
Dioceses. This information will help me in my recommendations to the board. The Women to Women Program
is funded separately from the operational budget of ECW National Board, so we rely on your generosity to continue
our work.
The enrichment your support brings to Women to Women and the women who benefit from this program cannot be measured. If you are interested in knowing more and financially supporting Women to Women, I thank you and welcome you to
contact Cordelia Burt via e-mail at: or Irene Radcliff at: .
When contributing, please make checks payable to Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS), specify Women to Women and mail to:
Sandra Powers, ECWNB
3 Adoracion Circle
Hot Springs Village, AR 71909
Contact Irene at
Dear Episcopal Church Women,
Shirley Greiman and I will be attending the
United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York City, February 26th - March 13th. For the opportunity, I am most grateful. The plan is to listen, learn and obtain information that will be of benefit to the Church, NECW Board, all ECW's, and our work on issues important to and for women.
Please pray for us and all the others attending the UNCSW as we travel on this journey.
Thank you.
Yours in Christ,
Irene
Date: Thursday, March 11, 2010
Madame/Mr. Chair, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Panelists, NGO and Civil Society Members
We, the Ecumenical Women, a network of faith-based NGO's at the United Nations, thank you for the opportunity to speak this morning about violence against women.
While we appreciate the efforts that have been made to improve women's rights by governments, civil society, including the church. However, areas of critical importance remain to eradicate violence against women.
Panelists have noted......
Education, training and reform are essential for the police, military, legal and judicial sectors.
Community programs with gender awareness and human rights education are necessary for men and boys.
Women need to be included in these programs and training.
We believe that in areas of conflict, it is cruical that women be involved in all peace building and peace keeping initiatives.
We would like to know if there are national and international audits that include the culture and practice of impunity in relation to violence against women, war, trafficking, ethnic conflict, migrant workers and indigenous people.
Survivor Center registration and international mechanisims must be funded and implemented to support and protect women and girls. This legislation must include wording to insure that perpetrators are held accountable, face appropriate consequences and receive professional and spiritual help to change behavior.
We strongly recommend that impunity be the future theme for the Commission on the Status of Women.
Sent Thursday, March 11
Beijing, MDG's and CEDAW
Key issues:
Poverty Education and Training
Health
Violance against Women
Armed Conflict
Economy
Power and Decision Making
Institutional mechanisms
Human rights
Media
Environment
Girls
15 years after Beijing, why is it that women are the most venerable in all of the above areas?
Women are still under-represented in decision-making positions. Violence against women and girls is a global pandemic.
In some parts of the world, little progress has been made on reducing maternal mortality rates.
Do you know what The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW) is?
Neither do our Congress. It is a treaty that needs to be ratified.
The United States is the only major industrial country that has not ratified CEDAW.
Read more about CEDAW
Irene has compiled a list of Acronyms and their meaning
here |
