Brevard College has been invited to host a parallel event at the United Nations 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) titled Breaking Barriers: Addressing the Challenges for Women and Girls in Appalachia in Political Representation, Health, and the Environment.
The event will take place on March 17, 2025, from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM (Eastern Time) and will be held both at Brevard College in Brevard, North Carolina, and virtually at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
This event is organized by students in Brevard College’s Political Science 290 Special Topics class. The discussion will highlight the unique challenges faced by women and girls in Appalachia, focusing on the intersections of political participation, healthcare access, and environmental justice.
“This initiative provides an opportunity for students to bridge theory and policy, engaging in a classroom-to-policy learning exchange,” said Dr. Ameena Zia, Brevard College adjunct professor and UN NGO Representative at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Dr. Jordan Kuck, associate professor of history and chair of humanities, is proud of the work that Dr. Zia is doing. “Dr. Zia is such an innovative teacher,” said Kuck, “and I am delighted that she is helping our students connect local with global.”
Dr. Zia has served as a UN NGO Representative at ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council) since 2015, when the UN Global Goals were adopted by over 180 countries. A longtime advocate at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, she currently serves on the Advocacy Committee of the US Women’s Caucus.
The theme of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women focuses on assessing the challenges affecting the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment, as well as their contribution to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The event is open to UN Member States, international NGOs, policymakers, academics, students, media representatives, and the general public.
The initiative is led by the Blue Ridge Impact Foundation, a member of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York (NGO CSW/NY). As a stakeholder at the United Nations, the foundation advocates for education for peace and strives to make a positive impact on individuals worldwide through learning.
For media inquiries or to register for the event, please contact Jordan Cabe at cabecj@brevard.edu.