First New England Beijing Circles Conference set for September at Episcopal Divinity School

July 03, 2008 [Episcopal Divinity School] On September 26 and 27, Episcopal Divinity School will host the first New England Beijing Circles Conference, sponsored by the Episcopal Church. All are welcome to attend this important event. The conference is part of a growing national movement to promote and share information on the plight of women in the struggle against poverty, gender inequality, and difficult living conditions around the world.

The Beijing Circles movement began in 2005, when, at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW), an assessment was done to determine if progress was being made toward resolving 12 critical areas of concern regarding the status of women -- areas identified in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women, sponsored by the United Nations and held in Beijing, China. The areas identified ranged from the increasing burden of poverty on women, violence against women, stereotyping and gender inequalities, and lack of respect for the human rights of women. The 12 areas were then adopted into the Beijing Platform for Action. While the UNCSW noted some progress in 2005, it was clear that there was still a long way to go.

These events inspired a small group of women from the Episcopal Church to dedicate themselves to finding a way to stay focused on addressing these issues. They began inviting their U.S. sisters to gather, with the sole purpose of educating themselves, and others about the Beijing Platform for Action. They called their gathering a Beijing Circle and from that, and their subsequent commitment, the Beijing Circles were born.

Beijing Circles are now being formed across the U.S. by women who want to learn how other women around the world can work together to address issues of poverty, education, health, and gender inequality faced by their global sisters. The Circle provides a unique opportunity to individually and collectively raise awareness of the possibility of change for all women. It seeks to empower women to pursue the implementation of positive outcomes by offering a variety of plans for action and advocacy.

These circles are a way for women to meet and discuss these important issues. They are also an effective means of spreading the word, and upon departing a conference the women are encouraged to reproduce the work elsewhere. The Beijing Circles workshops are showing how women can work together to effect change in the global situation of all women.

For more information about the first New England Beijing Circles event, visit the EDS website. For information on attending contact Priscilla Burns at pburns@eds.edu.