Berkshire Women for Women Worldwide: A Commitment to the World’s WomenUN Fund Manager visits Williams College
Adriana Quinones, manager of the UN Fund to End Violence against Women, visited the Berkshires on May 12th. She first met with the BWWW Board and then gave a talk to students in the class, Narratives of Violence against Women in Contemporary Spain, at Williams College. She addressed the global aspects of VAW and the work that UNIFEM does to eradicate injustices and empower women, highlighting some of their programs in India and Uganda. Quinones explained the Fund’s position, supported by the UN Resolution (50/166) and the Millennium Development Goals, that aims to secure women’s rights and end violence against women as the ultimate means to strengthen social fabric, economics, and political climates worldwide. See attached sheet with 2009 projects supported by the Fund.
From her talk, the students were able to grasp the global reality of this serious problem. The course itself had only focused on the issue in Spanish society through literature, film and media. Thanks to Adriana Quiñones’ presentation, students were able to see how people and institutions around the world act to eradicate violence against women. From the closed doors of the classroom and academia, students were taken to a world full of challenges. They were inspired by Quinones’ presentation, and each exclaimed, “I want to work for her!”