Friday, March 2, 2012

Most of our days at the UN consist of attending various conferences and presentations on issues and challenges  that rural women are facing all over the world. It has been particularly interesting to consider these challenges in relation to the challenges that rural communities face here in the United States. Similar issues come up again and again, even though they are usually on different scales. There is a tremendous need for opening the avenues of communication between people living in rural and isolated communities and those making policy decisions, there is a need for capacity building in community organizations, there is a need for leadership training in those communities and a need to engage local leaders and organizations in decision making and accountability/ reporting processes.


Saint John Bosco at Saint Patrick's Cathedral
Another interesting topic that has been prevalent in many discussions is this issue of land rights and property rights for rural women. Many countries have made efforts to legally and statutorily protect the land rights of women, but in of these cases the women are not aware of these rights and the authorities have the ability or capacity to enforce these rights. Through my work in the Texas Senate, I have found that often issues regarding land rights and titles are even at times difficult to monitor in rural areas of the United States. I cannot even imagine the needed reforms, resources and local capacity building needed to implement property rights in many of the rural places in under-developed countries.

1 comment:

  1. Hola, what a nice blog... I have enjoyed it... Yes it's a wonder to,be at the UN! It is an experience! Say hi to Sr. Leonor and Mireya!

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