Kaleba speaks at the UN 62nd Commission

HEAR Congo’s founder Kaleba Huguette Ngoie delivers a statement at the UN 62^nd Commission on the Status of Women at the General Discussion session held on March 21^st, 2018

The United Nations 62nd Commission on the Status of Women convened in New York City from March 12 through March 23^rd to focus on the empowerment of rural women. This event brought together more than 8000 people and 4000 NGOs from around the world. HEAR Congo founder Kaleba Ngoie and board member Simone Dominique participated in several panels, bringing to light the significance and successes of this organization’s grass roots action in rural Congo.

Each year, a small number of NGO representatives with consultative status with the United Nations are selected to speak at the General Discussion at the Commission on the Status of Women. This year, the General Discussion was an interactive dialogue among Ministers on “Building Alliances to Achieve Gender Equality and Empower Rural Women and Girls”.

The selections this year went to those representing the theme in broad constituencies rather than purely in a single organization. This allowed for HEAR Congo’s founder Kaleba Huguette Ngoie, also a board member of the US National Committee for UN Women, to make her voice and her message to be heard. The Chair of the CSW62, the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, H.E Geraldine Byrne Nason gave Kaleba few minutes on the floor to address member states and their delegates. With these precious moments, she emphasized the importance of rural education and of involving the male. “This is a symbiotic effort,” she stressed. “Without educating men, the women’s movement in hampered just as much as educating urban populations is stifled without reaching out to the people of rural areas. We need to support both. We need to feed both. We need to recognize the contributions and necessity of both.”