Recently, Hagley Science teacher, Elvina Stephens, was given the opportunity to undertake a lifechanging journey to New York.

Elvina’s long involvement as National Trainer for Girls’ Brigade led to her being invited to apply to be part of the Presbyterian Women Aotearoa NZ (PWANZ) delegation to the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York. Elvina’s application was one of 400, but she was fortunate to be one of the eleven successful applicants.

The Commission’s purpose is to create the opportunity for the everyday woman’s voice to be heard at the UN to alert the policy makers, mostly men(!), to the problems and issues facing women worldwide. About 3000 women came together to share their experiences and to inspire policy makers to address social inequalities such as poverty, genital mutilation in some countries, domestic violence and the way women are represented in the media.

One highlight for Elvina was hearing Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter’s address about sustainability, and Elvina’s subsequent opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with her. Another highlight for Elvina was her involvement with a small group of New Zealanders in a discussion with Helen Clark about the involvement of women in science – a subject dear to Elvina’s heart!

Elvina relished the opportunity to be involved in this Commission, commenting: “It opened my eyes to what’s happening in New Zealand and worldwide, especially to issues which we tend to think of as being problems in third world countries only, but some of them are in first world countries. For example in some communities in America there is a major issue with people having access to household water, because of water supplies being sold off to companies who then bottle the water and sell it.”

On a personal note, Elvina really enjoyed the vibe of New York with the Statue of Liberty looking much much bigger than she imagined and Ground Zero being a place of serenity and peace, despite the thousands of visitors while she was there. “And then there was Times Square and the shows on Broadway…and the shopping!”