Tarleton State University sophomore nursing major Hollee Martinez has been selected by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church to participate in the 59th annual United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Martinez was one of twenty selected to travel to New York City to sit in on the Commission and be an advocate for women all over the world.

“I will be a delegate for the Episcopal Church,” said Martinez. “We will be acting as witnesses and educating ourselves so we are able to come back and educate the people of our community on the issues to be discussed at the convention.”

Those at the convention will be reviewing the Beijing Platform to Action that was implemented at the Women’s Fourth World Conference in Sept. of 1995. The Action was to implement equality, development and peace for women throughout the world.

According to the Fourth World Conference on Women, their mission is to “remove all the obstacles to women’s active participation in all spheres of public and private life through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural, and political decision-making.”

Those at the convention will be reviewing four of the 12 areas of concern in the Beijing Action: education and training of women, violence against women, women and health and women in power and decision-making. 

“The entire Commission will be centered around where we’ve come and where we still need to go,” said Martinez. “The Episcopal Church has always had a huge concern for women’s rights. We have our own office at the UN, called the Anglican Communion Office, which we are very grateful for.”

For several days of the event, Martinez will be working alongside other female advocacy groups in New York City. They will be attending testimonials and meetings regarding women’s rights.

“We are learning from the source of it all and are taking what we learn back to our communities,” said Martinez. “So many issues are going on in the world that we don’t think about here in America. Yes, women have issues here, but there are huge issues is developing countries, also, which is what we will be learning about.”

Martinez and others will travel to New York City for the UNCSW on March 9-20.