Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand 
why the old poets of China went so far
and high 
into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Dr. Carolyn Sobritchea, Professorial Lecturer at the Asian Center, spoke at the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women 12 March at the United Nations in New York. An international board member of Isis, Dr. Sobritchea was part of a panel that explored ‘the accountability and participation of women and girls in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.’

In her talk, Dr. Sobritchea called for, among others, the improvement of ‘female participation in MDG processes, the development of enabling policies and mechanisms for gender mainstreaming, as well as sustained reforms of the legal and judicial systems to eliminate the structural causes of gender inequality.’ She adds that ‘the human rights normative framework must inform future actions to address these challenges.’

For more information, read the Isis press release. Visit the link to download a copy of her speech and presentation. Dr. Sobritchea is former dean of the Asian Center and was once Director of the Center for Women's Studies, also in the University of the Philippines. She teaches courses on MA and PhD courses in Philippine Studies.  

PHOTO: Dr. Carolyn Sobritchea (Asian Center Images)