wfn.org | Women's award to Baha'i representative

["Michael Day" <mday@bwc.org>]

Baha'i World News Service
See story with photographs: http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/
For more information, contact editor@bahaiworldnews.org

Women's award to Baha'i representative
NEW YORK,  United States, 6 March 2004 --- The Principal Representative of
the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations, Bani Dugal, has
received a "Women Helping Women" award from Soroptimist International.

The award came in the weeks leading up to International Women's Day on March
8, an occasion which is widely observed by Baha'i communities throughout the
world.

"Women Helping Women" is one of three awards offered under an umbrella
program, "Making a Difference for Women," established in 1986 by the
Soroptimists to acknowledge those who work to improve the status of women in
society. Soroptimist International is a 70-year-old volunteer service
organization for women.

Ms. Dugal received the award on 11 February 2004 at the Williams Club in
Manhattan.

"Her sensitivity and success at gender and intercultural relations are at the
center of her ability not only as a woman helping women, but also helping
women, collaboratively, to help other women," said Linda Stillman,
chairperson of the awards ceremony.

Noting that Ms. Dugal was recently selected to chair the NGO Committee on the
Status of Women at the United Nations, Ms. Stillman called her "a testament
to diplomatic decorum steeped in her spiritual soul."

Ms. Stillman is the representative of Soroptimist International to the United
Nations. She nominated Ms. Dugal for the award, which honors "women who
consistently and effectively use their resources, talents and influence to
help other women achieve their potential."

Ms. Dugal accepted the award "in the name of all the women in the world that
are working to assist one another to advance and enjoy an equal status with
men."

She spoke about the importance of using international mechanisms of human
rights to assist women in their advancement.

"Many women are unaware of their human rights, and others see them as
abstract and unattainable," said Ms. Dugal. "Thus, while activism in past
years has drawn attention to women's rights, the challenge is now to make
them more accessible by implementing agreed strategies and commitments made
by governments."

The key to improving the rights of women, said Ms. Dugal, lies with an
educational process that also promotes a "conscious awareness that the
interests of men and boys are linked with those of women."

"I quote from the Baha'i writings: 'As long as women are prevented from
attaining their highest possibility, so long will men be unable to achieve
the greatness which might be theirs.'"

"Our task is clear and, together, helping one another, we can realize our
dreams for a better tomorrow for women and men," said Ms. Dugal.

Two other awards, "Advancing the Status of Women," and "Woman of
Distinction," were also presented the same evening.

Yannina Varvitsiotes, who heads a group called Face the Challenge, received
the "Advancing the Status of Women" award, also part of the "Making a
Difference for Women" program. Face the Challenge seeks to improve the
self-image and self-esteem of disabled people, said Ms. Varvitsiotes, a
social worker affiliated with the Jerome Bellson Center in the Bronx, who is
herself a person with cerebral palsy.  

The "Advancing the Status of Women" award "recognizes businesses and
organizations that have helped advance the status of women, and have used
their positions to promote recognition of women's issues."

The "Woman of Distinction" award was given to Eva H. Richter, a retired
university educator who speaks five languages and now serves as UN
representative for the International Federation of Business and Professional
Women.

"Women of Distinction" honors "women who have made outstanding achievements
in their professional, business or volunteer activities" and who are "ideal
role models."

[Report by Veronica Shoffstall.]