Did you know that globally, over 2.7 billion women are legally restricted from having the same job choices as men, and when women do work, they make considerably less than men, especially in developing countries?
Did you know that children are more vulnerable to climate disasters and environmental shocks than adults, including physical and physiological vulnerabilities and an increased risk of death?
Claire Kirshenbaum ('24), who is double majoring in Global Studies and Sociology, is working hard this year to promote programs that have a focus on gender and youth empowerment. She serves as Lehigh’s UN Youth Representative for Gender Equality and Youth Empowerment, and represents a liaison between the UN and the University, on work related to global challenges facing women and youth.
Claire has served as a Youth Representative since April 2021. But due to COVID, she has not yet been able to go to the United Nations headquarters. But, she is hoping to have the opportunity soon. On the positive side, Claire notices that UN conferences, events, and meetings have become a lot more accessible to the public. These are being conducted over Zoom and are recorded. This creates amazing opportunities for students to engage in global issues. She says, "I have been able to attend conferences and meetings that I would not have been able to have had they not been virtual. I am very passionate about gender, youth, and advocacy. This role enables me to pursue these three topics and encourage other students to get involved."
One key project Claire is currently promoting is a bi-weekly newsletter she created called Uplift for the campus. The newsletter aims to inform students of news stories and events happening both on campus and at the UN. She hopes that this will enable and encourage more students to partake in UN events, apply the Sustainable Development Goals to what they are learning, and increase activism around these issues on campus and in general.
In addition to launching the newsletter, as a UN Youth Representative Claire is working in conjunction with other departments on campus to conduct events on campus for students. She is currently working on a parallel event for the Commission on the Status of Women in March, focusing on the importance of women in leadership roles to combat climate change. As a UN Youth Representative, she gets to encourage other students to pursue advocacy and create opportunities and platforms for collaboration and discussions. Given the extreme challenges facing women and youth globally, we are certainly very proud of Claire for the education and advocacy she is engaging in. Keep up the great work Claire!