NEW YORK CITY – From March 9-13, 2025, members of the Utah International Mountain Forum traveled to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to advocate for mountain women and engage with diplomats from around the world. These students independently raised the funds to attend and present at the 69th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the world’s largest annual conference focused on women’s issues.
Preparation, coordination and implementation of this political initiative was carried out through the “student-engaged learning model,” which encourages students to work as a team and apply critical thinking and communication skills to solve urgent problems. UVU’s History and Political Science Department acted as the main sponsor for the trip.
Representing UVU on the global stage is only one of the things that members of the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at UVU, do to better their communities. UIMF regularly runs service projects throughout the year, led by the UVU Center for Social Impact’s Direct Service Fellow Janessa-Michelle Purcell.
Purcell also acts as president of UIMF and independently planned this trip for her peers. Some service projects led by UIMF include Coats for Kids, an initiative that provides winter gear for lower-income children in need. UIMF also hosts UVU visits from policymakers, including Ambassador Michele J. Sison’s visit last fall.
For many of these students, this was their first visit to New York City, and to the United Nations. For those that want to practice international law or work in politics, this trip offered a monumental inside view into how this 193-member state political system operates.
Mountain women importance
Women play a key role in environmental protection in mountainous areas. These places face the harshest impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events. They also typically get less resources, food, and water than other areas around the world. Advocating for mountain communities, both locally and globally, stands as the main goal of the Utah International Mountain Forum.
The Utah International Mountain Forum was developed in 2011 and continues to advocate for the state of Utah and other mountainous areas. During the United Nations visit, Utah Valley University and Osh Technological University (from the Kyrgyz Republic) contributed to a virtual side event. Hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations, this event urged the United Nations to acknowledge mountain women in the Beijing Declaration resolution.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for action was ratified 30 years ago and stands as the world’s key document for gender equality. Including mountain women and girls in the final document invests in future generations.
