March: Gender Equity
Listen as a podcast!
Gender equity or the equal access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender is a fundamental human right and essential to achieve full human potential and sustainable societal development. This webinar discusses how gender equality is interconnected with issues of racism, migration and climate change.
Gender discrimination can be shaped by someone’s race or ethnicity. Racism and gender oppression both use stereotypes to rationalize the subordination and domination of minorities. For migrant women, the discriminatory social institutions they seek to escape, many times social institutions that do not allow women to receive the same level of education as men, may not prepare women for a successful migration. Women are also more likely than men to live in poverty therefore are more dependent for their livelihood on natural resources that are threatened by climate change.
Panelists: Beth Allen, Ga’Nea Jones and Joan Mitchell, CSJ – Learn more about our panelists below.
Host: Charish Badzinski
ACTION ITEMS
- Raise your voice against gender stereotypes in the entertainment media industry.
- Learn about the goals and journeys of women around you and find ways to support them.
- Reclaim the strength, power and leadership roles of women of the Bible and church history.
RESOURCES
SeeJane.org: Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
https://seejane.org/
The Geena Davis Institute has multiple research studies available to share at seejane.org, including the intersections of gender, race, and LGBTQ+ in on-screen representation. With kids and teens engaging in media more than seven hours a day on average, media is one of the most important factors influencing our values in the 21st century.
Tyler Clementi Foundation
God Is On Your Side: A Statement from Catholic Bishops on Protecting LGBT Youth
https://tylerclementi.org/catholicbishopsstatement/
U.S. Catholic Bishops joins the Tyler Clementi Foundation in standing up for at-risk LGBT youth in our country who have considerably higher suicide attempts than their straight counterparts, and are the target of violent acts at alarming rates. Read their statement, “God is on Your Side: A Statement from Catholic Bishops on Protecting LGBT Youth.”
Meet Our Panelists
BETH ALLEN
Director of Affiliation
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration
Beth Allen has served as the director of affiliation for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in La Crosse, Wisconsin, since 2018 and has been an affiliate in the community for 15 years. Her education includes master’s degrees in counselor education and pastoral ministries. She is also a certified chaplain through the National Association of Catholic Chaplains.
Ms. Allen is passionate about gender equity and resists gender discrimination in all forms. Her published guidebook, “The Way in the 21st Century,” conveys the lifting up of the beautiful language found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that emphasizes this truth: ‘God is the first origin of everything … is goodness and loving … transcends the human distinction between the sexes. … is neither man nor woman … transcends human fatherhood and motherhood.’ She believes to truly embrace the Gospel message is to join the effort that not only promotes gender equity but human dignity for all in social, religious and political arenas.
GA’NEA JONES
Student
Missouri State University
Ga’Nea Jones is a senior majoring in social work at Missouri State University. Currently interning at a local school district, Ms. Jones is also applying to graduate school for her master’s in social work. She plans on becoming a licensed clinical social worker within a health care or school system, and she would like to start a nonprofit that supports minorities in education, health and mental health.
Ms. Jones grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, attended Marian Middle School and graduated from Incarnate Word Academy. Throughout her school years, she volunteered at Saint Louis Children’s Hospital, which helped her to realize her passion for helping young children and families in a hospital setting.
In addition to her educational and work experience, Ms. Jones has been enriched by her membership in a local sorority, which afforded her the opportunity to work with incredibly strong women. This sense of belonging has fueled her passion for advocating for women’s rights and the impact and voice they can have within their communities and states.
SISTER JOAN MITCHELL, CSJ
Teacher, Writer, Editor
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
Sister Joan Mitchell, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, has created religious education programs for over 35 years; as an editor for Winston Press and as general editor for Pflaum Gospel Weeklies. With Sister Therese Sherlock, CSJ, she created and produced five levels of the Gospel Weeklies (preschool through eighth grade). In 1988, Sister Joan set up Good Ground Press to publish similar programs for teens and adults.
Her passion for exploring gender equity began after taking Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza’s course, “Gospel Women and Discovered Feminist Scripture Study.” For 26 years, Sister Joan has joined in the work of reclaiming women’s significance in scripture and Church history, richly populating the programs with women.
Sister Joan earned a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Catherine University, a master’s degree in American literature from the University of Iowa, a master’s degree in theological studies from Harvard Divinity School, and a doctorate in New Testament from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Exploring Intersections 
Pingback: Exploring Intersections: Catholic Sisters on Racism, Migration and Climate | Sisters of the Good Shepherd