Heller School graduate student McKenzie Strobach participated this week in the United Nations annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, a program that focuses on addressing issues of gender equality with delegates and NGO representatives.

Strobach was one of 20 women students selected in the country to attend the series of workshops on multilateral engagement and coordinated action.

Activities this week included attending official and non-government organization (NGO) sessions. The Practicum on the Commission on the Status of Women is sponsored by the Center for Women’s Health and Human Rights at Suffolk University, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the National Women’s Studies Association.

As part of the program, Strobach must develop an advocacy project after returning to campus. “We teach the women how important citizen engagement is,” Laura Roskos, president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom said in a press release. “They figure out the ropes, learn how to network with NGOs, meet government officials and participate in turning specific proposals into documents that can be adopted by U.N. bodies. This success empowers them to engage in successful civic campaigns in their home environments.”