Accessibility Tools

Skip to main content

2015 Parliament Women’s Initiative Holds Its First Meeting In Salt Lake

December 30, 2014

By Phyllis Curott, Vice-Chair elect, and Women’s Task Force Chair with contributions from Susan Soleil

Just a few days after the Parliament announced the Inaugural Women’s Assembly for Global Advancement and Program Initiative at the 2015 Salt Lake City Parliament, the Women’s Task Force held its first, successful Pre-Parliament event. On December 12th in Salt Lake City, 60 women of diverse ages, ethnicities, races, and religions gathered at St. Marks Episcopal Church to learn about the Parliament and the Women’s Initiative. Women brought family, friends, and colleagues to the event which was organized by SLC Interfaith Roundtable Co-Chair Susan Soleil and Prof. Jan Saeed. Executive Director Mary Nelson shared a brief history of the Parliament and Phyllis Curott shared the the programming goals of the Women’s Initiative and the Assembly’s theme: the interplay of religion, women’s dignity, and human rights. She also invited everyone to submit proposals, participate in local planning and implementation, and to continue to meet in both large and small groups for ongoing interfaith conversations.
See pictures of the Women’s Initiative Gathering in Salt Lake on Facebook!
With help from PWR volunteers Kay Lindahl and Kathe Schaaf, women shared stories of their journeys and explored the meaning of faith and spirituality. They discussed what it means to respect different beliefs while finding common ground on issues that concern all of us as women, sisters, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunties, and wives. Participants shared ideas, suggestions, and ambitions for the Women’s Initiative, and volunteers signed up to help with various aspects of the Initiative and the 2015 Parliament. Everyone looks forward to future meetings in the New Year. Those interested in volunteering for the Women’s Initiative should contact: To submit a program the Women’s Initiative, click here >
GLOBAL SISTERS FUND
With the end of the year approaching, we hope you’ll help us expand women’s participation at the Parliament with a gift to the Global Sisters fund today. Click here >
Your contribution to this important fundraising campaign will help assure women’s participation at the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the Inaugural Women’s Assembly and Program Initiative in Salt Lake City, Oct. 15-19, 2015. Click here >
We are deeply committed to welcoming a diverse community of women and seek to fund the participation of women who are frequently under-represented in important conversations about women’s dignity, human rights, religion, spirituality, and global issues:

Elder (ages 60 and over) and young women (ages 16-35)
Indigenous and First Nations women
Low income women
Spiritually, ethnically and culturally diverse women
International women, especially those leading innovative and effective programs
Women whose program proposals have been accepted and who require financial aid to attend

We need your help. Your tax-deductible donation will assure that a dynamic community of international, interfaith, and intergenerational women converges in Salt Lake City. Help assure that women’s voices are heard from the global platform of the Parliament of the World’s Religions and across the globe.
Photo courtesy of Facebook, Parliament of the World’s Religions