Photo courtesy of UN Department of Public Information

Serving as assistant U.N. secretary-general for peacebuilding support since May 2006, Carolyn is the first and, so far, only woman to have overseen a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

In a previous peacekeeping role with the U.N., Carolyn helped more than 70,000 people of Burundi, an East African country neighboring Rwanda, give up their weapons and start a new life. In her new position, she will help countries that are emerging from conflict situations return to stability. She will work closely with the newly created Peacebuilding Commission, which aims to help post-conflict countries avoid sliding back into war.

A life-long advocate for women, Carolyn hopes to stir gender concerns into the mix of her peacekeeping efforts, specifically as she works to integrate Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security into her plans. She has added a gender advisor to her unit who will oversee the requirements addressed in the resolution.

I am lucky to meet or hear of bold and courageous women almost every day. These women have made justice and human rights their life’s work. Many positions, like those of Yakin, Sophie and Carolyn are new — and they exist as a result of an entire movement, years of work by thousands of women around the world.

If you’ve felt pulled toward advocacy work or to make a difference in the world in some way, look around you, there are many bold women to celebrate. Think about what networks you are a part of — your church, school, community, workplace or country. Let’s celebrate bold women’s day together.

Emily Freeburg is the assistant to the director at the Lutheran Office for World Community in New York.

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