Mary’s Pence has been invited to participate in the 69th UN Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025! Staff members will present our work with the ESPERA program at a Parallel Event called ‘Accessing Economic and Civic Power: Women in the Global South.’
Thanks to our friends at Loretto at the UN, two staff members will travel to New York to share our mission, connect with Loretto students, and engage with global advocates for gender justice. Loretto at the UN works to educate future global citizens, advocate for the needs of marginalized communities, and promote climate justice internationally.
This is an incredible opportunity to amplify our impact and connect with donors and friends. In the following days, we will share more details about the event.
This intergenerational collaboration between Mary’s Pence and Loretto at the UN lifts the work of ESPERA, a unique program focused on economic autonomy and women’s civic engagement. ESPERA partners with 14 women’s organizations across Central America and Mexico – rural and urban, some as small as a dozen, others as large as 350 women. The economic focus includes locally-owned lending pools, training, and follow-up for individual businesses. ESPERA strengthens local organizations and their leadership teams with an emphasis on strategy, planning, and leadership skills. Support also includes mental health initiatives, assistance with medical costs, and expanding family agriculture.