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April 4, 2023, United Nations – A group of Dominican Sisters from throughout the world, while attending the 67th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 67), participated in a discussion on the “digital divide” and how women are affected by unequal access to technology. CSW 67 was held at the United Nations March 6-17, 2023.

Sister Bibiana “Bless” Colasito, OP, a member of the Adrian Dominican Sisters General Council and one of the Dominican Sisters invited to participate in CSW 67, told Global Sisters Report, a project of The National Catholic Reporter, that technology “has two faces with regards to women’s wellbeing: face of development and face of abuse.” She added that technology can facilitate “the development of the full potential of women” or break women when technology “ushers the culture of death into the life of women.”

Adrian Dominican Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, the UN Representative for the Dominican Sisters Conference (DSC), spoke of the importance of involving women in the field of technology, where they are often under-represented. Women need to be “in all places where decisions are made,” she told Global Sisters Report.

Sister Durstyne invited Dominican Sisters from throughout the world to attend CSW 67. These included Sister Philomena Benedict from London; Sister Venetia (Veille), of South Africa, a member of the Dominican Sisters International Coordinating Committee; Sister Rose Mai Kim Pham from Vietnam; Sister Sarudzai from Zimbabwe; and Sister Maria DeJesus from Ecuador.

In addition, seven Adrian Dominican Sisters joined Sister Durstyne at CSW 67: Sisters Judith Benkert, OP, Ellen Burkhardt, OP, Bibiana “Bless” Colasito, OP, Judy Friedel, OP, Patricia Leonard, OP, Patricia McDonald, OP, and Kathleen Nolan, OP.

Read the entire Global Sisters Report article by Chris Herlinger.