Anna Hand couldn’t help but think of all the years her grandmother worked on the family farm. She worked as hard as Hand’s grandfather, yet there was no recognition of her contribution to the economy.

That happens a lot to women in rural America, Hand said. Or what about the unpaid family care giver who is on duty 24/7 and, even worse, may be sandwiched between an older and younger generation?

“What can we do to make sure they have the resources they need?” Hand said.“That’s a conversation I’ve never even heard before.”

Hand, 25, an Ellsworth High School graduate who attends engineering school at Fort Hays State University, was a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in March. The commission has met yearly since 1946 at UN headquarters in New York City to debate global standards on gender equity and women’s empowerment.

The two-week conference is open to representatives from the UN’s 193 member countries. Hand applied and was chosen as one of 30 delegates from the Presbyterian Ministry. Kansas also provided a delegate from Lawrence.

“I thought I could have a voice, share my story, and try to bring these issues back home,” Hand, a deacon at Ellsworth’s First Presbyterian Church of Ellsworth, wrote on her Facebook page.

Another entry: “I am so proud to be part of the delegation and to have met so many young women who are changing the world.” Hand said she was shocked by the advancements other countries have made compared to the United States. Some have recognized unpaid workers with pension plans. Others have extended family leave. Meanwhile, in the United States, opposition to gender equity has been so strong the country is actually moving backwards, Hand said. In science and technology, for instance, girls start to drop out in junior high school and focus on more traditional jobs in teaching and nursing. Even for those who stick with STEM, staying there can be a challenge, thanks to workplace violence and sexual harassment. “So we can’t just focus on getting women in STEM,” Hand said. After two weeks, Hand said she returned to Kansas with more of a feeling of determination than hope. “How do we build a coalition of people in Kansas who will talk about these issues instead of pushing them in a dark corner no one wants to go into,” she said. Here’s another Facebook posting from the Ecumenical Women which included the Presbyterian Ministry delegates: “We declare with one voice that violence against women and girls exists in ALL communities and is morally and universally intolerable. “We acknowledge that the texts, transitions and values we hold sacred have been used to perpetrate and condone violence. “We commit to working toward the day when all women and girls will be safe and free from fear. “We are compelled to work for justice and the eradication of violence against women and girls. “We call upon all people to join us.”