Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls

Statement on the Critical Need for an Unequivocal Commitment to Gender Equality

“In these perilous times for women’s rights, we must rally around the Beijing Declaration, recommit to the Platform for Action and stand firm in making the promise of rights, equality and empowerment a reality for every woman and girl around the world.” 

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres

Gender equality is encountering a backlash, with one in four governments worldwide noting an “increasingly hostile environment” for the empowerment of women and girls, as reported by UN Women. We have witnessed a shocking rise in hateful speech and misogynistic actions in the United States, and unfortunately, we are not alone in this issue. 

This week marks the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Although there have been advancements for women and girls since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration 30 years ago, including an increase in the number of women in elected positions and more girls attending school, significant obstacles remain on the road to equality. 

During the CSW this week, Member States adopted an important  Political Declaration  by consensus. This declaration reaffirms their commitment to respecting, protecting, and advancing women and girls' rights, equality, and empowerment. The Political Declaration reinforces the commitments made in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, originally adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women. It stresses the need to uphold all human rights and fundamental freedoms for every woman and girl, without exception. It strengthens commitments to women, peace, and security, emphasizing the importance of integrating women’s voices and leadership into all stages of conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution. Additionally, it underscores the necessity of eradicating poverty in all its forms, including ensuring women’s and girls’ right to education, especially in STEM fields, and increasing public investments in care systems. Recognizing technology's tremendous potential, it highlights the need to close the gender digital divide and calls for renewed investment in gender statistics and data to support informed policymaking. 

The data is clear: Communities thrive when women receive equal access to resources and education. In line with our mission at the Kaschak Institute, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the human rights of women and girls. As women’s reproductive rights continue to be attacked, government efforts to undermine individual freedoms increase, and equal access to education, resources, and employment is increasingly threatened, it is more imperative than ever that we unite in our dedication to protecting the rights and dignity of all individuals.

This statement is issued by the leadership of the Kaschak Institute and does not represent the official position of Binghamton University.

Campus mourns Ellyn Uram Kaschak, Founder of the Kaschak Institute for Social Justice

Ellyn Uram Kaschak, class of ’65 and founder of the Ellyn Uram Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls, passed away peacefully on Feb. 20. She was 81 years old.

Kaschak was an internationally renowned psychologist, author and educator who co-founded feminist psychology, which she practiced for about 40 years. From 1974 to 2009, she served as a professor emerita of psychology at San Jose State University and as a visiting professor at the University for Peace in Costa Rica.

In 2018, she established the Kaschak Institute at Binghamton University to further her fight for women's equality. The institute supports research in various fields, both new and ongoing, that aligns with her activist vision of making a direct, positive impact on the lives of women and girls.

Her legacy at Binghamton also includes the creation of the Dr. Ellyn Uram Kaschak Summer Research Grant to benefit Harpur College undergraduate students and their research in the field of social justice for women and girls. In addition, her generous support of Binghamton spanned many other areas to advance an exceptional education and University excellence.

She was the author or editor of 14 books, including "Engendered Lives: A New Psychology of Women's Experience" (1992) and "Sight Unseen: Gender and Race through Blind Eyes" (2015). For 20 years, she edited the quarterly "Journal of Women & Therapy."

Over the years, Kaschak received many awards and accolades honoring her prolific work, leadership and fundamental contributions to her field, including the University Medal from Binghamton in 2022.

She graduated from Binghamton with a bachelor’s degree in Russian in 1965 and a master’s degree from George Washington University in 1968. She worked as a school psychologist before becoming one of the first cohorts of women to earn a doctorate from Ohio State University in 1974.

Read more about Kaschak’s life and legacy, click here.