At the end of a successful and passionate UNI World Women’s Conference, Patricia Nyman was elected as President.
Patricia will follow in the footsteps of Denise McGuire who retires after successfully steering UNI Women for a decade.
Conference paid a warm tribute to Denise for her sterling work, combining vision with practical common-sense.
Denise said she had been honoured to serve the UNI family and to have made great strides for equality around the world. Conference gave her an emotional and heartfelt send-off, although she pledged to stay engaged.
The head of UNI Equality, Veronica Fernandez Mendez said that Denise had been like her twin and they had developed an almost telepathic understanding, and that also she was excited by the prospect of working with incoming president, Patricia Nyman.
Conference got on its feet to welcome Patricia who is from SACCAWU in South Africa with a spontaneous show of support.
Patricia said she was humbled and excited to take up the position.
“Together we will overcome! I have been an activist all my life beginning with the Soweto Uprising in 1976. It is a privilege and joy to serve for justice and equality. Thank you Denise for such a great job, I will continue to build this house. We must continue our commitment in all our strands of work.
We must challenge the stubborn patriarch system – women must be courageous and challenge this culture as women in the past have, including the suffragettes.
Forward forever backward never!”
