The announcement was released by president Kim Sun-uk on May 23 at the Emerson Chapel.
UNWFP, a food assistance branch of the United Nations, is the world’s largest humanitarian organization that promotes food security and addresses hunger.
The bureau is also known for starting Saemaeul Movement with the Korean Government back in 1971. Saemaeul Movement, which means new community in Korean, is an act of economically and systemically boosting local society.
“Cousin has been trying to solve world’s poverty by focusing on acquiring food security,” president Kim said. “Ewha is granting honorary degree to Cousin because of her efforts to overcome poverty by strengthening women power. Furthermore, it is lot more meaningful today because UNWFP is a very important and major organization that supports food for North Korea.”
Cousin also made an acceptance speech at the event.
“It is an honor to receive an honorary degree in Ewha, a leader and a place of education where so many big challenges and changes have taken place in the history of Korea and the world,” Cousin said. “Women should lead the world to fight for poverty. Ewha and WFP as partners should make efforts together to expand women power.”
Cousin ranked 49 for Forbe’s The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2013. Also, she was included in TIME 100: The Most Influential People in the World in 2014.
Both were for her contribution in a variety of public and private sector positions in the fields such as world famine and disaster.
From 2009 to 2012, Cousin served under President Barack Obama as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and chief of the United States Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome, Italy.
Along with the acceptance ceremony, “Zero Hunger Challenge,” a signing event of the movement that aims to eradicate poverty, took place for the first time in Korea. Ewha was the first to hold the event in the country.
Ahn In-kyeong
iahn@ewhain.net