Sister Ana Maria Bonny Hernández was recently called as the new Church representative to the Committee for Non-Governmental Organizations on the Status of Women, in Geneva, Switzerland. Ana Bonny, originally from Spain, is the first European Church member to receive this assignment, and she will replace her sister Carol McKonkie, who served in that position for many years. Sister Ana Bonny will begin this new assignment immediately.
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Sister McConkie, who will now be released, said: “In serving as a representative of Latter-day Saint Charities, Geneva, as vice chair of the Nongovernmental Organizations Committee on the Status of Women, I have enjoyed the sweet company of exceptional women representing a variety of non-governmental organizations and advocating for the physical, social, emotional and spiritual well-being and advancement of women and girls.”
The Committee on the Status of Women group promotes gender equality and the empowerment and defense of women’s and girls’ rights globally. The non-governmental organization Geneva Committee on the Status of Women includes representatives from 40 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) accredited to the United Nations in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The Church is one of those organizations and operates through Latter-day Saints Charities.
Ana Bonny was born in Madrid, Spain. Her parents were pioneers in the Church there, having joined in 1976. Her mother taught both Ana and her sister, Silvia, to always serve the Lord regardless of all life’s hardships. “We have been greatly blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ from an early age,” she said. The family moved to Geneva, Switzerland in the summer of 1982.
Ana Bonny married her husband, Martin Bonny, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1997. They have four children: three boys and a girl. Their son Luis has already passed away. Reflecting on what this has meant to her and her family, she said, “It was a truly special experience that allowed us to feel a deep love from our Heavenly Father, to learn and feel how the veil that separates this earthly realm from the heavens has thinned out, leaving us with indelible emotions for all eternity”. Their eldest child, Adam, is married and their other two children, Beatriz and David, still live in the house with them.
The special assignment came as a complete surprise to the family. “I am very thankful that I can feel the love of our Savior Jesus Christ and that I can serve Him with all my love and desire,” she thought. Furthermore, she feels that her life has prepared her to better understand this new responsibility. She concluded, “My role as wife and mother has been, is, and always will be that will teach me most about Heavenly Father’s perfect and profound love for each of his children.”
Ryan Koch, who represents the Church in United Nations efforts, explains the importance of the work Sister Ana Bonny will have to do. “As global organizations, the United Nations and the Church benefit from having a multitude of voices from around the world. Sister Ana Bonny has the perfect combination of faith, gospel knowledge, and community commitment to connect and network as a representative of the Church, and elevate the role of women and girls around the world.”
Reflecting on the responsibility she now has, Sister Ana Bonny confirms that seeking the divine worth of each human being on this earth, and especially that of her special daughters, is an extraordinary and profound spiritual adventure. “My wish is that I may be able to support all women in this world and contribute all my love to the well-being of each one of them.”