The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the main global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment, meets every year in March to consider what needs to be done to improve the lives and the political situation of women around the world. Member states, women’s rights organizations, as well as UN entities gather to discuss the progress and gaps in implementing the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the blueprint for gender equality.
The 67th session of the CSW (CSW67), March 6-17, 2023, was held both virtually and in-person. This year's priority theme was "Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls."
11 ICUUW representatives attended CSW67 in person.
Running parallel to the official sessions, a two-week NGO CSW Forum offers civil society from around the world opportunities to discuss issues pertaining to women and girls, network, and share strategies/best practices. As in past years, IWC contributed by hosting two parallel events focusing on the theme.
Learning and Mobilizing in the Digital Space:
Experiences of Global Young Women
This event is the culmination of exchanges of experiences and learning from ICUUW's international young adult network program, created to spark engagement for social change in the participants’ communities and the world. The panel discussion held on 11 March 2023 at the NGO CSW67 Forum (the civil society forum of the 67th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women) highlights lessons from this experience as well as opportunities and challenges of mobilizing virtually, while offering parallels with other examples of social mobilization online.
Women with Disabilities Crossing the Digital Divide
This panel discussion, held on 15 March 2023 at the NGO CSW67 Forum explores ways of improving accessibility and providing assistive technology for women and girls. In addition, it examines the way that an outreach program in Romania – giving young women from disadvantaged backgrounds access to digital devices – has opened digital doorways for women with motor disabilities.