Prabhleen Tuteja at the SG Townhall during CSW67. CREDIT: @UN_CSW
Feminist Civil Society Groups Call for Greater Investment in Technology and Education to Achieve Gender Equality and Empower Women and Girls.
The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) closed its 67th session on March 18, 2023, after extensive negotiations on the agreed conclusions on the theme “Innovation and Technological Change and Education in the Digital Age for Achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls.”
The Women’s Rights Caucus (WRC), a coalition of more than 200 feminist organizations, welcomed the adoption of the agreed conclusions and renewed the global commitment to achieving gender equality, despite significant pushback from regressive Member States. The WRC acknowledged the importance of young feminists’ participation in the conference and emphasized the challenges adolescent girls face in the digital age. The agreed conclusions recognized the potential of technology to promote gender equality and women’s rights, while acknowledging the negative impact of gender bias and gender stereotypes perpetuated through digital tools.
However, fundamental issues related to the protection of the human rights of LGBTQI people, comprehensive sexuality education, and the interlinkages between digital transformation and climate change were left out of the document. The WRC expressed concern about the increasing challenges to civil society participation in the CSW and other UN spaces.
