Press release: UN Commission on the Status of Ladies reaffirms the function of technologies and innovation, and education in the digital age in accelerating gender equality

At the conclusion of the negotiations, UN Ladies Executive Director, Sima Bahous, stated: “This year’s Agreed Conclusions are game-altering and bring forward our vision of a a lot additional equal and connected planet for girls and girls in all their diversity. It is our job, as we leave appropriate right here these days, to translate them into reality. The ultimate great benefits of these Agreed Conclusions lies beyond their finalization these days, in how we will collectively take them forward. They bring us a vision of a a lot additional equal planet. Let us translate them into reality for all girls and girls.”

CSW67 reaffirmed the significance of girls and girls’ total, equal and meaningful participation and leadership in science, technologies and innovation, and expressed concern on the restricted progress in closing the gender gap in access to and use of technologies, connectivity, digital literacy and education. It also expressed grave concern about the continuity and interrelation amongst offline and on-line violence, harassment and discrimination against girls and girls and condemned the boost of such acts.   

The Commission recognized as for substantially enhanced public and private sector investments to bridge the gender digital divide, a lot additional inclusive innovation eco-systems, and the promotion of safe and gender-responsive technologies and innovation. It also recognized as for inclusive and equitable exceptional education in science, technologies, engineering, and mathematics, facts and information and communications technologies and digital literacy to make particular that all girls and girls can thrive in a swiftly altering planet. 

Initiatives to market place innovation and technological adjust, and education in the digital age for reaching gender equality will have to take into account the following:  

• Build digital tools and options to address the demands of all girls and girls, across sectors and geographies, especially for their education, nicely getting, monetary empowerment and engagement in public life, and make particular girls and girls have access to digital literacy and capabilities all by way of their life course. 
• Mainstream gender in digital policies to take away barriers to equal access for all girls and girls, such as these living in poverty, in rural, maritime or remote locations, with disabilities, Indigenous girls and girls, migrant girls and girls, and older girls.  
• Foster a policy of zero tolerance for gender-mostly primarily based violence that takes place by way of or is amplified by the use of technologies and make particular that public and private sector entities prioritize its prevention and elimination. 
• Mainstream a gender viewpoint in the style and style of emerging technologies and adopt regulations to make particular they are subject to adequate safeguards to combat new dangers, gender stereotypes and adverse social norms, facts privacy breaches and boost transparency and accountability.  
• Market place policies and programmes to attain gender parity in emerging scientific and technological fields and create supportive workplaces and education settings, such as by way of gender-responsive education, distance mastering solutions and interdisciplinary approaches combining the teaching of social sciences and scientific fields.  
• Build gender-responsive innovation that challenges gender stereotypes and adverse social norms, including by way of the improvement of digital content material material, awareness campaigns and teaching competencies for great engagement on digital technologies that engage, educate, encourage and empowers youth, such as young males and boys, to develop to be agents of adjust for gender equality. 

The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Ladies took place against the backdrop of continued backlash against women’s rights globally, from enhanced violence against girls in the public space, to the gender impacts of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkiye, to the day-to-day horror that girls and girls face in emergency and crisis settings such as in Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran.  

In the 1st totally in-person session following three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, CSW67 registered quite greater numbers with a lot additional than 7,000 participants, such as 4 heads of state and government and 116 ministers, 205 side events on UN premises, and about 700 NGO parallel events.  

For the 1st time, the session incorporated an interactive youth session with young people, youth representatives of delegations, civil society and United Nations organizations , engaging in dialogue and delivering recommendations on how to make particular young girls and girls are element of the digital transformation. The Commission also benefited from critical contributions from a wide selection of civil society organizations such as the leaders and commitment makers of the Action Coalition on Technologies and Innovation for Gender Equality, launched as element of the Generation Equality Forum. The Action Coalition on Technologies and Innovation for Gender Equality has made a critical contribution in cementing alliances amongst Governments, private sector, civil society and the UN system and in driving momentum and commitments to advance gender equality by way of technologies and innovation.