Commission on the Status of Women
The 54th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is currently being held at the United Nations in New York. The theme for this year’s commission is the review of the Beijing Platform for Action from 1995 and the advances that have been made in gender equality in the past 15 years. Throughout the conference speakers emphasize that gender equality is also the third Millennium Development Goal. This week, I had the opportunity to attend several of the conferences with topics as diverse as human trafficking, migration, progress in the rights and opportunities of Arab women, and the effect of climate change on women. It was difficult at times to hear discussions about child brides and testimonies from women who experienced female genital mutilation. In one three-hour briefing ambassadors from 30 countries gave presentations on the achievements in gender equality that their representative countries have made since the Beijing meeting.
However, the best part of this week was meeting Diva from Brazil, a psychologist working with pre-teen and teen girls who are pregnant, Magdalena from Columbia who brings together women entrepreneurs for networking and support, Blanche who works in Chad with the refugees from Darfur, and Elaine, from the Association of University Women, who introduced me to the concept of micro-grants. Over 8,500 men and women registered for the CSW this year, most whom work with women and girls as part of an NGO (non-governmental organization). The participants are committed to attaining gender equality as a necessary condition for social justice and peace.
Sister Maryann Agnes Mueller
Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
Posted 06 Mar 2010 by Sr.Maryann
in Latest News
