Commission on the Status of Women #CSW68: What local peacebuilders need to know

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is an important global platform dedicated to the promotion of women's rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women worldwide. 

The CSW plays a vital role in monitoring progress, formulating policies, and promoting women's rights globally. 

Annually, it convenes a session in March at the UN Headquarters in New York, where governments, UN representatives, and civil society gather to discuss challenges and solutions regarding gender equality and the advancement of women's rights. The 68th CSW will take place from 11 to 22 March 2024.

Why does the CSW matter for local peacebuilders?
 

Participating in the CSW is an opportunity for local peacebuilders to:

• Influence policy: Engaging in discussions allows local peacebuilders to contribute their perspectives and priorities, influencing policy decisions directly impacting their communities. Policy changes occur by including women's input in CSW outcome documents, which are agreed upon by Member States. Additionally, bilateral discussions with Member States, UN actors, and other stakeholders contribute to shaping these policy changes.
• Increase your knowledge: Participating in CSW events, workshops, and side events can enhance the knowledge and skills of local peacebuilders in integrating gender-sensitive approaches into their work. This includes, for instance, understanding the intersections between gender, conflict, and peacebuilding.
• Raise awareness and build contacts: CSW is a great space to raise awareness about local work and get technical and financial support from the UN, Member States, regional organisations, private actors, and civil society networks and coalitions. 

Do you want to get involved?
 

While physical attendance offers valuable networking opportunities, there are many other ways to get involved!

• Social media platforms offer a powerful tool for remote engagement with the CSW. Share your messages, and join relevant discussions using the designated hashtag #CSW68
• Attend online, as many sessions, side events, and discussions are live-streamed. You can find a detailed list on the UN Women's website or in the UN Journal.

Register to join GPPAC side events!

During the 68th Session of CSW (CSW68), GPPAC is co-hosting four side events. Find out more below, and don't forget to register.

Empowering Peace: Cost-Effectiveness and Value-Added of Women's Conflict Prevention Work 
12 March | 11:30 am - 12:45 pm EDT
In-person or virtual attendance

Women peacebuilders from Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, and Fiji, along with policymakers and representatives of International Financial Institutions, will:

• Share research findings on the cost-effectiveness and added value of women's peacebuilding efforts and conflict prevention and recovery work. Hear inspiring stories of local initiatives led by women from diverse regions.
• Offer practical insights and recommendations for policymakers and donors to develop inclusive strategies supporting women and young women in their vital roles in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and recovery.
• Foster ongoing dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including civil society, policymakers, researchers, and donors. 

Click here to register >>>

Pacific Perspectives on the Gender Action Plan to Support Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030:
Integrating Inclusive Peacebuilding Approaches into Disaster Management
15 March | 11:15 am - 2:45 pm EDT
In-person or virtual attendance

The Gender Action Plan (GAP) within the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction—a global agreement adopted in 2015 aimed at reducing disaster risk and losses— is about to be launched to advance gender-transformative approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction and inclusive climate action. Local women peacebuilders from the Pacific contributed to the development of the GAP and will share insights for the consideration of experts on how to localise its implementation early on. The discussion aims to kickstart the conversation on the operationalisation of the GAP and will address the following questions:

• What are the key opportunities presented by the GAP to strengthen the implementation of the Sendai Framework?
• How can the GAP be implemented? What are the opportunities for partnership between governments and local women peacebuilders?
• What are the areas in the GAP that require further improvement? What processes need to be in place to ensure that the GAP adequately supports the needs of women in communities?

Click here to register>>>

Women Mediating across the Triple Nexus: Addressing socio-economic challenges resulting from Climate Change 
20 March | 8:15 am - 9:30 am EDT
UN Women Headquarters  | 220 East 42nd Street, New York or virtual attendance 

Women mediators advance gender equality, combat poverty, and empower frontline climate activists. However, despite their efforts, they often encounter obstacles from existing global and regional policies. This discussion aims to examine how global policies on climate, disaster risk reduction (DRR), peace and security, and development could better support the needs of women mediators networks, ensuring more targeted and impactful support. Join the participants of the discussion to explore: 

• Inspiring examples of conflict-sensitive women mediators' impact across the Triple Nexus and
• Ways policymakers can champion women mediators in global and regional processes.

Click here to register >>>

Investing in Women's Leadership: Women's Participation in Recovery and Reconstruction Efforts
21 March 2024 | 3:00 pm to 4:15 pm EDT
UNHQ Conference Room 6 or virtual attendance 

Women peacebuilders around the world have a tremendous economic and social impact on the well-being of their societies, including through leading gender-sensitive recovery and reconstruction efforts. Join the discussion to discover more about women's efforts, priorities, and recommendations from Colombia, Iraq, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Ukraine. In this session, you'll have the opportunity to:

• Learn from the experiences of women's initiatives from different geographic regions
• Unpack existing and promising practices for better recognising, measuring and documenting women's contributions and
• Reflect on action-oriented recommendations that bolster women's role in economic and post-conflict recovery and promote their active engagement in decision-making spaces.

Register here>>>