Press release: UN Commission on the Status of Ladies reaffirms the part 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 more equal and connected planet for girls and girls in all their diversity. It is our job, as we leave right here currently, to translate them into reality. The ultimate accomplishment of these Agreed Conclusions lies beyond their finalization currently, in how we will collectively take them forward. They bring us a vision of a a lot more equal planet. Let us translate them into reality for all girls and girls.”

CSW67 reaffirmed the significance of girls and girls’ complete, 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 among offline and on the net violence, harassment and discrimination against girls and girls and condemned the boost of such acts.   

The Commission named for drastically improved public and private sector investments to bridge the gender digital divide, a lot more inclusive innovation eco-systems, and the promotion of protected and gender-responsive technologies and innovation. It also named for inclusive and equitable good quality education in science, technologies, engineering, and mathematics, facts and communications technologies and digital literacy to assure that all girls and girls can thrive in a swiftly altering planet. 

Initiatives to market innovation and technological adjust, and education in the digital age for reaching gender equality ought to take into consideration the following:  

• Create digital tools and solutions to address the wants of all girls and girls, across sectors and geographies, specially for their education, well being, financial empowerment and engagement in public life, and assure girls and girls have access to digital literacy and abilities all through their life course. 
• Mainstream gender in digital policies to eliminate barriers to equal access for all girls and girls, like these living in poverty, in rural, maritime or remote regions, with disabilities, Indigenous girls and girls, migrant girls and girls, and older girls.  
• Foster a policy of zero tolerance for gender-primarily based violence that happens by means of or is amplified by the use of technologies and assure that public and private sector entities prioritize its prevention and elimination. 
• Mainstream a gender viewpoint in the style of emerging technologies and adopt regulations to assure they are topic to sufficient safeguards to combat new dangers, gender stereotypes and adverse social norms, information privacy breaches and boost transparency and accountability.  
• Market policies and programmes to accomplish gender parity in emerging scientific and technological fields and produce supportive workplaces and education settings, like by means of gender-responsive education, distance studying options and interdisciplinary approaches combining the teaching of social sciences and scientific fields.  
• Create gender-responsive innovation that challenges gender stereotypes and adverse social norms, including by means of the improvement of digital content material, awareness campaigns and teaching competencies for constructive engagement on digital technologies that engage, educate, encourage and empowers youth, like young males and boys, to develop into agents of adjust for gender equality. 

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

In the initially totally in-particular person session following 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, CSW67 registered really higher numbers with a lot more than 7,000 participants, like four heads of state and government and 116 ministers, 205 side events on UN premises, and about 700 NGO parallel events.  

For the initially time, the session incorporated an interactive youth session with young folks, youth representatives of delegations, civil society and United Nations organizations , engaging in dialogue and delivering suggestions on how to assure young girls and girls are component of the digital transformation. The Commission also benefited from vital contributions from a wide variety of civil society organizations like the leaders and commitment makers of the Action Coalition on Technologies and Innovation for Gender Equality, launched as component of the Generation Equality Forum. The Action Coalition on Technologies and Innovation for Gender Equality has produced a substantial contribution in cementing alliances among Governments, private sector, civil society and the UN program and in driving momentum and commitments to advance gender equality by means of technologies and innovation.