The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) kicked off Monday at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, with the participation of Morocco, represented by the Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family, Aawatif Hayar.
This 67th session of the Commission is held under the theme “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls,” considering that the Commission is the world’s leading intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
On this occasion, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, stressed that the international organization stands by women and girls around the world, stressing the need to change international frameworks since they are not adapted to the needs and aspirations of women and girls around the world.
Guterres further noted that the United Nations (UN) initiatives for a Sustainable Development Goals recovery plan aim to increase the capacity to invest in women and girls at the national level.
“My report on Our Common Agenda emphasizes gender equality in all of our work,” said Gueterres, adding that he recommended the United Nations (UN) system to ensure that support to member states prior to the Summit of the Future showcases the United Nations (UN) commitment to gender equality and women’s rights.
The Secretary-General further stressed that centuries of patriarchy, discrimination and stereotyping resulted in a huge gender gap in science and technology, noting that women make up only 3% of Nobel Prize winners in the scientific categories.
This session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), held both onsite and online, will feature a general discussion, ministerial roundtables, and interactive events, while negotiations on the agreed conclusions are expected to take place virtually.
This event will be attended by representatives of member states, United Nations entities and international Economic and Social Council-accredited non-governmental organizations. The discussions will focus on the challenges and opportunities for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in rural areas.
In relation to this edition’s Women’s day theme, the event will highlight the impact of the digital gender gap on economic and social inequalities, in addition to the protection of women’s and girls’ rights in digital spaces, particularly in the face of online gender-based violence facilitated by information and communication technologies.