New York Metropolis — The 67th session of the Fee on the Standing of Ladies (CSW67)— the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality, the empowerment of all girls and ladies and their human rights—successfully closed its two-week lengthy session as we speak (6 to 17 March) with the acknowledgment of the vital position of know-how and innovation in attaining gender equality. The agreed conclusions adopted by Member States present a blueprint for all stakeholders, together with governments, the personal sector, civil society and youth to advertise the total and equal participation and management of ladies and ladies within the design, transformation and integration of digital applied sciences and innovation processes that fulfill the human rights and desires of ladies and ladies.

On the conclusion of the negotiations, UN Ladies Government Director, Sima Bahous, stated: “This yr’s Agreed Conclusions are game-changing and convey ahead our imaginative and prescient of a extra equal and linked world for ladies and ladies in all their range. It’s our job, as we go away right here as we speak, to translate them into actuality. The last word success of those Agreed Conclusions lies past their finalization as we speak, in how we’ll collectively take them ahead. They convey us a imaginative and prescient of a extra equal world. Allow us to translate them into actuality for all girls and ladies.”

CSW67 reaffirmed the significance of ladies and ladies’ full, equal and significant participation and management in science, know-how and innovation, and expressed concern on the restricted progress in closing the gender hole in entry to and use of applied sciences, connectivity, digital literacy and training. It additionally expressed grave concern in regards to the continuity and interrelation between offline and on-line violence, harassment and discrimination towards girls and ladies and condemned the rise of such acts.

The Fee known as for considerably elevated private and non-private sector investments to bridge the gender digital divide, extra inclusive innovation eco-systems, and the promotion of protected and gender-responsive know-how and innovation. It additionally known as for inclusive and equitable high quality training in science, know-how, engineering, and arithmetic, data and communications know-how and digital literacy to make sure that all girls and ladies can thrive in a quickly altering world.

Initiatives to advertise innovation and technological change, and training within the digital age for attaining gender equality should contemplate the next:

• Develop digital instruments and providers to handle the wants of all girls and ladies, throughout sectors and geographies, particularly for his or her training, well being, financial empowerment and engagement in public life, and guarantee girls and ladies have entry to digital literacy and expertise all through their life course.

• Mainstream gender in digital insurance policies to take away obstacles to equal entry for all girls and ladies, together with these residing in poverty, in rural, maritime or distant areas, with disabilities, Indigenous girls and ladies, migrant girls and ladies, and older girls.

• Foster a coverage of zero tolerance for gender-based violence that happens via or is amplified by way of know-how and be certain that private and non-private sector entities prioritize its prevention and elimination.

• Mainstream a gender perspective within the design of rising applied sciences and undertake rules to make sure they’re topic to ample safeguards to fight new dangers, gender stereotypes and unfavourable social norms, information privateness breaches and enhance transparency and accountability.

• Promote insurance policies and programmes to realize gender parity in rising scientific and technological fields and create supportive workplaces and training settings, together with via gender-responsive training, distance studying options and interdisciplinary approaches combining the educating of social sciences and scientific fields.

• Develop gender-responsive innovation that challenges gender stereotypes and unfavourable social norms, together with via the event of digital content material, consciousness campaigns and educating competencies for constructive engagement on digital applied sciences that interact, educate, encourage and empowers youth, together with younger males and boys, to turn into brokers of change for gender equality.

The 67th session of the Fee on the Standing of Ladies came about towards the backdrop of continued backlash towards girls’s rights globally, from elevated violence towards girls within the public area, to the gender impacts of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkiye, to the every day horror that girls and ladies face in emergency and disaster settings together with in Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran.

Within the first absolutely in-person session following three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, CSW67 registered very excessive numbers with greater than 7,000 members, together with 4 heads of state and authorities and 116 ministers, 205 facet occasions on UN premises, and about 700 NGO parallel occasions.

For the primary time, the session included an interactive youth session with younger folks, youth representatives of delegations, civil society and United Nations organizations , partaking in dialogue and offering suggestions on how to make sure younger girls and ladies are a part of the digital transformation. The Fee additionally benefited from vital contributions from a variety of civil society organizations together with the leaders and dedication makers of the Motion Coalition on Expertise and Innovation for Gender Equality, launched as a part of the Era Equality Discussion board. The Motion Coalition on Expertise and Innovation for Gender Equality has made a big contribution in cementing alliances between Governments, personal sector, civil society and the UN system and in driving momentum and commitments to advance gender equality via know-how and innovation.