NWCI takes part in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

Published: Tuesday, April 03, 2018

(Pictured above: NWCI with members of the Irish Delegation, Officials from the Department of Justice and Permanent Mission to the UN, Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason and Minister of State David Stanton)

The National Womens Council of Ireland had the opportunity to take part in the United National Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York in March, as part of the Irish delegation.

Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women's empowerment worldwide. 

This year Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Geraldine Bryne Nason was elected as Chair of the 45-member Commission for the Status of Women for 2018, and is the first Irish person to chair the Commission.

At CSW, NWCI participated in high-level interactive dialogues, a general discussion, as well as interactive and expert panel discussions. We also attended side events which drew attention to critical aspects of the work on gender equality including violence against women, Climate Justice and Women and Peace in Northern Ireland.

The priority theme for 2018 focused on challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls. Minister of State with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton TD, represented the Government.

We welcomed the opportunity to put a rural lens on women’s equality and humans rights and have developed a paper on women in rural communities. This gives NWCI an opportunity to highlight the diversity of women and girls living in rural communities across Ireland and to consider the multiple and intersecting disadvantages they face. 

Women living in rural Ireland are more likely to experience poverty, assume the responsibility and burden of care and experience additional obstacles as victims of violence. Their experiences, their role and contribution to families, communities and businesses including on farms often goes unacknowledged and unrecognised in our social protection system and in our rural development strategies.  

NWCI group members who are working in rural communities have made huge contributions to the advancement of equality for women especially those most marginalised, such as disabled women, Traveller and Roma women, women who are parenting alone and migrant women.  

Rural women and girls must be central to all processes that impact on them. Resourcing and supporting the engagement and participation of women and girls is essential to the future sustainability and viability of rural communities. 

The agreed conclusions on the priority theme will give an important impetus to accelerate actions and progress for the full realisation of women’s and girls’ rights by all States.

For a full report or for more informaiton please contact Catherine Lane catherinel@nwci.ie

 

(Pictured above L to R: Catherine Lane (NWCI) with Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson and Kate Clifford (Rural Community Network Northern Ireland)

(Pictured above L to R: NWCI chairperson Ellen O'Malley Dunlop with the chair of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women Susan O'Malley)