New York City — The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Females (CSW67)— the UN’s biggest annual gathering on gender equality, the empowerment of all girls and girls and their human rights—effectively closed its two-week lengthy session now (six to 17 March) with the acknowledgment of the important function of technologies and innovation in reaching gender equality. The agreed conclusions adopted by Member States present a blueprint for all stakeholders, such as governments, the private sector, civil society and youth to market the complete and equal participation and leadership of girls and girls in the style, transformation and integration of digital technologies and innovation processes that fulfill the human rights and desires of girls and girls.

At the conclusion of the negotiations, UN Females Executive Director, Sima Bahous, stated: “This year’s Agreed Conclusions are game-altering and bring forward our vision of a extra equal and connected planet for girls and girls in all their diversity. It is our job, as we leave right here now, to translate them into reality. The ultimate good results of these Agreed Conclusions lies beyond their finalization now, in how we will collectively take them forward. They bring us a vision of a extra 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 amongst offline and on-line violence, harassment and discrimination against girls and girls and condemned the improve of such acts.

The Commission named for considerably enhanced public and private sector investments to bridge the gender digital divide, extra inclusive innovation eco-systems, and the promotion of secure 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 make certain that all girls and girls can thrive in a quickly altering planet.

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

• Create digital tools and solutions to address the desires of all girls and girls, across sectors and geographies, particularly for their education, well being, financial empowerment and engagement in public life, and make certain girls and girls have access to digital literacy and capabilities all through their life course.

• Mainstream gender in digital policies to get rid of barriers to equal access for all girls and girls, such as these living in poverty, in rural, maritime or remote locations, 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 via or is amplified by the use of technologies and make certain that public and private sector entities prioritize its prevention and elimination.

• Mainstream a gender point of view in the style of emerging technologies and adopt regulations to make certain they are topic to sufficient safeguards to combat new dangers, gender stereotypes and damaging social norms, information privacy breaches and boost transparency and accountability.

• Market policies and programmes to realize gender parity in emerging scientific and technological fields and generate supportive workplaces and education settings, such as via gender-responsive education, distance understanding options and interdisciplinary approaches combining the teaching of social sciences and scientific fields.

• Create gender-responsive innovation that challenges gender stereotypes and damaging social norms, such as via the improvement of digital content material, awareness campaigns and teaching competencies for constructive engagement on digital technologies that engage, educate, encourage and empowers youth, such as young guys and boys, to turn out to be agents of adjust for gender equality.

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

In the very first completely in-particular person session following 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, CSW67 registered really higher numbers with extra than 7,000 participants, such as four heads of state and government and 116 ministers, 205 side events on UN premises, and about 700 NGO parallel events.

For the very first 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 offering suggestions on how to make certain 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 such as 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 created a substantial contribution in cementing alliances amongst Governments, private sector, civil society and the UN technique and in driving momentum and commitments to advance gender equality via technologies and innovation.