FAO at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67)
New York (United States), Hybrid Event, 06/03/2023 - 17/03/2023
As the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), plays an instrumental role in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
This year, the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place from 6 to 17 March 2023, under the priority theme ‘Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.’ The review theme for the session will focus on challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls, as per the agreed conclusions of the sixty-second session.
Key messages
Gender disparities in access to ICTs, although still significant, are slowly closing: between 2017 and 2021, 60 percent of women in low- and middle-income countries have access to mobile internet (compared to 44 percent in 2017). However, women continue to be more digitally excluded than men, particularly if they live in rural areas.
Comprehensive policies and programmes that take gender and other socioeconomic determinants into consideration are key to bridging the gap between women and men in agrifood systems and enhancing their ability to benefit equitably from ICTs.
To tackle the digital gender gap effectively, ICT strategies, policies, plans and budgets need to explicitly address rural women’s needs, preferences, circumstances, and capabilities.
Read more about FAO’s work on gender and rural women’s economic empowerment here and on digital transformation here.
Stay informed on FAO’s work in support of SDG 5 (Gender Equality) here.
Stay tuned for the FAO Chief Scientist's intervention at the General Discussion.
FAO at CSW67: Side events
(all times listed below are New York time)
6 March | 1:30 PM at Church Center of the United Nations (In-Person)
Rural women and girls empowerment as a guarantee for the future, organized by the Association of families and women in rural areas of Spain (AFAMMER)
FAO Speaker: Halka Otto, Senior Liaison Officer, FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York
Visit the CSW67 website | Agenda
8 March | 1:15 - 2:30 PM at UNHQ, Conference Room 8 (In-Person)
Strengthening rural women´s capacity in natural resources management through improved data, organized by UNESCO and Slovenia.
FAO Speakers include: Ms. Huda Alsah, Social Policy Officer
9 March | 8:00 – 9:30 AM at CGIAR’s GENDER Impact Platform, The Westin New York (In-Person)
Agricultural Innovations for Rural Women for Resilient Food Systems.
FAO Speakers include: Guangzhou Qu, Director, Liaison Office in with the United Nations New York
Visit the CSW67 website | Concept note | Speakers
9 March | 10:00 AM (Virtual)
When digital entrepreneurship empowers women in the forest sector
FAO Speakers include: Mr. Ewald Rametsteiner, Deputy Director, Forestry Division; and Mr. Gerardo Segura, Senior Forestry Officer, Forestry Division.
Visit the CSW67 website | Register here | Concept note and Agenda
9 March | 1:15 – 2:30 PM at UNHQ, Conference Room A (In-Person)
Digitalization for Gender Equality and Rural Women's Empowerment: The Nexus between Digital Solutions, ICT Policies and Gender Equality in Rural Areas
Co-organized by: FAO and Kenya
FAO speakers include: Lauren M. Phillips, Deputy Director, Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division
14 March | 09:00 – 10:15 AM (Virtual)
Sustainable Livelihoods and Access to Markets for Rural Women: Experiences from the Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment
Co-organized by: FAO, IFAD, UN Women and WFP
FAO Speaker: Lauren M. Phillips, Deputy Director, Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division
Visit the CSW67 website | Register here | Concept note
15 March | 3:00 – 4:15 PM at UNHQ, Conference Room A (In-Person)
Fostering Sustainable Food Security through Gender Responsive Innovations and Technological Transformation
Organized by: Kenya
FAO Speakers include: Husna Mbarak, Land Governance Programme Manager-Governance of Natural Resources, FAO Representation in Kenya