Bringing it home from CSW

1. Bringing it home from CSW The how and why of using the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 63) Agreed Conclusions to strengthen your organisation’s policy and advocacy Wednesday 15 May, 2019 (13:30 – 14:15) This presentation will be recorded – recording will be held on eS4W website

2. Aims for the Webinar The Webinar is aimed at providing a ‘virtual’ space for those new to the UN / CSW processes and procedures of CSW to: • learn and interact with those who have attended and to discuss the CSW 63rd Session Agreed Conclusions and why they are relevant and important to Australian domestic policy; • explore how the Agreed Conclusions can contribute to your organisations work and the issues you identified in your work with eS4W last year; • understand how eS4W member organisations can build and support advocacy work with the key issues identified by eS4W; • discuss Beijing + 25, what is planned for CSW 64th session and beyond.

3. Introduction • The sixty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 11 to 22 March 2019. • How do CSW Agreed Conclusions link with Women’s Rights and your work? • What happened at CSW 63rd Session – Agreed Conclusions Gains / Challenges • What happens next ? Beijing + 25 / CSW 64th Session /Women’s Global Forum 2010

4. Why relevant? Links to domestic policy / services.. • International Agreement – not legally binding – soft law • Opportunity to impact on national policy through Outcomes Document • Opportunity to strengthen organisational position by using CSW Agreed Conclusions.

5. CSW 63 A Word on the Priority & Secondary Themes

6. CSW 63rd Session Thematic Areas • Priority theme: Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; • Review theme: Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development (agreed conclusions of the sixtieth session);

7. Social Protection Systems…. Social Protection systems can make a critical contribution to the fulfillment of human rights, particularly for those trapped in poverty, marginalised or vulnerable.

8. Key International Agreements Example : eS4W Identified Priority Areas Information provided by Asia Pacific NGO Committee on the Status of Women

9. Gains arising in CSW 63rd Session Agreed Conclusions agreed on : • new international standards on women ‘s human rights to social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure; • prior agreements were maintained on sexual and reproductive health and rights, education, gender-based violence, the need for policies that address the ‘diverse needs of families; • responsibility of the state to protect women human rights defenders was reiterated.

10. Challenges arising in CSW 63rd Session Agreed conclusions did not : • retain important language on service provision - specifically SRH services for survivors of violence, • Failed to commit to integrating sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression into the design of social protection, public services and infrastructure systems. • Professionalisationand expansion of strong conservative voices..(civil society space)

11. Challenges arising in CSW 63rd Session • Strong conservative voices – aggressive tactics (CitizenGo bus), corridor antics – on an off the UN floor (discrediting process / claiming no real consensus) • Weakening of Human Rights Language - lack of agreement, with many Member States arguing to water down previously agreed matters – reducing rather than advancing women’s rights.  • Open harassment at SRHR and LGBTQI side events • Large anti-abortion cohort

12. Overview of CSW 63rd Agreed Conclusions Preamble (p1-10) • Reaffirming commitment - BPFA all reviews, declarations and agreed conclusions, CEDAW SDG’s 2030 Agenda – links to other relevant conferences / Treaties / Agreements – acknowledgement of regional agreements • Recognises current push back on women’s rights (lack of finance and political will) ; structural challenges / barriers ; VAWG ; Sexual Harrasment ; shifting global priorities ; impact of trade agreements ; growing feminization of poverty ; gender gaps in labour force ; impacts of climate change ….etcetc . • Specific paras for specific groups such as migrant workers, refugees, women in conflict

13. Overview of CSW 63rd Agreed Conclusions Action paras (a) – (sss) (p10-21) • Strengthen normative, legal & policy frameworks (a) – (dd) • Strengthen women’s and girl’s access to social protection (ee)- (mm) • Strengthen access to public services for women and girls (nn) – (aaa) • Make infrastructure work for women and girls (bbb) – (iii) • Mobilise resource, strengthen women’s participation and improve evidence (jjj) – (sss) • Some strong (take action to..) • Some weak (consider….)

14. Overview of CSW 63rd Agreed Conclusions Closing paras (48 – 51) pp 21 - 22 • Recalling and Reaffirming commitment - BPFA all reviews, declarations and agreed conclusions, CEDAW SDG’s 2030 Agenda – links to other relevant conferences / Treaties / Agreements – acknowledgement of regional agreements • Calling for UN Agencies, Governments, Civil Society, to mobilise around the BPFA and 2030 Agenda

15. eS4W priorities reflected in Agreed Conclusions? Care work (k) Unpaid care work & measurement ; (l) access for unpaid caregivers; (oo) care services investment (ll) paid maternity leave Decent Work (s) decent work & (mm) gender stereotypes exacerbating women’s unpaid work ; (aaa) conditions of decent work Financial security (x) older women (financial) protection & (jj) unemployment protection schemes / pensions / income security for older women ; (bb) Gender pay gap ; (cc) informal economy work ; (dd) financial inclusion / literacy Education (ww) right to education throughout life cycle; (xx) adolescent, young and single mothers to continue education ; (yy) enhance employability of women Other (q) strengthening national mechanisms

16. Push back on the push back … Agreed Conclusion (ooo) p 21 ‘Support the important role of civil society actors in promoting and protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all women; take steps to protect such actors, including women human rights defenders, and to integrate a gender perspective into the creation of a safe and enabling environment for the defence of human rights and to prevent violation and abuses against them in rural areas, inter alia, threats, harassment and violence, in particular on issues relating to labour rights, the environment, land and natural resources; and combat impunity by taking steps to ensure that violations or abuses are promptly and impartially investigated and that those responsible are held accountable’

17. What’s next….? Beijing + 25 Review and International Women’s Conference The information in this section is provided by Asia Pacific NGO Committee on the Status of Women (AP NGO/CSW) Further information can be found at www.apngocsw.org or AP NGOCSW Facebook page

18. Beijing + 25 • Review BPFA 12 Critical Areas of Concern every 5 years – 2020 is Beijing + 25 (5th total review of BPFA) • Extra steps – • National level – • Regional level - November, 2019 Bangkok ESCAP (also NGO Regional Forum) • A special event during the September session of the UN General Assembly in New York. • The UN also plans national consultations on the government reports as well as regional meetings throughout 2019 and early 2020 up to the CSW 64. • 9-20 March 2020 - CSW 64th Session in New York • 2020 – Global Women’s Conference (currently being discussed – France / Mexico / other options to be revealed …

19. BPFA 12 Critical Areas of Concern… • Declaration • Critical areas of concern • Women and poverty • Education and training of women • Women and health • Violence against women • Women and armed conflict • Women and the economy • Women in power and decision-making • Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women • Human rights of women • Women and the media • Women and the environment • The girl child For more information on past reviews visit http://jerainternational.org/beijing-20-review-resources

20. What are Governments / NGO’s asked to do? • Support NGOs parallel reports on the Beijing Platform for Action and CEDAW. Deadline is May 1, 2019 for governments. • Develop strategies to strengthen ties between the UN and “critical” social movements on equality, sustainable development, and peace • Create online opportunities for feminist and women’s journalism, theatre, arts and culture events • Bring the global-local – e.g.. Cities for CEDAW

21. How can NGO’s take action? • Mobilize around national NGO parallel reports to present to governments • Hold public events on the Beijing Platform for Action and CEDAW in schools, communities • Create intergenerational events during 2019 and 2020

22. NGO Parallel Reports 1. Why don’t we call these shadow reports? 2. How can NGOs make sure governments learn about them? 3. Where are the NGO Guidelines to do these reports?

23. Online books project.. Book I “My Memories and Messages for the Next Generation” will be written by participants of the UN FWCW in Beijing Book II “My Issues, Hopes and Dreams” will be written by young women in the arts about the issues in the BPfA

24. A Global Women’s Conference … • A global women’s conference is due to take place in 2020. (Supported by France & Mexico) • Currently this may be in France …. Or Mexico .. Or …??? • Discussions on this are ongoing and as they come forward we will be updating information on the AP NGO/CSW website • In the words of PhumzilleMlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women ”It’s confusing at the moment how this will play out…”

25. Learn more on B+25.. • Asia Pacific NGO / CSW www.apngo.org • NGO CSW/NY: www.ngocsw.org • UN Women www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw64-2020 • Past reviews http://jerainternational.org/beijing-20-review-resources • Parallel Reports for Beijing +25 https://apngocsw.org/updates/

26. Acknowledgements eS4W and AP NGO/CSW would like to thank the following people and organisations for their time, experience and input into this webinar : Sharen Page, economic Security 4 Women Carole Shaw and Judith van Unen, JERA International Asia Pacific NGO Committee on the Status of Women (AP NGOCSW) Prue Mooney, Director, International Engagement, Prime Minister & Cabinet