The sixty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place from  March 15 to 26, 2021.

CSW 65 for Non Government Organizations (NGOs) took place virtually. There were 25,000 registrations, and over 700 Parallel NGO events.

Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world were invited to participate.

Participating in UNCSW is an amazing opportunity for IIWR-MB to contribute to the global dialogue regarding the status of women within the United Nations framework.  It is also provides a platform for meeting with international partners and an opportunity to influence domestic policy as Federal Ministers participate at the session.

Commission on the Status of Women – 65

CSW 65 was different in 2021, as it was in 2020, when the CSW NGO Forum was cancelled, because of COVID-19. IIWR-MB was not able to hold the Parallel Event, planned for 2020, in New York, although it was given virtually.

For 2021, we know all of the NGO events (Parallel Events) will be held virtually – IIWR-MB will be hosting a virtual event, from Winnipeg. The application process to host a Parallel Event  opened November 16, 2020 and IIWR-MB’s proposal was accepted! The proposal was developed by the Manitoba Coalition MMIWG2S – 231 MMIWG2S Calls for Justice: Implementing Actions and Moving Forward. You can view the event HERE.

IIWR-MB looked for opportunities to participate in all aspects of CSW 65. Any individual could register to participate and attend NGO events.  There was no cost to register.  It was an important global meeting, as it marked the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Conference, and leads to the Gender Equality Forum. IIWR-MB will have an offical delegation of seven members, able to observe and partipate in the formal proceedings. More details below.

Read the latest news from UN Women here. 

Themes CSW 65

  • Priority theme: Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls;
  • Review theme: Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development (agreed conclusions of the sixtieth session)

Criteria to be Delegation Member

 The work, pre CSW, during CSW, and post CSW will be centered here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Treaty 1 Territory). We understand there will be opportunities for small group discussions, video conferencing, allowing people to talk and share knowledge and strategies about topics of interest, especially as an Advocate and the NGO Forum

CSW 65 will be an opportunity to build community, share ideas and bring people together. 

We look forward to sharing our experiences with you all.
 
Check out the News section of the web site for reports by our members!
 

FAQ

Monday, March 15 – Friday, March 26, 2021. 

At this point it looks like CSW 65 will be virtual, and how the official delegation will participate is not know. 

The CSW is held in New York, New York.  Some events happen in the United Nations building.  Parallel events put on by NGO’s from around the world, will be virtual.

The associated costs, if any, are up to each participant. For CSW 65 there will not be the travel and living costs as incurred with previous meetings. 

 

Parallel Events, sponsored by NGO’s,  are free.

  • generally, support the IIWR-MB team in planning,  and reporting on events
  • commit to contributing to sharing information while at CSW on social media, etc.
  • actively participate in reporting back
  • support IIWRMB post CSW events
  • maintain active involvement in IIWRMB for at least one year post CSW

Application process deadline is February 2nd, 2021. Download the application here. 

The IIWRMB Board will make decisions on the delegation.  This year there is no limit as to the number of delegates an ECOSOC accredited organization can have. IIWRMB delegates will be chosen using the criteria outlined on the website and in the application form.

It is expected many of the formal meetings, as well as the Parallel Events will be shown on the UN TV system, which is available to the public.

Parallel Events are organized by NGOs, and focus on specific topics.  IIWRMB has hosted 3 Parallel Events in the past, using a panel format.  The event is a mechanism for local issues to be raised in a global context. IIWR-MB has submitted a virtual Parallel Event, for consideration.

Join the IIWRMB CSW65 Facebook group. If you are interested, e-mail us and request an invitation to join the group.

Background Documents

 Documents

As documents become available they will be posted here. Here are some basic resources and background for CSW 65.

There were frequent events (mainly virtual) taking place at the UN, here in Canada, and indeed around the world – on the topic of gender equality. We listed some of them on the  IIWR-MB Events Page. Note: CSW/UN events are coloured green.

More resources:

Delegation Information

The Official IIWR-MB Delegation

  • Jessica Da Silva
  • Sahla Mirchell
  • Teruni Wallaliyadde
  • Nicholas Catalano
  • Jessica Botelho-Urbanski
  • Micaela Crighton
  • Mary Scott

The IIWR-MB Events Calendar will featured (in green) UN/CSW events.

The Commission on the Status of Women adopted agreed conclusions on “Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls” on 26 March 2021.

The advance unedited version of the CSW65 agreed conclusions is now available on the CSW65 website at https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw65-2021 .

The recordings of the CSW65 official meetings remain available for viewing on demand. To watch the recorded webcasts, please follow the links on the official meetings page at https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw65-2021/official-meetings

Many CSW65 side event organizers (like we did!) recorded the live streams of their events and the links for these recordings are available via the schedule of CSW65 side events at https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw65-2021/side-events

We look forward to your continued engagement, and would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to virtually join the Generation Equality Forum currently taking place in Mexico (29-31 March 2021), and in France from June 30 to July 2, 2021.

Global College Bursary

All students from the Global College at the University of Winnipeg, who have been selected as delegates to CSW 65, are eligible to apply for a Bursary to assist with costs. The terms and conditions for a Bursary for 2021 will be shared once developed by the Board.

Deadline for application will be announced here when available.

Parallel Event Panel

Event Description

The Parallel Event proposal for CSW 65  has been accepted!! It was submitted under the leadership of the Manitoba MMIWR2S Coalition. 

Title: 231 MMIWG2S Calls for Justice: Implementing Actions and Moving Forward

More than one year has passed since the release on the final Canadian report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Implementing the Calls for Justice requires continuous and lasting changes to address historical and ongoing violence faced by Indigenous women. girls and Two-Spirit peoples. Canadian society needs to support spaces that empower Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit peoples and their rights to be safe, honoured and respected. Community voices must be acknowledged and acted upon.

The program will cover the following topics:

  • “Nothing about us without us”
  • System changes
  • Restoring sacred circles
  • Effective allyship

Watch a recording of the event here.

Suggested background materials:

The parallel event was live streamed on facebook!

231 MMIWG2S Calls for Justice: Implementing Actions and Moving Forward

Panelists

Diane Redsky – Moderator/Emcee

Speakers:

Angie Hutchinson

Renee Kastrukoff

Chantell Barker

Mary Scott

 

View the recorded event here.

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