International Women’s Day
Empowering Women, Transforming Lives: The Power of Technology on International Women’s Day
Washington, DC- On March 8, Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS) joins the United Nations and civil society throughout the world in celebrating International Women’s Day, which is dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. This year’s focus is 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.”
The theme for International Women’s Day on March 8, 2023 has been announced as “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” This year’s theme is aligned with the focus of the upcoming 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67): “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” The theme highlights the importance of leveraging technology and innovation to promote gender equality and empower women and girls.
The benefits of including women and other marginalized groups in technology are numerous. Not only does promoting social equity vis-à-vis technology result in more creative solutions, but it also can drive innovation that meets women’s needs and promotes gender equality. Conversely, the exclusion of women from technology comes with significant costs. According to the UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2022 report, women’s exclusion from the digital world has caused a loss of $1 trillion from the GDP of low and middle-income countries in the last decade, and this loss is projected to increase to $1.5 trillion by 2025 without action. Reversing this trend will require tackling the problem of online violence, which a recent study revealed 38% of women in 51 countries have personally experienced.
We at Citizens for Global Solutions and Young World Federalists firmly believe that reversing these trends can be best achieved through strengthening international laws to protect women and girls against online violence. Specific steps that can be taken include urging the UN General Assembly to continually push for universal compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights– of which gender equality is a significant part. Furthermore, the UN General Assembly could convene to revise the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)- informally known as the “International Bill of Rights” for women- by adding a provision addressing gender exclusion and discrimination in the technological sphere. Finally, UN member states could collectively agree to empower the Commission on the Status of Women by strengthening its relationship with the more representative UN General Assembly- not just ECOSOC, whose members don’t fully reflect UN member states. The Commission could also convene on a more regular basis and address the lack of substantial provisions regarding technology in the Beijing Platform for Action, a global blueprint for gender equality.
In commemoration of International Women’s Day, we look forward to continue working with civil society worldwide to strengthen grassroots and international efforts to safeguard gender equality both within and outside of the UN system.
About Citizens for Global Solutions & Young World Federalists
Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS) is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-partisan membership-based organization that for more than 75 years has brought together a diverse collective of individuals and organizations with a common goal of a unified world predicated upon peace, human rights, and the rule of law. From championing ratification of the UN Charter upon our establishment in 1947 to supporting creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) 25 years ago to advocating for global instruments to confront today’s enduring challenges of war and climate degradation, CGS recognizes that true progress is a generational enterprise. We invite like-minded individuals and organizations to join us in this mission.
The Young World Federalists are a global movement fighting to give humanity a voice. We envision a sustainable, just, and peaceful world through a democratic world federation. A world run by humanity, for humanity, providing equal opportunity to all on a thriving planet.
Contact: Donna Park dpark@globalsolutions.org