Media advisory: UN Commission on the Status of Women stresses the empowerment of women and girls in fighting climate change, 14-25 March 2022

Pre-existing inequalities and gender-based cultural norms and barriers increase the vulnerability of women and girls to the impacts of crises like climate change and conflict. However, when women are able to fully and equally participate in and lead solutions to addressing these crises, their fragility transforms into stability.

Without gender equality today, a sustainable and an equal future, remains beyond our reach.

The 66th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66), from 14 to 25 March 2022, will focus on the important role of women and girls and achieving gender equality in the context of climate change. This year’s priority theme is “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”. The review theme is “Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work".

This year’s CSW will review gender-centred solutions to climate change such as integrating gender perspectives into climate, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes; innovative mechanisms to build resilience of women and girls and their organizations; the importance of financing gender-responsive climate, environmental and disaster risk initiatives; and the need to generate gender specific statistics and data to amplify the relationship between gender and climate. The CSW will also provide a forum for discussions on threats to progress due to multiple, interlocking and compounding crises, including in Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, this year’s Commission on the Status of Women will be held in a hybrid format. The official sessions will be held in-person, while all side-events will be held almost entirely virtually. The events organized by UN Women, in collaboration with other UN agencies, organizations and civil society are open for all and listed below. Information on the official side-events can be found here.  

OFFICIAL SESSIONS:

CSW Opening Ceremony
14 March 2022, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (ET)

The official opening session of the 66^th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women will take place in-person, in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. More information on official meetings of CSW66 can be found here.

How to join: The event will be broadcasted on UN Women website and on UN Web TV.

The Opening Ceremony will be followed by Ministerial Roundtables
14 March 2022, 3 to 4:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 6 p.m. (ET)

1. 3 to 4:30 p.m.: Climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes: advancing gender equality through holistic and integrated actions from global to local. (In person)
2. 4:30 to 6 p.m.: Women’s voice and agency: good practices towards achieving women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and decision-making in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes. (In person)

How to join: The Ministerial Roundtables will be broadcasted on the UN Web TV.

Ministerial Roundtables

15 March 2022, 10 to 11:30 a.m. – 11:30 to 1 p.m. – 3 to 6 p.m. (ET)

1. 10 to 11:30 m.: Climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes: advancing gender equality through holistic and integrated actions from global to local.
2. 3 to 6 p.m.: Women’s voice and agency: good practices towards achieving women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and decision-making in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes
3. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: General discussion.

How to join: The events will be broadcasted on UN Web TV.

UN Secretary-General’s Town Hall with CSOs
16 March 2022, 10:30 to 11:30 AM (ET)

The active participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) is a critical element in the work of the Commission of the Status of Women. The virtual town hall will be the UN Secretary-General’s António Guterres annual consultation with women’s civil society. It will provide an opportunity for women’s and youth civil society organisations to engage with the UN Secretary-General on the session’s priority theme: “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”. UN Women Executy Director Sima Bahous will moderate the conversation.

How to join: The event will be broadcasted on UN Women website and on UN Web TV.

UN WOMEN ORGANIZED OR CO-SPONSORED EVENTS:

Generation Equality: The Journey Ahead

16 March 2022, 4 to 5:30 p.m. (ET)

On 16 March, Generation Equality will have a high-level, multistakeholder and intergenerational dialogue entitled "Generation Equality: The Journey Ahead". The high-level event will close 24 hours of Around-the-Clock Generation Equality side event sessions providing an update on the forward trajectory of Generation Equality and concrete updates on progress made since the Forum in Paris.

How to join: Register here.

Beyond COVID-19: Advancing gender responsive policies on climate, care and jobs for a sustainable and equal future

17 March 2022, 10 to 11:30 a.m. (ET)

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an enormous toll on the lives of women and girls. The virus has acted as a ‘big revealer’ uncovering and exacerbating underlying gender inequalities which scar our societies and economies. The event, which will draw on UN Women’s latest flagship report, Beyond COVID-19: A Feminist Plan for Sustainability and Social Justice and insights from the Secretary-General’s CSW66 priority and review theme reports, will bring together a high-level panel of women leaders from the UN, Mary Robinson, Chair of the Elders, and young women climate activists for a dynamic and interactive dialogue. The event will be opened by UN Women’s Executive Director Sima Bahous.

How to join: Register here.

Climate shocks exacerbating humanitarian crisis, insecurity and gender inequality – Voices from the Sahel and Afghanistan

21 March 2022, 9 to 10:30 a.m. (ET)

UN Women is leading this side event which seeks to highlight the impacts of climate shocks and environmental hazards for women and girls which exacerbates humanitarian crises and security risks globally. It seeks to discuss the ways in which climate crisis, conflict and gender inequality are conflated and mutually reinforcing to the detriment of the advancement of the SDGs and impact on the gains made on gender equality and empowerment of women. The event will showcase opportunities and priorities on responding to these challenges based on experiences of crisis- and conflict-affected women in the Sahel and Afghanistan. Opening remarks will be given by Mr. Selwin Hart, Assistant Secretary-General of Climate Action Team and UN Women’s Executive Director Sima Bahous will give a speech during the event on gender equality and environmental outlook for crisis-affected women.

How to join: Register here.

CSW66 official events: https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw66-2022/official-meetings

Entire list of official Side-Events [events co-organised by UN Member States, Intergovernmental organizations and UN entities]: https://teamup.com/ksjgjdxx23dqs947md

NGO-organized parallel events: https://ngocsw.org/event/ngocsw66

Join the online conversation using the hashtag #CSW66 and following @UN_Women and @UN_CSW.

For more information, editorial content and assets on the 66^th Commission on the Status of Women:

Website: www.unwomen.org

Social Media: https://trello.com/b/eKHf1feY

For interviews with senior UN Women officials and speakers at the events, contact media.team[at]unwomen.org.