Media advisory: International Women’s Day 2023 and the Commission on the Status of Women to address the gender gaps in innovation and technology

The CSW67 priority theme, “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”, represents a unique chance to address the gender gaps in technology and innovation, transform social norms, and empower women and girls, as the digital revolution represents both an opportunity and a threat.

Members of the media are invited to cover the following events:

International Women’s Day (IWD) official UN commemoration: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”

8 March 2023, 10–11.30am EST
General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters

Aligned with the priority theme of CSW67, the UN observance of IWD recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education and curtailing the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities.

The high-level event will bring together technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs, and gender equality activists to provide an opportunity to highlight the role of all stakeholders in improving access to digital tools. The opening remarks will be followed by a high-level panel discussion and musical performances.

Participants will include:

• E. Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
• E. Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly
• E. Ms. Mathu Joyini, Chair, 67th Commission on the Status of Women
• Marie Bjerre, Minister for Digitalization, IT Technology and Gender Equality, Denmark
• Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, via video message
• Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director
• Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, International Telecommunications Union
• Gitanjali Rao, 17-year-old inventor, innovator, author, STEM promoter, UNICEF Youth Advocate

The event is open to UN Headquarters grounds pass holders. Registration is required for the in-person event, and it will be webcast on UN Women and UN Web TV. For any questions, please contact [ Click to reveal ].

Ring the Bell for Gender Equality events at stock exchanges

1 March 2023, opening/closing bells

UN Women, International Finance Corporation, Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) Initiative, UN Global Compact, and the World Federation of Exchanges will collaborate in more than 110 stock exchanges events around the world to demonstrate their support for women’s rights and gender equality around International Women’s Day.

Participating stock exchanges have also taken the opportunity to make public commitments to gender equality through the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), encouraging listed companies to adopt the WEPs and its listing criteria to advance women’s representation on boards; developing sustainability-linked bonds with gender criteria or gender-focused bonds; and encouraging women to invest.

A list of Ring the Bell events around the world can be found here. For additional information, please contact [ Click to reveal ].

For more information, editorial content, and assets on International Women’s Day 2023:

• Website: http://womens.day/
• Social media: Join the online conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #IWD2023 and #InternationalWomensDay, and by following @UN_Women.
• Photos: https://www.flickr.com/unwomen/

CSW67 opening ceremony

6 March 2023, 10am–1pm EST
General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters

The official opening session of the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place in person in the General Assembly Hall at UN Headquarters in New York. The event will be broadcast on UN Web TV. More information about CSW67: https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw67-2023.

Open, safe and equal – Shaping a feminist digital future

7 March 2023, 1.15–2.30pm EST
Conference Room 4, UN Headquarters

This event will bring together high-level leaders from Governments, civil society organizations, youth, and UN agencies to draw attention to the CSW67 priority theme and the “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to place gender equality at the heart of the digital revolution. The discussion will focus on reaffirming Generation Equality’s shared principles for a feminist digital future, on the role of multi-stakeholder partnership cooperation in advancing gender equality in technology, and on demonstrating how technology and innovation can provide transformative solutions to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. The event will be webcast UN Web TV.

CSW67 Youth Forum – “Feminist and intergenerational digital futures: Innovation and technology for gender equality”

11 March 2023, 9am–4.30pm EST
Church Center for the United Nations, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017

The in-person Youth Forum will spotlight youth and adolescent recommendations on innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality, with a particular focus on grassroots and community voices. The recommendations were compiled from 103 community consultations, which engaged over 2500 young people across 60 countries. UN Women’s Executive Director, Sima Bahous, Member States, Private Sector and Member States will be in conversation with youth and adolescent activists. Registration is required.

Interactive dialogue with youth representatives

13 March 2023, 10am–1pm EDT
Conference Room 4 , UN Headquarters

For the first time at CSW, young people will have a seat at the official table with an interactive dialogue focused on the exchange of experiences, lessons learned, and good practices in relation to the CSW67 priority theme. It will highlight the key issues affecting young people, including girls, in the digital age. It will encourage youth representatives to share their countries’ technology policies, learn from positive experiences, and highlight how their countries can address digital transformation challenges. The session will take place in English but will include interpretation services in all other official UN languages. The event will be webcast UN Web TV.

Solutions to strengthen civic space and women’s digital rights: Addressing the pushback against gender equality

13 March 2023, 1.15–2.30pm EDT
Conference Room 8, UN Headquarters

In line with the priority theme of CSW67 focusing on technology and gender equality, UN Women is convening a high-level side event in collaboration with the Generation Equality Action Coalitions on Feminist Movement and Leadership and Gender-Based Violence. The side event will be a 75-minute, in-person event. Registration is required. The event will be webcast UN Web TV.

Con Alma concert – Special performance by Magos Herrera and Paola Prestini

14 March 2023, 6–7.30pm EDT
Trusteeship Council Chamber, UN Headquarters  

Inspired by the Generation Equality Forum’s principles of feminist leadership, intergenerational solidarity, and meaningful youth engagement, the Con Alma Special Performance at the United Nations represents a unique opportunity to celebrate the power of activism, solidarity, resilience building, and leadership that many women and youth-led networks and movements demonstrated around the world while the COVID-19 pandemic challenged humanity. The concert will also raise awareness about 2023 marking the midpoint of the Generation Equality journey and call for accelerated ambition and commitment. Registration is required.

Secretary General’s townhall with civil society 

15 March 2023, 10–11.15am EDT
General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters (TBC)

The townhall meeting is the UN Secretary-General’s annual consultation with women’s and feminist civil society on the margins of the Commission on the Status of Women. The townhall will be a 75-minute, in-person event and will be webcast on UN WebTV. UN Women’s Executive Director, Sima Bahous, will moderate the event. The session will take place in English but will include interpretation services in all other official UN languages, ISL, and live closed captioning in English.

For more information, editorial content, and assets on CSW67:

• Website: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/in-focus/2023/02/in-focus-un-commission-on-the-status-of-women-csw67
• Social media: Join the online conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #CSW67 and following @UN_Women.
• Photos: https://www.flickr.com/unwomen/

For interviews with senior UN Women officials and speakers at the events, please contact
[ Click to reveal ].