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Event : Conference

APF-GANHRI advocacy at the 61st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women

Graphic: Opening of the CSW meeting, which is held annually in New York

Event starts

13 Mar 2017

Event ends

24 Mar 2017

Venue

UN Headquarters, New York
United States
Women Intl. engage

NHRIs from around the globe have continued their campaign for the independent participation of NHRIs in the work of the global policy setting body.


National human rights institutions (NHRIs) from around the world continued their campaign for independent participation at the UN Commission on the Status of Women when the global policy making body met in March 2017.

The 61st Session of Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13-24 March 2017.

Unlike at the Human Rights Council, 'A status' NHRIs do not have standing in their own right to participate in meetings of the CSW and can only attend as part of their country's government delegation, if they are invited.

In an historic step, the Agreed Conclusions issued at the end of CSW 60 in March 2016 included a standalone paragraph to encourage the CSW Secretariat to consider how it could enhance the participation of NHRIs.


Stall holder at Bangkok market, Thailand

NHRIs can act as a catalyst to empower women claiming and realising their right to equal economic opportunities and to help combat discrimination against women at work.

Read more in the concept note for the NHRI side event on promoting gender equality and women's economic empowerment.


The priority theme for CSW 61 was women's economic empowerment in the changing world of work.

As part of the two-week gathering, the APF and GANHRI hosted a side event to showcase the efforts of NHRIs from around the world to support women's workplace participation and economic empowerment.

The side event, held on 17 March 2017, was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Afghanistan, Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Germany, Morocco, New Zealand, Qatar and the United Kingdom.

It featured presentations from the NHRIs of the Philippines, Morocco and the United Kingdom. Florence Simbiri-Jaoko, GANHRI Special Envoy and former Chairperson of Kenya's National Commission on Human Rights, will chair the discussion.

The event demonstrated the practical work that NHRIs are undertaking to support gender equality and women's economic empowerment, as well as the unique insights that NHRIs can bring to global discussion of the human rights issues facing women and girls.



Graphic: Dr Sima Samar and Florence Simbiri-Jaoko at CSW 61

NHRIs’ work on women’s rights acknowledged at CSW 61

United States

States from around the globe have highlighted the valuable contribution that NHRIs bring to international discussions on the rights of women and girls


Image credits

  1. Opening of the CSW meeting, which is held annually in New York - UN Women/J. Carrier, Flickr; http://bit.ly/2ledJC3
  2. Stall holder at Bangkok market, Thailand - APF/Michael Power