In March, the EESC took part in the 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), the main international and intergovernmental body fighting for gender equality, which took place in New York.

This was the EESC’s inaugural participation at the UN’s largest annual gathering on women’s empowerment, which this year focused on ending women’s poverty. Giving a voice to European civil society in their fight for gender equality, the EESC contributed to the theme with a declaration comprising ten action points for the economic empowerment and social protection of women.

The EESC delegation was headed by President Oliver Röpke, who has made gender equality a core priority of his work and his presidency. President Röpke said: ‘The EESC has a long history of advocating for EU and global policies to advance gender equality and address the economic and social inequalities that women and girls struggle with today. But this is the first time we take this work, under one single voice of European civil society, to the highest possible stage in this collective fight towards global gender equality. Poverty is not gender-neutral, so neither can our response to it be’.

The action points listed in the EESC’s declaration encapsulated the EESC’s positions on the CSW68 theme. They were aimed at advancing gender equality, tackling poverty and strengthening institutions through a gender perspective, in line with EU priorities. Among other things, they also included protecting women from all kinds of violence, ensuring accessible healthcare services, women’s fair representation in the labour market, championing women’s leadership and ensuring equal opportunities through education.

‘A year from now, I hope to be able to say that the EESC’s presence at the UNCSW has helped give these demands a stronger voice. We can and should be critical. We need the critical voices of civil society, stakeholders, NGOs and institutions working towards this collective and shared goal: a more equal Europe, a more equal world. We can and should point to the road ahead,’ President Röpke said. The EESC formed part of an EU delegation represented by the EU Presidency. It had an observer role, together with the European Parliament. Alongside the President, the EESC delegation comprised the following members: Christa Schweng, Mariya Mincheva, Cinzia del Rio, Maria Nikolopoulou, Chiara Corazza and Sif Holst, the President of the EESC’s Equality Group. (ll)