The UN's 68th Commission on the Status of Women
DCA is proud to be part of a cohort of Australian representatives at the United Nation’s 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), held from 11 to 22 March, 2024.
Over the coming weeks, the Commission will discuss best practices and policies to address women’s poverty, strengthen institutions and increase investment to accelerate progress on gender equality. DCA is proud to be joining global participants to share some of our evidence-based insights.
Representatives from NGOs will deliver statements on these critical issues – and a range of stakeholders, including DCA, will participate in important dialogues with government delegations, NGOs, academics and other members of civil society.
DCA involved in two key parallel sessions
DCA is directly contributing to two key parallel sessions along with our GIDA partners (Global Inclusion and Diversity Alliance), and with the RISE consortia.
One, on 13 March US time, will be delivered with Settlement Services International (SSI) and African Women Australia Inc. (AWAU). This session will involve a focus on RISE – a collaborative government funded project between DCA, SSI and Chief Executive Women to build pathways to leadership for women from Culturally and Racially Marginalised (CARM) backgrounds.
The other, on 18 March US time, will focus on our ‘Centring Voice’ guide. This session will be presented along with our GIDA partners and will focus on global challenges and lessons amplifying women’s voices – particularly the voices of multiply-marginalised women.
The Commission will agree upon a set of actions and recommendations that will serve as the blueprint for improving the lives of women and girls. The Agreed Conclusions, the primary output document of CSW68, is negotiated in an inter-governmental process between United Nations Member States. These concrete recommendations are then implemented at the international, national, regional and local level.
DCA is pleased to be involved in CSW68 along with Member States, civil society and experts. It is a valuable opportunity to share our learnings on ways to further address gender inequalities and boost women’s agency and leadership.
We look forward to sharing more as CSW68 progresses. You can read more about the two parallel sessions we’re involved in below.
13 March (New York time): Time to RISE – Addressing Poverty through women’s leadership at work.
DCA Directors Dr. Virginia Mapedzahama (Director, Member Education) and Dr. Jane O’Leary (Director, Research) will be presenting at the session alongside Juliana Nkrumah AM and Dr. Astrid Perry OAM from SSI, one of our RISE partners.
The session is sponsored by African Women Australia Inc. (AWAU) and will highlight the need for an intersectional lens in gender equity work. Intersectional approaches are required to enable the centring of voices of women who experience multiple, overlapping marginalisations, and ensure women in all their diversity benefit from gender equity efforts.
The DCA and SSI speakers at the session will also share information about how RISE, a federal government-funded project, innovatively works with employers to address systemic barriers, and with CARM women to craft career paths into senior/executive leadership roles.
18 March (US time): Who speaks for who? Global challenges and lessons amplifying women’s voices.
DCA will present this parallel session along with North American University, and our GIDA partners who will offer their global perspectives.
DCA CEO, Lisa Annese, along with DCA Directors Dr. Virginia Mapedzahama (Director, Member Education) and Dr. Jane O’Leary (Director, Research) will share insights on centring marginalised voices at work. GIDA representatives present will include: Janet Ledger, CEO at Community Business (Asia); Anne-Marie Pham, CEO at Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion; and Susan Doughty, Chair of Diversity Works (NZ).
Our Culturally and Racially Marginalised (CARM) Women in Leadership report shed light on the unique challenges faced by CARM women in organisational settings. This led to the development of our Centring Marginalised Voices at Work guidelines as a framework on how to centre the voices of any marginalised group.
