8 ways to get involved in CSW67 and add value with a critical men and masculinities lens

The 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) will take place from 6-17 March. This year’s session will be held in a hybrid format. As in past years, MenEngage Alliance with many of our members and partners are engaging in this critical space, working in solidarity with feminist leaders for gender-transformative social change.

Theme: Digital and technological issues

This year’s priority theme is: Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

In addition to the Priority Theme, each year’s session reviews a previous theme. This year’s review theme is: Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls, which was the priority theme at CSW62 in 2018 (Click here to read the Agreed Conclusions of the sixty-second session)

The past two years have had a limited in-person program because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this year is back to an in-person format while still hosting many sessions virtually, providing plenty of opportunities to get involved.

You can take part through participating in virtual events, watching Governments in the official deliberations of CSW on UNTV, as well as having your say on key policy documents together with members and partners of MenEngage Alliance. However, for virtual participation, one consideration is that the majority of the events will be in US Eastern time, so keep this in mind while planning your participation and engagement.

In this post, you can find all the key dates and activities to help you participate in CSW67 over the coming weeks.

 

8 Ways to take part in CSW67

1. Learn from feminist movements and connect with civil society from around the world at NGO CSW

In parallel to CSW each year, a civil society Forum is convened by NGO-CSW. The Forum allows civil society organizations to organize Parallel Events that are free and open to all to join. These sessions are organized in close proximity to the United Nations Building (with many also available online). You do not need accreditation, nor a United Nations pass, nor affiliation with any particular organization in order to take part.

The NGO CSW Forum provides a vibrant, diverse and powerful space for feminist, youth and LGBTQI dialogue, debate, and agenda setting at CSW, and the field of gender justice more broadly.

There are hundreds of Parallel Events at this year’s session—many of which are online or being live streamed. Register here to participate and find information about the parallel sessions. Once registered, you can check if any of the events resonate with you, and register to join individual sessions.

For Parallel Events being organized by members of MenEngage Alliance, see below.

2. Take part in a Side Event or watch an official UN Plenary Session

Side Events are official CSW events that are co-organized by the UN and governments. Civil society organizations can participate in co-organizing a Side Event, if done in partnership with a government or the UN itself.  See the calendar of CSW Side Events. In addition, official CSW67 multi-lateral deliberations between Member States take place through the Program of Work. You can also tune in to official CSW67 proceedings at webtv.un.org.

3. Join an event addressing men and masculinities co-organized by members and partners of MenEngage Alliance

Sessions co-organized by members and partners of MenEngage Alliance

Click here to see the calendar of events in which MenEngage Alliance members and partners are participating in the CSW. If you are a MenEngage member involved in an event, please email advocacy@menengage.org so it can be added to the shared calendar. Some events to look out for include:

Sessions co-organized by MenEngage Alliance together with members and partners

Can ‘men and masculinities’ approaches support feminist systems change?
Monday 6 March, 2:30 – 4:00 PM
This session will explore what makes a program with men and boys gender transformative. It will delve into the critical question of why is a shift in gendered power-relations so difficult to achieve. With speakers from diverse contexts and experiences, we will take a look at what we can learn from interventions around the world.
With speakers from: Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) Rwanda, COFEM, Program H Lebanon, SASA! Raising Voices, Rwanda Men’s resource Centre (RWAMREC) and facilitated by the Global Secretariat-MenEngage Alliance

Uprooting patriarchal masculinities from the digital spheres for gender justice
Tuesday 7 March, 9:00 – 11:00 AM
This session will take a men and masculinities lens to examine questions surrounding the rapid pace of change in digital and communications technologies. It will ask how digital tools and spaces are reinforcing and shaping norms around patriarchal masculinities. And how misogynistic online spaces are forming an ecosystem of anti-feminist and anti-rights groups, spaces, and narratives—and what we can do about it.
With speakers from: Global Fund for Women, The Story Kitchen (Nepal), Let’s Breakthrough (India), Defensoras Digitales (#LeyOlimpia) (Mexico), Association for Progressive Communications (APC) (India)

4. Add your public support to a joint statement addressing online misogyny and inequity in digital access

MenEngage Alliance has submitted a statement to call upon key UN decision-makers to make bold and decisive commitments at CSW67 around women’s rights and transforming patriarchal masculinities. We invite you to sign on as an organization or individual. Sign-ons are open to members and non-members of MenEngage Alliance.

The statement is addressed to the UN Secretary General, UN Women Executive Director, and CSW Bureau. It has been developed to mark International Women’s Day 2023, on March 8, and as part of CSW67.

Alongside the Global Advocacy Working Group of MenEngage Alliance, the statement will be used to advocate directly with policy-makers.

The statement covers a range of issues including:

• Addressing the proliferation of misogynistic online groups, spaces and narratives, often referred to as the ‘manosphere’
• Preventing, eliminating, and responding to online gender-based violence, including male perpetration of digital harassment and sexual abuse
• Promoting non-violent actions, attitudes and values by men and boys, and encouraging them to take active part in efforts to prevent and eliminate GBV in the digital sphere. 
• Broadening access to digital tools and technologies for marginalized groups
• Accountability of digital platforms in addressing online harm

Click here to read the statement and click here to add your signature.

5. Strengthen your knowledge and understanding of CSW

Ahead of CSW67, and together with its regional networks MenEngage Africa and North American MenEngage Network (NAMEN),  MenEngage Alliance is organizing two online sessions for for learning about CSW, and how to engage in this critical space.

The two sessions are organized as part of the MenEngage Alliance Learning Collaborative (CoLab). The CoLab is an initiative for shared learning on the practical work of transforming patriarchal masculinities and working with men and boys for gender justice.

SESSION 1
CSW Beginners’ Orientation
Tuesday 28 February
This session will give an introduction to what CSW is, why it is important and how to engage with it. It will cover how CSW’s negotiations work, and how we can collectively influence them in accountable ways. We will also hear from partners and members about how the outcomes of CSW can be used as a key advocacy tool in your own country or regional context.The two sessions will give an introduction to what CSW is, why it is important and how to engage with it. They will cover how CSW’s negotiations work, and how we can collectively influence them in accountable ways. We will also hear from partners and members about how the outcomes of CSW can be used as a key advocacy tool in your own country or regional context. Click here to register.

SESSION 2
Pre-CSW67 Political Momentum-Building
Wednesday 1 March.
This session is open to all, whether new or experienced with CSW. It is a space for learning about the contributions of MenEngage Alliance at CSW from previous years (and how we can build on them at this year’s session). It is a space to come together as a community to shape our approaches, strategies, and goals for supporting progressive outcomes at CSW this year. That includes discussing how we can respond to rising anti-feminist backlash at the UN itself.

6. Engage as a young activist or advocate

If you are a young advocate or activist, you can watch this video by NGO CSW to understand the CSW67 Youth Forum and how you can take part.

This year, Festus Kisa from Q-Initiative in Kenya is attending CSW67 Youth Forum in person on behalf of the MenEngage Alliance Youth Reference Group. Virtually,  Ange Marie Yvette (Rwanda) , Kuraish Mubiru (Uganda) and Sohanur Rahman (Bangladesh) will be participating. They will be supported by our Programs Officer and lead on youth leadership and engagement, Nyasha Phanisa Sithole who is part of the MenEngage Alliance Global Secretariat.

7. Read and elevate two publications on digital contexts relating to men, masculinities, and gender justice

Ahead of CSW67, we are sharing two key publications relevant to this years’ priority theme of  innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

The two reports help to frame a joint analysis of how a critical men and masculinities lens can add value to this year’s CSW67 agenda:

Digital Contexts: Media, Attention Economies and the Manosphere
This paper takes a look at how rapid technological change is affecting expressions and experiences of patriarchal masculinities.

Digital Violence: A report to understand how, where and by whom digital violence against women, adolescents and girls in Mexico is systemically perpetuated
This comprehensive report by Defensoras Digitales (#LeyOlimpia) and a coalition of partners in Mexico looks at digital violence. It asks where it comes from, who is behind it, the systems that facilitate it, and how it can be addressed.

8. Attend MenEngage Alliance Caucus Meetings

If you are a member of MenEngage Alliance you are warmly encouraged to join the MenEngage Caucus meetings. We will be meeting in a hybrid format, so you can join in person if you are attending CSW, or online.

Our Caucus meetings at CSW are where members of MenEngage Alliance take the opportunity to have a dedicated meeting to connect with each other, build relationships, and shape our shared agenda and strategies.

Members of MenEngage will receive information on how to take part. Registration required, whether joining online or  in-person in New York. If you are a member and have not received any information on registering, please email advocacy@menengage.org. 

MenEngage Alliance Opening Caucus
Monday 6 March, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

MenEngage Alliance Midpoint Caucus
Thursday 8 March, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM

MenEngage Alliance Youth Caucus
Thursday 9 March, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM