Overview of the Issues

The main focuses of CSW this year will be on :

1. Care economy : Creating a safe and reliable environment for care workers (nannies, housekeepers, etc.) to thrive in.

• Please visit http://www.idwfed.org/en to learn more about this cause. 

2. Informal sector : From taking care of the home for free, to selling fruit on the streets, remembering the contributions (to the GDP for example) that of work that our global citizens provide. Working to fight for justice for these individuals, as well as more clearly define this category.

• "Although it is hard to generalize concerning the quality of informal employment, it most often means poor employment conditions and is associated with increasing poverty" - ILO webpage

3. Definition of a family : This basic understanding of an "acceptable" unit of society allows for necessary protection, funding and more. With just under half of the world's countries outlawing same-sex relations, and single-parent homes growing, this a particularly pressing issue.

• Working on good resources about this. Please share if you know of any.

4. Digital competency : Very soon, 90% of jobs will require some basic level of digital competency. All of the difficulties getting girls in basic eduction in most developing countries, alongside inequality in the tech sector of developed countries, this is an important issue when considering women in the changing world of work.

• Many resources available for this in America, such as Girls Who Code. For global resources, check out the UNESCO approach to tech competency.

5. Stereotyping : Breaking cultural norms and expectations that perpetuate unjust practices.

• Often this must start in media. See Miss Representation for more on this.

Day 2 : NGO CSW

Day Two : NGO CSW New York Forum Consultation

Early rising morning to get over to the East side of town for "Consultation Day." This is more or less a "pep rally" for participating NGOs to get together, hear about the pressing issues and set the stage for CSW. We arrived far before the event started in order to get seats... It was a little too prepared, but the extra waiting time was a wonderful opportunity to get to know my fellow delegates! I had a chance to spend some time talking to Rachel, the 28-year old intern for United Thank Offering (UTO). UTO is an incredible organization within the Episcopal Church that aggregates funds that come from the generosity of church-goers, and puts it into global philanthropic projects like a senior center in Louisiana, or career training in Haiti. Rachel had been interning in North Dakota, at a church center right next to Standing Rock. Her internship started just before news of and protests around the pipeline hit. Shortly thereafter her main task was to support the citizens and protestors throughout the battle. 

The doors opened and we were allowed to find our seat. After the first act, "voices from around the world," a choir of folks from NYC area dressed in cultural garb from around the world, singing different folk songs, we got to the good stuff. The first panel discussion was with Phumizile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Ambassador to Brazil, Antonio Patriota. Questions spanned from how to strengthen the feminist movement in the face of growing nationalization, handling the changing of norms, and violence in home and workplace relations. Some take-aways...

The youth movement will be increasingly important. (Director Mlambo-Ngcuka seemed very impressed with the potential of the youth forum throughout CSW).

Strengthening multilateralism :: building alliances between orgs within civil society and beyond. The need to show solidarity,

Upholding rationalism and humanism - maintaining the human as the center of policy

Support in the public sector is growing, but private sector discrimination is prevalent. Pressing concerns especially as it pertains to informal economies where there is less regulation and protection.

Need for girl's and women's empowerment to reinforce positive cultural norms, deterring ones that take away from the benefits of good legislature.

** Good, affordable public education is the silver bullet **

Need a zero tolerance policy for violence. It is a universal problem we need to combat with vigilance, laws and accountability.

Economic empowerment contributes to the resistance of abuse.

Dr. Mabel Bianco

After this panel, there were comments by NGO CSW's notable woman of the year, Dr. Mabel Bianco. She is a "feminist medical doctor, Master in Public Health and specializing in Epidemiology and medical statistic. Founder and President, since 1999, of Fundación para Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer (FEIM), an NGO working to improve women's rights in Argentina, among many international and regional networks. She is co-coordinator of Women Won’t Wait (WWW) a global campaign to eliminate violence against women and HIV and Coordinator of the International Women AIDS Caucus an International (IAWC) network of more than 500 women groups and NGOs worldwide."

Then, the moment I had been waiting for.... A reading by poet Rupi Kaur, author of Milk and Honey. Her poems speak to the experience of being a girl, a young woman, the child of Indian immigrants.. At the beginning she reminded the folks in the audience that they could clap or snap or cheer if they heard something they liked. I think she was worried it was an "old and stuffy" audience that wouldn't know how to interact with spoken word. When she talked about her leg hair, or insecurity around developing breasts, or friendship, there were hoots and hollers, giggles and claps. She stopped mid-way through her reading to congratulate us on being so participatory! By the time she read her longer piece about her mother, there was not a dry eye in the house. Being involved in a room full of women who could resonate with some part of this artwork so deeply, and reverberating off of that energy, letting it overcome my being and cause me to feel proud and sad and unified and unique all at once. 

Performance by Rupi Kaur

Tears were rolling and I realized that it was only the second day of CSW. Technically the commission itself had yet to begin. More moments like this to follow.

A panel discussion featured 

• A Kenyan woman who has attended CSW for nearly a decade, each time trying to bring agricultural workers to the attention of key players at the UN. She spoke about colonialism in Kenya, the difference between agricultural farmers and subsistence farmers and the need to supply farmers with adequate and affordable financing. She stressed that work is more than just income - it is lifestyle and power and more.
• An American women, working in the private sector, who realized gender disparities in business. She spoke about the need to recognize who/how we are hiring, making sure unconscious bias is recognized and accounted for at all levels of hiring, and seeing that employees are all entering on equal footing. She started a mentor and sponsorship program to achieve this latter end, and mentioned the "amplification strategy" (as seen with Obama's staff..). The private and public sector need to work together, and "that which gets measured is that which gets done."
• Radhika Balakrishnan, Faculty Director, Center for Women's Global Leadership, Rutgers University argued that the neoliberal economy is 1/2 it was in 1960s, that money is just following money and we need some sort of global regulation. Need human rights at the center of economy, and to invest in social infrastructure. She also quoted stats from Oxfam:
• In 2010, 388 individuals held more wealth than half the world's population. In 2015, that number was 62. This week (1/17/17), 8 men own more wealth than 1/2 the world's population.

• Elizabeth Tang from International Domestic Workers Federation spoke about how many countries do not include domestic workers in their policies. This means tha tmany domestic workers are not earning a wage, but rather just room and board. Or just $60-80 a month for daily work. The need for action and policy to support these workers as they find the value and voice as the care economy is growing.
• Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, spoke about the repurposing of economy to build accountability of all stakeholders, not just the government but also private sector. The necessity for an active role of women in this process. Also on the growing infrastructure of both the technological and care economies.

I then went to a promising but ultimately disappointing talk about feminist internet... Was confronted by the uncomfortable reality of all of the ways that American women still tend to take up more space than is equitable, and the need to constantly remind ourselves of how to mindfully take up space in dialogue. A quote from Chani Nicholas on feminism.. "Feminism demands the user engage in a deep and rigorous psychological, emotion and spiritual process of reflection. Always and forever. This reflection never ceases. It is how feminism functions. If you don't want to be challenged on the privilege that you do have, whatever that may be, you need to find another name for yourself." 

Still the prompt of the talk was very compelling -- what does a feminist internet look like? That is, how do we need to change to update or re-envision our use of the internet such that it is just and equitable for all? Some ideas that were brought up - regulating anonymity in commenting power, non-weighted google searches, marginalized communities protected from vulgar image manipulation, inclusive images/pornography, protection from vengeful acts. Any thoughts on these and novel ideas are welcome in the comment section... Let's practice intentional comment usage. :)

 I did have a chance to talk to a couple of people after the dialogue of heavy-handed facilitation, and made a friend from Japan who blogs about fashion and feminism ( for those Japanese speakers... https://taomelba.themedia.jp ). Also learned about the "Harmful Digital Communications Act" that was just passed in New Zealand to address online bullying.

My reward of ramen noodles that day...

Whew. Day two was a doozy. The other are packed a little differently, the first two being uniquely immersive. Will try to be a bit more brief in coming posts, for your sake and mine...

Notable Quotes

"That which gets measured is that which gets done" - Female leader in business sector

“[seeing Rupi Kaur yesterday reminded me] what can happen when a young person is free to express themselves and develop talents”

Day 1 : Ecumenical Women

Saturday, March 11, 2017 - Day One of Our CSW61 Gathering

Ecumenical women, an international coalition of church denominations with status through ECOSOC at the UN (see overview post for more on UN organization), hosted us for our first day at UNCSW.

It was a Saturday and we arrived bright and early en masse to a breakfast, and was greeted by my first exposure to a multinational community. I had the pleasure of sitting next to a woman named Sar Kabaw Htoo who was from a diocese in Burma. She shared with me the project they've been working on in their community. The children all play outside in nature, and as a result don't often connect with one another. So they built a playground at the center of a number of living regions, not only for the kids to play together, but for the women to connect. This is proving to be a much needed central hub for women to share ideas, struggles and joy. Their diocese also gives out micro loans for women to make soap, thus allowing them to become more economically independent.

After a chance to chat, we move downstairs into the chapel.

The Church Center at the United Nations Chapel

A number of moving things said in this chapel throughout the day - not to mention the whole two weeks! Gorgeous stained glass windows border a crowded 2nd avenue, but inside the atmosphere is warm and intimate. We had the total pleasure of optional daily sermons and service by Rev. Dionne Boissiere, the Chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations. This first day, she spoke of "The Women Who Work." We began to explore just a bit of feminist theology by looking at influential female figures in the Old and New Testament. There is still so much more to learn about this, but I was touched by how many leaders across the globe are committed to analyzing the Bible with a feminist lens for the sake of, amongst other reasons, using faith to fight for justice.

There was a great panel of speakers after this. It featured Lopa Banerjee, Chief of the Civil Society Section at UN Women, the current Director of the International Labor Organization (ILO), and Rev. Catalina, a pastor from Brazil. They each spoke about their takes on this year's theme, "Women's Economic Empowerment in a Changing World of Work." Just as Lopa was getting started with her talk, the "headlining" speaker of the day came in to speak. She was running late from the Youth Forum, whose proceedings were taking place simultaneously. Eloquent and intelligent each time she spoke, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, seemed to have the respect and admiration of everyone in the room. Here are some take aways from all of these talks.

From Phumzile, the main focuses of CSW this year will be on :

1. Care economy : Creating a safe and reliable environment for care workers (nannies, housekeepers, etc.) to thrive in.
2. Informal sector : From taking care of the home for free, to selling fruit on the streets, remembering the contributions (to the GDP for example) that of work that our global citizens provide. Working to fight for justice for these individuals, as well as more clearly define this category.
3. Definition of a family : This basic understanding of an "acceptable" unit of society allows for necessary protection, funding and more. With just under half of the world's countries outlawing same-sex relations, and single-parent homes growing, this a particularly pressing issue.
4. Digital competency : Very soon, 90% of jobs will require some basic level of digital competency. All of the difficulties getting girls in basic eduction in most developing countries, alongside inequality in the tech sector of developed countries, this is an important issue when considering women in the changing world of work.
5. Stereotyping : Breaking cultural norms and expectations that perpetuate unjust practices.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of South Africa, Executive Director of UN Women

Other take aways from the panel :

• We need more implementation on a local level, and unless we address the root causes (gender education and behavior awareness in men and boys), we cannot succeed in this.
• The laws won't change on their own, people need enforcement - greater penalties.
• Necessary to see women's equality as an investment, not just a moral issue. Improving women's equality would add $12 trillion to global growth.
• Gender based violence (GBV) is a social and economic issue - GBV in the home effects women at work, and normative practices seep into work culture and compromise women' productivity.
• The "jeans and t-shirt" level of work has the most issues, as the manufacturers of these goods are 98% women, and often in sub-par working conditions.
• A site visit as a part of the "Better Work Program" by ILO to an underperforming textile plant was illuminating - women we waking up at 3am to fetch water, cook food and tend to children, and then showing up to work at 8am exhausted and unfed. Providing the women with fruit and water upon their arrival increased productivity 250%.
• The faith community can be powerful advocates when scripture is analyzed with a feminist perspective.
• Need to provide minimum wage, collective bargaining organizations, and social protection systems to ensure safety and equal rights in work.
• Making the global local : municipal action needs to be in tandem with global policy, affirimng the efficacy, dignity and power of the individual.
• We are the agents of change in our own life.

Some of the 2017 Episcopal delegation

The latter half of the day was filled with meeting the other Episcopal delegates, and a reception to close the day. Some take away comments, paraphrased..

 - From a pastor who had previously studies political science :

At first I was studying all of these things, and it made me angry in a political way. And then I was studying scripture and it all started to make me angry in a spiritual way. That's when I realized I couldn't make the change I wanted to see just lecturing at the front of a classroom. 

- From a women who had worked in the military for years :

When the treaties are signed, supportive mechanisms aren't there.. we need more women at the table when peacemaking happens.

Powerful Quotes:

"Intellectual property is our work."

"We must pray for peace."

[ A Palestinian political leader in reference to Israeli-Palestinain conflict ]

"With gratitude, let us pick up the work they have already begun."

[ In closing recognition of women who have come before ]

A "shrine" to women and all the types of work they do. The notes are names of women we from each of us at the service, from all around the world. 

Overview of UN and Commission on the Status of Women

Overview - Saturday, March 18 2017

Just a little over a week after arrival, I can safely say that I know how not to get lost going between events, manage not to starve between talks, and have little rituals of self care to practice when things get heavy. This is not to say that I don't get lost, I don't get hungry, and I don't get overwhelmed. So here's a little guide to what I've learned..

Organization of United Nations

The UN is organized into 6 principle organs (see above chart). UN Women is a joint entity of both the General Assembly (GA) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSCO). The UN Commission on the Status of Women is a "Functional Commission" under ECOSCO, along with other commissions such as Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Narcotic Drugs, Science and Technology for Development, etc. 

Organized Consultation Day (3/12) and Parallel Events

NGO CSW (Non-Governmental Organizations of the Commission on the Status of Women) is a part of CSW - NOT SURE HOW YET. For NGOs attending CSW, of which the Episcopal Church is technically one, there are daily briefings 8:30-9:30am each day of the week. These are live-streamed and cataloged HERE if you choose to see what those proceedings are like. They also offer parallel events throughout the 2 weeks of CSW. Any NGO can put on a parallel event, and these are about anything from Girls Sustainable Economic Growth to Indigenous Women's Rights to an all day Artisan's Fair. They take place outside of the UN building, usually in a church, college or cultural center building. They are open to anyone interested and typically require no particular ID or form of compensation. 

These differ from the side events which are put on by member states. Member states are the sovereign states recognized by the UN and given equal representation within the UN General Assembly. Side events typically take place within either the UN GA building, or the Secretariat, and are open to the individuals who can get into the building - more on that in a moment. The side events tend to be a bit more focused on one of this year's themes, and there are slightly less options for side events as compared to parallel events. As such, the rooms have tended to be a bit more packed.

The UN building itself feels like the end of a cul de sac comprised of 42nd-47th street in an "all roads lead to Rome" sort of way. The building on the left, made mostly of concrete, extends horizontally almost as far as its compliment on the right rises vertically. The Secretariat has events going on alongside the UN staff offices.

One must go through security to enter the UN building. Staff and ambassadors and other authorized personnel get a more lax entrance, while delegates (such as myself), members of NGOs, and certain members of authorized civil society have to go through metal detectors and the like.

Yoko Ono asked Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd  to make a piece to commemorate John Lennon after his death

Once through there, a concrete garden awaits. Growing in it are statues for peace and global solidarity, as well as a stunning view of New York's silhouette. People take pictures or walk briskly through the revolving doors and into the high-ceiling lobby. Light blue and greens, sculptures and patterns from clothing entice the eye. 

For CSW there are a few options. If you've come in for the 8:30am NGO CSW briefing, where the director of UN women facilitates an update dialogue between some key figures, you go to the main floor or the overflow room right near the lobby. Similar instructions for the plenary meetings, where each member state representative has an opportunity to discuss what the status of their region is in terms of this year's theme, women's economic empowerment. Side events are held in conference rooms in the back of the GA building, or various rooms throughout the 2 buildings. There are a few cafes with decent food, computers for public (well, public being whoever is authorized to be in the GA building to begin with), and a delegates lounge that overlooks the river and U Thant Island.

I've been able to attend a number of powerful talks, as well as have some great conversations with my fellow delegates about their leanings and experiences. Another post about the issues coming soon.