Contact  Updates  Home  Support Our Work
University of San Diego Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice

 

 



Feb. 25 - 29, 2008

 

IPJ Delegates present at the 52nd Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations

Financing for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women

The IPJ is a nongovernmental organization with special consultative status to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and sent a delegation to the 52nd session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). CSW is a functional commission of ECOSOC, dedicated exclusively to gender equality and the advancement of women. Every year, representatives of member states gather at the U.N. headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote the advancement of women worldwide. This year’s topic was financing for gender equality and empowerment of women. The review theme slated for discussion was women’s equal participation in conflict prevention, management and conflict resolution and in post-conflict peacebuilding.

IPJ delegates presented on two different occasions. The first panel, entitled "Women Ending Cycles of Violent Conflict: Strategies and Best Practices," focused on the way in which women have stepped in and made a concrete difference through their activism, advocacy and direct action at various stages in the continuum of conflict. The panel presented global best practices from the field and examined the work of international leaders who are part of the Women PeaceMakers Program. At the panel presentation delegates launched the 5th anniversary publication of the Women PeaceMakers Program which includes a report from the 2007 Women PeaceMakers Summit entitled "Is Peace Possible? A Summit of Peacemakers on Today’s Frontlines." The second session, presented in conjunction with UNIFEM, was a screening of "Leading the Way to Peace," a film documenting the personal stories of achievement and hope of the 2004 Women PeaceMakers. The hour-long film was followed by a panel with the film producers, women peacemakers and UNIFEM and IPJ spokespersons.