The sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will be held from 11 to 22 March 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
CSW68 will bring together representatives of UN Member States, UN entities, and NGOs from all regions of the world and conclude with the adoption of Agreed Conclusions – a politically negotiated outcome document, which in 2024 will focus on CSW68’s priority theme: accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. Throughout CSW68, Girls Not Brides will advocate for the inclusion of child marriage considerations in the agendas for inclusive public financing, health and education.How are we advocating to end child marriage at CSW68?Together with Girls Not Brides members and partners, we are advocating before UN state delegations and multilateral organisations to strengthen the language of the CSW68 Agreed Conclusions and ensure that the recommendations we collectively submitted in October 2023 are reflected in the outcome document. Our key asks focus on: reforming the international financial architecture in a way that supports critical public services that impact on girls’ rights to education and health; guaranteeing access to 12 years of quality, free, compulsory, safe and gender-transformative education for all girls; gender responsive budgets to realise girls’ and women’s human rights; advancing girls’ autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights; and addressing the gendered impact of unpaid care work.Where can you find us at CSW?We are hosting three in-person events at CSW highlighting the importance of ending child marriage to achieving gender equality, particularly in the context of the CSW68 priority theme.
Addressing Poverty and Access to Education to End Child Marriage⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯Co-hosts: Girls Not Brides, Pan-African Alliance to End Child Marriage, Hunger Project, Human Rights WatchDate/time: 12 March | 4.30-6pm EDTLocation: Church Centre for the United Nations (CCUN), 11th FloorSpeakers: Roberto Baeza, The Hunger Project – Mexico; Jo Becker, Children’s Rights Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch; Taonga Zulu, Pan-African Alliance to End Child Marriage; Naomi Nyamweya, Research and Policy Manager (Education Financing and Economics), Malala Fund; Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell, CEO, Girls Not Brides; Georgiana Epure, Global Advocacy and Campaigns Interim Manager, Girls Not Brides.About: Child marriage is both a driver and consequence of poverty, perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes and denying girls their rights to education, health, and autonomy. Gender inequality and lack of universal free education means most families with limited resources prioritise the education of sons over daughters. Taking girls out of school when they marry or enter a union limits their opportunity to earn an income, and they tend to live in poverty along with their families. This parallel event seeks to centre the issue of child marriage at CSW68 and contextualise it within larger civil society advocacy regarding ending poverty and improving access to free, safe and quality education for girls from policy, legal and financing perspectives. The event will take place in the form of a panel, centering civil society voices on addressing poverty and access to education to end child marriage. More information on this event can be found on the CSW NGO Forum virtual platform.Registration: No registration needed. Entry on a first come first served basis.