The 67th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67), the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, will take place this year from 6 – 17 March under the theme, “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. The digital age is creating new and unprecedented opportunities to improve the lives of women and girls around the world. Digital technologies are rapidly transforming all spheres of life, including our economic, social and political systems—establishing new entrance points and platforms for historically marginalized groups.

It is also creating unprecedented threats to their wellbeing. Online spaces provide new venues for violence against women, offering perpetrators increased anonymity and impunity. Discrimination in the tech sector and bias in automated systems themselves perpetuate and further entrench gender inequalities. And a lack of global laws and regulations leaves vulnerable groups further exposed to rights and privacy violations.

In the context of COVID-19 and numerous other intersecting global crises, access to online spaces has become even more crucial. As we move into the future, we must ensure we don’t leave women and girls in the past.

CSW67 provides a unique chance to shape our digital future for the better. Over the next two weeks, governments, civil society organizations, experts and activists from around the world will unite to face the challenges—and further the enormous potential—held by technology for the empowerment of all women and girls.

Check back here for latest updates.

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