CSW54- My Impressions

'Beyond Beijing'
What impressions does CSW 54 leave with me? Well here's a few:-

• Many more women as the government representatives giving the country reports to the Commission
• Lots of young vibrant women speaking confidently at meetings
• Useful and informative briefings with the UK Mission and NGO's
• Queues when trying to get registered- as ever- do the UN never learn?! I queued for about 2 hours but some had to queue for 8 hours. Still it's a good opportunity to meet people and to learn! I met a young Mexican woman-fluent in 4 languages and a global outlook- she made me feel hopeful for the future!
• Jimmie Briggs- a former war journalist from the USA and a big man-who talked about becoming a new kind of man. He had seen so much violence against women that he has started MANUP to stop violence in all its forms. Most men are bystanders and he wants to change that and get young men and women, through music, sport and technology to work together.
• The emphais on setting up the new gender entity at the UN! It was mentioned in every delegates report and within the Parallel Events!! A general feeling is that the Secretary General will announce timing and the appointment of the person to lead it by September. Then review of the MDG's will take place then!! Let us hope that this does happen.
• The smiling faces of our SI UN Representatives in helping us around the UN was helpful especially as the UN is being pulled inside out and room was at a premium!
• Alyia Ardu, a Moldovian director of a newspaper (the only woman director), shared her story of investigations about traffiking and the support she is tryting to give to the trafficked girls. This courageous woman spoke at our Parallel Event-'Stop Trafficking-Global Solutions.' and had us amazed at the facts she gave us and her bravery. Trafficking must be stopped!!
• 'Portrayal and Betrayal' was a look at how women are portrayed in the media-this is something that we must act against! The sexualisation of very young girls and the view of a woman and her role given by the media gives much food for thought- surely we should not stand by and be silent about this?
• I came back with hope for the future! Things are much better for many women in some countries BUT there is so much to be done. Violence against women, in all its forms, does not go away- we've got to keep going to eliminate it!

Margaret Cook, Assistant International Programme Director