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WIDE, CSW 2010 and Beijing +15

Fifteen years after the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action gender inequalities persist worldwide. It is hard to admit, but today, in the 21st century, women - more than 50% of worlds´ population- are still second-class citizens. In the present context of multiple global crises (economic, financial, food, energy, climate and care), WIDE is concernedthat gender equality and the enforcement of women´s human rights are losing ground worldwide.

The Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) together with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) are the most important international agreements concerning women´s human rights. The adoption of the BPfA was an historical moment as a large number of countries made concrete commitments to be implemented for the advancement of women women´s human rights

The European Union (EU) has a major role to play in the promotion of gender equality, women´s human rights and the empowerment of women worldwide through its external policies. Over the last five years the EU and Member States have adopted a number of crucial documents on this issue.[1]These political initiatives are important but they are not enough. Evidence shows that there is still a huge gap between discourse and action.

WIDE considers that the Beijing + 15 review is a crucial opportunity for the European Union and Member States to strengthen their commitments and implementation mechanisms towards the advancement of gender equality and women´s rights in their external policy action and economic policies in responding to the crisis.

FOLLOW WIDE DELEGATION AT CSW 54 ON OUR BLOG. www.csw54.wordpress.com

"Beijing +15 Joint Civil Society Statement" - A statement jointly released by WIDE in collaboration with other Civil Society actors in New York has been endorsed by more than 120 signatories. Read the Stateemnt in Spanish.

Read WIDE Statement to the 54th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Read "WIDE´s Proposals for the Advancement of Women´s Rights and Gender Equality in EU External Policies"

Activities of WIDE Network

WIDE Strategic Meeting for advocacy at the CSW: WIDE representatives of Beijing + 15 task force will meet in Madrid next 23rd of February to share information, ideas and points of view on priorities to advocate during the CSW and beyond, agreed on a WIDE joint statement towards the CSW,coordinate and strategisetogether WIDE´s advocacy activities in New York.
WIDE´s statement: WIDE is drafting a joint statement to promote in the CSW. The statement will include proposals addressed to EU policies defined by WIDE Secretariat and WIDE National Platforms. Several platforms such as the Spanish, Austrian and the Dutch have also publish their own statements and recommendations addressing their national Governments.
Gender and Development WG/CONGDE (WIDE´s Spanish platform) Seminar on Beijing +15, the 23rd-24thFebruary. The seminar will focus on the past, present and future of the Beijing Platform for Action: From where did we start? Where are we now? What are the current challenges? And what should be done? The event gathers together representatives from civil society, the EU institutions and Spanish government, among them women organizations and networks WIDE members from some European countries (Denmark, Poland, Serbia, Austria, Sweden, Bulgaria and other regions such as Nicaragua and Angola.
WO=MEN (WIDE Dutch Platform) "Gender Justice Symposium" in The Hague, Netherlands the 23rd of February. The Symposium aims to debate on:How is the implementation of the agreements reached in Beijing coming along? * Has progress been made towards gender equality? * What contributions are Dutch organisations making through MFS-II? * What are other organisations doing in the field of gender and what best practices can we adopt from one another to accelerate progress towards gender equality? It is meant to be be a ´working symposium´ with interactive workshops, consultations and panel discussions, with plenty of opportunities for networking.