UN Commission Urges Women's Inclusion In Decision-Making

Inclusion of women: The UN commission noted that women still have a long way to go to achieve equality with men in elections and appointments to decision-making bodies.

In a controversial final document, there was continued resistance to women's rights and a reluctance to discuss gender identity concerns, the UN's premier global body fighting for gender equality called for a sharp increase in women's participation in global decision-making.

US Vice President Kamala Harris in her virtual presence told the commission that "the status of women is the status of democracy," and that President Joe Biden's administration would work to boost both of these areas, was a highlight of the meeting.

There was continued resistance to women's rights in the document, as well as a hesitation to recognise topics of gender identity. It also appeals to governments to provide “appropriate direction and guidance from parents and legal guardians” to adolescent girls and boys, as well as young women and men, with information on sexual and women's empowerment, as well as reproductive health and HIV prevention.

The Commission on the Status of Women reiterated the Beijing women's conference's blueprint to achieve gender equality and shone a light on a number of important concerns, including the imbalance of power between men and women in public life, as well as the growing impact of cyber-violence on women and girls.

According to a report, diplomats negotiated language on women human rights defenders, gender-based abuse, and reproductive and sexual health and rights until almost the last minute. On the other hand, efforts made by some Western countries to convince the commission to accept gender nonconforming and transgender women were unsuccessful.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director, claimed that certain aspects of the outcome document "do not please everybody," and that the findings and recommendations should have been "more ambitious" and "even bolder and decisive."

Mlambo-Ngcuka stated that the commission acknowledged the lack of preventive steps, initiatives and solutions for violence against women in the digital world. Further, she added, member states should take measures to promote and protect women's digital participation, including cyberstalking and cyberbullying.

On an even more optimistic note, according to Kowalski of the International Women's Health Coalition, the commission's meeting saw "very strong leadership" from a number of Latin American and Pacific island countries, as well as the "really strong and vital return of the United States as a leader and defender of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and women’s rights more broadly."

The virtual presence of US Vice President Kamala Harris, who told the commission that "the status of women is the status of democracy," and that President Joe Biden's administration would work to boost both of these areas, was a highlight of the meeting.