Liberal International, together with LI full member, International Network of Liberal Women (INLW) and LI Partner UN Watch, have co-hosted an event on women’s empowerment and gender equality within the framework of the 59th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) in New York.

Aimed at addressing the gaps in the advancement and promotion of women´s rights nationally and internationally, the panel sought to provide practical examples and concrete proposals of what can be done to win the battle for gender equality.

The main speakers included Ms. Viktoria Saxby, Political Advisor on Gender Equality for The Center Women of Sweden and Co-Opted Member of the International Committee of LI full member Centerpartiet and Mrs. Yaya Fanta Kaba Fofana, Director for Gender Equality in the Ivorian Ministry for Family, Women and Children of LI full member, Rassemblement des Républicans. The seminar was moderated by INLW President, Mrs. Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk. 

Elaborating on the need to involve more women in high level positions Madame Fofana said:

We need to focus on more women in high positions so they can drive and implement relevant changes to the status and position of women in society. I have been attending women conferences for over 20 years – with the same goals and with the same rhetoric, but I am yet to see concrete actions take place. When I first approached men in power regarding the lack of active female political participation in Côte d’Ivoire I was told that there were no competent women who can run for office. This is when I decided to put together a database of qualified women which resulted in attaining 30 percent female candidates on the nomination lists.

Highlighting the similarities of the “no competent women” rhetoric Mrs. Saxby said:

Although representation of women within politics is fairly good in Sweden we are still having the same debates about the lack of competent women in higher leadership positions in public and private companies as well as the business world.

She also stressed that maintaining closer collaboration between the political and civil society is key for bringing up the human rights aspect of gender equality and that it is important to include more men and boys in the discussions on women´s rights and gender equality.

Throughout the debate references were also made to the joint LI/INLW campaign on the globalization of the Istanbul Convention on Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (also supported by the Centerpartiet and the ALDE Group in the European Parliament) which was the central theme for LI written statement to the 59th Session of UN CSW.

The side-event was attended by more than 100 participants from a wide range of countries including, but not limited to Nepal, the US, Zimbabwe, The Ivory Coast, Sweden, Australia, Norway, Taiwan, The Netherlands, South Africa, Cambodia and others.

Earlier this week LI marked International Women’s Day (IWD) with LI HRC Chair and LI VP on the Bureau Markus Loening calling for global action on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

On the eve of IWD, LI Treasurer and Chairman of the International Relations Committee of the Liberal Democrats (LI full member, United Kingdom) Robert Woodthrope Browne addressed a two day seminar on “promoting women entrepreneurs” hosted by the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia and the ALDE Party Gender Equality Network with representatives from 11 European countries.