(ANS – New York) – The fifty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 59) took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York March 9-20, 2015. Salesian Missions, jointly submitted a statement with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council of North and South America to the CSW.

by Fr Thomas Brennan,

representative of the Salesians at the UN

The theme this year was CSW59/Beijing+20 (2015). In this review year, the Commission focused on progress made on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action  and addressedopportunities for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women in the post-2015 development agenda.

Salesian Missions jointly submitted a statement with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council of North and South America to the Commission on the Status of Women. It was published asE/CN.6/2015/NGO/94. The statement was prepared by Fr. Thomas Brennan, SDB for the Salesians and Mr. Nicholas Anton for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council.

The statement noted that the Salesians regard the empowerment of women and gender equality as central components of the post-2015 development agenda. Additionally, we stated our belief that the global community must address the issues that impede development for all, especially for women and girls. Those issues include equal access to education, infant mortality, maternal health and access to clean water and sanitation. The feminization of extreme poverty and the unequal participation of women in both the private and public arenas also impede development for all.

One of the greatest obstacles to development for all is the persistence and widespread existence of violence against women. This became the major focus of our intervention. It was noted that the Special Rapporteur on violence against women identifies the continued prevalence of violence against women and girls as the greatest threat to overcoming those obstacles and notes that such violence impairs and nullifies the realization of all human rights.

To help raise awareness on the issue, the following panel events were offered to the participants in the Commission.

Trafficking & Migration, Girls & Women: Human Rights Have No Borders, organized in collaboration with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council and moderated by Fr. Tom Brennan.

Women, Girls and HIV: an Asia/Pacific Rim Responseorganized in collaboration with APICHA (Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS) Community Health Center, UNAIDS, and Hunter College Center for Community and Urban Health.

Advocacy and Networking Strategies for Legislative Reform: Ending Prostitution and Human Trafficking, organized by the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd and co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Ireland, Ruhama and the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Human Trafficking: What’s Changed, What Needs to Change Since Beijing, organized in collaboration with organizations that are members of the NGO Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons.

The Road to Healing: Exploited Girls and Women Standing Strongwas organized for the Salesian Family by Fr. Thomas Brennan, SDB who also served as moderator of the panel.

Published 17/03/2015