GFDD and FUNGLODE Host Event at United Nations to Address the Issue of Women Empowerment

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), in partnership with the United Nations Office of the President of the 66th Session of the General Assembly and the Dominican Mission to the United Nations will be convening a side event at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, entitled “Women Empowerment in Developing Country Democracies.”

The panel will feature presentations by accomplished
and influential women who will speak about best practices in their respective countries, which include the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Egypt and North Africa Region. Although these countries have vastly different historical, political and cultural contexts, the shared struggle by women to gain equality and opportunity in traditionally patriarchal societies unifies the nations represented in this panel.

During the high-level event, the Dominican Republic will be referred
to as a model country where women have risen to participate in every aspect of society and secured various women’s rights.

This discussion of women’s empowerment comes at a particularly critical time, when populations around the world are rising and demanding more rights. The role of women in the past year’s uprisings has garnered substantial media attention, sparking enthusiasm about the potential of women to bring change, economic growth and stability to their
countries. The empowerment of women would see that governments harness this potential and thereby make investments in equality and prosperity.

The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The commission convenes annually at the end of February at the United Nations in New York. It is the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women.
Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide.

Event Details: Women Empowerment in Developing Country Democracies.”
Date: Tuesday March 6
Location: United Nations
Conference Room A
North Lawn Building
New York, NY 10017
Time: 1:15-2:30pm
Links: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/