CSW 65: Redefining Leadership, Re-Envisioning Faith and Reconstructing Humanitarianism

The United Nations 65^th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will takes place from 15 to 26 March 2021 virtually due to the ongoing circumstances caused by the global pandemic. The focus of this year’s CSW is on “Women in Public Life: Equal Participation in Decision-Making”, prioritising discussions around why women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, is so important.

Religions for Peace will organise a global CSW parallel event titled, Redefining Leadership, Re-Envisioning Faith and Reconstructing Humanitarianism, to highlight its strategic priority of advancing gender equality. Participants of the event will consist of religious leaders of different faiths, representatives of Religions for Peace National and Regional Interreligious Councils, women of faith and youth networks, alongside partners from the civil society, government and the United Nations.

This parallel event is also part of the Religions for Peace’s 2021 Global Interreligious Council (IRC) Development Webinars, which facilitate the process of Strategic Learning Exchange among IRCs from over 90 countries in six regions of the world to enhance effective multi-religious advocacy and action.

This 120-minute interactive conversation to be held on 25 March at 9 am ET will show how women leaders, working in and with religious communities, have confronted, enabled, challenged and inspired, based on actual work undertaken around the world, supported by the first-ever Multi-religious Humanitarian Fund established by Religions for Peace.

Objectives

• Highlight the importance of multi-religious collaboration in the context of humanitarian crises.
• Provide a platform for a strategic learning exchange between religious leaders and a global audience.
• Showcase the role of women leaders in humanitarian crises, underlining the importance to advance gender equality on all levels.
• Raise awareness of the Multi-religious Humanitarian Fund (MRHF), which encourages diverse collaboration to improve responses to humanitarian crisis.

Format

The 120-minute online consultation will be organized by Religions for Peace and hosted on the official CSW Parallel Event platform. The webinar will be moderated by Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, guiding diverse speakers through the discussion. After speakers have made their remarks, attendees will participate in the discussion during a Q+A.

Date: Thursday, 25 March 2021

Time: 9:00 – 11:00 am EST

_________________________________________

Based upon the feedback and recommendations received from the first Global Webinar Series, Religions for Peace, in coordination with Regional Offices, will convene the second series of global capacity development webinars in 2021, with a view to continuing to facilitate the process of strategic Learning Exchange among IRCs across the movement. These webinars will focus on our Six Strategic Goals:

• Promote Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies
• Advance Gender Equality
• Nurture A Sustainable Environment
• Champion the Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion
• Strengthen Interreligious Education
• Foster Multi-religious Collaboration and Global Partnerships

Simultaneous translations for Arabic, French, and Spanish will be provided for all global webinars.  Following each of these, regional webinars will be organized under the leadership of the Religions for Peace Regional Secretaries General, in coordination with Religions for Peace International Secretariat.

This webinar on Advancing Gender Equality will be held on 25 March 2021 at 9am EST.

Please note that you must have a profile on the NGO CSW65 virtual platform to register for this event. You can register as an NGO CSW65 Virtual Forum Advocate for free here: NGO CSW65 Forum Advocate registration page link.

You can log in to an existing account here.

After registering as an Advocate, you can add this event to your calendar of CSW events here.