sexual assault

Open Forum on NGO CSW66

Join us on Nov. 3 to learn about the ins and outs of our upcoming NGO CSW66 Forum as well as the basics of the UN CSW.

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkcO2grzorG9IDPgdoq7DQe7QqZxAwksAF

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CoNGO Notes: The NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, is a Substantive Committee of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO). Likewise, for more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org

Preventing and Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) as a Tool of War

Dear Colleagues,

Search for Common Ground invites you to join us for a UNGA side-event focused on conflict-related sexual violence as a mechanism of war. This event is hosted in collaboration with the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security.  Against the backdrop of events transpiring in Afghanistan, this panel discussion seeks to showcase the imperative need to prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence around the world, to promote the safety, security, and prosperity of all people.

The panel will cover historic and present-day examples of CRSV; policy and programming approaches to preventing and addressing CRSV; and lessons learned from civil society representatives in conflict-affected countries on the impact of CRSV interventions.

Please use the following link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlc-ChpzwtEt171qKG-jP4sgpcZViJVUf2

We look forward to your participation and encourage you to share this invitation with your partners. For questions about the event, please contact Anna Crouch at acrouch@sfcg.org.

Thank you,

Search for Common Ground

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bknotts@uua.org or bobbinassar@gmail.com. 

Generation Equality Forum [registration deadline]

The Generation Equality Forum will be the largest global feminist gathering since 1995: governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector and young people will come together to drive gender equality forward.

You wish to interact with the participants, ask a question, follow a conference: 90 events involving 500 panelists will be offered to you. All these events are digital and broadcasted on the event platform which will be accessible from June 29.

Register for the Forum now!

The closing date for registration is 27 June 2021 at 23:59 (GMT+2). No new participants will be admitted after this date.

For any technical issues during registration, contact us by email at registration.fge@calypso-event.net from Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 (GMT+2).

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org.

National Dialogue on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work in Nepal

As part of Global Action Week to promote the ratification of the Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment, and on the occasion of two-year anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention 190 (C190) on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work, a National Dialogue on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work in Nepal will be organized on 25 June 2021.

At the event, key findings from a study on violence and harassment in the world of work in the health sector in Nepal will be presented, followed by experience sharing from the key stakeholders in the health sector which has been overburdened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will also feature key speakers working to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work to share their efforts around raising awareness on C190 and for its ratification in Nepal.

The event will elicit a call for a renewed commitment and ambitious actions to accelerating progress to prevent, address and end violence and harassment in the world of work for all.

Watch live here: youtube.com/watch?v=ACWzBbnT1qg&ab_channel=InternationalLabourOrganization

Learn more here: ilo.org/global/lang–en/index.htm

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit  ngosocdev.org.

A Matter of Faith: Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a Gender-based Violence Prevention Strategy in Faith Settings

Dear Colleagues,

Greetings. The Webinar, “A Matter of Faith: Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a Gender-based Violence Prevention Strategy in Faith Settings,” will be convened by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI)  to promote an open conversation on the potential and the challenges of engagement by faith actors on CSE.

This is a part of a series of webinars co-hosted by OHCHR, UNFPA, UNWOMEN and JLI and the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Faith and GBV Hub using the peer-to-peer learning methodology of the #Faith4Rights Toolkit.

Kindly share this throughout your networks. Further information along with the connection details will be shared soon. Register here by 14 June 2021: unfpa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S2CSmG2aSPSwvwe2SUTjQA

This webinar is offered with French-English-Spanish interpretation. For questions or feedback regarding the webinar, please reach out to Dawn Minott (minott@unfpa.org) or Caterina Tino (tino@unfpa.org). We look forward to engaging with you on this topic.

Thank you and best regards,

United Nations Population Fund

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence

The UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE Campaign to End Violence against Women will commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November. The International Day and virtual event will kickstart the global mobilization of the 16 Days of Activism campaign – running from 25 November until 10 December – under the theme: “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”

Even before COVID-19, violence against women was one of the most widespread violations of human rights, with almost 18 percent of women and girls experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within the last year. During COVID-19, calls to violence against women helplines increased up to five fold in the first few weeks of the pandemic. For every 3 months the lockdown continues, an additional 15 million women are expected to be affected by violence.

Calling for a “cease-fire at home”, the UN Secretary-General urged governments earlier this year to make the prevention and redress of violence against women and girls a key part of national response plans for COVID-19. While UN Member States responded, and 135 countries have adopted measures to prevent or respond to violence against women during this global crisis, only 48 countries – less than a quarter of the 206 analysed in a recent study – treated violence against women and girls-related services as an integral part of their national and local COVID-19 response plans, with very few adequately funding these measures. The culture of impunity still prevails widely, and the pandemic is threatening to undo any progress as women are not being able to access the live-saving care and support they need.

The commemoration will be an opportunity for Member States, civil society, influencers and the UN System to spark a renewed sense of urgency and bolster global action to end violence against women and girls by calling on all to: fund essential services on gender-based violence and women’s organizations who are at the forefront; to respond to the needs of survivors, including during the global pandemic; to prevent gender-based violence from happening in the first place by challenging cultural and social norms, mobilization campaigns and a zero-tolerance policy; and to collect data to improve services, programmes and policies. In the lead up to the commemoration, UN Women has appealed to Member States to make concrete, tangible commitments during the 16 Days of Activism.

Join the kickoff event on Wednesday, 25 November 2020, from 10:00 am – 11:30 am EST

Participants:

Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres
Member States representatives
Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Under-Secretary-General and UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem
UN Women Goodwill Ambassadors Nicole Kidman and Cindy Bishop
Co-Hosts Zahra Al Hilaly and Stuart Moir
With the musical performance of Ensemble Corona, Bosnia and Herzegovina

How to watch:

Please note that the event will be held in English with simultaneous interpretation provided in all official UN languages. Participants need to pre-register and attend the event through the Zoom platform to be able to access the language interpretation.

Live Webcast of the event will be available on UN Women’s website and UN Web TV. Follow the online conversation using the hashtags #orangetheworld and #16days and follow @SayNO_UNiTE and @UN_Women on Twitter.

Stories and more: We handed over the mic to survivors and those on the forefront of response efforts. Read and share stories of change, videos, interactives, and social media messages, and check out the 16 Days editorial content at https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/end-violence-against-women.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org.

[UN observance] International Day of Rural Women

The International Day of Rural Women is commemorated annually on October 15. To learn more, please explore un.org/en/observances/rural-women-day

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-New York, please visit ngocsw.org. NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org.

Helping Children & Families Thrive in All Circumstances {in honor of the October 1989 adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child}

Please join us [at the NGO Committee on the Family] as we discuss important aspects of family life, in honor of the October 1989 adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Concept Note

In 1989, Member States adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a landmark treaty intended to ensure the protection and wellbeing of children around the world. In the intervening time, nearly every country has ratified the treaty, signaling commitment to its core principles of the best interest of the child, non-discrimination, right to life, survival, and development, and the right of the child to be heard. The Convention also notes that “the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities within the community.”

Since the Convention’s adoption, children’s welfare has improved greatly. Child poverty and mortality before age five have halved since then, and school attendance has risen. Countries have directed more attention, resources, and legislation to reducing child vulnerability and respecting the rights of children. Yet challenges remain. Poverty, natural disasters, conflict, family separation, and now a global pandemic affect children’s wellbeing. Times of crisis place stress on families and put children at risk. How can we ensure that children, even those in vulnerable situations, thrive?

This month, we are pleased to host two expert speakers who will address children’s vulnerability and ways to ensure that children and their families are supported to thrive in all circumstances and despite challenges. Ms. Rima Salah has extensive experience in the protection of children and peace and conflict resolution, through several leadership roles in United Nations entities, including serving as served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General in the Peacekeeping Mission in Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and as a member of the UN High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. Mr. Nuno Crisostomo has worked for child welfare with various non-governmental organizations, with the Portuguese government, and, from 2001, with UNICEF, most recently as an Emergency Specialist in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We hope you will join us as we learn from these two distinguished experts on this important topic.

Please RSVP to attend at https://forms.gle/KajCCPdPak3XtWms7.

Meeting information will be sent out after the RSVP deadline to all registered attendees.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Family, please visit ngofamilyny.org.