27/04/2023 Women@PACE
The ‘Women@PACE’ group today held an exchange of views with Ms Anita Bhatia, UN Women Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, on innovation and technological change: progress towards gender equality, and on the role of parliamentarians in implementing the conclusions of the 67th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67).
“We must foster gender-responsive digital and science and technology education in the digital age and promote the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in technology and innovation,” said Anita Bhatia in her address to the participants.
Ms Bhatia has also condemned the backsliding on women’s rights, including sexual reproductive rights, reminding that the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. “At the present pace, it will take another two hundred eighty-six years to remove discriminatory laws and close prevailing gaps in legal protection”, she pointed out.
Therefore, in order to achieve full gender equality, Ms Bhatia called upon Governments and other stakeholders to engage, educate, encourage and support men and boys “to be positive role models and allies” for gender equality. “Boys and men have to be fully engaged as agents and beneficiaries of change”, she concluded.
As a matter of fact, following a decision by the Bureau of the Women@PACE group, the meeting was open to both women and men.
In the morning, Ms Bhatia also exchanged views with members of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination on “Women economic empowerment”.