A delegation of some 25 individuals, from 12 countries around the world, anchored the Baha’i International Community’s (BIC) engagement at the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which is now entering its second week. 

Among the BIC’s efforts at CSW was a parallel event last week which explored concepts in the Office’s formal statement to the Commission, Values in Innovation: Women's Engagement in Re-Imagining Digital Technologies.

“Many technologies, which should serve as tools to extend human capability and contribute to the construction of a prosperous and cohesive civilization reflective of humanity’s highest values, instead reinforce distorted notions about human nature and identity, progress, and purpose,” said Ambassador Carlos Fuller, of Belize, quoting from the statement, in remarks he made as one of the event’s featured speakers.

In the roundtable event, a variety of country-level efforts to respond to these realities were highlighted.

Alan Ebun George, Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, described a program in his country that provides scholarships for women to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at university. Katarzyna Nosalska, Director of the Center for the Development of Digital Competences, Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland, noted her government’s efforts to increase the share of women programmer information technology and cybersecurity. 

National-level delegates from regions around the world were central to the BIC’s presence at CSW this year. Delegates from Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, along with Hatem El-Hady, Representative of the BIC to the Arab Region in Cairo, hosted an Arabic-language event at the BIC’s New York Office. The roundtable discussion drew over 100 participants from 10 Arab countries, including Hatem Abdulhameed Hatem, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Mission of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations, and a representative of the Muslim Council of Elders, based in the United Arab Emirates. 

Other region-specific initiatives included delegates from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan organizing a reception for diplomats from Central Asian countries, delegates from Türkiye, Canada and Australia attending receptions hosted in their countries’ Missions, the BIC’s regional Representative to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean joining civil society planning mechanisms for the upcoming Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, and a delegate from Canada organizing an event that featured speakers from the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations and other organizations. 

“Discourse on gender equality needs to progress at the international level, but also at regional, national, and ultimately local levels,” said BIC Representative Saphira Rameshfar, who headed the BIC delegation. “That’s why the BIC is excited to learn about incorporating collaborators from many geographic areas – so discussions can benefit from the experience and vantage points particular to the home context of each.”  

In addition to her involvement with the BIC delegation, Rameshfar served on the Executive Committee of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women, which organized over 750 parallel events as part of the NGO CSW67 Forum. She helped organize this year’s Civil Society Consultation Day, including a “watch party” at the BIC office, for civil society members wanting to participate in the virtual event collectively. She also served as a Co-Chair of the NGO Committee’s Youth Leaders and Young Professional’s program, which assisted a selection of young people from around the world to attend and participate in the Commission.    

Beyond these engagements, BIC delegates were invited to speak at and moderate a range of CSW events. BIC Representative Daniel Perell was featured at an event titled “Engagement of Religious and Cultural Leaders - Challenges and Opportunities.” And BIC Representatives Liliane Nkunzimana and Hatem El-Hady spoke at an event titled "Digital strategies for the acceleration of gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls for access, use, ownership and control of land and habitat related rights.” Nkunzimana also co-organized and co-facilitated the “Futures of Education Conversation Circle.”

Reinforcing the aim of advancing exploration of the principle of gender equality in all areas and among all populations, the BIC released its formal statement to the Commission in a range of languages, including Arabic, Russian, Spanish, French, Turkish, Kazakh and Persian.