National Women’s Education Center of Japan

　The 56th session of the “Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)” was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from Monday February 27 to Friday March 9, 2012. Two NWEC staff, one is from Information Division and the other is from Office of Research and International, have attended the session as members of Japanese Government delegation (Ms. Hiroko Hashimoto, head of delegation and representative ).

　CSW for this year, representatives from UN member status and United Nations’ relevant organizations have delivered statements, and convened interactive events, such as high-level round tables and panel discussions, focusing on “The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges” as the priority theme.

　Representative Ms. Hashimoto delivered the statement on March 2, and in its beginning, she expressed the appreciation for all the supports from each country at the Great East Japan Earthquake. Subsequently, she addressed that the priority theme of the 56th CSW, empowerment of rural women had been set forth in “The Third Basic Plan for Gender Equality” as one of the 15 priority fields. In “The Third Basic Plan for Gender Equality”, to facilitate women’s participation as equal partners in managerial and other aspects of agribusiness, promoted further increases in the number of family management agreements as well as their effective utilization. Moreover, promoted supporting women entrepreneurial activities and diversification of agribusiness management.

　This year, Japanese Government delegation submitted the resolution related to “Natural Disaster and Gender”, and brought up the necessity of gender-sensitive policy making throughout the phases of disaster prevention, post- disaster, and restoration. The resolution also stressed the importance to secure the women’s participation at the decision making during the restoration from the disaster. This resolution was adopted by fifty UN status including Japan at the last day of CSW.

　The observance celebrating “International Women’s Day (March 8)” hosted by UN Women was held on March 7. At the event, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted that the potential of rural women to improve the well-being of entire societies if given equal access to resources and set free from the discrimination and exploitation that hold them back. And he urged governments, civil societies and the private sectors to commit to gender equality and the empowerment of women as a fundamental human right and a force for the benefit of all. At the panel discussion after his announcement, cases from around the world were introduced regarding to their effort toward the “Empower rural women”, and confirmed education is the key to empower rural women.

　Also, CSW participants discussed about the efforts and the progresses for the agreed conclusion, “Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women”, from the 52nd CSW. In addition, the panel discussion for the gender equality promotion program for young people, and the preparation meeting for the 57th CSW was held focusing on “Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls” as its priority theme.

　Japanese civil society organizations conducted lively transmission of information as well. On Thursday March 1, three NGO groups (International Women’s Year Liaison Group, National Women’s Committee of the United Nations NGOs in Japan, Japan Women’s Watch) held the side event, called “Disaster Restoration and Gender”, supported by the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations. Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women, Rural Women Empowerment and Life Improvement Association, and Human Rights Now held the parallel events during the CSW, and the participants were more than the seating capacity.

　CSW was the valuable opportunity to develop and strengthen the network with national machineries of Asia Pacific region. During the CSW sessions, successfully being reunited with Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister of Women’s Affairs of the Royal Government of Cambodia, who had concluded collaboration. In addition, being reunited with Ms. Ciput Eka Purwianti, the State Ministry of Women Empowerment of Indonesia, who had attended the international seminar hosted by NWEC in 2009, and exchanged the latest information of gender equality policies of both countries.

　Unusually, the 56th CSW agreed conclusion was not adopted. On March 9, the last day of the session, the resolution delivered by Japanese delegation, “Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in Natural Disasters”, was adopted by consensus. The adopted resolution is available at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.

　The detail information of the 56th CSW, including archived webcast, are available at UN Women website (in English and other UN official languages).

　NWEC plans to make presentation reports of the 56th CSW by attended members at the forthcoming training seminars in 2012. The schedule will be announced as soon as available at NWEC website.