A Solomon Islands delegation has attended the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from 11th to 22nd March at the United Nations in New York. The delegation led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA), Dr Cedrick Alependava, have been actively engaged in the general plenary discussions, negotiations of the outcome document and side events.
The Commission on the Status of Women was established by the UN Economic and Social Council since 1946 and is convened annually at the UN Headquarters in New York. It is the key global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women which includes monitoring and reviewing progresses made, the challenges to be addressed and setting global standards on gender equality and making policy recommendations on women’s rights in general. An annual priority theme determines the focus of each annual Commission on the Status of Women convening.
The Solomon Islands delegation made presentations in five different side events highlighting Solomon Islands progresses, strengths and challenges in the area of women’s economic empowerment, women in the customary and informal justice system and the importance of individual level multidimensional and intersectional statistics in line with the CSW priority theme for the 68th session, ‘‘Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective’.
In his national statement delivered during the general discussions in the UN General Assembly, Permanent Secretary Dr Alependava stated ‘Making clear the link between poverty and the inequalities that women face is an important agenda for Solomon Islands. We can no longer continue to go by the traditional definition of poverty but see poverty in the context of inequalities faced by women.’
Permanent Secretary Dr Alependava also highlighted the need for strengthened gender mainstreaming across whole of government including gender responsive budgeting as a key means to ensuring the address of the gendered nature of poverty and accelerate the achievement of gender equality in Solomon Islands. He also used the opportunity to highlight the efforts led by his Ministry in economic empowerment of women across the country the women’s saving club initiative.
He further stated, Solomon Islands is committed to continuing our work with renewed energy to address gender inequalities in Solomon Islands and will continue to call on the significant support and resources, partnerships and collaborations that will be needed from donors, development partners, the private sector and our Pacific family in order to fulfil this year’s theme.
On the opening day of the Session, Dr. Alependava together with the Solomon Islands Permanent Representative to the United Nations, joined other Pacific Islands leaders and senior officials in a working lunch meeting with the United Nations Secretary General, H.E Mr. Antonio Guterres. This meeting provided an opportunity to elevate discussions on Pacific Islands priorities with the head of the United Nations.
Permanent Secretary Dr Alependava wishes to convey his utmost gratitude for the support rendered to the delegation by Ambassador H.E Jane Waetara and her staff at the Permanent Mission of Solomon Islands to UN during the 68th Commission on the Status of Women. The support ensured that the objective of Solomon Islands participation at this year’s Meetings were achieved.
Other members of the delegation included Director for the Women’s Development Division, Ms Vaela Falefehi Ngai and Ms Nauna Revo, representing Women’s Rights Action Movement, a local women NGO. Ms Revo is their Women’s Economic Empowerment Officer and the Solomon Islands Permanent Mission Ambassador, H.E Mrs. Waetara and staff of the Permanent Mission of Solomon Islands.
An outcome document was endorsed by the member states at the close of this68th Session of the Commission of Women on Friday 22nd March, 2024.
The delegation from the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs returned on Wednesday 27th March 2024.