Women’s contribution to sustainable development has been significant and is celebrated around the world. They bring about innovative ideas and solutions, add diversity to decision-making and pave way for improvement in all areas. Recent report of the UN Secretary-General on the role of women in public life highlights that women’s equal participation in leadership positions and elimination of violence against women are essential to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.[1]
Despite the challenges created by gender inequality, women keep demonstrating resilience in the face of common difficulties. One example would be their efficient contribution to tackling the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, women can introduce fresh and innovative perspectives to dealing with one of the greatest threats to people and environment in the 21st century – Climate Change.
This year, the International Women’s Day is celebrated under the theme of “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. Women are increasingly vulnerable to impacts of climate change as they are recognized to constitute the majority of the world’s low-income population and are more dependent on natural resources.[2] Without solving the global climate crisis there is no economic, social, and environmental development, and gender equal participation in addressing these issues is essential to making progress towards SDGs.
This session will feature an interactive panel of high-level stakeholders to highlight the role of women in ensuring sustainable tomorrow.
We, at the WSIS Forum 2022, are dedicated to the promotion of 50/50 gender balance participation and women empowerment. Our Repository of Women in Tech brings together individuals interested in achieving gender equality in and with the help of ICTs, identifies women speakers, creates space for networking, mentorship sessions and documentation of best practices.
This session is organised in the framework of WSIS TalkX and is aligned with WSIS Action Lines and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.