Civic spaces in which people can freely express their opinions must be inclusive and safe for all. The shift to digital and online spaces has seen a rise in women’s participation, yet these digital spaces often still do not feel safe of inclusive for women. In March last year, the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. CSW is the largest international conference on women's rights within the United Nations, and CSW67 session followed the primary theme “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”. The session affirmed the demands of international women’s civil society on digitalization and produced a comprehensive set of Agreed Conclusions. While unable to reflect all the demands of international women’s civil society, the Agreed Conclusions are significant as the first international policy document on digitalization and women's human rights to be agreed upon at the CSW. Governments should refer to these conclusions in order to establish and implement relevant policies, and civil society should utilize the newly created international standards and guidelines on digital technologies. Organizations involved in women’s civil society should further share the CSW67 Conclusions in order to discuss policies that protect women's rights and expand civic spaces.
MODERATOR
SHIN Jiwon, Professor, Chonnam National University
SPEAKERS
Edz dela Cruz, Information and Communications Officer, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
OH Kyungjin, Executive Director, Korea Women's Associations United
Civic space is an important foundation of a human rights city, enabling citizens to actively participate in political, economic, social, and cultural activities. However, civic space has been shrinking in recent years, not only in authoritarian regimes but also in democratic societies, limiting access to information and free expression. According to CIVICUS, 86% of the world's population lives in countries with limited civic space, and a third live in environments where civil liberties are severely restricted. This shrinking of civic space undermines the core values of human rights: participation, solidarity, and freedom. International organizations and Human Rights Cities have emphasized expanding civic space and promoting civic engagement. Given this global situation, the plenary session will discuss the reality of civic space and human rights issues, ways to expand civic space, and best practices for civic space.
MODERATOR
KIM Joongseop, Chairperson, WHRCF Planning Committee
CONGRATULATORY REMARKS
Peter Lundberg, Executive Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute Emilia Saiz, Secretary General, UCLG
SPEAKERS
BAIK Tae-Ung, Professor, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii
