News, 23.3.2017

How to advance women's empowerment in work life? Commission on the Status of Women assembled at the UN

The 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women ends this week at the UN. The two week session brought together thousands of government and civil society representatives from around the globe. The main theme this year was the economical empowerment of women in a changing world of work. Other widely discussed topics included the empowerment of indigenous women and violence against women. The many side events and panel discussions might have been the most fruitful part of the session.

Image: Hanna Asikainen
“Naisiin kohdistuva väkivalta voi usein tapahtua yksityisessä ympäristössä, mutta se ei ole yksityisasia. Emme saa unohtaa tätä. Meidän on pidettävä huoli, että pojat ja miehet ovat mukana vastustamassa väkivaltaa,” ministeri Mattila muistutti puheessaan.
"Violence against women may often take place in the private sphere, but it is not a private matter. Let's not forget this. We must ensure that men and boys are on board against violence," Minister Mattila reminded in her speech.

Finland was represented by a large delegation including members of parliament, representatives of the Sami parliament, ministries and civil society organizations. The delegation was led by Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Ms. Pirkko Mattila.

– Gender equality is one of our core values in Finland. We were the first to grant full political rights to women. Because 2017 is Finland's 100th anniversary, the government decided to establish the first international gender equality award as a means toward establishing a new voice and platform to advance gender equality around the world, minister Mattila said in the speech at the General Assembly.

Image: Hanna Asikainen
“Tavoitteemme on aina ollut varmistaa, että molemmat, miehet ja naiset, voivat luontevasti yhdistää perhe-elämän ja työnteon,” suurlähettiläs Jouni Laaksonen kuvaili suomalaista tasa-arvoa Women’s empowernment and gender equality in public working life –paneelikeskustelussa.
"Our objective is and has always been to ensure that both men and women can combine family life with an active work life," Ambassador Jouni Laaksonen describer Finnish equality at the Women's empowerment and gender equality in public working life –panel arranged my Finland.

The representative of the Sami parliament, Anne Nuorgam, was attending the Commission for the first time, yet she found a lot of familiarities in the conversations.

– Beforehand I thought I might not be familiar with the themes discussed, but this feels very familiar to a woman living in Finland. That’s good – it means, that Finnish people are talking about the right topics, Nuorgam says.

As a Sami woman, Nuorgam finds it very important, that the voices of indigenous women are heard and that they can also have impact. Indigenous women often are the guardians of culture, language and history, who also teach the traditions to new generations.

– All over the world the representatives of indigenous peoples talk of same things: education in their own language and the rights to land and water. Also violence against women rises up in the conversations.

Image: Hanna Asikainen
Saamelainen Anne Nuorgam toivoo, että alkuperäiskansojen ääni tulisi kuulluksi päätöksenteossa.
Sami Anne Nuorgam wishes, that the voices of the indigenous peoples would be heard in decision making.
Image: Hanna Asikainen
UN Womenin alipääsihteeri Lakshmi Puri pohti alkuperäiskansoihin kuuluvien naisten kokemaa väkivaltaa Suomen järjestämässä sivutapahtumassa. ”Kulttuuri, jota käytetään tekosyynä naisten oikeuksien tallomiseksi, ei ole kulttuuria ensinkään. Vahingollisista tavoista on päästävä eroon!” Kuvassa myös kansanedustaja Eva Biaudet.
The Assistant Secretary General, Deputy Executive Director of UN-Women Lakshmi Puri talking about violence experienced by indigenous women in a side event organized by Finland. Next to her a Finnish MP Eva Biaudet.

The 12th Helvi Sipilä –seminar was organized jointly by the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations, the Finnish Federation of Graduate Women, the National Council of Women in Finland, the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations – NYTKIS, Finland National Committee for UN Women and the Young Women’s Christian Association of Finland YWCA. The title of the seminar was Empowered Futures - Sustainable economies.

Image: Hanna Asikainen
World YWCA:n pääsihreeri Malayah Harper puhui Helvi Sipilä -seminaarissa siitä, millainen naisten rooli on rauhanvälitys ja -rakennusyössä.
At the Helvi Sipilä –seminar the General Secretary of World YWCA Malayah Harper talked about economic empowerment work of women in the peace building context
Image: Hanna Asikainen
Toimikunnan istunto veti YK:n ääriään myöten täyteen, paikkoja haettiin lattialta ja seinänvieruksilta. Kuva keskiviikon tapahtumasta, jossa puhuttiin niistä taloudellisista, sosiaalisista ja kulttuuriin liittyvistä rajoituksista, joita naiset kohtaavat työelämässä. Suomen edustusto järjesti tapahtuman yhdessä ESCR-Net Womenin ja ESCR Working Groupin kanssa.
The session of Commission filled the UN to its limits – people were looking for space on the floors and standing along the walls. The picture from Wednesday’s event on barriers to the realization of women’s economic, social and cultural rights in the realm of work. Finland organized the event together with ESCR-Net Womenin and ESCR Working Group.