{"id":12882,"date":"2025-04-08T12:51:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T16:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whomakesthenews.org\/?p=12882"},"modified":"2025-04-10T16:10:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T20:10:31","slug":"reflections-from-csw69-women-diversity-and-digital-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whomakesthenews.org\/es\/reflections-from-csw69-women-diversity-and-digital-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections from #CSW69: Women, diversity, and digital rights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Blessing Oladunjoye, project officer with GMMP<\/a> Nigeria participating organization Journalists for Christ International Outreach<\/em><\/a>, participated in the 69th session of the UN\u2019s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) as a member of the WACC Global delegation. Here she reflects on her experience.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even a toddler could tell the excitement that radiated in my heart as I packed my bags in preparation to attend the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York City. It was my first time in the United States and definitely my first time attending a global convening on women\u2019s rights. I was engulfed with the feeling of \u201cbeing arrived,\u201d as we say in Nigeria about someone who has made an impact in their field of operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was excited about the sessions that I would attend, the networks that I would build, the locations I would visit, the meals I would eat, without neglecting how to keep myself warm, considering the huge contrast to the Nigerian weather!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey began on March 8, and I started networking on my connecting flight from Amsterdam to New York when I met my seatmate Isra Lee, who leads Single Supermom, an organization promoting the rights of single mothers. I got an invitation to her session on March 13 at the UN Church Centre, and my excitement grew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once in NYC, I headed to the UN office to pick my badge. I needed to ensure that nothing would delay my active participation starting the next morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering my area of interest and focus, I mapped out sessions that focused on women\u2019s communication rights and tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). Sessions and great conversations were happening simultaneously, but I had to make a choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>The TFGBV Trend<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There were numerous impactful sessions, but the first I attended was titled \u201cTFGBV and Gender Equality: Current Issues and TFGBV.\u201d The session featured speakers from the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) from different countries who shared how grooming, online harassment, AI biases, and digital censorship continue to silence women and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another session that stood out was \u201cCyberviolence: Protecting Women\u2019s Dignity in Digital Spaces,\u201d where the discussions explored the limited responses to tackling TFGBV as it has been trivialized when compared to physical GBV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the WACC Global and Global Alliance on Media and Gender (GAMAG) session titled \u201cSection J at Beijing+30: Safeguarding Women\u2019s Communication and Digital Rights<\/a>,\u201d I spoke about the findings of Journalists for Christ International Outreach (JfC) on TFGBV, and how it has affected women\u2019s rights and access to information online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had the opportunity to present these research findings to the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP)<\/a> network members and other women groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(l to r) <\/em>Blessing Oladunjoye before a session on TFGBV, with GMMP Senegal and West & Central Africa coordinator Amie Joof-Cole, speaking at the WACC\u2013GAMAG session, with a participant from New Zealand. Photos: courtesy, Cirenia Celestino Ortega.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There were multiple sessions on TFGBV, which suggests that it has become a trend and there is a need to address it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the recommendations I gathered include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n