For the first time, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has adopted Agreed Conclusions on the theme of Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
SRHR and technology
Following difficult negotiations a consensus was reached and strong agreed conclusions were adopted with strong references to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), health care-services, and sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.
The CSW recognized the important role of digital health, including digital health technologies, to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information, and education. It also recognized the need to ensure that such technologies and tools are developed in consultation with women and, as appropriate, girls. These technologies should be science and evidence-based while protecting personal information and prioritize consent and informed decision-making.
Digital technologies and new innovations are already having an impact on SRHR and education, for example, by the provision of sexuality education, online information, and the use of telemedicine and apps to provide people with counselling and SRH-care.
The CSW recognized the important role of digital health, including digital health technologies, to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information, and education. It also recognized the need to ensure that such technologies and tools are developed in consultation with women and, as appropriate, girls. These technologies should be science and evidence-based while protecting personal information and prioritize consent and informed decision-making.
Digital technologies and new innovations are already having an impact on SRHR and education, for example, by the provision of sexuality education, online information, and the use of telemedicine and apps to provide people with counselling and SRH-care.
Adolescents’ vulnerability
The resolution discusses the disproportionate discrimination and violence that adolescents face and that occur through or are amplified by the use of technology, and specific attention is dedicated in the text to pregnant adolescents, young mothers, and single mothers and the importance to enable them to continue and complete their education and provide catch-up and literacy, including digital literacy.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)
The text includes a standalone paragraph on comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in the operative paragraphs, which is language that has previously been adopted at the Commission. Though there were attempts to build on this language and advance on normative standards relating to CSE, these proposals were ultimately dropped at a late hour due to the inability to reach consensus on suggested new language. It is regretful that discussions stalled on CSE, as this is an area that has been well documented by UN agencies as an effective preventative and evidence-based intervention that can improve the health, well-being, and lives of young people, as well as prevent the incidence of gender-based violence and sexually transmitted infections.
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence
While there was no agreement on adopting the term technology-facilitated gender-based violence, the text has numerous references to gender-based violence and particularly recognizes that girls are often at greater risk of being exposed to and experience various forms of discrimination and gender-based violence and harmful practices, including through the use of technology and social media.
Source: https://www.ippf.org/media-center/commission-status-women-adopts-agreed-conclusions
Source: https://www.ippf.org/media-center/commission-status-women-adopts-agreed-conclusions
RSS Feed