As the world prepares for the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), WOMENVAI is issuing an urgent call to action. We have submitted a formal statement to the United Nations, addressing the critical intersection of gender equality, climate justice, access to justice, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
The success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development depends on the full engagement of women and girls. Yet, in an increasingly polarized world, we face compounding crises that threaten to roll back decades of progress. It is time for immediate, decisive, and transformative action.
Climate Justice and its Impact on Women
The climate crisis is a « threat multiplier » that intensifies social, political, and economic tensions, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. Women and girls, particularly those from indigenous, Afro-descendent, and other marginalized communities, are disproportionately impacted. The data is stark: women are 14 times more likely than men to die during climate-related disasters.
As custodians of 80% of our planet’s biodiversity, women hold essential ancestral knowledge crucial for sustainable management. Yet, their chronic underrepresentation in climate decision-making creates a dangerous gap in our collective response. We urge governments to integrate climate justice into all women, peace, and security frameworks and to ensure legal protections for women environmental defenders.
Navigating the AI Revolution: Risks and Opportunities for Women
Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world, and while it holds the promise of enhanced productivity, it also presents profound challenges to gender equality. New research shows that women are more likely to lose their jobs to automation, as many work in administrative roles often without access to critical ICT training.
If left unregulated, AI threatens to widen the gender divide. We must establish clear regulatory frameworks to audit AI systems for compliance with human rights and gender equity standards. We call for public policies that guarantee women and girls access to digital literacy, justice, and opportunities for reskilling and upskilling, ensuring they are not just consumers of technology, but co-creators of our digital future.
A Blueprint for Change: From Education to the Economy
To break the glass ceiling, we need concrete models that dismantle structural barriers. The EPF ParityLab programme in France serves as a powerful example, offering young women in STEM a dedicated pathway through non-competitive recruitment, international exposure, and tailored mentoring.
This spirit of inclusion must extend to our economies. We call for comprehensive fiscal, trade, and monetary policies that actively promote gender equity. This includes:
- Overcoming barriers to financial services for female entrepreneurs.
- Offering specific loans for women-led businesses.
- Providing tax incentives for companies that hire women and offer STEM training.
Our Key Recommendations for Global Action
Aligned with the themes of CSW70, WOMENVAI calls on global stakeholders to take the following actions:
- Adopt gender-transformative approaches to address the intersection of conflict and climate change.
- Take immediate and urgent action to end harmful practices like FGM and child marriage, ensuring access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities.
- Scale up women’s leadership in water and sanitation sectors.
- Enact fiscal, trade, and monetary policies that promote gender equity, including financing for female entrepreneurship and tax incentives for companies hiring and training women in STEM.
- Implement inclusivity standards for AI to ensure gender-sensitive, bias-free tools, with strong regulatory frameworks for auditing and compliance.
- Build a pipeline for women and girls in AI, addressing systemic barriers and ensuring they are co-developers of AI tools.
- Ensure access to justice through inclusive, survivor-centered legal systems that eliminate all discriminatory laws and practices.
- Support inclusive STEM education models like EPF’s ParityLab to foster the leadership and participation of young women in public and professional life.
A Call for Empathy, Collaboration, and Adaptability
WOMENVAI reaffirms its commitment to advocacy, policy guidance, and on-the-ground action. We believe that by empowering women and girls, we create a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for all. Through empathy, collaboration, and adaptability, we can achieve meaningful and lasting change. Join us.
About WOMENVAI
Founded in January 2018, WOMENVAI is a unique global platform gathering women and men in STEM to build and bring sustainable solutions for a better world, aligned with the SDGs. Learn more at www.womenvai.org.