Advocacy
International Advocacy at the United Nations
GWI has maintained special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1947 (one of the first 10 organisations to gain such status) and maintains special relationships with the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. GWI actively participates in the United Nations Human Rights Councils, the Commission on the Status of Women, High-Level Political Forum, the Convention on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and seizes many more opportunities make regular oral statements and submit written statements advocating to eliminate the barriers girls face in education.
GWI advocacy work with the United Nations, its agencies and collaboration with other international organizations, plays critical role in supporting our National Federations and Associations with in-country governments action plans to develop and implement policies. We invite you to read our reports and join us as aim to remove the barriers to girls gaining education.
GWI written statements to United Nations
(beginning 2015, previous statements archived)
United Nations of Geneva – The Heart of Human Rights and Humanity
(Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Council (HRC), Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Expert Rights on the Rights of Indigenous People, Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and more)
Human Rights Council
September 2024: Mandating Member States’ Action on Education: GWI’s Call for Quality Education, Peace, and AI Literacy (HRC57)
February 2023: Human Rights Council 52nd Session written statement: Gender equality through equitable access to lifelong learning
August 2021: GWI Human Rights Council Cosponsored written statement on the emergency situation for women and girls in Afghanistan
August 2021: Human Rights Council 48 session written statement: Education is the most valuable weapon to tackle the climate crisis
June 2021: Human Rights Council 47 session written statement: Shrinking Civil Society Space
January 2021: GWI calls for the increase in domestic funding for education in its Human Rights Council 46th session written statement
September 2020: Distance learning and digital technologies as a strategical and challenging turn towards inclusive access to education for women and girls: GWI written statement to the 45th session of the Human Rights Council
March 2020: GWI written statement 43rd session of the Human Rights Council: Climate Crises Action Requires Equal Participation in Decision-Making by all Women and Girls
September 2019: 42st session of the Human Rights Council Women in Trade Statement
June 2019: 41st session of the Human Rights Council Women and Corruption Statement
September 2018: Written Statement: 39th session of the Human Rights Council – Child Widowhood A Neglected Geneder and Human Rights Violation
May 2017: GWI Written Statement to the 35th Session of the Human Rights Council
March 2017: GWI Written Statement to the 34th Session of the Human Rights Council: Girls Education and the Peace Process
September 2016: GWI Oral Statement to the HRC 33 on the Annual half-day discussion on the rights of indigenous people
September 2015: GWI written statement for HRC 30 – Promoting equal access to quality secondary, tertiary and continuing education for indigenous girls and women
September 2015: GWI oral statement for HRC30 on the Annual half-day discussion on the rights of indigenous people
June 2015 – Opening Statements of the HRC 29 Session, Panel Discussion on “The Power of Empowered Women”, UNHRC 29th session Report
United Nations of New York
(Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), Commission on Social Development, Economic and Social Council High-Level Segment (ECOSOC HLS), High-Level Political Forum (HLPF))
Commission on the Status of Women
CSW68 written statement: Through financing of education that we can address poverty, narrow the gender gap, and strengthen institutions
CSW68 Summary Report submitted by GWI UN Representative, New York, Maryella Hannum
CSW68 Final Secretary General Report submitted by GWI UN Representative, New York, Dr Maureen Byrne
CSW68 report: PE Finance Perpetuating Poverty submitted by GWI UN Representative, New York, Dr Maureen Byrne
March 2023: Highlights of United Nations Secretary General CSW67 Report, submitted by Maureen Byrne, GWI UN Representative, New York
March 2023: CSW67 – Side Event – Women in Digital and Tech Change and the Implications for Gender Equality, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, GWI United Nations Representative, Vienna
December 2021: GWI Recommendations to the Commission on the Status of Women 66th session Agreed Conclusions recommendations
March 2020: Cosponsors of GWI written statement to the 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
March 2019: Official CSW63 Written Statement: Gender equality is the right of all women and girls and is central to the accomplishment of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals English /French /Spanish
April 2016: Graduate Women International CSW60 Report
March 2016: GWI Official CSW60 United Nations written statement
March 2016: Report from the Helvi Sipilä session at the 60th Commission on the Status of Women, New York
March 2016: Summary of 60th Commission on the Status of Women, by Louise McLeod
January 2016: 60th Committee on the Status of Women preparatory meeting
March 2015: International Women’s Day and CSW59
March 2015: IFUW Written Statement to CSW59
March 2015: IFUW Oral Statement to CSW59
High Level Political Forum
July 2024: High-Level Political Forum Ministerial Declaration submitted by GWI UN Representative, New York, Dr Maureen Byrne
July 2024: High-Level Political Forum UN Women-Gender Equality Accelerators the Care Economy submitted by GWI UN Representative, New York, Dr Maureen Byrne
July 2024: High-Level Political Forum Women Graduates-USA Summary submitted by Louise McLeod, WG-USA UN Representative, New York and former GWI VP Advocacy and Education
September 2023: SDG Action Weekend 2023, submitted by Louise McLeod, WG-USA and Former GWI Vice President Advocacy and Education
July 2023: HLPF Summary submitted by UN Representative Maryella Hannum
July 2023: High-Level Political Forum written statement (GWI) urges Member States to apply a systems lens to priorities and policies to push progress and achieve the 2030 Agenda
August 2022: GWI United Nations Representative Advocacy Report- 2022 High Level Political Forum
August 2022: GWI Executive Summary Report- High Level Political Forum 2022
July 2021: High Level Political Forum Report, submitted by Louise McLeod, GWI VP Advocacy and Education
April 2021: High-Level Political Forum Written Statement: Interconnection of poverty, corruption and education
July 2020: High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development report, by Louise McLeod, GWI VP Advocacy and Education
July 2018: HLPF Higher Education Sustainability Initiative, submitted by Maryella Hannum, New York
July 2018: HLPF How Far Have We Come, submitted by Maureen Byrne, New York
July 2018: HLPF Education for Social Economic and Environmental Sustainability, submitted by Maryella Hannum, New York
July 2018: HLPF Science Technology Innovation, submitted by Maureen Byrne, New York
Commission on Social Development
August 2020: UN Commission for Development Policy report on SDG progress, submitted by Sophie Turner Zaretsky, GWI UN Representative, New York
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
April 2023: ECOSOC High-Level Segment Written Statement
June 2021: ECOSOC Youth Forum 10th Anniversary statement, by Sudha Srivastava
United Nations of Vienna
(Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND))
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and Committee on Narcotic Drugs
May 2024: Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice 33rd session summary submitted by GWI UN Representative Vienna, Elisabeth Francis.
May 2024: Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice 33rd session side events summary submitted by GWI UN Representative Vienna, Elisabeth Francis.
March 2024: United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) 67th Session Advocacy Report, submitted by GWI UN Representative Vienna, Elisabeth Francis
March 2024: United Nations CND 67th Session Side Events Report, submitted by GWI UN Representative Vienna, Elisabeth Francis
May 2023: CCPCJ 32nd Session Summary Report, submitted by GWI UN Representative Vienna, Elisabeth Francis
May 2023: GWI Sponsored Side Event 2023 32nd session: Summary Report, submitted by GWI UN Representative Vienna, Elisabeth Francis
January 2023: CCPCJ Launch of the 2022 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, submitted by GWI UN Representative Vienna, Elisabeth Francis
May 2022: GWI Cosponsors Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice 31 NGO statement
May 2022: Convention on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice session report, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
May 2022: Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) 31st session side events report, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
May 2021: Advocacy Report of the Kyoto Crime Congress, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
May 2021: GWI United Nations Representative Vienna – Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
December 2020: GWI UN Representative Reports on the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
October 2020: GWI Co-sponsors United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime side event: ‘Linking Criminal Justice and the SDGs in a New Way: Corruption creates wicked legacies at hazardous sites’ report, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
March 2020: Annual Commission on Narcotic Drugs, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
May 2019: UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) 28th session, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
June 2019: United Nations Vienna celebrates 40 years, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
April 2019: Advocacy Report: 62nd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, submitted by Ingrid H.Szabolcs, Vienna
March 2019: Advocacy Report: 62nd session of Commission on Narcotic Drugs – Science in Context, submitted by Olivia Klemmer, Vienna
March 2019: Advocacy Report: 62nd session of Commission on Narcotic Drugs – Government & Civil Society, submitted by Olivia Klemmer, Vienna
May 2018: UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) – 27th Session, submitted by Elizabeth Francis, Vienna
UN Representative Reports
Our representatives of the United Nations, bases both in New York, Vienna, Paris and Geneva are very active and attend multiple sessions per year on varied topics in order to represent GWI in the most concrete and committed way possible. We invite you to discover their many reports below. Many other reports submitted by our United Nations Representatives can be found under the United Nations mechanism the report addresses.
Geneva Representatives (United Nations of Geneva is locally represented by the GWI office. Please also see the specific United Nations mechanism for reports.)
November 2019: Panel Discussion on “Women’s Economic Empowerment and the SDGs: Closing the Gender Gap in a Rapidly Changing Society”, by Helen Lom, Geneva
March 2019: Advocacy Report: International Women’s Day, by Valerie Nam, Geneva
September 2018: Advocacy Report: Policy Dialogue: Emerging Issues in Addressing FGM in West Africa, submitted by Helen Lom, Geneva
June 2018: Advocacy Report: Annual Full-day Discussion on the Rights of Women, submitted by Amy Paulina, Geneva
March 2018: International Women’s Day: multifaceted approach to reducing the gender gap- submitted by Manjit Dosanjh, submitted by Manjit Dosanjh, Geneva
June 2017: Advocacy Report: Placing Youth at the Forefront of Humanitarian Action and the 2030 Agenda, submitted by GWI East Anglia Summer Interns
May 2017: UN Representative Report: Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue and IBE-UNESCO, submitted by Amy Paunila, Geneva
April 2017: UN Representative Report: Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), 60th Session, submitted by Amy Paunila, Geneva
March 2017: Raising Women’s Voices in Intergovernmental Forums, submitted by GWI UN Representatives
February 2017: UN Representative Report on the Committee on the Rights of the Child, submitted by Amy Paunila, Geneva
New York Representatives (please also see the specific United Nations mechanism for United Nations Representative reports.)
March 2024: CSW68 Report GWI Parallel Event: Financial Institutions and Infrastructure Perpetuating Poverty – Gender Bias in Economic Policy, submitted by Maureen Byrne.
March 2024: CSW68 Secretary General Summary Report, submitted by Maureen Byrne.
October 2023: UN Announces High Impact Initiatives for SDG Transformations, submitted by Maureen Byrne.
June 2023: United Nations inter-agency meeting – The importance of joint development solutions and quality financing in the face of multiple crises, submitted by Maureen Byrne.
April 2022: Higher Education Sustainability Initiative Webinar 1 – Transformation of Higher Education Post-COVID-19, report by GWI VP Advocacy and Education, submitted by Louise McLeod
February 2022: Transforming Education Summit – First Informal Briefing to Member States by UN Deputy Secretary-General report, submitted by Maryella Hannum, New York
May 2021: North America and Europe Caucus Advocacy Report, submitted by Maureen Byrne, New York
March 2021: Virtual Town Hall meeting of Civil Society and UN Secretary General, submitted by Maryella Hannum, New York
October 2020: Beijing+25 Town Hall Report, submitted by Sophie Turner Zaretsky, New York
September 2020: UNGA 2020 Future of Education is Here for Those Left Furthest Behind, submitted by Maureen Byrne, New York
September 2020: NGO Committee on the Status of Women, NY monthly meeting report, submitted by Sophie Turner Zaretsky, New York
July 2020: COVID’S EFFECT ON EDUCATION, submitted by GWI UN Representatives, New York
April 2020: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs COVID-19, submitted by Maryella Hannum, New York
December 2019: 2019 End of Year Summary Report, submitted by Maureen Byrne, New York
November 2019: 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of a Child (CRC): Review of the CRC, submitted by Maryella Hannum, New York
October 2019: High Level Panel on “Futures of Education” during the 74th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), New-York, submitted by Sophie Turner Zaretsky, New York
October 2019: Side event on “Addressing and Preventing Anti-Semitism through Education” during the UN General Assembly, submitted by Sophie Turner Zaretsky, New York
October 2019: GWI UN Reps in New-York meet with former Political Adviser to the United States Mission to the United Nations, submitted by Maryella Hannum, New York
May 2019: 81st Session of the Committee on the Rights of a Child, submitted by Maureen Byrne, New York
January 2019: Advocacy Report: International Day of Education, submitted by Maryella Hannum and Maureen Byrne, New York
November 2018: Advocacy Report: 2018 UN Global Citizenship Education Forum, submitted by Maryella Hannum, New York
November 2018: Advocacy Report: Women Ambassador’s Luncheon, submitted by Maryella Hannum, New York
June 2018: Advocacy Report: Consultations of the Committee (ECOSOC) with NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC, submitted by Dr. Maureen Byrne
October 2017: UN Representative Report: “The Future of Everything – Sustainable Development in the Age of Rapid Technological Change” Joint Meeting of ECOSOC and the Second Committee, submitted by Maureen Byrne, Ph.D., New York
September 2017: UN Representative Report: Financing the Future- Education for all, submitted by Maureen Byrne, Ph.D., New York
May 2017: UN Representative Report: 16th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, submitted by Maureen Byrne, Ph.D., New York
February 2017: UN Representative Report on the 55th Commission for Social Development (CSocD55), submitted by Sophie Turner Zaretsky, New York
UNICEF
May 2023: Recommendations to UNICEF, submitted by GWI UN Representative, Maureen Byrne
March 2023: Transforming Education 2023 Breakfast Briefing Summary, submitted by GWI UN Representative Maureen Byrne
September 2021: UNICEF Board session part 2, submitted by Maureen Byrne, New York
August 2021: UNICEF: The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis, submitted by Maureen Byrne, New York
June 2021: UNICEF Executive Board Report, submitted by Maureen Byrne, New York
November 2018: Advocacy Report: UNICEF Evaluation Learning Day Part.1, International Institute for Environment and Development, submitted by Dr. Maureen Byrne, New-York
November 2018: Advocacy Report: UNICEF Evaluation Learning Day Part.2, Panel Discussion and Conference, submitted by Dr. Maureen Byrne, New-York
October 2018: Advocacy Report: Tomorrow Ready: UNICEF Executive Board Special Focus Session, submitted by Dr. Maureen Byrne, New-York
June 2018: Advocacy Report: UNICEF NGO Committee Meeting, submitted by Dr. Maureen Byrne, New-York
Vienna Representatives (please also see the specific United Nations mechanism for United Nations Representative reports.)
October 2019: International Conference “Educating for the Rule of Law: Inspire, Change, Together” organised by UNODC, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
May 2018: Advocacy Report: GWI Co-sponsored a Side Event on Cyber-bullying the Occasion of the 27th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, submitted by Elizabeth Francis, Vienna
May 2018: Advocacy Report: Vienna, submitted by Elizabeth Francis, Vienna
January 2018: 2018 Vienna ACUNS Conference, Achieving Gender Equality and Female Empowerment: A Collaborative Vision of SDG5, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
October 2017: UN Representative Report: NGO Committe on Peace meeting on: The Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty and The Nobel Peace Prize for ICAN, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
May 2017: UN Representative Report: Preparatory Committee Meeting for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
December 2016: Advocacy Report: UNESCO Global Monitoring Report, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
November 2016: OSCE Gender Symposium – Combatting Femicide, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
October 2016: Advocacy Report UN Transnational Organized Crime, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
March 2016: Vienna NGO Sustainable Development Committee meeting
March 2016: Report on 59th Session of Commission on Narcotic Drugs, submitted by Elisabeth Francis, Vienna
June 2015 – UNCAC IRG Briefing for NGOs, UN Vienna, UNODC Presentation of the Work of the UNCAC Review Mechanism
Paris Representatives (please also see the specific United Nations mechanism for United Nations Representative reports.)
July 2019: Rapport triennial GWI UNESCO Representatives 2016-2019
March 2019: Advocacy Report: Mobile Learning Week and International Women’s Day, submitted by Eliane Didier, Paris
December 2018: Advocacy Report: National Consultative Human Rights Commission, Diversity in Sports, by Dominique Ciavatti, Paris
November 2018: Advocacy Report: 10th International Forum of Science, Moscow, Russia, submitted by Dominique Ciavatti, Paris
November 2018: Advocacy Report: Paris Peace Forum, submitted by Dominique Ciavatti, Paris
October 2018: Advocacy Report: International Day of the Girl, submitted by Dominique Ciavatti, Paris
October 2018: Advocacy Report: Draft Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education, submitted by Dominique Ciavatti, Paris
March 2018: UN Representative Report: International Women’s Day 2018 at UNESCO, submitted by Eliane Didier, Paris
September 2017: UN Representative Report: 10th Session of the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology & 24th Session of the International Bioethics Committee – UNESCO, submitted by Eliane Didier, Paris
Open Letters
March 2022: GWI Statement on the Russian invasion of Ukraine
February 2022: GWI Open Statement regarding Russia invasion of Ukraine
September 2021: GWI calls for United Nations and governments for the women and girls from Afghanistan
September 2021: GWI Congratulates UN Women Executive Director Bahous appointment
August 2021: Women and girls Afghanistan emergency call by GWI 19 August 2021
September 2019: Statement of the NGO Committee on UNICEF during the UNICEF Executive Board Second Regular Session, by Dr. Maureen Byrne, New-York
June 2018: U.S. Withdrawal from the Human Rights Council
June 2018: U.S. Separation of Children from Families
October 2017: International Day of the Girl Child, submitted by Cheryl Hayles, CFUW Vice President International Relations
September 2017: International Literacy Day, submitted by Cheryl Hayles CFUW Vice President International Relations
July 2017: World Day against Trafficking in Persons, submitted by Cheryl Hayles, CFUW, Vice President International Relations
May 2017: Realization of the Equal Enjoyment of the Right to Education by Every Girl, submitted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
June 2016: GWI Oral Statement to the ILC on Gender Equality for Sustainable Development
March 2016: GWI delivers joint statement from NGO working group on Human Rights Education and Learning (NGO HREL)
Additional International Advocacy Work
GWI and its National Federations and Associations are fully invested in its international advocacy work. You can find below various documents that highlight the work of GWI with the various UN institutions and committees, civil society and our NFAs: reports, briefings, interviews. These documents were shared by the entire GWI community: members, NFAs, Young Member Network members, interns. We invite you to discover their work below.
Please refer to specific pages of the website for many additional international advocacy materials.
GWI 2023 Discussion Network World Teachers’ Day Discussion Summary
September 2021: GWI at the UNGA 76 Warm-Up Meeting
September 2021: GWI Young Member Network Connection Across Generations webinar series summary, submitted by GWI Young Member President, Sudha Srivastava
September 2021: GWI Intern Alex Taylor from Colgate University participates in the Geneva Peace Talks
April 2021: GWI Policy Resolution Strategic Advocacy Plans
March 2021: Uganda Association of University Women – International Women’s Day Celebration Report
March 2021: Distance Learning: COVID-19 and the Digital Gap in Technology & Education
February 2021: Harmful Practices: GWI Actions on Sustainable Development Goal 5.3
May 2019: Review SDGs – What They Are and How They Interact, with Special Focus on SDG4 (education) and SDG5 (gender equality), by Louise McLeod, GWI Vice-President Marketing
February 2019: The Connection Between FGM and the Sustainable Development Goals is Irrefutable
June 2018: Canadian Federation of University Women (Ottawa) Brief on Human Trafficking
April 2018: Advocacy Report: Menstrual Hygiene Matters, submitted by Clémence Mathiaud, GWI Intern, Sciences Po Lyon
March 2018: International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, submitted by Louise McLeod, GWI Vice President, Marketing
March 2018: Turning Promises into Action: Australia and New Zealand Facts
February 2018: International Day of Women and Girls in Science Report, by Dominique Ciavatti, Paris
February 2018: Canadian Federation of University Women Rural Women Survey 2018 – Executive Summary, submitted by Cheryl Hayles, CFUW Vice President International Relations
February 2018: 2018 International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Science for Women Tool Report, by Manjit Dosanjh, Geneva
November 2017: Run With Us to Support Girls’ Education
November 2017: University Women’s Club of Montreal Launches First-Ever North America Olympes de la Parole project
May 2017: Realization of the Equal Enjoyment of the Right to Education by Every Girl, submitted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
November 2016: University Women of Europe in action for equal pay for women and men
September 2016: UN Women Consultation on sex work, the sex trade and prostitution
March 2016: Graduate Institute panel: Gender Parity
November 2015: Australian Federation of Graduate Women promotes women in STEM
October 2015 – Future Policy Award
October 2015 – Nansen Refugee Award
May 2015: World Education Forum 2015
April 2015: GWI and UN Women Partner for Regional Seminar
April 2015: Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2000-2015
February 2015: New Background Paper on Attacks Against Girls Seeking to Access Education
January 2015: IFUW Manifesto Launch for girls’ and women’s education
