WBO and affiliated organizations participate in the 68th Session of UN Women
WBO Press Release
Mars 13 2024
UN Photo/Mark Garten
CEERT, Fundo Agbara, and Redes da Maré are present at the largest annual United Nations event on gender
Organizations are in New York to meet with civil society partners from around the world, governments, and funders
The Washington Brazil Office (WBO) is supporting three affiliated organizations in Brazil during the 68th Session of the Commission on the Legal and Social Status of Women, better known by its acronym in English CSW, starting on Monday, March 11 in New York.
The Center for the Study of Labor Relations and Inequalities (CEERT), the Agbara Fund and Redes da Maré are conducting bilateral and multilateral meetings with financiers, government representatives, and members of other civil society organizations from different parts of the world that are present in New York for what is the United Nations' largest annual event on gender.
The objective of the 68th Session of the CSW is to “accelerate the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of all women by combating poverty and strengthening gender-responsive institutions and financing.” Brazilian organizations will do this mainly from a gender perspective intersecting with anti-racism to emphasize the condition of Black Brazilian women in this process.
In addition to participating in the session, the organizations will also have other major events organized by the WBO in New York.
In the late afternoon of Wednesday, March 13, they will go to the Brazil Foundation headquarters in New York to talk about the challenges and strategies of the Black Brazilian women's agenda in a meeting with government representatives, financiers and civil society leaders.
CEERT also participates in an online event that addresses the challenges linked to guaranteeing labor rights and aspects of social vulnerability during the pandemic period, especially in the case of female workers.
“Our job is to connect these affiliated organizations with strategic interlocutors in the USA. We want to help give visibility, voice and protagonism to Brazilian organizations that carry out incredible work and need to connect internationally, whether within the scope of the United Nations or in parallel events, which bring together governments, financiers, and leaders of global civil society," commented Denise Dora, coordinator of the WBO Gender and Freedom of Expression Program, who was present in New York.
“As a community-based organization, we are talking about the Casa das Mulheres da Maré, a space that develops specific projects for women living in the Maré favela in Rio de Janeiro, and which defends the space as an important social marker for intersectional political advocacy. The Casa das Mulheres da Maré believes in the importance of including the perspective of women who live in the poor neighborhoods and favelas of Brazil in an international advocacy agenda that builds inclusive policies that promote reparative justice,” said Julia Leal, coordinator of Casa das Mulheres da Maré/Redes da Maré.
“Since 2018, CEERT has actively participated in CSW meetings, focusing on defending racial and gender equity agendas with special attention to the areas of work and education. During these events, our main objective is to strengthen debates involving Black women and establish network connections to influence policies at both a national and transnational level,” said Edilza Sotero, CEERT representative at CSW.
“The Agbara Fund articulates resources to promote economic justice for Black women in Brazil – a country that, structurally, means this group has among the worst socioeconomic indexes. Participating in discussions with representatives from around the world is an important opportunity to bring the challenges faced by Black women from the Global South to the debate and build solutions collaboratively, bringing visibility to this agenda that is so relevant when we talk about social justice around the world”, said Simone Oliveira, institutional director of the Agbara Fund, which was also present at CSW.
