Mothers’ Union at UNCSW in 2021

Mothers’ Union has “consultative status” at the United Nations (ECOSOC), which means that we are able to both submit a statement in advance, and send a delegation.

In the statement which we submitted in October, 2020, MU called for all member states to finance and fully implement existing international agreements affecting the rights of women and girls, including the Sustainable Development Goals (especially Goal 5:Gender Equality) and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; we also highlighted the importance of involving faith-based organisations as key partners to transform culturally embedded gender injustices and facilitate change. We highlighted specific aspects of how Mothers’ Union was contributing, for example:

• Full and effective participation and decision-making in public life. All our programmes around the world are run by women-facilitators and work to build the skills and confidence of women in the community. This results in women taking on more positions of authority in the community. For example, In Ethiopia, the literacy programme taught about relationships, nutrition, cultivation and hygiene as well as reading, and as a result, 25 women went on to have significant roles in their local Churches
• Elimination of violence: In Uganda, Myanmar, Tanzania and DRC, MU used media and existing networks to promote GBV awareness and prevention of Covid-19
• Women and sustainable development. Since 2014, MU has enabled over 32500 people, predominantly women, to join community savings and loan groups, which have enabled them to set up businesses, educate their children and feed their families

Our delegation will be a record 26 women from 9 different countries, and will include our Worldwide President, Sheran Harper. We will be meeting together in advance of UNCSW to agree our key messages and afterwards, to share learning and agree how to take forward

As well as the main sessions, there are parallel sessions run for Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on a platform which is free to join, and accessible to anyone. If you wish to see what is going on, you can register on: NGO CSW/NY

On 18^th March 2021 at 15.30 GMT, Mothers’ Union will be co-hosting a Parallel Event  on the NGO Forum with the Anglican Communion Office (ACO), and Barbara Mugisha from Uganda will be one of the speakers.

Further information will be available nearer to the event – but for information about UNCSW overall, please visit their website.