The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) and its members will actively participate in the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), taking place from 9 to 19 March 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
Throughout the session, EWL and organisations from its membership across Europe will contribute to the global discussions through events, panels and exchanges with policymakers and civil society. Below you will find the programme of EWL’s side event, followed by a selection of events organised by EWL member organisations during CSW70.
Parity Now - Ending the Gender Power Gap
PROGRAMME
WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH, 10:00 – 13:00 (NY TIME)
Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, 666 Third Avenue, 31st Floor
| 10:00 – 10:10 | WELCOMING REMARKS > Dina Loghin, President of the EWL |
| 10:10 – 10:30 | KEYNOTE SPEECHES Introduction to the General Recommendation NO.40 > Nicole Ameline, Expert of the United Nations Human Rights Advisory Committee Introduction to the European legal framework > Petra Bayr, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe > Alena Mastantuono, EESC Vice-President for Budget |
| 10:30 – 12:20 | PANEL DISCUSSION The event will be moderated by Mary Collins, Secretary General of the EWL, and Edite Kalnina, Vice-President of the EWL Parity Now: Achieving fifty-fifty parity in power, how can this gap be tackled concretely? > Anne Negre, Vice-President of the European Women’s Lobby and Special Advisor to the President of University Women of Europe > Alena Mastantuono, EESC Vice-President for Budget > Saša Gavrić, Adviser on Gender Issues at OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) > Ligia Nobrega, Senior gender expert working at the European Institute for Gender Equality – participating online Q&A Parity Now: From good practice to structural change > Auður Önnu Magnúsdóttir, Managing director of IRWA > Nicola Grigg, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Minister for Women, Associate Minister of Agriculture (Horticulture) and Associate Minister for ACC – video message > Iliana Balabanova, EWL member Q&A |
| 12:50 – 13:00 | CONCLUDING REMARKS > Mary Collins, Secretary General of the EWL |
Come support EWL Members
Women for Sale in a Digital Era
March 10, 1:00PM – 3:00PM — Swedish Women’s Lobby
In 2025, Sweden became the first country in the world to criminalise the purchase of sexual acts carried out online. This legal development strengthens the connection between prostitution and pornography, reaching an end to the normalization of the documented abuse that pornography is. In an era where digitalisation reshapes every part of society, legislation must adapt to new technologies and extend into digital spaces. During the session we will explore how law and policy can ensure access to justice for women and girls who are exploited to the sex-trade, whether it happens online or offline.
AI for Justice and Safety: Centering the Global Response to Violence Against Women and Girls
March 11, 9:00AM – 5:00PM — European Network of Migrant Women
As digital technologies rapidly transform societies, they are also reshaping the nature, scale, and impact of violence against women and girls (VAWG). At the same time, emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), offer new opportunities to advance justice, accountability, prevention, and survivor-centred responses, when developed and deployed ethically, transparently, and with survivor safety at their core. Anchored in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, international human rights law, and survivor-centred principles, the event aims to reframe AI not as a neutral tool, but as a governance, justice, and accountability issue, one that must be shaped by women’s lived realities and leadership.
Women’s Participation in Digital Public Life: From Commitments to Systems that Deliver
March 13, 3:00PM — Soroptimist International
The discussion will examine both the opportunities and risks AI presents for gender equality — from expanding access to skills, employment, and entrepreneurship to addressing algorithmic bias, job displacement, and the digital gender divide. Bringing together UN agencies, the private sector, civil society, and youth representatives, the event will focus on practical strategies to ensure women and girls are not only users of technology, but leaders and decision-makers in digital systems.
Sponsored by International Telecommunication Union, Equals and Microsoft.
