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, while also promoting EWL’s PARITY NOW! campaign, launched in January 2026 to call for 50–50 parity between women and men in all decision-making bodies across political, economic and social spheres.
Below you will find the programme of EWL’s side event linked to this campaign, 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 European legal framework |
| 10:30 – 12:20 |
PANEL DISCUSSION Parity Now: Achieving fifty-fifty parity in power, how can this gap be tackled concretely? Parity Now: From good practice to structural change |
| 12:50 – 13:00 | CONCLUDING REMARKS > Mary Collins, Secretary General of the EWL |
Take a look at the concept note here
Come support EWL Members
Emerging Trends in Women's Access to Justice through Education
March 09, 1:00PM – 2:15PM — National Council of German Women’s Organisations
Mind the Gap: Achieving Gender Justice in the Workforce
March 10, 10:30AM – 12:00PM — United States Women’s Caucus (USWC) & International Alliance of Women
Women for Sale in the 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.
20th International Helvi Sipilä Seminar: Advancing Women's Leadership
March 11, 4:00PM – 5:30PM — Naisjärjestöt Yhteistyössä NYTKIS ry
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.
