Minister Furbert On Attending UN Conference

Minister of Social Development and Seniors Tinee Furbert provided an overview on her attendance at the  United Nations Sixty-Seventh Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Speaking in the House of Assembly today [March 10] the Minister said, “It is a privilege to stand before this Honourable House as Minister of Social Development and Seniors with responsibility for Gender Affairs to share my experience attending the United Nations Sixty-Seventh Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

“I had the opportunity on Monday and Tuesday, March 6th and 7th, to represent Bermuda as part of the U.K. delegation that attended the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The theme of the 67th Session was: “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”

“The Commission on the Status of Women is the second largest annual gathering in the calendar of the United Nations. It carries great significance in that it offers a single opportunity for world representatives to come together and speak about the progress made and challenges experienced to achieve the much-desired gender equality and empowerment for women and girls.”

The Minister’s full statement follows below:

Mr. Speaker, this morning it is a privilege to stand before this Honourable House as Minister of Social Development and Seniors with responsibility for Gender Affairs to share my experience attending the United Nations Sixty-Seventh Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Mr. Speaker, leading up to the celebration of International Women’s Day this week, I had the opportunity on Monday and Tuesday, March 6th and 7th, to represent Bermuda as part of the U.K. delegation that attended the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The theme of the 67th Session was: “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”

Mr. Speaker, the U.K. delegation included, but was not limited to:

• Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and United Nations, at the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict;
• Dame Barbara Woodward, Permanent Representative and Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United Nations;
• Ms. Diana Dalton, Head of Gender and Equalities Department at the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office; and,
• Mrs. Valerie Robinson-James, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry Social Development and Seniors.

The 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women referred to as CSW67, commenced on Monday, March 6th and ends next week Friday, March 17th 2023.

Mr. Speaker, The Commission on the Status of Women is the second largest annual gathering in the calendar of the United Nations. It carries great significance in that it offers a single opportunity for world representatives to come together and speak about the progress made and challenges experienced to achieve the much-desired gender equality and empowerment for women and girls. The CSW also provides a platform for thousands of women, feminists, advocates, academics, and gender equality experts from Government and civil society, to share experiences, exchange technical knowledge, establish dialogue about best practices, lessons learnt, and solutions that will promote and empower women and girls globally. Over the course of the two-week period, more than two hundred contributors representing Africa, Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and the United States will make presentations during the CSW meetings.

Mr. Speaker, The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a significant gender gap or inequality in access to technology and ICT for many nations. Furthermore, the most recent 2022 data from the United Nations International Telecommunication Union continues to show this gender gap in that 69% of men were using the internet in 2022 compared with 63% of women. During the CSW general assembly sessions on Monday and

Tuesday, Ministers of Gender Affairs, Human Rights, Social Development, etc. made presentations on the work implemented in their nations to mitigate gender inequality and close the gender gap. They emphasized and underscored many recurring themes in their presentations reflecting gender inequality, which included:

1. Men outnumbered women in innovation and technology industries;
2. Young girls were less involved in digital technology;
3. Introduction to digital technology must occur at an early age;
4. Gender-based violence is rooted in gender-based inequality;
5. Online gender-based violence is a growing threat to women and girls;
6. Cyberbullying, harassment, hate speech against women and girls has increased significantly;
7. Online space needs to be a safer environment for women and girls; and,
8. Men and boys should be included in strategies to help protect the rights of women and girls.
9. Gender pay gaps and harassment with linkage to low literacy and low income and older women.
10. Women’s economic empowerment in retirement with the recognition of gender inequalities in pensions.

Mr. Speaker, These recurring themes were amplified and focused on initiatives centred on two broad priority themes:

1. The good practices and adequate safeguards and standards in addressing change and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls; and,
2. Fostering inclusive innovation and technology change to empower women and girls and create safer digital spaces.

However, Mr. Speaker, despite the size of the different countries, despite the ethnic make-up of their population, despite their geographical location, the experiences and challenges shared pertaining to gender inequality as linked to innovation, technological change, digital education, online gender-based violence, and cyberbullying, were all common.

Mr. Speaker, Additionally, these recurring themes surfaced at parallel side events that were held in the form of panel and Q & A discussions and hosted by different UN member countries. The side sessions which the Permanent Secretary and I participated in were:

• Gender-Based Violence and Technology: Risks, Opportunities, Challenges hosted by Ireland and The Irish Consortium on Gender-Based Violence;
• Amplifying Gender Sensitive Approaches: Male Engagement and Inclusion in Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls hosted by Kenya, the African Union, and UNFPA [UN Population Fund];
• Rewiring the Network: Digital Education and Skills for Girls and Women Empowerment hosted by Italy, UNESCO, UNICEF and the Group of Friends for Education and Lifelong Learning, in collaboration with UN Women; and,
• Preventing and Addressing Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence – Evidence and Best Practice hosted by Lord Ahmad, UK Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Mr. Speaker, The information presented at these side events was rich, engaging and in many instances reflected relevance to Bermuda, such as there being an under-representation of women and girls in ICT and STEM occupations resulting from gender stereotyping and cultural influences in career choices; and, an increase in online gender violence against women and girls through sexual harassment cyber stalking, online sexual exploitation, zoom bombing; revenge pornography; and, sexual trolling.

It was emphasized that girls must have equal opportunities to access STEM-related fields and that we must view women’s empowerment differently from just putting online content in front of them. The stereotyping is mitigated when digital education, support and mentorship are provided to help women and girls build purpose and identity; and, when building partnerships of collaboration between schools and the private sector which empowers them to take their rightful place as innovators, creators and leaders of the present and future.

Also, to fight the many forms of online gender violence against women and girls, there must be a strengthening of legislation to protect them; increased training for police and judicial staff; established consequences for perpetrators; and the formulation of allies who will stand up, acknowledge and speak against on-line gender violence.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share with my Honourable colleagues that although there is much work ahead to implement initiatives that will reduce gender inequality, Bermuda is on the right trajectory. With the recent establishment of the Gender Affairs Council, I look forward to receiving recommendations on how to fight online gender violence to support women and girls. The digital world cannot be one in which women and girls are in danger. It must be a safe and enabling environment.

Also, Mr. Speaker, it is critical to narrow the gender gap in innovation and technology. In this regard, the work currently being undertaken to reform our public school education in the area of STEM education is very encouraging. Our young girls are being exposed to STEM education early, at the primary, middle and senior school levels. In fact with the introduction of the STEM Signature Learning Programme in September 2022, there are currently ninety-six [96] students enrolled in the STEM program, of which 33 or just over one-third of the students are girls.

Mr. Speaker, The two days spent at the United Nations Sixty-Seventh Session of the Commission on the Status of Women served well for engaging and networking with Ministerial colleagues from around the world.

Collectively, the implementation of technical and education policies and the strengthening of the legislation framework to protect women and girls will ultimately create a global shift towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #5 – Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls.

Mr. Speaker, This is what the Ministry of Social Development and Seniors remains committed to doing. Therefore we will continue to participate in the CSW side event meetings this week that can be streamed online from the United Nations website. To this end, I encourage the Bermuda community to also participate and lend their support as we progress the critical work to bring about gender equality and equity. The future is one we get to create, and this work is not an act of charity or a favor to women or men. We must all continue to be recognized as owners, creators and leaders!

Thank you, Mr. Speaker!

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