Applications now open for the 2018 UN Programs at the CSW

Published on November, 01 2017

2017 UN Programs participants and faculty gather in the UN General Assembly room prior to a panel presentation on women's economic empowerment at the Commission on the Status of Women. Shown: Eliza Garbutt, Melissa Torres, Barbara Nielsen, Dixie Hairston, Blanca Gerard, Caitlin Plummer, Rylan Flugence, Mikayla Varunok.

By Dixie Hairston, UN Programs Coordinator and Practicum Co-Faculty

Each year, WILPF US leads a delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission on the Status of Women is the principal UN Policymaking body that is dedicated exclusively to gender equality and the advancement of women and girls. The 2018 CSW will be the 62nd session and will take place in New York from March 12-23 at the United Nations Headquarters.

The focus of CSW changes each year to highlight an important issue within the scope of their work. The priority theme for 2018 is “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls.” Additionally, the session and all associated events will focus on a review of the Millennial Development Goals (MGDs) for women and girls. The review theme for the 62nd CSW will look at “participation in and access of women to the media, and information and communications technologies and their impact on and use as an instrument for the advancement and empowerment of women.”

Delegates will participate as representatives of WILPF US and will experience the discussions and processes towards UN decisions on women's rights/issues in both formal and informal meetings that will take place during the first week 62nd Commission on the Status of Women. The delegation will provide ample opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and exploration of opportunities in international relations and advocacy work.

There are two ways that individuals may participate in the delegation:

  1. WILPF US members in good standing may apply for the Local2Global program.
  2. Students enrolled in ANY institution of higher education may apply for the UN Practicum in Advocacy.

The UN Programs take place the first week of the CSW.

This year, delegates will be required to arrive in NYC no later than noon on Saturday, March 10 and stay through Saturday, March 17, 2018.

For more information and to access application documents please follow this link

The deadline for submission is Sunday, November 19, 2016 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time).

About the Programs

Local2Global

Through its consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), WILPF US may attend the Commission on the Status of Women. The Local2Global program was created to help open opportunities for seasoned members to bring local voices into the national and international work of WILPF. Additionally, Local2Global was created to foster intergenerational mentorship and relationship-building between members of WILPF US and students just becoming involved with WILPF US via the Practicum.

UN Practicum in Advocacy

The Practicum’s main goal is to share the access WILPF has to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women with higher education students studying in institutions across the nation. Throughout the delegation, students are able to contribute to discussions, engage in peer-to-peer learning with each other and network with professionals in their field of study. Through the program, participants have access to all open UN High-Level meetings, Side Events and NGO parallel events hosted throughout the week.

Nondiscrimination statement:
The selection process for the UN Practicum in Advocacy Program of WILPF US requires that you be currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral program. The selection process for Local2Global requires you to be a member of WILPF US in good standing. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, religion or spiritual creed, disability or handicap, sex, pregnancy, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local laws. Retaliation is also prohibited. The working language of the WILPF U.S. UN Programs is English.

For questions, please contact Dixie Hairston at practicum-mail@wilpfus.org.

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