BACKGROUND GUIDE

UNCSW

7TH - 8TH OCTOBER

 Letter from the Executive Board
Dear Delegates,
It gives me incredible delight to invite you all to the academic simulation of the United Nations
commission on the status of women at Kaizen MUN 2023.
We trust this experience improves your public speaking abilities and that you find out about a
squeezing world issue that convolutes the existence of numerous individuals in our nation just as
abroad. Please consider that the following guide, as the name suggests, is merely to provide you
with the background of the agenda and cannot serve as a credible source of information. Your
real research lies beyond this guide, and we hope to see some strong content and debate come
our way. The agenda at hand is vast and complex and a successful discussion on it would entail
the collective participation of all of you. It shall be your prerogative to decide the direction in
which you want to take this committee. The background guide is designed to help everyone to
understand the basic things about the agenda, and we strongly recommend that you research
various things on your own. We also suggest understanding how various rights get affected
(legally). Do not feel taken aback on the research, foreign policy and other details of the allotted
country.
Prior to coming for the meeting, it is vital to break the agenda into more modest subtopics and
pose inquiries to yourself about the plan. Making chits and directed gathering points previously
would give you an edge in modestly bigger advisory committees like the UNCSW. It is also
crucial to enhance your leadership skills and lobbying capacity since we would give equal
importance to overall participation in the committee. We would be using the UNA-USA rules of
procedure to facilitate this simulation. ( https://unausa.org/model-un/ )
Take the initiative to research properly. PLEASE DO READ THE GUIDE. While it is a clear
agenda, it is still open to interpretation and there shall be no direction of debate that shall be
provided by the Executive Board. Delegates are required to direct the council at all stages, unless
stagnation occurs. The agenda of an MUN is a beautiful experience and is not as difficult as it
may seem. We hope to see a great level of effort and enthusiasm from you all, so that we all can
take back a great experience.

Regards

EXECUTIVE BOARD

([email protected])
Beginner’s Guide to Model UN

Question 1: What is the United Nations?

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 to maintain international

peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress,
better living standards and human rights by 51 countries. United nations have 6 principal organs.

The UN has 4 main purposes

● To keep peace throughout the world;

● To develop friendly relations among nations;
● To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger,
disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms;
● To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals

PRINCIPAL ORGANS OF UNITED NATIONS

Question 2: What is the Model United Nations?

Model United Nations is a simulation of the actual United nation which is done to enhance
knowledge about pressing International issues. It is called Model United nation not mock United
nation because it does not work as an exact replica of the United Nations, it is just an attempt to
understand the working of the United Nations by practicing some of its working mechanisms.
Every person who participates is given a country to represent and are called Delegates of their
respective committees. There are some rules that we follow in MUNs to facilitate the debate
called rules of procedure. The procedure that is closest to what is followed in the actual UN is
UN4MUN.

Question 3: What is considered to be valid evidence in the Model United Nations?

Evidence or proof that is acceptable from sources

1. News Sources:
a. REUTERS – Any Reuters article which clearly makes mention of the factor is in contradiction
of the fact being stated by a delegate in council. http://www.reuters.com/
b. State-operated News Agencies – These reports can be used in the support of or against the
State that owns the News Agency. These reports, if credible or substantial enough, can be used in
support of or against any Country as such but in that situation, they can be denied by any other
country in the council. Some examples are,
i. RIA Novosti (Russia) http://en.rian.ru/
ii. IRNA (Iran) http://www.irna.ir/ENIndex.htm
. BBC (United Kingdom) http://www.bbc.co.uk/
iv. Xinhua News Agency and CCTV (P.R. China) http://cctvnews.cntv.cn/
2. Government Reports: These reports can be used in a similar way as the State Operated News
Agencies reports and can, in all circumstances, be denied by another country.
a. Government Websites like the State Department of the United States of America (
http://www.state.gov/index.htm ) or the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (
http://www.eng.mil.ru/en/index.htm )
b. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of various nations like India (http://www.mea.gov.in/), People’s
Republic of China (http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/ ),
France (http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/ ),
Russian Federation (http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/main_eng )
c. Permanent Representatives to the United Nations Reports http://www.un.org/en/members/
(Click on any country to get the website of the Office of its Permanent Representative)
d. Multilateral Organisations like the NATO (http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/index.htm ),
ASEAN (http://www.aseansec.org/ ), OPEC (http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/ ), etc.
3. UN Reports: All UN Reports are considered credible information or evidence for the
Executive Board of the Security Council.
a. UN Bodies: Like the SC (http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/ ), GA (http://www.un.org/en/ga/ ), HRC
(http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/HRCIndex.aspx ) etc.
b. UN Affiliated bodies like the International Atomic Energy Agency
5 (http://www.iaea.org/), World Bank (http://www.worldbank.org/ ), International Monetary
Fund (http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm , International Committee of the Red Cross
(http://www.icrc.org/eng/index.jsp ), etc.
c. Treaty Based Bodies like the Antarctic Treaty System (http://www.ats.aq/e/ats.htm ), the
International Criminal Court
(http://www.icccpi.int/Menus/ICC )

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS BACKGROUND GUIDE ISN’T A VALID SOURCE FOR

PROOFS. IT IS JUST FOR REFERENCE, DON’T RESTRICT YOUR RESEARCH TO
SAME.

Question 4: How to prepare for the Model United Nations?

General Research and Preparation guidelines

There are three consistently significant parts of representative planning. They are: useful;
meaningful; and positional planning. Practical readiness outfits the representatives with essential
apparatuses, including a comprehension of the guidelines important to act in board of trustees.
The meaningful component gives preparation of explicit data on the subject regions. At long last,
positional planning requires the understudies to embrace viewpoints that are not their own. In
light of this, the EB gives three instruments to help you: this Guide to Delegate Preparation,
Background Guides, and position papers. Together, these will guarantee you will be prepared for
the gathering. Past perusing and understanding the material we have given, the more pragmatic
experience you can gain through banter, goal composing, making introductions, and so forth, the
more ready you will be.

Meaningful Preparation
The Background Guides are a consequence of broad exploration and exertion with respect to the
Executive Board and are the establishment of considerable groundwork for every advisory
group. We recommend that you read them, talk about them, and read them once more. On the off
chance that an agent has not perused and ingested the data in the Background Guide, the person
won't contribute adequately to the board. An ambitious beginning on the Background Guides
will empower you to completely comprehend the subjects and start to tissue out your own
thoughts. Advise yourself that you should go about as policymakers, dissecting and shaping the
data you have gotten into arrangements and goals. Conversations with different representatives
will likewise assist you with fostering your thoughts. While the Background Guide will give a
large portion of your meaningful readiness, autonomous exploration is valuable, fulfilling and
important for a fruitful gathering.
Positional Preparation
We expect representatives to receive the situation of a particular country all through the UN
reproduction. This is a vital component of the "global" experience of a model UN as it powers
representatives to analyse the points of view, issues, and arrangements of one more country at an
exceptionally major level. It is additionally quite possibly the most troublesome parts of MUN
on the grounds that understudies should go up against natural inclinations of their own public
viewpoints and authentic data. The position papers are the focal point of positional planning
before the meeting. Albeit generally short, we request that you invest energy and exertion on
investigating and keeping in touch with them.

Materials arranged by the EB are not intended to fill in for your individual exploration. All
things being equal, they ought to give a beginning stage, motivating you to ask yourself inquiries
about the current issues. The best-arranged agents are those that accept the given materials as the
start of their exploration and dig further into the theme regions. Past these materials are a large
group of data administrations, starting with United Nations sources. UN's assets regularly have
ordered measurements, outlines, and charts which you may discover supportive in understanding
the issues. Most UN report communities convey records of UN gatherings; maybe the most ideal
approach to comprehend your nation's position is to see it iterated by its diplomat.

Explicit assets to research include:

•Yearbook of the United Nations: The Yearbook is a decent beginning stage for your
examination. The Yearbook will furnish you with general data on what has been done on your
theme during a specific year. It likewise gives exceptionally accommodating references to past
articles and goals.

•United Nations Chronicle: This magazine gives you general data on the procedures of the UN.
Watch out for exceptional reports on your theme region, which will advise you about the point
and countries' situations on it.

•UN Document Index: This record for all UN reports comes in three distinct renditions: UNDI
(1950-1973), UNDEX (1970-1978), and UNODC (1979-present). Contingent upon which of the
three you are utilizing, you will track down a subject record, a nation file, and an alphanumeric
rundown of all reports distributed (this is helpful in light of the fact that each panel has its own
novel alphanumeric prefix and accordingly you can track down every one of the records put out
by a board of trustees during a specific year paying little heed to the particular theme.
●UN Resolutions: This arrangement is both significant and extremely simple to utilize. The
record is aggregate from 1946, which implies that you need just check the most current list to
track down every one of the goals on your point that the UN has at any point passed.

•Other UN Sources: Depending on the subject, there may be extra pertinent UN sources. Check
for books and exceptional reports put out by the WHO. Past United Nations sources,
notwithstanding, are general wellsprings of data. Explore your school and nearby libraries. Look
at diaries, periodicals, and papers for more current sources. Remember to ask the curators for
help.

•Books: Up-to-date books are probably going to give you a profundity and exactness that is
hopeless from UN sources or periodicals. Try to check library postings for bound materials.
Book research, in any case, can take a decent arrangement of time, so use prudence when
choosing books.

•Periodicals: Periodicals are valuable for straightforward, current data on points (the Reader's
Guide to Periodical Literature and InfoTrack fill in as a record for these materials). Try not to
anticipate that they should supply you with the profundity of data you will require for the
Conference.

•People: A regularly ignored source; individuals can help you extraordinarily in your
exploration. A few groups to remember are: bookkeepers, individual agents, personnel
counsellors, and your board of trustees' Director, Moderator, and Assistant Directors. Not
exclusively can these individuals help you discover what you are searching for, yet they may
likewise suggest new sources that you had not thought of. Try not to spare a moment to call or
email your advisory group Director. The individual has spent the whole summer investigating for
the Background Guide and will be glad to address any inquiries.

•Embassies and Consular Offices: Contact the government office or consular office of the
country that you are addressing. These spots are happy to help you in your exploration via
mailing factual information and other unclassified data.
 ABOUT THE COMMITTEE

Name: United Nations commission on the status of women

Formation: 21 June 1946
Parent body: United Nations Economic and social Council
Introduction:
The United Nations Commission on the status of women is an advisory body that was
established in 1946 by the economic and social council. It plays a key role in the principle of
Global policy-making on gender equality and women’s empowerment. It meets to:
1. Evaluate the progress on gender equality
2. Identify changes in trends.
3. Set up Global standards
4. Formulate concrete policies.

It prepares recommendations to the United Nations Economic and social council on political
social economic cultural-educational rights of women. Every year commission on the status of
women
• Focuses on one primary issue
• Reviews another issue
• Discuss emerging themes.
It is one of the four major human rights frameworks for women’s rights other than the CEDAW
(1979), Declaration on termination of violence against women (1993) and Beijing declaration
platform for action (1996.)
History:
• Out of 160 signatories of the Charter of the United Nations, only four of them were women
who still manage to scribe women’s rights in the preamble.
• Later on, in the UNGA inaugural meeting in February 1946 the delegate of the USA read an
open letter to women of the world, a post which is a sub-commission dedicated to the status of
women was created under commission on human rights.
• Later on, the women demanded a full commission (a separate body) dedicated to them.
Considering this the first chairperson who was from Denmark requested the Economic and social
council.
• Later on, on 21st June 1946 this came up formally as the commission on the status of women
which was dedicated to women’s equality and promotion of their rights.
• The Commission on the Status of Women prepares recommendations and reports to the
Economic and Social Council on the political, economic, civil, social, and educational spheres.
Also, provides recommendations on an urgent basis.
• Commission on the status of women has always been open with respect to working with civil
society organisations and has also allowed non-governmental organisations to contribute.
• Commission on the status of women was able to decide on the lines of a guiding principle in its
very first session which is “to raise the status of women, irrespective of nationality, race,
language or religion, to equality with men in all fields of human enterprise, and to eliminate all
discrimination against women in the provisions of statutory law, in legal maxims or rules, or
interpretation of customary law”
• Commission on the status of women has always taken upper leading role when it comes to
making this world a better place for women, starting from UDHR where it managed to insert
gender-sensitive language which can be called a ground-breaking achievement, other than it
created some first-of-its-kind international law instruments for women’s rights in various spheres
of life.
RESEARCH AID
(This is just a suggested pattern, you can research your way, individual differences makes us all
special but these suggestions may aid you in understanding where to start)

1. Start from knowing

a. United Nations
b. Your committee
c. Mandate of the committee (functions and power)
d. Bodies it works with
e. Final result of your committee
f. Funding channels

2. Know your Agenda

a. Historical background
b. Current trends
c. Future aims
d. International legal instruments

3. Within the agenda cover the following areas

a. Political
b. Economic
c. Social
d. Technology and its role
e. Arms and army strength
f. Legalities
g. Impacts and implications of (a-f) on historical background, current trends, future
aims and international legal instruments.
Note: International legal instruments are applicable on Nations for them to reach individuals
they should be incorporated in domestic law as individuals are subjects of it i.e. domestic law is
applicable on citizens. So it is crucial to understand the relationship between the two and bridge
and the gap for effective implementation.

4. Know your country

a. Historical background, Current trends, Future aims of the agenda from your
country’s perspective.
b. Political, Economic, Social, Technology and its role, Arms and army strength and
Legal aspect related situation in your nation. (emphasis on High value resources,
crisis, support services, governance, political system and administrative
conditions)
 c. Membership and participation in regional organizations
d. International organizations other than UN
e. Allies and non allies (friends and enemies) of your nations

NOTE: Research alone is not enough, as it would be simply reading out from the internet what
is needed is to “Analyze” i.e. to present your understanding of the research. For eg: you read it
on the internet about stress
RESEARCH “ Depression is leading cause of disability”
ANALYSIS It can cover why depression is on a hike, mental health status, stigma around it and
need for change, merits or demerits.
At sneak peak analysis includes your interpretation and understanding of the agenda.
 AGENDA INTRODUCTION

Agenda: Deliberation on the role of technology and education in achieving gender equality
with a special emphasis on the political and economic empowerment of women.

The role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a tool for development has
attracted the sustained attention of the United Nations over recent years. Strategic partnerships
have been developed with donors, the private sector and civil society, and working groups and
task forces have been established to enhance interagency collaboration throughout the United
Nations system.
The term ICT has been used to encompass technological innovation and convergence in
information and communication leading to the development of so-called information or
knowledge societies, with resulting changes in social interaction, economic and business
practices, political engagement, education, health, leisure and entertainment.6 Over the past
decade, there has been a growing understanding that these technologies can be powerful
instruments for advancing economic and social development through the creation of new types
of economic activity, employment opportunities, improvements in health-care delivery and other
services, and the enhancement of networking, participation and advocacy within society. ICT
also have the potential to improve interaction between Governments and citizens, fostering
transparency and accountability in governance.
While the potential of ICT for stimulating economic growth, socioeconomic development and
effective governance is well recognized, the benefits of ICT have been unevenly distributed
within and between countries. The term “digital divide” refers to the differences in resources and
capabilities to access and effectively utilize ICT for development that exist within and between
countries, regions, sectors and socio-economic groups.

GENDER EQUALITY, TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION.

While there is recognition of the potential of ICT as a tool for the promotion of gender equality
and the empowerment of women, a “gender divide” has also been identified, reflected in the
lower numbers of women accessing and using ICT compared with men. Unless this gender
divide is specifically addressed, there is a risk that ICT may exacerbate existing inequalities
between women and men and create new forms of inequality. If, however, the gender dimensions
of ICT—in terms of access and use, capacity-building opportunities, employment and potential
for empowerment—are explicitly identified and addressed, ICT can be a powerful catalyst for
political and social empowerment of women, and the promotion of gender equality.
Over the past decade, the United Nations intergovernmental processes have played a leading role
in identifying key issues and proposing strategic actions to enhance women’s empowerment
through ICT. Member States acknowledged that poverty, lack of access and opportunities,
illiteracy (including computer illiteracy) and language barriers prevented women from using ICT,
including the Internet. Steps were proposed to ensure that women benefited fully from ICT,
including equal access to ICT-related education, training and entrepreneurship opportunities and
equal access as producers and consumers of ICT through public and private partnerships.
At the second Global Knowledge Partnership Conference, a specific Women’s Forum developed
a comprehensive set of recommendations. The major recommendations included:
• Mainstreaming and monitoring of a gender perspective in all ICT initiatives;
• Collecting sex disaggregated data on the use of ICT and women’s participation in
policy-making as well as developing targets, indicators and benchmarks to track the progress of
women’s and girl’s access to the benefits of ICT;
• Identifying and promoting good practices and lessons learned on the ways women and girls are
using ICT;
• Capacity-building towards gender equality in education and employment;
• Enhancing democracy and women’s participation through electronic connectivity; and
• Developing research and policies on health and environmental hazards of ICT industries.

Involvement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 and 5

SDG 4: QUALITY EDUCATION

More girls than ever before are going to school. Not only do they learn to read and write, but
each year that they remain in school after the primary level, reduces their chance of marrying at
too young an age. It increases their prospects for employment, health and overall well-being.
Girls and women have an equal right to a quality education and learning throughout all phases of
their lives. Despite progress, as many as 48.1 percent of girls remain out of school in some
regions. Gender gaps in primary and secondary enrolment rates have nearly closed, on average.
Yet 15 million girls are not in primary school right now, compared to 10 million boys. In
adolescence, higher numbers of girls often drop out of secondary school for reasons including
early pregnancy and the expectation that they should contribute to household work.
SDG 5: GENDER EQUALITY
Women and girls, everywhere, must have equal rights and opportunity, and be able to live free of
violence and discrimination. Women’s equality and empowerment is one of the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals, but also integral to all dimensions of inclusive and sustainable development.
In short, all the SDGs depend on the achievement of Goal 5. Gender equality by 2030 requires
urgent action to eliminate the many root causes of discrimination that still curtail women’s rights
in private and public spheres. For example, discriminatory laws need to change and legislation
adopted to proactively advance equality.
How Gender Equality is interconnected with Education?

Education is one of the main target to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDG3): “To
promote gender equality and empower women”. The target is: “The elimination of gender
disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005 and at all levels of education by 2015”.

The rationality from a gender equality perspective qualifies two viewpoints which is Rights
perspective and Development perspective. Education is a basic human right according to Art. 26
in the e Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to education. Education
shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be
compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher
education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit”

Education is necessary for the ability to exercise rights and consequently for women’s
empowerment. It is known how education play its role and benefits the society and economy. We
can relate it by carefully observing the dynamics of interventions in development cooperation
which focuses on the coupled approach of access to and quality of education and both are
interconnected to gender equality.

Gender inequalities apparently affects the system and management of the education, the practice
and the attitudes of teachers, learning materials and the content of the curriculum. We need to
acknowledge that Interventions in the education sector cannot solve the problems of gender
inequality in society, yet education can have a major impact on the lives of girls and women,
boys and men. Education can be crucial to changing attitudes into accepting gender equality as a
fundamental social value.

From a rights perspective education for all is a fundamental human right and essential for the
ability to exercise other rights. Education enables girls and boys, women and men to participate
in social, economic and political life and is a foundation for the development of a democratic
society. The report on Girls’ right to education16, from the UN Special Rapporteur on the right
to education, underscores the centrality of education as not only a personal right but also a right
with benefits for the society such as lower mortality rates, fewer unwanted births, and efforts to
combat poverty, HIV/AIDS and malnutrition.

What is Gender Parity?

Since long time gender parity is a subject which has dominated discourse and the interventions.
It is believed that gender inequalities in education will get resolved if equal access is given to
everyone without discriminating their gender identity and if gender disparities in enrolment
figures and retention rates get eliminated then this gap can get addressed easily. Access to
schooling is a critical issue that still requires attention; however, a wider approach is necessary,
which, for example, includes the learning content of education such as curriculum, textbooks and
teaching-learning practices. It is gradually being recognized that promotion of gender equality in
education goes beyond access. To consider achievement of gender parity as a goal to strive at is
“a rather narrow aspiration”. Education is not only about knowledge acquisition; education is
crucial also in the socialization process and in the transmission of norms and values, such as the
notion of gender equality.

Gender equality is a global priority and inextricably linked to its efforts to promote the right to
education and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through
the Education 2030 Framework for Action, SDG 4 aims to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ and SDG 5 to ‘Achieve
gender equality and empower all women and girls.’
The Education 2030 agenda recognizes that gender equality requires an approach that ‘ensures
that girls and boys, women and men not only gain access to and complete education cycles, but
are empowered equally in and through education.’
Large gender gaps exist in access, learning achievement and continuation in education in many
settings, most often at the expense of girls, although in some regions boys are at a disadvantage.
Despite progress, more girls than boys still remain out of school - 16 million girls will never set
foot in a classroom and women account for two thirds of the 750 million adults without basic
literacy skills.
Poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, disability, early marriage and pregnancy,
gender-based violence, and traditional attitudes about the status and role of women, are among
the many obstacles that stand in the way of women and girls fully exercising their right to
participate in, complete and benefit from education

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN.

Women's political empowerment refers to women's ability to participate equally with men, at all
levels, and in all aspects of political life and decision-making. Women’s participation and access
to formal political power structures vary across countries. There is a steady upward trend in
women's political participation and representation in developed countries particularly in Nordic
countries. Out of twelve countries where women representation in parliament is more than 33%,
nine of them are ranked in the high human development category. However, the improvements in
medium and low human development countries are not significant. The structural and functional
constraints faced by women are shaped by social and political relations in a society. The common
pattern of women's political exclusion stem from;

(a) social and political discourses

(b) political structures and institutions

(c) the socio-cultural and functional constraints that put limits on women's individual and
collective agency.

Gender equality in the economy refers to the full and equal enjoyment by women and men of
their economic rights and entitlements facilitated by enabling policy and institutional
environments and economic empowerment. Economic empowerment is a cornerstone of gender
equality that refers both to the ability to succeed and advance economically and to the power to
make and act on economic decisions. Empowering women economically is a right that is
essential for both realizing gender equality and achieving broader development goals such as
economic growth, poverty reduction, and improvements in health, education and social
well-being.

Women's economic empowerment involves women's ability to

● Function effectively in the economy

● Participate in labor and product markets on equal terms with men
● Shape the gender division of labor within households and the labor market
● Accumulate their own assets
● Influence structures governing the relationship between market and state.

PAST ACTIONS

ICPD ( INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT)

● 43. Governments should establish mechanisms to accelerate women’s equal

participation and equitable representation at all levels of the political process and
public life in each community and society and enable women to articulate their
concerns and needs and ensure the full and equal participation of women in
decision-making processes in all spheres of life. Governments and civil society
should take actions to eliminate attitudes and practices that discriminate against
and subordinate girls and women and that reinforce gender inequality.
● 44. Governments should take measures to promote the fulfillment of girls’ and
women’s potential through education, skills development and the eradication of
illiteracy for all girls and women without discrimination of any kind, giving
paramount importance to the elimination of poverty and ill health. Governments,
 in collaboration with civil society, should take the necessary measures to ensure
universal access, on the basis of equality between women and men, to
appropriate, affordable and quality health care for women throughout their life
cycle.
● 45. Governments should take every possible action to remove all gender gaps
and inequalities pertaining to women’s livelihoods and participation in the labour
market through the creation of employment with secure incomes, which has been
shown to advance women’s empowerment and enhance their reproductive health.
Legislation ensuring equal pay for equal work or for work of equal value should
be instituted and enforced.

FWCW, Beijing, 1995

● 181. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the
right to take part in the Government of his/her country. The empowerment and
autonomy of women and the improvement of women's social, economic and
political status is essential for the achievement of both transparent and
accountable government and administration and sustainable development in all
areas of life. The power relations that prevent women from leading fulfilling lives
operate at many levels of society, from the most personal to the highly public.
Achieving the goal of equal participation of women and men in decision-making
will provide a balance that more accurately reflects the composition of society and
is needed in order to strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioning.
Equality in political decision-making performs a leverage function without which
it is highly unlikely that a real integration of the equality dimension in
government policy-making is feasible.
● 69. … Equality of access to and attainment of educational qualifications is
necessary if more women are to become agents of change. Literacy of women is
an important key to improving health, nutrition and education in the family and to
empowering women to participate in decision-making in society…
● 196. National machineries for the advancement of women have been
established in almost every Member State to, inter alia, design, promote the
implementation of, execute, monitor, evaluate, advocate and mobilize support for
policies that promote the advancement of women. National machineries are
diverse in form and uneven in their effectiveness, and in some cases have
declined. Often marginalized in national government structures, these
mechanisms are frequently hampered by unclear mandates, lack of adequate staff,
training, data and sufficient resources, and insufficient support from national
political leadership.

UN Conference on Environment and Development

● 100. Capacity-building efforts should pay particular attention to the needs of

women in order to ensure that their skills and experience are fully used in
decision-making at all levels.
 ● 105. …The core themes of education for sustainability include lifelong
learning, interdisciplinary education, partnerships, multicultural education and
empowerment. Priority should be given to ensuring women's and girls' full and
equal access to all levels of education and training.

World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen, 1995

● 26(o) Recognize that empowering people, particularly women, to strengthen

their own capacities is a main objective of development and its principal resource.
Empowerment requires the full participation of people in the formulation,
implementation and evaluation of decisions determining the functioning and
well-being of our societies;
● Commitment 5. We commit ourselves to promoting full respect for human
dignity and to achieving equality and equity between women and men, and to
recognizing and enhancing the participation and leadership roles of women in
political, civil, economic, social and cultural life and in development.
To this end, at the national level, we will:

(b) Establish structures, policies, objectives and measurable goals to ensure gender
balance and equity in decision-making processes at all levels, broaden women's
political, economic, social and cultural opportunities and independence, and support
the empowerment of women, including through their various organizations,
especially those of indigenous women, those at the grass-roots level, and those of
poverty-stricken communities, including through affirmative action, where necessary,
and also through measures to integrate a gender perspective in the design and
implementation of economic and social policies;

(c) Promote full and equal access of women to literacy, education and training, and
remove all obstacles to their access to credit and other productive resources and to
their ability to buy, hold and sell property and land equally with men;

(d) Promote international cooperation to assist developing countries, at their request,

in their efforts to achieve equality and equity and the empowerment of women

World Summit for Social Development

● 80. Strengthen national efforts, including with assistance from the international
community, to promote the empowerment of women, inter alia, by:
(a) Closing the gender gap in primary and secondary education by 2005 and ensuring
free compulsory and universal primary education for both girls and boys by 2015;

(b) Increasing the access of women and girls to all levels and forms of education;
 (c) Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015,
especially for women;

(d) Increasing the participation of women and bringing about a balanced

representation of women and men in all sectors and occupations in the labour market
and closing the gender gap in earnings;

(e) Ensuring the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality as a health sector
priority;

(f) Eliminating all forms of violence against women, in the domestic as well as in the
public sphere;

(g) Promoting programmes to enable women and men to reconcile their work and
family responsibilities and to encourage men to share equally with women household
and child care responsibilities.

World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 1993

● 18. …The full and equal participation of women in political, civil, economic,
social and cultural life, at the national, regional and international levels, and the
eradication of all forms of discrimination on grounds of sex are priority objectives
of the international community.
● 36. The World Conference on Human Rights urges the full and equal
enjoyment by women of all human rights and that this be a priority for
Governments and for the United Nations. The World Conference on Human
Rights also underlines the importance of the integration and full participation of
women as both agents and beneficiaries in the development process…
● 37. The equal status of women and the human rights of women should be
integrated into the mainstream of United Nations system-wide activity. These
issues should be regularly and systematically addressed throughout relevant
United Nations bodies and mechanisms. In particular, steps should be taken to
increase cooperation and promote further integration of objectives and goals
between the Commission on the Status of Women, the Commission on Human
Rights, the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the
United Nations Development Fund for Women, the United Nations Development
Programme and other United Nations agencies. In this context, cooperation and
coordination should be strengthened between the Centre for Human Rights and
the Division for the Advancement of Women.
● 43. The World Conference on Human Rights urges Governments and regional
and international organizations to facilitate the access of women to decision
 making posts and their greater participation in the decision making process. It
encourages further steps within the United Nations Secretariat to appoint and
promote women staff members in accordance with the Charter of the United
Nations, and encourages other principal and subsidiary organs of the United
Nations to guarantee the participation of women under conditions of equality.

The Millennium Declaration, 2000

● 6. Equality: No individual and no nation must be denied the opportunity to

benefit from development. The equal rights and opportunities of women and men
must be assured.
● 19. To ensure that, by the same date, children everywhere, boys and girls alike,
will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling and that girls and boys
will have equal access to all levels of education.
● 20. To promote gender equality and the empowerment of women as effective
ways to combat poverty, hunger and disease and to stimulate development that is
truly sustainable.

IMPORTANT CONVENTIONS, TREATIES AND DOCUMENTS

Following is the list of documents that need to be perused by all delegates before they come to
the committee, without which you may find yourself standing on shore, while the committee will
sail away. Please understand that you need to know the following aspects regarding each of the
mentioned documents:
• The reason why this document exists (for e.g. the Geneva Conventions were enacted to lay
down the rules of war and for the treatment of all parties concerned in the wars.)
• The nature of the document and the force it carries, i.e. whether it is a treaty, a convention, a
doctrine, a declaration or a universally accepted custom or norm.
• The areas where the document can be applied or has jurisdiction on (for e.g. international
humanitarian law applies only to situations of armed conflict, whereas the human rights laws
applies at all times of war and peace alike.)
• The contents of the document at hand. You need not memorize any articles or rules of any
convention or treaty, but should know what the document has to say in various situations that
may arise in the council.

INTERNATIONAL BILL OF RIGHTS

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Aiming
at the abolition of the death penalty.

UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS

In addition to the International Bill of Rights and the core human rights treaties, there are many
other universal instruments relating to human rights. A non-exhaustive selection is listed below:

1. United Nations Millennium Declaration

2. The Right of Self-Determination
3. General Assembly resolution 1803 (XVII) of 14 December 1962, "Permanent sovereignty
over natural resources"
4. Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
5. United Nations Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and
Peoples
6. Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and
Linguistic Minorities
7. World Conference against Racism, 2001 (Durban Declaration and Programme of Action)
8. Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women
9. Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)
10. United Nations Principles for Older Persons
11. Protocol Instituting a Conciliation and Good Offices Commission to be responsible for
seeking a settlement of any disputes which may arise between States Parties to the
Convention against Discrimination in Education
12. Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based
on Religion or Belief
13. Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW-OP)
14. Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children,
child prostitution and child pornography (CRC-OPSC)
15. Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of
children in armed conflict (CRC-OPAC)
16. Principles for the protection of persons with mental illness and the improvement of
mental health care
17. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
18. Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169)
19. Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111)
20. International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination
(ICERD)
21. Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice
22. Convention against Discrimination in Education
23. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW)
24. Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict
25. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
26. Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)
27. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
28. Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
29. Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons
30. Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons
31. Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
32. Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity
33. United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson
Mandela Rules)
34. Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or
Imprisonment
35. Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
36. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (CAT)
37. Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT)
38. Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, particularly
Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
39. Principles on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
40. United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The
Beijing Rules)
41. Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and
Summary Executions
42. United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures
for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules) - PDF
43. Declaration on the Use of Scientific and Technological Progress in the Interests of Peace
and for the Benefit of Mankind
44. Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners
45. United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty
46. Safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty
47. Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials
 48. Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials
49. United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (The Tokyo Rules)
50. Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System
51. United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (The Riyadh
Guidelines)
52. Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power
53. Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary
54. Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers
55. Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors
56. Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
57. Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation
58. International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
59. Declaration on Social Progress and Development
60. Universal Declaration on the Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition
61. Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace
62. Declaration on the Right to Development
63. Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
64. United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training
65. Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
66. Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes
against Humanity
67. Principles of international co-operation in the detection, arrest, extradition and
punishment of persons guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity
68. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
69. Statute of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
70. Statute of the International Tribunal for Rwanda
71. Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
72. Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War

RECENT RELEVANT CAMPAIGNS AND EVENTS.

1. #Breaktheglass: This is a digital storytelling event that focuses on women to break the
‘glass ceiling’. This term is used as a metaphor to denote the barriers that are preventing
women from climbing the corporate ladders, regardless of their skills and qualifications.
The main aim of the campaign was to break gender stereotypes, the barriers across
disciplines, advocating women economic empowerment, gender equality and contributing
to the world for more equal rights.
 2. #Herstory: This campaign materialized in 2016 with a view to decrease the gender
knowledge gap. Knowledge is meant to be both a resource and an investment, which is
another form of wealth. Information, and access to information, is still not completely
free, and is still systematically denied to females and housewives on account of them
‘never going to need education’. If knowledge is equally distributed the knowledge gap
between genders may be addressed, with the biases, harmful stereotypes and practices
that often misrepresent women and degrade their values also coming into the spotlight.
3. #Timeisnow: Urban and rural activists transforming the lives of women have found a
new voice through this campaign. 2018 was the year when there were numerous global
marches and campaigns, like #metoo and #Timeisup, all over the world on the issue of
sexual harassment and for the equal payment and representation of women in politics. In
the upcoming 62nd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women,, it was
decided to echo the voice of the rural women, who make up a quarter of the world left
behind in every measure of development.
4. #Pressforprogress: This was the theme for the celebration of the 2018 International
Women’s Day to maintain a gender parity mindset via progressive plans, challenging
stereotypes and biases, forging positive visibility for women, influencing other beliefs/
actions and celebrating women’s achievements.
5. #HeforShe: HeforShe is a renowned campaign through which male counterparts are
invited to understand and support the idea of gender parity. The concept starts with the
idea of promoting gender equality and harnessing gender roles in our societies at all
levels to support and understand the value of gender equality. The main motto of the
campaign is not only about women- related issues, it is about human rights as well.

SUMMARY

People around the world are using new technologies in unprecedented ways for networking,
movement building, political participation and advocacy. Women and their organizations have
pioneered strategic and empowering uses of ICT to promote women’s rights. The Fourth World
Conference on Women, as well as the five- and ten-year reviews of the implementation of the
Platform for Action in 2000 and 2005, led to massive networking and mobilization of the
women’s movement globally through ICT.
E-governance is significant for the exercise of citizenship and direct public participation in
Government activities, both of which are key elements in women’s empowerment and
achievement of gender equality. Gender-responsive governance involves the active and
meaningful participation of women in all levels of decision-making and ensuring greater
transparency and accountability in government.
Gender equality aspects need to be fully incorporated in all work related to ICT at national,
regional and global levels, including in the development of policies and regulatory frameworks,
projects and research and data collection. A basic starting point for incorporating gender
perspectives in ICT initiatives is the use of gender analysis to ascertain the needs and priorities of
both women and men and the manner in which policy-making, planning and other activities can
support equitable access, use and benefits, including employment opportunities.

Questions to consider

1. What is the current status of gender equality in education and technology access globally?

2. How does unequal access to education and technology hinder gender equality, especially in
low-income regions?

3. What are the key ways in which education can empower women politically and economically?

4. How can technology be leveraged to improve access to quality education for girls and women
in developing countries?

5. What are the barriers women face in pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics) fields, and how can these be overcome?

6. What role can digital literacy and online education platforms play in enhancing women's skills
and employability?

7. How have policies and initiatives at the national and international levels contributed to
advancing gender equality in education and technology?

8. Can you provide examples of successful programs or projects that have effectively promoted
women's economic and political empowerment through technology and education?

9. What are the potential risks or challenges associated with the integration of technology in
education for gender equality, such as privacy concerns or digital divides?

10. How can women's participation in political leadership and decision-making positions be
encouraged and supported through technology-driven initiatives?
11. What is the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses, and governments in
promoting gender equality in education and technology?

12. Are there any notable case studies or success stories where technology and education have
significantly improved gender equality and women's empowerment?

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