The objective of this Civil Society Working Group of FBOs and Feminists for Gender Equality is to expand the space for constructive dialogue among academics, policymakers and civil society and UN agencies, in order to foster more effective analysis, research, strategy and advocacy with the aim of achieving gender equality in the implementation of Agenda 2030. The Group will seek to take a leadership role in developing a vision and cultivating a discourse that highlights the issues of dismantling structures, attitudes and practices that sustain inequality and discrimination in communities, societies and institutions at all levels. The Group will bring together representatives of civil society, including FBOs, feminist organizations, social justice organizations, and academics working at the intersection of gender equality and religion, as well as religious leaders, and theologians—men and women alike.
▪ How do we develop a multi-religious narrative for gender equality?
▪ How can we foster a constructive and collaborative discourse between faith-based, feminist, secular and social justice organizations on how to advance gender equality?
o In what areas can these organizations work together to advance gender equality?
o How can they work together to resource the movement for gender equality and keep it politically, legally and socially effective?
o How can they work together to assist UN gender equality mechanisms to deliver on this agenda?
▪ How can we enlarge the national-level democratic space for civil society organizations in general and for those organizations concerned with gender equality in particular?
Strategic
▪ How specific should the focus of the group be? Is “gender equality” too broad an agenda?
▪ How large should the group be? Should it include individuals as well as organizations?
▪ Given that this is an autonomous civil society working group, what are the modalities for the Working Group engagement with the UN? Modalities for engagement with the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on FBO collaboration? How will the UN facilitate the engagement of this group within the UN space?
▪ Which UN organizations would be involved? (E.g. UN Women, UNFPA, OHCHR, WBG, UNDP, UN AIDS, UNICEF)
▪ What kind of data will be needed?
Members of the Working Group will represent national and regional, as well as religious and cultural diversity. They will be able to demonstrate: (a) support for relevant international instruments and agreements including the Universal Declaration for Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Beijing Platform for Action and Beijing +5 agreements, ICPD, Agenda 2030 among others; and (b) a track record of work in the area of gender equality. The Working Group may also consider having ‘consulting members’ from the broader community, whom it can draw on periodically. The Working Group will hold regular meetings, some of which will be scheduled to coincide with key meetings such as sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women and other global conferences. Initial meetings with partners outside of New York will take place online. The Group will work closely with and be supported by UN organizations such as UN Women and UNFPA. In time, similar working groups may form at regional and national levels.