What next for equality?

 As a second time attendee at UN Commission on the Status of Women #UNCSW65 i appreciate that there is a space to reflect on the position and role of women in every walk of life, in pretty much every context - globally. Although online, this year is no different except now we find ourselves juggling all the other responsibilities we have as women in the home with finding space to attend a global conference of other women doing the same, domestic duties, paid work, caring responsibilities and of course, dealing with a global pandemic. But for a moment,  you are able to connect with other women across the world and find that there are definitely moments of clarity, understanding and purpose.  As women and girls, we are more than half the population yet our needs are very rarely considered let alone met. In a meeting concerning infrastructure, a moment of clarity for me was even the way our transport links are planned doesn't take into account the needs of women. And don't e...

  Why is infrastructure key to gender equality? Panelists Dr Nihan Akyelken, Associate Professor Sustainable Urban Development, University of Oxford Ms Grete Faremo, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director  Ms Doreen Malambo, Assistant Superintendent, UNPOL Gender Advisor for UNMISS  Ms Nichola Mallon, MLA Minister for Infrastructure for the Northern Ireland Executive  As always, the #CSW challenges us as attendees to see the world (as we think we know it) through different eyes. Today I joined a session that approached infrastructure through a gendered experience.   I never thought about how our world is designed by men for men, obviously during the pandemic there were female keyworkers on the frontline who were highlighting that the proportions for PPE are inappropriate for women. The sizes are 'wrong', they don't fit female sizes. We all saw the pictures of bruised faces from masks and googles, the double tied...

The start of UN Commission on the Status of Women 2021 coincided with what has been described as a 'moment' in the UK. Yes, this year we are in the throes of a global pandemic, which has truly exposed and exacerbated the divisions between women and men. Covid 19 has also highlighted the impact of systemic racism towards Black and minority ethnic communities and need for a planned recovery not just for the economy but also for the mental health of our nations. But in the week following International Women's Day and Mother's Day in the UK, many of us became transfixed with the disappearance of a 33 year old woman, who had been missing since Wednesday March 3rd.  This was happening during our 3 (or 4th - easy to lose track) national lockdown and she was last seen walking a short distance home from a friend's house. A journey that should have taken just 50 minutes. A journey she travelled many times before.   Her journey would've taken her across a public pa...