Flavia Bustreo Briefed CEDAW on Women in Multilateralism and Madam Secretary-General Campaign
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GWL Voices is proud to announce that our esteemed member, Dr. Flavia Bustreo, participated to the first discussion of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights (WGBHR) and United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) joint briefing on February 3 and 4, 2025, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva during the 90th session of CEDAW.
As co-chair of the Lancet Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Maltreatment of Young People, Dr. Bustreo brought a wealth of expertise on gender equality, women’s rights, and multilateralism to the discussion.
The briefing, during the lunchtime session with CEDAW members and Business and Human Rights Members focused on how the two groups can work together going forward including the need for accountability and fusion between the objectives of the two groups. It aimed to link CEDAW’s four-pronged approach to women’s rights protection (Voluntary, Business, Gender, and Intersectionality Pathways) with the three pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (Protect, Respect, and Remedy).
Dr. Bustreo’s intervention urged the two groups to think of the crucial intersections between AI and gender equality, and how these platforms perpetuate gender stereotypes and bias. Women are not only biased within the algorithms, but also underrepresented in development teams that work on making this software.
Furthermore, Dr. Bustreo outlined the long term physical and mental health consequences of gender based violence online. For full participation in society and politics, it is crucial that these mechanisms are equal for men and women, both in the way they are designed, but also in who is designing them.
Dr. Bustreo also shared her presentation with all members of the CEDAW committee and Business and Human Rights Working Group for further reading. This presentation outlined the emerging threats of gender based violence online, artificial intelligence and the bias of algorithms, highlighting GWL Voices Women in Multilateralism 2024 Reports’ finding that when AI is asked what a United Nations President looks like, AI automatically generates a man. The materials also gave a progress update on GWL Voices Madam Secretary General Campaign. This event presented a crucial opportunity to emphasize the role of women in multilateralism and advocate for greater gender representation in global governance.
GWL Voices remains committed to driving this agenda forward, ensuring that women’s leadership is not just an aspiration but a reality and to work with the CEDAW members and the Business and Human Rights Working Group to advance mutual key priorities of gender equality.
Stay tuned for updates as we continue to champion women’s representation in multilateral institutions and push for transformative leadership in the UN and beyond.
