For the past several years, the IAWRT-USA chapter has co-organized parallel events at the UN Commission on the Status of Women meetings at the United Nations in New York IAWRT has Consultative Status to the ECOSOC at the United Nations and has representation on the DPI/NGO Executive committee.
Most recently, as a part of the 57th session of the CSW in 2013, IAWRT hosted a Side Event, “Media as Strategic Partners.” The purpose was to bring the role of media into the discussion, along with the hazards that female journalists face globally in trying to inform the public.
For the 56th Session of the CSW in 2012, IAWRT brought together 5 women actively involved in using media to improve the lives of women. The session was titled, “Demystifying Media at the Grassroots: Rural Women Using Media for Change.”
For the 55th session of CSW in 2011, IAWRT-USA co-organized the IAWRT side event in New York on February 24th, 2011, “Engendering Technologies: Women Take Charge.”
For the 54th session of CSW in 2010, IAWRT-USA members supported and contributed speakers to the IAWRT side event in New York on March 4th, “Mapping Women’s Empowerment through Targeted Media.”
These side events have touched on timely topics concerning women in media and have contributed in bringing a diverse set of voices to a global forum like the United Nations. They have been organized in collaboration with our parent organization, the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT), with funding from FOKUS (Forum for Women and Development) and, most recently, with support from the Southern New York State Division of United Nations Association (UNA-USA) and the Council of Organizations (UNA-USA).