Coincident with International Women's Day in March 2023 the United Nations (UN) hosted the 67th Annual Commission of the Status of Women (CSW67). This annual 2-week event brings together representatives from UN member states, civic societies, nongovernmental organizations (NGO), and UN entities to discuss progress and gaps in implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995). These documents were among the first to recognize sexual rights (e.g., the right to say no to sexual intercourse) as human rights and remain one of the most comprehensive blueprints for advancing rights of women and gender equity. They identify 12 critical areas: (1) women and poverty; (2) education and training of women; (3) women and health; (4) violence against women; (5) women and armed conflict; (6) women and the economy; (7) women in power and decision-making; (8) institutional mechanism for the advancement of women; (9) human rights of women; (10) women and the media; (11) women and the environment; and (12) the girl child.

During the Commission, participating organizations arrange hundreds of events that inform, engage, and inspire grassroots efforts and advocacy to empower women and girls, and connect the thousands of participants to others who share their interest in women's rights and gender equity. They work toward a society where there is gender mainstreaming in all policies and programs, and involvement of women and girls in all decision-making processes. The priority theme this year was Innovation and Technological Change, and Education in the Digital Age. As a representative of an NGO that is in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, I attended CSW67 and came to understand profound new challenges presented by emerging digital technologies that effectively perpetuate-and even magnify-existing patterns of gender inequity. In many regions, digital transformation is disproportionately preventing women from accessing education, jobs, and healthcare. Women worldwide are less likely than men to own a smartphone, impacting their access to digital platforms that support healthcare, such as mobile money services, transportation, electronic medical records, and health and nutrition information.

CSW67 and International Women's Day brings attention to other activists who are using innovative strategies to advance empowerment of women and girls. This year, the events coincided with release of a national campaign by activists Amal Clooney, Melinda Gates, and Michelle Obama to protect girls against child marriage (Clooney et al., 2023). Building on the work of their respective organizations, they trio are educating others about how marrying before age 18 is one of the biggest threats to girls' empowerment and education, often with dire consequences: Child brides are more likely to leave school, experience violence, struggle to earn income, have unintended pregnancy miscarriage or maternal death.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a critical framework for advancing women's rights and gender equality worldwide and has been effective in promoting the development of national policies and programs. The strategies and actions to achieve the objectives, across the 12 critical target areas, are within our collective reach. Please review these strategies and consider taking a more prominent role in accelerating the movement.

References