Summary of the Online Discussions Held in Preparation for the 10 Year Review and Appraisal of the Implementation of the Platform for Action in the 49th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women

Between November 2004 and February 2005 WomenWatch hosted a series of 11 online discussions, organised and moderated by the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE). The objective was to reach out to those who would be unable to attend the 2005 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) session. Each discussion was sponsored by a different UN agency. The topics were: human rights of women; violence against women; trafficking in women; women and health; education and training of women and the girl child; women and armed conflict; women and the environment; women and poverty; the vision of young women and men for gender equality; and institutional mechanisms. In this document each of these discussions are summarised, starting with a background statement, followed by a summary of outcomes by main topics and conclusions and recommendations. For example, the World Bank hosted the discussion on Women and Poverty. The two key recommendations that emerged from this discussion were: the need to promote access to primary and secondary education, fight illiteracy as well as use information technology to reach rural populations; and increase economic opportunities by improving access to land and services by curbing discriminatory legislation, regulations and practices.