Youth and Accountability

I am truly grateful to WILPF for giving me the opportunity to attend the 58th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW58) at the United Nations. As a senior Women's and Gender Studies major at Wellesley College, CSW58 has allowed me to utilize my coursework in the discourse surrounding the issues of development and disarmament. It has been interesting to see the multiplicity of intersections between issues, such as climate change, poverty, security, and violence. I have also realized that I do have the knowledge to engage in thoughtful discussions with members of civil organizations that work on all of these issues. This is an interesting realization because the necessity of youth engagement has been frequently mentioned throughout the week and people haven't been able to understand why more youth don't get involved. The problem is access and hospitality. However, WILPF is one of the few organizations at CSW58 that is engaging youth and allowing us to make immediate contributions through advocacy work.

Throughout the week many different people from all backgrounds and perspectives have been proposing solutions to issues that cause gender inequality among every level of society. In order for any of these solutions to be effective, there needs to be a foundation of accountability. It doesn't matter what laws or programs are put into place if they are not being appropriately implemented. For progress to be made post-2015 MDGs, we need to build accountability among institutions and organizations. As stated during Consultation Day by CEDAW Chair Nicole Ameline, "We need to be united everyday as we are today."
-Lindsey Shepardson