Gender and equality

No lasting peace without economic and social equality.

Servas International firmly believes that there can be no lasting peace without economic and social equality. Substantial reduction in poverty is therefore a crucial prerequisite in ensuring peaceful coexistence and cooperation globally.

” Servas International requests UN Member States to take all possible steps to: stop arms delivery and redirect military funds to humanitarian causes; protect women and girls from gender-based violence; and promote women’s involvement in leadership roles in ending conflict and building peace. 

2024, October | New York

Written Statement for CSW69 to UN Women

This is a written statement that addresses Beijing +30 from Servas International perspective as an NGO focused on peacebuilding.  

2024, March | New York

UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)

Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”.

This three-page statement focuses on women and poverty and highlights three specific areas where women are most vulnerable: in food production, natural disasters, and armed conflict.

2024, March | Online

Women, poverty and discrimination

In today’s world almost 700 million live in extreme poverty. Out of these 383 million are women and girls and 19% of them are extremely poor and are from the marginalised and vulnerable nomadic and indigenous community. Women from these communities are often confronted with discrimination, malnutrition, lack of access to basic services like electricity, safe drinking water, sanitation, decent housing, education and health facilities. In line with the overall objectives of CSW68 the plight of these groups from India and Mexico will be deliberated and essential alleviation measures to improve the well-being and living conditions would be elaborated.

2023, May 7 | Online

How Servas International is connected to and participates in the United Nations.

Servas Canada hosted a teleconference event to explain how Servas International is connected to and participates in the United Nations. The event looked at SI's involvement in the UN's Commission on the Status of Women conference (CSW67) held in March 2023, and included reflections by Servas Canada members Julie Cormack and Kent Macaulay and Servas US members Rachel-Elion Baird and Natalie Petersen. Servas attendees from 14 countries discussed and offered suggestions for expanding Servas’ participation in future UN conferences and programs.

2023, March 13 | Online

UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67)

"Women and Girl's Access to Education in Afghanistan and Türkiye. Servas International Peace School", a presentation that was given at the United Nations 67th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meetings on March 13, 2023.

Education is a fundamental right, but in many parts of the world women and girls are deprived of this basic human right. Some governments (like the Taliban in Afghanistan) impose significant restrictions on women and girls that limit their choices and their freedoms; this silences them. The Servas International Peace School near Antakya, Turkey, offers a special educational opportunity to build goodwill and cultural understanding between local adults (and especially children) and Servas visitors. Today technology has a global reach; let us use this strategy to bring and expand educational opportunities to those who need it the most. Women and girls are tomorrow’s leaders; they deserve to be heard, not forgotten.

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