Join us for CSW62

From March 12-23, hundreds of NGOs, activists, and representatives of UN Member States and entities will gather in New York for the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women. This year, the priority theme of the session is rural women and girls - the challenges they face, opportunities for the advancement of their rights, and their contributions to achievements in gender equality.

JASS is so excited to participate in CSW62 as both a presenter and co-sponsor of several side events throughout the week, of which you can find a schedule below. During CSW, we will share some of our key resources on movement-building and safety of women human rights defenders:

• Rethinking Protection, Power, and Movements - The 6th issue of the Making Change Happen series about the importance of understanding and supporting women's leadership, and building movements to stay safe and strong in violent contexts.
• Indigenous and Rural Women in Defense of Land, Territories, and Women's Rights - The 5th issue of the Making Change Happen series, analyzing the innovations of rural and indigenous women building strong communities in the midst of powerful, dislocating, and destructive global dynamics.
• Defending Rights in Hostile Contexts - A compilation of all of the resources which shaped our November 2017 convening with the Fund for Global Human Rights.
• Concepts for Revisioning Power for Justice, Equality, and Peace - Examining the complexities of and opportunities for transforming power in the context of current dilemmas for social justice activists and groups.

JASS-led sessions

Resistance and Resilience: Women Defenders and the Political Crisis in Honduras

When: Friday, March 16 at 4:30-6:30pm

Where: Ford Foundation office, 1440 Broadway (with 40th Street between 6th and Broadway)

What: In partnership with the Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initative (IMD) and Ford Foundation, JASS hosts a discussion with prominent Honduran women leaders. In the wake of the widely-reported fraudulent elections and high-profile corruption scandals in Honduras, movements have sustained nationwide resistance and faced increasing repression and violence. Women have been at the forefront of the mobilizations and advocacy to demand justice, all the while fighting for indigenous and women's rights.

This discussion will examine the current context and recent developments, from the perspective of front-line women human rights defenders. At the close, we will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of COPINH, co-founded by Berta Caceres and now led by her daughter Berta Zúñiga.

Who: Berta Zúñiga, Coordinator, Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), continuing in the footsteps of her mother, Bertha Caceres, with the Lenca community to defend their rights and natural resources.

Gilda Rivera, Executive Director, Center for Women’s Rights (CDM) and also co-leading the National Women Human Rights Defenders Network in Honduras, and member of the Steering Group of the Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initiative.

Daysi Flores, Country Coordinator, JASS-Honduras which is a member of the Coalition Against Impunity; JASS is also a member of the IM-Defensoras Steering Group.

Opening Remarks by Monica Aleman and Ximena Warnaars of the Ford Foundation

Events co-sponsored by JASS

Gathering - No Borders on Gender Justice: A Conversation about Migrant Rights, Women Human Rights Defenders and Closing Civil Space

When: Wednesday, March 14 at 9:30am - 5:15 pm (by invite only)

Where:  Ford Foundation office, 1440 Broadway (with 40th Street between 6th and Broadway)

Who: This gathering is co-hosted by MADRE, BAJI, the Urgent Action Fund (UAF), and AWID, and will be facilitated by critical ethnic and gender studies scholar Margo Okazawa-Rey.

Session - Rural Women's Resistance to Closing Civic Space

When: Thursday, March 15 at 8:30am

Where: Salvation Army (221 E 52nd St), downstairs level

Who: JASS is co-sponsoring with our CountMeIn! (CMI) Consortium partners, UAF and AWID. CMI is a special joint initiative between six international NGOs to bring the voices and activism of women, girls, and trans people to the forefront of work to end inequality.

Report Launch - Women Defenders of Territory and Nature Resisting Impunity: The Latin American Report

When: Friday, March 16 at 12:30pm

Where: 4 W 43rd Street, Green Room, 1st floor

Who: JASS is co-sponsoring the launch of a report by our CMI partners, UAF and AWID. JASS Mesoamerica's Daysi Flores will be giving a contextual update on the situation of women land and territory defenders.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @JASS4Justice as we document our time at CSW.