Gender equality event equals PhD research boost

PhD researcher Sarah Shepherd has been selected to take part in the Commission on the Status of Women and looks forward to being part of this important discussion on gender equality.

The UN's Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, the rights, and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established in 1946.

I have been following the work of UN Women UK for a while, and I am always interested in events or volunteer opportunities that I can get involved with. I have previously volunteered in organisations to support women and girls and continue to look for ways I can do this. When I saw CSW69 applications were open I jumped at the chance.

CSW69 is a two-week annual session of representatives from across UN member states, civil society organisations and other UN entities that come together to discuss emerging issues that affect gender equality and the empowerment of women. Part of the discussion will be surrounding the progress and gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the key global policy document on gender equality and its contribution towards the full realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

With regards to the application process for CSW, I was asked a series of questions including why I wanted to be involved in the conference, how it aligned with my work and what I would like to take away or put into action from being involved.

The Conference is running from March 10-21 with training being held the last week in February. Each participant takes part in pre-event training, and a briefing session to meet fellow participants and to make the most of the conference. Over the course of the two weeks there are over 800 sessions being held for participants to attend, following each session participants are invited to engage in meet ups to discuss the sessions and actions beyond the conference.

Taking part in this was really important to me - for many reasons - but, in short, because I’m a Mum to three girls and it’s important to me that they grow up in a world that allows them every human right and opportunity. Equality is a human right, and while this discussion is on gender equality I fundamentally believe in equality for everyone. What’s more the research tells us gender equality is not only good for individuals, but for healthier, peaceful, and more prosperous societies. It’s important for me to recognise my own privilege and use it to do some good.

Also, my research is interested in women’s leadership development in academia. Sadly, we know that there is still under-representation of women in leadership positions across all industries which includes academia. My research hopes to use occupational psychology as a lens to study this gender inequality in leadership and provide practical insights that can be implemented to close the gap.

In attending CSW, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of gender (in)equality globally and hear directly from world leaders, governments and NGOs on the topic. Keeping up to date with current events and discussions on this topic will make me a better researcher and I look forward to making new connections with business and community leaders. I also hope to gain a renewed sense of hope when often it feels that the gender equality agenda is going backwards. I look forward to being able to share this knowledge and experience with my colleagues at Strathclyde.

About Sarah Shepherd

Sarah completed an MSc in Occupational Psychology in the Department of Work, Employment and Organisation at Strathclyde Business School, graduating in 2024, and has now embarked on PhD research into women in the workplace.