CATW had a successful two weeks at CSW62! The Commission accepted our written statement, which is now archived as an official document for the session, and Mariana Vanin, our communications manager, delivered an oral intervention during the general discussion. In response to the priority theme on challenges and opportunities in empowering rural women, she called on Member States to address the trafficking of women and girls from rural areas, emphasizing the vital importance of adhering to international law. She also urged governments, civil society and the private sector to promote education and training opportunities, transparent business practices, clean supply chains and workplace policies free from discrimination and harassment, while rejecting the sex trade as a legitimate employer for women.

We also joined forces with the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, UN Women, UNODC and Equality Now to host a side event at the UN to discuss human trafficking through the lens of Sustainable Development Goal target 5.2 on eliminating violence against women and the #MeToo movement. Survivor leaders Autumn Burris, Mickey Meji and Shandra Woworuntu were at the center of the conversation. We were also honored to be joined by Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino, who is not only the UNODC Goodwill Ambassador to Combat Trafficking in Persons but has been instrumental to the inception and development of #MeToo and the #TimesUp campaign.

Watch our side event