Follow the dollar

I'm sitting in the airport lounge getting ready to fly to New York so that I can attend my first CSW as a blogger for openDemocracy. For the last three days I've been visiting with family and friends and whenever anybody has asked what I'll be doing in New York for the week, I've been excitedly saying, "I'm going to the biggest UN conference on women's rights." This seemed to be the easiest way to explain what the CSW is to those who are not already au fait with UN mechanisms and bureaucracies.

Underneath the excitment I'm feeling and conveying to all who ask, however, is the nagging belief that most countries are not as far along as they should be in their delivery of gender equality considering this is the 52nd session of the global conference. Can countries that have failed to empower women that live within their own jurisdictions hope to develop effective global policy on women's empowerment?

As Jane mentioned, the theme for this year's session is financing for gender equality. So on top of reporting on how various governments are suggesting delivery on Beijing and other international agreements, I'll also be keeping a close eye on who commits what resources to make the change happen. After 52 sessions, I think it's entirely reasonable to ask my governments and yours to 'show me the money'.