New York, NY (March 11-12, 2017) – Honoring the recent commemoration of International Women’s Day, Transdiaspora Network registered a three-member delegation of young women leaders (Malika Alexandre, Amanda Henry, Nicole Cheng) at the Youth Forum of the 61st Session on Commission on Status of Women (CSW 61). The Youth Forum is a safe space for young people, particularly young women and girls, to openly, and strategically discuss the challenges and opportunities in their local, national, regional and global contexts in accelerating progress to achieve gender equality and sustainable development.

At the 61^st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61), UN Women is hosting a Youth Forum titled, “Youth Create Gender Equality–Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work”, from 11 – 12 March at the UN Headquarters in New York.

In its second year now, the CSW Youth Forum convenes nearly 1000 youth leaders and activists from around the world, to discuss the emerging challenges and opportunities for youth as they strive for gender equality and sustainable development. The Forum will create a safe space for young people to strategize and collaborate towards a global movement for gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.

The two-day Forum will close with a Youth Declaration, anchored in the voices and experiences of young people, to inform discussions at CSW61 on its priority theme of “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the changing world of work”.