Hungary celebrated women’s empowerment with an active presence at the high-level week of the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). In her national statement at the General Assembly, high level discussions and panels, Head of Delegation H.E. Ms Orsolya Pacsay-Tomassich, Deputy State Secretary for International and Youth Affairs presented Hungarian policies promoting women’s active participation and return to the world of work.
The Hungarian Mission organized an exhibition entitled “Painted Dreams – Hungarian Roma Women Artists”, and two side events, focusing on gender stereotypes and the importance of work-life balance.
The Hungarian Delegation participated at the opening ceremony of the high level week of CSW, addressed by President of the General Assembly H.E. Peter Thomson,; President of ECOSOC H.E. Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava,; Antonio Guterres Secretary-General; UN-Women’s Executive Director, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, among others.
Deputy State Secretary Ms Pacsay-Tomassich took the floor on Monday at the ministerial roundtable entitled ““Informal and non-standard work: what policies can effectively support women’s economic empowerment?”, presenting relevant Hungarian policies supporting families and women’s the participation and return into the world of work. The statement Is available here.
On Wednesday, at the high level interactive dialogue focusing on “Building alliances to promote women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work”, Ms Pacsay-Tomassich underlined the importance of flexible and atypical forms of employment as well as new forms of day-care nursery systems making it easier for women to reconcile work and family life. You can reach the statement here.
In the national statement at the General Debate of the CSW, Hungary highlighted new policies aimed at fighting violence against women through victim support services, promoting the reconciliation of work and family obligations by strengthening the daycare and job protection system, and reducing the gender pay gap. Read the full statement.
The Hungarian Delegation, in collaboration with Kugler Art Salon and Gallery (Budapest), organized an exhibition entitled “Painted Dreams – Hungarian Roma Women Artists”, (photo diary here) celebrating the outstanding and inspiring work of women facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. Besides H.E. Deputy State Secretary Pacsay-Tomassich, H.E. Ms Cristina Gallach, Under-Secretary General for Public Information and H.E. Ms. Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, UN Women also addressed the audience on the occasion of the vernissage of the exhibit, which could be visited throughout the high level week at the Delegates Entrance of the UN General Assembly Building.
On Wednesday evening, in an interactive event organized by the Permanent Mission and UN Women, Chess Grandmaster and UNJ Women Planet 50-50 Champion Judit Polgár gave her insights about fighting gender stereotypes and the key to success for women in male-dominated fields.
The full-house panel discussion “Work-life Imbalance”, (photo diary here) hosted by the Hungarian Mission in collaboration with UN Women, aimed at combining policies and personal narratives on how women are able to achieve their full potential at the workplace and also at home. Panelists included H.E Ms Pacsay-Tomassich; Meg Jones, Chief of Women’s Economic Empowerment at UN Women, Judit Polgár Chess Grandmaster, UN Women Global Champion 50-50; Ms. Veronica Berti Bocelli, spouse of world renown tenor Andrea Bocelli and co-chair of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, as well as Hedva Ser, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and Special Envoy for Cultural Diplomacy.
The Hungarian delegation also participated in a side-event organized by the NGO “Hungarian Women Union”.
