The UN Commission on the Status of Women is the principal intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The Densford Center has associate member status in the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO). This membership brings the School of Nursing to the table to engage in policy and action at the international level. Parallel events, organized outside the formal program of the session of the commission, provide an opportunity for member states, UN entities and NGOs to discuss themes of the commission.
Gender-Based Violence, Femicide, and Criminalization in Bolivia
The Katharine J. Densford Center for International Nursing Leadership at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing hosted a parallel event during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) Forum about Gender-Based Violence, Femicide, and Criminalization in Bolivia.
This panel examined gender-based violence and femicide in Bolivia through a nursing-led, public health, and human rights lens, with particular attention to how criminalization and structural inequities shape women’s health and safety. Drawing on clinical practice, community engagement, and research, panelists explored the intersecting roles of health systems, legal frameworks, and social determinants in both responding to and perpetuating violence. The discussion highlights the critical leadership role of nurses in advancing trauma-informed care, advocating for survivors, and promoting structural change across health and justice systems in Bolivia.
Panelists included Associate Professor Sarah Hoffman, PhD, MPH, RN, and community partners from Etta Projects, which is an organization in Bolivia that collaborates with public health organizations and municipal government entities to improve community health care with a more recent focus on promoting sexual and reproductive health among adolescent and emerging adult women.
Previous UN Commission on the Status of Women events