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The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) convenes annually to confront persistent inequalities, violence, and discrimination faced by women globally.
This year’s session is set to take place at UN Headquarters in New York from March 10 to March 21.
Key Highlights to Consider:
1. Celebrating Eight Decades of Progress
Initiating its efforts soon after the UN General Assembly’s first meetings in 1946, the Commission builds upon the vision articulated by Eleanor Roosevelt, who urged for increased involvement of women in both national and international arenas.
Roosevelt’s appeal prompted a dedicated sub-commission by the UN’s Economic and Social Affairs Commission (ECOSOC), comprising representatives from China, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, France, India, Lebanon, and Poland. Its mission was to assess challenges regarding women’s status and offer solutions to the UN Human Rights Council.
From its inception, the Commission took a proactive stance advocating for political rights as a priority and producing recommendations aimed at enhancing civil, educational, social, and economic opportunities for women. Its foundational report also called for a global women’s conference to catalyze further advancements.
By June 1946, it officially adopted the name Commission on the Status of Women as a subsidiary entity of ECOSOC. Between 1947 and 1962, its focus was on developing standards and international conventions aimed at reforming discriminatory laws and enhancing awareness of women’s issues globally.
2. Milestone Global Agreements
Throughout its history, the CSW has significantly expanded its membership, leading to the creation of widely acknowledged international agreements that shape women’s rights today.
For further details on past CSW sessions, you can discover more here.
3. Addressing Expanding Needs
As more countries joined the UN, it became increasingly evident during the 1960s that women suffered disproportionately from poverty. This led the CSW to focus on critical areas such as rural development, agricultural advancement, family planning, and the integration of scientific and technological progress for women’s benefit.
The UN proclaimed 1975 as the International Year of Women, launching the inaugural World Conference on Women in Mexico. In 1977, the UN officially recognized International Women’s Day, celebrated annually on March 8.
In 2010, following extensive negotiations, the UN General Assembly established the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), which continues to partner closely with the Commission.
4. Confronting New Challenges
Every CSW session evaluates emerging challenges and monitors progress towards fulfilling the goals outlined in the Beijing Platform for Action, ultimately leading to agreements on next steps by member states.
The Commission has tackled pressing issues such as climate change, gender-based violence, and advocating for women’s full inclusion in decision-making and sustainable development strategies.
CSW also contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, pushing for swift actions to achieve gender equality and empower women.
5. Realizing Solutions
Addressing women’s poverty requires concrete measures, including investment in policies that tackle gender disparities and elevate women’s leadership roles, alongside efforts to close employment gaps.
Implementing these solutions could lift over 100 million women and girls out of poverty, generate approximately 300 million jobs, and increase the per capita GDP by 20% across various regions.
The upcoming CSW session (#CSW69) will take place from March 10 to 21 at UN Headquarters, featuring 45 members and thousands of global participants.
The focal point will be the comprehensive review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, assessing ongoing challenges that impact implementation in the pursuit of gender equality and the empowerment of women as part of the broader realization of the 2030 Agenda.
To learn more about #CSW69, click here.
Watch #CSW69 live at 10 AM New York time on UN Web TV here.
Source
news.un.org