Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the largest gathering on gender equality at the United Nations. The Commission formulates policies that promote gender equality and the empowerment of women worldwide, and measures progress toward the accomplishment of those policies. Every year, UN Member States, civil society organizations and UN entities gather for two weeks in March to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide. All of these things happen through intense dialogue, official meetings, and side events.
The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nation brings a delegation to CSW every year. Guided by PC(USA) General Assembly policy, our delegates learn to engage in advocacy efforts at the UN and work in partnership with others from around the globe for the women’s empowerment, its link to sustainable development, and the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The Commission focuses on a specific priority theme and a review theme each year. For CSW70, they are:
- Priority theme: Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers.
- Review theme: Women’s full and effective participation and decision making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls (agreed conclusions of the sixty-fifth session).
Over 5,000 participants from around the world, including UN Member States, UN programs, agencies, and civil society come together to further gender equity for women. The UN invites nongovernmental organizations holding consultative status with ECOSOC to advocate for the inclusion of their organizations’ positions. CSW will adopt a political declaration at the end of this year's session..
If you are interested in joining CSW70 PC(USA) delegation, please contact our Advocacy Associate, Clare Balsan, at [email protected].
