Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 60) began today, March 14, and concludes March 24, 2016. Commitment to the advancement of women at the United Nations began with the signing of the United Nations Charter in 1945. The Preamble declared faith “in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small…”
In June 1946 the Commission on the Status of Women was established with a mandate to prepare recommendations on promoting women’s rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields.
The Commission met for the first time in 1947 at Lake Success, New York. From mid-1960s, the Commission began to address women’s role in economic and social development.
The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is a global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. It is also responsible for monitoring, reviewing and appraising progress achieved and problems encountered in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995.
Each year, the Commission provides an opportunity to review progress made on gender equality and the empowerment of women, identify challenges, set global standards and norms and formulate policies to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment across the globe.
During the Commission meet, the Member States will negotiate for agreed conclusions on the priority theme and make action oriented recommendations for all States and other relevant bodies for implementation. It will also adopt a small number of resolutions on different topics.
Various stakeholders – member states, NGOs and other UN entities will be holding side events to draw attention to critical aspects of the work on gender equality.
More than 8000 women from around the world will be a part of this global event at the UN through live or archived proceedings. Click here to go directly to the theme – Women and Sustainable Development Goals – Sustainable Development Goals. Clicking on each Goal will highlight how women are affected by each of the 17 goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the 193 Member States on September 25, 2015 is a universal road map for people and planet, addressing the challenges of poverty, inequality and climate change. Women empowerment and gender equality is a cross cutting issue and women and girls are central to the achievement of all the SDGs.
Engage in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals – create a conducive environment for gender responsive implementation of the SDGs at the local and national levels through appropriate laws, policies, institutional infrastructures and adequate financial resources. Stand up for Women Empowerment.
Written by Sister Teresa Kotturan, SCN, Representative to the United Nations for the Sisters of Charity Federation NGO
