The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. CSW, a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), was established in 1946. CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. CSW meets in an annual two-week session with representatives of UN Member States, civil society organizations and UN entities to discuss progress and gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as emerging issues that affect gender equality and the empowerment of women. Member States agree on actions to accelerate progress and promote women’s rights in political, economic and social fields. Outcomes and recommendations of each session are forwarded to ECOSOC for follow-up. UN Women supports all aspects of CSW's work and facilitates the participation of civil society.
To learn more about the Commission and the development of women's issues in the UN agenda, read this brief History of CSW.
Priority theme: Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes
Review theme: Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work
NGO Participation
The active participation of NGOs and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is critical to the work of the UN and CSW. NGOs were influential in shaping the global policy framework on women’s empowerment and gender equality: the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (more below). NGOs play an important role in holding international and national leaders accountable for the commitments they made in the Beijing Platform for Action.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, ECOSOC-accredited NGOs like FAWCO could designate representatives to attend CSW. Since CSW64 was cancelled in March 2020, CSW participation has moved to virtual formats. You will find most official events live broadcast and archived on UN Web TV.
Advocacy: Written Statements by NGOs
FAWCO has signed on to written statements that have been presented by NGOs for consideration by the CSW. You'll find the statements signed by FAWCO here.
Events
In addition to the official proceedings and intergovernmental negotiations, side events hosted by UN member states, UN agencies and NGOs are held during CSW. The schedule of side events for CSW66 is here. You must register for these events to receive the links for virtual participation.
There are also parallel events organized by NGOs. The NGO Committee on the Status of Women NY (NGO CSW NY) coordinates the NGO CSW66 Forum with over 700 virtual parallel events. Learn more about the NGO CSW66 Forum and register here.