India got elected as a member of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the principal global body focussed on gender equality and women empowerment, beating China in a hotly-contested election.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). 

The 54-member ECOSOC, holding the first plenary meeting of its 2021 session in the General Assembly Hall on September 14, held elections for two seats in the Asia-Pacific States category with Afghanistan, India and China in the fray.

Afghanistan garnered 39 votes and India got 38 votes of the 54 ballots cast. China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, got only 27 votes.

India and Afghanistan will join Argentina, Austria, Dominican Republic, Israel, Latvia, Nigeria, Turkey and Zambia to the Commission on the Status of Women for a four-year term beginning from 2021-2025.

UN Commission on the Status of Women

The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global inter-governmental body dedicated to the identification and understanding of various aspects of women’s lives across the globe and creating global standards for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

It was established in 1946.

What is the purpose of CSW?

During the Commission’s annual two-week session, representatives of UN Member States, civil society organizations and UN entities gather at UN headquarters in New York. They discuss progress and gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the key global policy document on gender equality, and the 23rd special session of the General Assembly held in 2000 (Beijing+5), as well as emerging issues that affect gender equality and the empowerment of women. 

Member States agree on further actions to accelerate progress and promote women’s enjoyment of their rights in political, economic, and social fields. The outcomes and recommendations of each session are forwarded to ECOSOC for follow-up.

The Commission adopts multi-year programmes of work to appraise progress and make further recommendations to accelerate the implementation of the platform for action. These recommendations take the form of negotiated agreed conclusions on a priority theme.

Members of CSW

The Commission consists of one representative from each of the 45 Member States elected by the ECOSOC. 

The members are elected on the basis of equitable geographical distribution:

* 13 members from Africa.

* 11 from Asia.

* Nine from Latin America and Caribbean.

* Eight from Western Europe and Other States.

* Four from Eastern Europe. 

Members are elected for a period of four years.

What is ECOSOC?

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) coordinates the work of UN agencies related to economic, social and environmental development. 

It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals. It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.

The UN Charter established ECOSOC in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations.

ECOSOC consists of 54 members, 18 of which are elected each year by the General Assembly for a three-year term.

Each year, ECOSOC structures its work around an annual theme of global importance to sustainable development. This ensures focused attention, among ECOSOC’s array of partners, and throughout the UN development system.

By emphasising combined economic, social and environmental concerns, ECOSOC encourages agreement on coherent policies and actions that make fundamental links across all three.

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