• The sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) will take place at the United Nations headquarters in New York from March 10 to 21.

• Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from all regions of the world will attend the session.

• The year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995).

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

• The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global inter-governmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, the rights and the empowerment of women. 

• A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established by ECOSOC resolution in June 1946.

• From 1947 to 1962, CSW focused on setting standards and formulating international conventions to change discriminatory legislation and foster global awareness of women’s issues.

• With a growing UN membership and mounting evidence in the 1960s that women were disproportionately affected by poverty, CSW focused on needs in community and rural development, agricultural work, family planning and scientific and technological advances. 

• It also encouraged the UN system to expand technical assistance to further the advancement of women, especially in developing countries.

• The UN declared 1975 the International Year of Women and convened the First World Conference on Women, held in Mexico. 

• In 1977, the UN formally recognised International Women’s Day, observed annually on March 8.

• CSW was pivotal in the adoption of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women of the ground-breaking declaration, which remains a key global policy document on gender equality

• The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s and girls' rights, documenting the reality of their lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

• In 1996, ECOSOC expanded the Commission’s mandate and decided that it should take a leading role in monitoring and reviewing progress and problems in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and in mainstreaming a gender perspective in UN activities.

• During the Commission’s annual two-week session, representatives of UN Member States, civil society organisations 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 and girls.

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

Member States of CSW

• Forty-five Member States of the United Nations serve as members of the Commission at any one time. 

The Commission consists of one representative from each of the 45 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council on the basis of equitable geographical distribution:

a) 12 members from Africa.

b) 11 from Asia.

c) Nine from Latin America and Caribbean.

d) Eight from Western Europe and other States.

e) Four from Eastern Europe.

• India is a member of the CSW.

• Members are elected for a period of four years.

Union Minister Annpurna Devi to lead India’s delegation

• Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi will lead India's delegation at CSW69.

• She will participate in discussions on resourcing and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

• As part of the high-level engagements, the minister will be the guest of honour at a side event on March 12, organised by the Indian government in collaboration with UN Women. 

• The event will bring together global leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss financial and digital empowerment strategies for women.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store