6 The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
Gudrun Gudmundsdottir
Introduction
The inferior status of women is entrenched in history, culture, and tradition. Through the ages, national and religious institutions have justified violations of women’s rights to equality and enjoyment of fundamental human rights. Even now, women are subject to discrimination in all stages of life, in income, education, health, and participation in society, and they are particularly vulnerable to specific violations such as gender-based violence and trafficking.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) in 1946. In 1996, ECOSOC in resolution 1996/6 expanded the Commission’s mandate. It is the main United Nations organ promoting the rights of women. Its mandate is to prepare reports for the ECOSOC on matters concerning women’s rights in the political, economic, social and educational fields and to take a leading role in monitoring and reviewing progress and problems in mainstreaming a gender perspective in UN activities. The CSW may also make recommendations to the ECOSOC on discrimination against women requiring immediate attention. The CSW is the forum for evaluation of the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women, including on the 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). The Commission acted as the Preparatory Committee for the World Conferences on Women, which took place in Mexico (1975), Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995). The Commission membership consists of 45 states elected by the ECOSOC for a period of four years on a regional basis ensuring equitable geographical distribution. The Commission meets annually for a period of two weeks in New York. The outcomes and recommendations of each session are forwarded to ECOSOC for follow-up.
UN Women provides the Secretariat for the Commission and supports all aspects of its work.
At its 59th annual session in March 2015, the Commission agreed on new working methods, including creating a ministerial segment starting at the session in 2016. The segment includes ministerial round tables or other high-level interactive dialogues to exchange experiences, lessons learned and good practices.
Learning Objectives
- The historical and socio-political reasons for the creation of the Commission on the Status of Women.
- The nature and functioning of the Commission.
The Work of the Commission
Communications Procedure
Any individual, non-governmental organization or group may submit communications (complaints/appeals/petitions) to the Commission on the Status of Women relating to alleged violations of human rights that affect the status of women in any country in the world. The Commission on the Status of Women considers such communications as part of its annual programme of work in order to identify emerging trends and patterns of injustice and discriminatory practices against women for purposes of policy formulation and development of strategies for the promotion of gender equality. The Commission does not take decisions on the merit of communications that are submitted to it and, therefore, the communications procedure does not provide an avenue for the redress of individual grievances, such as that of CEDAW, for instance.
The procedure for communications:
Examples of issues addressed by communications
The following are examples of categories of communications received and trends and patterns identified in recent years:
- Arbitrary arrests of women
- Deaths and torture of women in custody
- Forced disappearances or abductions of women
- Discriminatory application of punishments in law based on sex, including corporal and capital punishment
- Violation of the rights of women human rights defenders to freedom of expression and assembly
- Threats or pressure exerted on women not to complain or to withdraw complaints Impunity for violations of the human rights of women
- Stereotypical attitudes towards the role and responsibilities of women Domestic violence
- Forced marriage and marital rape Virginity testing
- Contemporary forms of slavery, including trafficking in women and girls Sexual harassment of women in the workplace
- Unfair employment practices based on sex, including unequal pay
- Lack of due diligence by States to adequately investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of violence against women
- Discrimination against women under immigration and nationality laws Violations of the rights of women to own and inherit property
- Discrimination against women in accessing international humanitarian aid Forcible evictions of women in conflict situations
Methods of work
The Commission adopts multi-year work programmes 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.
Under its current methods the Commission:
Engages in general discussion on the status of gender equality, identifying goals attained, achievements, gaps and challenges in relation to implementation of key commitments;
Focuses on one priority theme, based on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly;
Holds a high-level roundtable to exchange experiences, lessons learned and good practices on the priority theme;
Evaluates progress in implementing agreed conclusions from previous sessions as a review theme;
Convenes interactive panel discussions on steps and initiatives to accelerate implementation, and measures to build capacities for mainstreaming gender equality across policies and programmes;
Addresses emerging issues that affect gender equality;
Considers in closed meeting the report of its Working Group on Communications;
Agrees on further actions for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women by adopting agreed conclusions and resolutions;
Contributes gender perspectives to the work of other intergovernmental bodies and processes; and
Celebrates International Women’s Day on 8 March, when it falls within its session.
Outcomes
The principal output of the Commission on the Status of Women is the agreed conclusions on priority themes set for each year. Agreed conclusions contain an analysis of the priority theme and a set of concrete recommendations for governments, intergovernmental bodies and other institutions, civil society actors and other relevant stakeholders, to be implemented at the international, national, regional and local level.
In addition to the agreed conclusions, the Commission also adopts a number of resolutions on a range of issues. At its 59th session (9-20 March 2015) the Commission adopted a political declaration on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (E/CN.6/2015/L.1).
In the last decade, the agreed conclusions related to the following:
58th session (10-21 March 2014)
Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls (see Summary below)
57th session (4-15 March 2013)
Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls
55th session (22 February-4 March and 14 March 2011)
Access and participation of women and girls in education, training and science, and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work
54th session (1-12 March 2010)
The fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly was carried out during the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission adopted a Declaration. No agreed conclusions were adopted.
53rd session (2-13 March 2009)
The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS
52nd session (25 February-7 and 13 March 2008)
Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women
51st session (26 February- 9 March 2007)
Elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child
50th session (27 February-10 March 2006 and 16 March 2006)
A – Enhanced participation of women in development: an enabling environment for achieving gender equality and the advancement of women, taking into account, inter alia, the fields of education, health, and work
B – Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels
49th session (28 February-11 and 22 March 2005)
The ten-year review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century” was carried out during the forty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission adopted a Declaration. Noagreed conclusions were adopted.
48th session (1-12 March 2004)
2004/11: The role of men and boys in achieving gender equality
2004/12: Women’s equal participation in conflict prevention, management and resolution and in post-conflict peacebuilding
47th session (3-14 and 25 March 2003)
2003/44: Participation in and access of women to the media, and information and communication technologies and their impact on and use as an instrument for the advancement and empowerment of women
46th session (4-15 and 25 March 2002)
2002/5
Eradicating poverty, including through the empowerment of women throughout their life cycle, in a globalizing world
Environmental management and the mitigation of natural disasters
45th session (6-16 March and 9-11 May 2001)
2001/5
Women, the girl child, and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome B. Gender and all forms of discrimination, in particular racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
44th session (28 February – 2 March 2000)
The Commission acted as the ad hoc preparatory committee for the twenty-third special session of the United Nations General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: Gender equality, development, and peace for the twenty-first century”. No agreed conclusions were adopted.
43rd session (1-12 March and 1 April 1999)
1999/I: Women and health
1999/II: Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women
42nd session (2-13 March 1998)
1998/I: Violence against women
1998/II: Women and armed conflict
1998/III: Human rights of women
1998/IV: The girl child
41st session (10-21 March 1997)
1997/1: Women and the environment
1997/2: Women in power and decision-making
1997/3: Women and the economy
1997/4: Education and training of women
40th session (11-22 March 1996)
Resolution 40/9:
Implementation of strategic objectives and action in the critical area of concern: poverty
Agreed conclusions:
1996/1: Methods of work for dealing with the implementation of the platform for action adopted by
the fourth world conference on women
1996/2: Women and the media
1996/3: Child and dependent care, including sharing of work and family responsibilities
The “agreed conclusions” adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women at the conclusion of its fifty-eighth session (E/2014/27)
The 2014 session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women reached a momentous global consensus on actions needed to accelerate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for women and girls and built a strong foundation for reflecting gender equality, the empowerment of women and the human rights of women and girls in the post-2015 development agenda.
The “agreed conclusions” adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women at the conclusion of its fifty-eighth session (E/2014/27) represent the first goal-by-goal assessment of the MDGs from a gender perspective. The introductory part (paragraphs 1 to 41) sets out existing commitments on gender equality, the empowerment of women and women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of human rights. It analyzes progress, gaps and challenges in the achievement of all the MDGs for women and girls and factors that hold back progress, such as unequal power relations between women and men, poverty and inequalities and disadvantages in access to resources and opportunities, discriminatory laws, social norms, harmful customary and contemporary practices and gender stereotypes, as well as violence against women and girls. This part also addresses the impacts of the economic crisis, of climate change, and of natural disasters on the achievement of the MDGs for women and girls. By identifying the critical gender equality issues that were not sufficiently addressed in the MDGs, the document signals important priorities for the future. It acknowledges the role of the national machinery in the advancement of women and contributions made by women’s organizations and feminist groups to advancing gender equality.
Following this introductory part, the Commission (in paragraph 42) urges governments and other stakeholders to take actions in five areas:
- Realizing women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of all human rights (paragraph 42 (a) to (ii))
- Strengthening the enabling environment for gender equality and the empowerment of women (paragraph 42 (jj) to (xx))
- Maximizing investments in gender equality and the empowerment of women (paragraph 42 (yy) to (ddd))
- Strengthening the evidence-base for gender equality and the empowerment of women (paragraph (eee) to (hhh))
- Ensuring women’s participation and leadership at all levels and strengthening accountability (paragraph (iii) to (mmm)).
Section A sets out actions necessary to realize women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of all human rights. It calls for full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. Actions aim to address the multiple and intersecting factors contributing to women’s and girls’ poverty, to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, promotion and protection of sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work, to promote rights to education and work, and access to services and infrastructure. It also highlights actions to benefit particular groups of women and girls, including women human rights defenders, indigenous women and girls, and migrants.
Section B targets the broader enabling environment. It includes provisions to ensure that global trade, financial and investment agreements, as well as macro-economic policies promote gender equality. Actions call for integration of a gender perspective in response to climate change and for women’s participation in all aspects of peacebuilding. Actions in support of women in trade, rural women in agriculture, and regarding the role of the media are also included in this section.
Section C calls for increased investments in gender equality. It includes actions to increase resources for gender equality through domestic resources and official development assistance, to fulfill official development assistance commitments, to institutionalize gender-responsive budgeting, to cost national actions plans on gender equality to ensure their implementation and to increase funding for women’s organizations.
Section D includes actions to address data gaps and to improve gender statistics. It includes actions to collect data on the minimum set of gender indicators and violence against women indicators, and to develop and enhance standards in key areas such as women’s poverty, income distribution within households, unpaid care work, women’s access to, control and ownership of assets and productive resources, and women’s participation at all levels of decision-making.
Section E includes actions to ensure women’s participation and leadership in all fields and at all levels, including through temporary special measures, and to ensure the participation of women’s organizations in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda. Measures of accountability for the achievement of gender equality, the empowerment of women, and the realization of the human rights of women and girls are also reflected.
Two concluding paragraphs make essential linkages to the future. The Commission (paragraph 43) urges States to build on the lessons from the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals as the new post-2015 development agenda is being shaped. It calls for remaining critical challenges to be tackled through a transformative and comprehensive approach and for a stand-alone goal on gender equality, the empowerment of women and human rights of women and girls and integration of gender equality targets and indicators across the future framework. The Commission (paragraph 44) also urges all States and all other stakeholders to undertake comprehensive national and regional level reviews of the progress made, and challenges encountered in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and to implement commemorative activities for the twentieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women
Governments and other stakeholders are now called upon to implement the actions contained in the agreed conclusions to achieve gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and the full realization of the human rights of women and girls across the globe. UN Women stands ready to support all stakeholders in these efforts.
Source: UN Women, 2014.
Multi-Year Programme of Work
The Commission elaborates a multi-year programme of work and, since 2006, it has added an annual review theme, to evaluate the implementation of agreed conclusions from a previous session. Themes for 2010–2016 are:
2010: Review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly and its contribution to shaping a gender perspective towards the full realization of the Millennium Development Goals.
2011: Priority theme: Access and participation of women and girls in education, training, science, and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work. Review theme: The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child, from the 51st session of the CSW.
2012: Priority theme: The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges. Review theme: Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women, from the 52nd session of the CSW.
2013: Priority theme: Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. Review theme: The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV/AIDS, from the 53rd session of the CSW.
2014: Priority theme: Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls. Review theme: Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science, and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work, from the 54th session of the CSW.
2015: Review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, including current challenges that affect the implementation of the Platform for Action and the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women, as well as opportunities for strengthening gender equality and the empowerment of women in the post-2015 development agenda through the integration of a gender perspective.
2016: Priority theme: Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development.
Review theme: The elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.
Summary
Among the functions of the Commission:
- Response to recommendations by member states and directives to be issued.
- Achievement of MDG’s.
- Ensuring not only the safety and security of women but protecting their rights as well.
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Reference
- http://www.unwomen.org/~/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/csw/58/csw58_agreed_con clusions.pdf
- http://www.hrc.upeace.org/files/human%20rights%20reference%20handbook.pdf
- http://www.pcw.gov.ph/international-commitments/csw
- http://ngo-connect.org/un-women-csw/
- http://www.uianet.org/es/content/uia-non-governmental-organization-un-level