UN commission pushes equality for women in decision-making

At the closing of the UN women’s commission, world leaders issued a strong pledge for the elimination of violence against women along with their full and effective participation in public life, including in decision-making. 

The 65th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) ended its two-week long gathering on Friday by adopting a document that recognizes the need to significantly accelerate the pace in ensuring women a place in government and public sector leadership. 

The so-called Agreed Conclusions acknowledge that temporary special measures, such as quotas, and increased political will are needed as an enabling pathway to this goal. 

“This is the first session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 15 years to engage with the issue of women’s participation in public life and these Agreed Conclusions make important advances”, said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Executive Director of UN Women, which serves as the CSW Secretariat. 

Addressing the delegates in the UN General Assembly hall before the adoption of the document, the chairmanship of the Permanent Representative of Armenia to the United Nations  and the Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women Mher Margaryan  emphasized the importance of achieving an agreed outcome under the challenging circumstances posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Permanent Representative of Armenia expressed appreciation for the efforts of the delegations involved in the extensive negotiations that lasted several weeks, stressing the importance of the adopted document for the promotion of full and effective participation of women and girls in all aspects of public life and elimination of violence against them.   

One of the most substantive deliberative events of the the UN calendar, the session of the Commission on the Status of Women featured statements by high-ranking officials from more than 100 countries, with thousands of representatives of more than 800 civil society organizations from various countries following the session. The session also featured multiple virtual side events on various aspects of gender equality and women empowerment.

Outcome document 

The Agreed Conclusions set recommendations on the measures for full and equal participation of women in all areas of public life, including in the government and public sector. The document calls for legislative changes to eliminate discrimination against women, development of innovative measures, respective targets and timelines to ensure equal participation of women in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. The document also reaffirms the importance of engaging women in peace processes and outlines recommendations for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.

Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic,  the Agreed Conclusions affirm that the crisis is deepening the pre-existing inequalities that perpetuate multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.

However, recent data show that women have been mostly absent from COVID-19 government task forces around the world – making up only 24 per cent of the 225 task force members examined across 137 countries. 

As such, the document recommends concrete actions to remedy the situation, such as changing laws that hinder women’s equal participation in public life; setting timelines for gender balance in government through measures such as quotas or appointments; and encouraging the nomination of as many women candidates as men. 

Moreover, it pushes for measures to eliminate, prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spaces.  

The Agreed Conclusions also calls for an end to the impunity of perpetrators and assistance for victims and survivors – for instance through psychosocial support, affordable housing and employment. 

“The women of the world have made it very clear that the past and the status quo have not met their need for gender equality”, said Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka. 

Driving action further 

Meanwhile the countdown begins for the Generation Equality Forum in Mexico on 29 March.  

Convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the Governments of Mexico and France, in conjunction with youth and civil society, the forum aims to drive major action and commitments for gender. 

With civil society at its core, it will reinforce the power and voice of feminist movements and youth, while highlighting the commitment and action of UN Member States, the private sector and international organizations, among others, in the drive to achieve gender equality.