A question of power
In his opening speech to the session, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that despite decades of progress, inequality remains deeply entrenched.
“We still live in a male-dominated world and a male-dominated culture,” she said, noting that Gender equality “is – and always has been – a question of power.”
She noted that women around the world possess only 64 percent of the legal rights enjoyed by men and that justice remains “a distant dream for millions and millions of women and girls.” Discriminatory laws and patriarchal norms continue to limit opportunities, he said, while conflict, climate change and growing inequality are intensifying challenges.
“Justice for women and girls must be the cornerstone of the world we seek to build,”he told the delegates.
Secretary-General António Guterres delivers a speech at the opening of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Change is possible
The executive director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, warned that Progress towards equality is moving too slowly, warning that the global gap in legal protection for women and girls could still take centuries to close..
The Member States and partners gathered in the Commission represent “the most powerful constituencies”, he said, adding: “That power is more than enough to make a difference, more than enough to transform lives.”
Looking ahead to the election of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations, he also noted that Member States will soon face another historic election.
“This year, delegates will elect a new Secretary General,” he said. “At UN-Women we will be proud to serve and work with a lady Secretary-General.”
Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, delivers a speech at the opening of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Promoting women’s rights since 1946
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), established in 1946, is the The main UN intergovernmental body dedicated to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls..
Each year it brings together governments and civil society representatives to assess global progress, shape international standards and agree policy recommendations to advance women’s rights.
The body played a key role in developing landmark frameworks such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995, which remains the most comprehensive global agenda for achieving gender equality.
Why is progress still insufficient?
General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said the world no longer needed to debate the importance of women’s rights, but rather why progress remained incomplete.
“After 70 sessions of this Commission on the Status of Women, and 30 years since the Beijing Declaration, we no longer need to debate why women’s rights matter,” she said. “The real question is: why are we still not complying?”
Globally, women have only about two-thirds of the legal rights granted to men, she noted, adding that many countries still lack laws mandating equal pay for equal work or protecting girls from child marriage.
General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock addresses the opening of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Justice must work for all women and girls
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Lok Bahadur Thapa echoed concerns that progress towards gender equality remains slow and emphasized that legal reforms alone are not enough.
“Equality is not achieved simply by adopting laws,” he said. “It is achieved when justice systems work in practice, for every woman and girl.”
She noted that the Commission plays a central role within the United Nations system, bringing together governments, civil society and international partners to promote gender equality and inform broader development efforts, including the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and future global reviews of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Women gather in Wau, South Sudan, to share experiences, support each other and strengthen their leadership skills.
Adopted result
Later that day, The Commission adopted its final document, known as the Agreed Conclusions, on the issue of access to justice for women and girls..
The text was approved by a recorded vote of 37 votes in favor, one against (United States) and six abstentions, departing from the Commission’s traditional practice of adopting such results by consensus.
Before the vote, the United States proposed eight amendments to the text and asked that its consideration be postponed or withdrawn, arguing that the document contained “ambiguous language that promoted gender ideology” and references to sexual and reproductive health that could imply the right to abortion.
The amendments were rejected.
Commission President Maritza Chan Valverde of Costa Rica said extensive consultations had been carried out to reflect the diversity of views among member states.
“We are convinced that the text represents the most balanced result that can be achieved at this stage”he said before the Commission moved to a vote.
What happens next?
As the session continues, delegates are expected to discuss concrete steps to strengthen legal protections for women and girls and ensure justice systems are accessible, responsive and inclusive.
For the Secretary-General, what is at stake could not be clearer.
“Justice for women and girls must be the cornerstone of the world we seek to build,” she said. urging governments and societies alike to close the persistent gaps that continue to limit equality around the world.