A delegation of the Government of India led by Smt. Annpurna Devi, Union Minister, Women and Child Development (WCD), participated in the 69thSession of the Commission on the Status of Women, which started on 10th March 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Indias involvement includes active participation in key discussions. On Monday, March 10, 2025, Smt. Annapurna Devi delivered Indias statement at the Ministerial Forum, addressing the priority theme: Review and Appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, on its 30th anniversary; analyzing global progress and challenges on the achievement of gender equality; the empowerment of women; and, the full realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW or UNCSW) is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the main UN organs within the United Nations.

Indias WCD Minister delivered National Statement on GOI Initiatives for holistic development of women & girls at UNCSW, which fully supports and underlines Strengthening Commitment to Women and Child Welfare.

As the 69th Commission on the Status of Women opens, Member States adopt strong political declaration, committing to respect, protect and promote rights, equality and empowerment for all women and girls

When the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, governments have adopted by consensus a powerful Political Declaration to respect, protect, and champion the rights, equality, and empowerment of women and girls.

Welcoming its adoption, Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women said, Rising to the challenges and opportunities of gender equality requires collective, decisive action across Member States, now more than ever.  At a time when hard-fought gains for gender equality are under attack the global community has come together in a show of unity for all women and girls, everywhere.

The Political Declaration reaffirms the commitments of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, originally adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women, stressing the need to uphold all human rights and fundamental freedoms for every woman and girl, without exception. It reinforces commitments to women, peace, and security, emphasizing the need to integrate womens voices and leadership into all stages of conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution.

It underscores the importance of eradicating poverty in all its forms, including through ensuring womens and girls right to education, particularly in STEM fields, and by increasing public investments in care systems. Recognizing the vast potential of technology, it highlights the necessity of closing the gender digital divide and calls for renewed investment in gender statistics and data to drive informed policymaking.

The Declaration recommits Member States to eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, including emerging forms such as digital violence, online harassment, and cyberbullying.

Further, it acknowledges that achieving progress in these areas requires substantial resources and financing. It calls for strengthened national systems, womens machineries, and international mechanisms, including a revitalized Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), to accelerate gender equality efforts globally.

UN Women Executive Director Bahous added, No nation has yet fully achieved gender equality.  This bold Declaration makes clear that the worlds governments recognize 2025 as a pivotal moment, where promises made 30 years ago can no longer be deferred. It is a springboard to ensure that we live up to our commitments to gender equality and womens empowerment for all women and girls, everywhere, and that we do so together.

Indias Minister reaffirmed the Government of Indias unwavering commitment to the empowerment, protection, and holistic development of women and children across the nation. Addressing in the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women the Minister outlined the progress of India on gender equality addressing the 12 critical areas of concern.

She highlighted the transformative impact of flagship schemes, which have significantly contributed to improving health, nutrition, education, and economic opportunities for women and children. Emphasizing the need for strengthened implementation and outreach, the Minister reiterated the governments resolve to ensure that every woman and girl has access to their rights and entitlements. She said that the welfare of women and children is at the core of our nations progress. Through a multi-pronged approach, we are working towards a future where every woman is empowered and every child is nurtured in a safe and supportive environment.

The session witnessed large-scale participation from all UN member states, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, philanthropists, academia, civil society, womens collectives, and UN agencies.

CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, the rights and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the forthcoming session of the Commission will be held upto 21st March, 2025.

What is UN Women?

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.

UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind womens equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on four strategic priorities:

• Women lead, participate in and benefit equally from governance systems
• Women have income security, decent work and economic autonomy
• All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence
• Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action

UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN systems work in advancing gender equality, and in all deliberations and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda. The entity works to position gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a more inclusive world.

Gender equality is not only a basic human right, but its achievement has enormous socio-economic ramifications. Empowering women fuels thriving economies, spurring productivity and growth.

Yet gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched in every society. Women lack access to decent work and face occupational segregation and gender wage gaps. They are too often denied access to basic education and health care. Women in all parts of the world suffer violence and discrimination. They are under-represented in political and economic decision-making processes.

Over many decades, the United Nations has made significant progress in advancing gender equality, including through landmark agreements such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Working for the empowerment and rights of women and girls globally, UN Womens main roles are:

• To support inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global standards and norms.
• To help Member States implement these standards, standing ready to provide suitable technical and financial support to those countries that request it, and to forge effective partnerships with civil society.
• To lead and coordinate the UN systems work on gender equality, as well as promote accountability, including through regular monitoring of system-wide progress.