By Haruna Gimba
The 60th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has pledged commitment to focus on implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development agreement endorsed by world leaders.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by UN Member States in September 2015 are a universal roadmap for people and planet, addressing the key challenges of the 21st century, such as poverty, inequality and climate change.
In a statement issued by UN Women, Gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls is a goal in itself, and recognized as a central means to achieving the SDGs.
The Commission is the single largest forum for Member States and other stakeholders to commit to new actions for advancement of women and their empowerment.
The statement added that world leaders pledged measurable actions to tackle structural barriers and remaining challenges to the achievement of gender equality in their countries.
UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said the gathering of so many of the key partners in the implementation of Agenda 2030 makes it a crucial opportunity to combine strengths and align decisively around the central issues for action.
“The priority theme for the 60th session will be women’s empowerment and its link to sustainable development where discussions by governments will be focus on creating conducive environment for gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“Today, only one in five parliamentarians is a woman and women continue to earn less, have fewer assets and bear the burden of unpaid work and care,” she said.
The UN Women executive director further stated that violence against women continues to affect one in three women, making it one of the most widespread human rights violations.
She said: “The Commission will evaluate progress in the implementation of its agreed conclusions of 2013, on ending violence against women and girls, a pandemic that also comes with enormous economic costs to society.
Health Reporters gathered that the high-level meeting from March 14 to 24 underlines the determination of governments and activists to move the needle on women’s rights and gender equality.
“This year over 1,000 NGOs have pre-registered over 8,100 of their representatives for the meeting, also more than 200 side events will be hosted on the UN premises by Member States and UN entities, in collaboration with civil society in the vicinity of the UN.”
