Commission on the Status of Women – CSW

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The CSW promotes women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

The CSW was established in 1946 as a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In 1996, ECOSOC expanded the Commission’s mandate to take a leading role in monitoring and reviewing progress and problems in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Its mandate was also expanded to mainstream a gender perspective in UN activities. Each year, CSW member states discuss and reach agreement on further actions to accelerate progress and promote women’s enjoyment of their rights in political, economic, and social fields.