Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

Important international bodies and agencies are relevant areas for UPSC and other government exams, especially if they are in the news with a focus on India. They form an important part of the UPSC/Govt. Exams prep for aspirants. In this article, you can read all about the Commission on the Status of Women or CSW for government exams.

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What is the Commission on the Status of Women?

The UNCSW or simply CSW is the chief international inter-governmental body dedicated to the promotion of women empowerment and gender equality.

• It functions under the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the principal organs of the United Nations.
• It was established in 1946 by a resolution of the ECOSOC.
• The CSW documents the condition of women’s lives the world over and also strives for setting global standards on women empowerment and gender equality.
• In 1996, the ECOSOC expanded the mandate of the Commission to include supervising and reviewing progress and problems in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
• The expanded mandate also includes bringing in a gender perspective in all of the UN’s activities.
• The Commission is supported in its work by UN Women, which is its Secretariat.
• CSW is headquartered in New York, USA.

CSW and India

In a recent development, India was elected to the CSW for four years from 2021 to 2025. Along with India, Afghanistan was also elected to the Commission while China failed to win a seat.

CSW Significance

The Commission has played a key role in the advancement of women’s social, economic and political rights worldwide. 

• The first international law instrument to recognize and protect the political rights of women, the Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1953), was drafted by UNCSW.  
• A few other landmark conventions drafted by the Commission include the following, among others:
  • Convention on the Nationality of Married Women (1957) – first international agreement on the rights of married women.
  • Convention on Consent to Marriage (1962)
  • Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages (1962)
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) (1979)
• The Commission served as the preparatory body for the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, which adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
• Over the years, the Commission has brought to light the social taboos and broken stereotypes.
• It has taken a leading role in the discussion around women’s rights and advancements.
• It has also talked about discrimination and inequalities faced by women and girls everywhere.
• The annual session of the Commission is the largest congregation of women’s rights advocates from all over the globe.
• At the end of the two-week session, the CSW comes up with ‘Agreed Conclusions’, for governments, national human rights institutions, the UN system, the private sector, civil society, employer organisations, trade unions, media, etc.