The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal intergovernmental body of the United Nations dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) is currently under way at United Nations Headquarters in New York. It commenced on 9 March 2026 and is scheduled to run until 19 March 2026.
The priority theme for CSW70 is “Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers.”
The review theme, drawn from the agreed conclusions of the 65th session, is “Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”
The session opened on 9 March 2026. UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed delegates in the General Assembly Hall during the opening ceremony. “Gender equality is – and always has been – a question of power. Not a single step forward for women’s rights has ever been given. It has been won. Won by generations of women and girls, advocates and activists, community leaders and justice seekers.”
The Bureau for CSW70 is chaired by H.E. Ms Maritza Chan Valverde of Costa Rica (Latin American and Caribbean States Group). Vice-Chairs are drawn from Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Romania, and Rwanda, representing all regional groups of the United Nations.
Parallel Events and Activities
The session includes high-level ministerial roundtables, formal plenary meetings, and a range of side events organised by governments, UN entities, and civil society. One early highlight was an event organised by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, which launched a Global Network on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Prosecutions aimed at improving justice and accountability for survivors.
Ahead of the formal session, a CSW70 Youth Forum titled “Voices Without Borders” was held on 8 March 2026, bringing together 200 young participants. The forum focused on advancing concrete reforms to formal and informal justice systems.
A joint side event co-convened by the governments of Uruguay and Kenya, alongside UN Women and Equality Now through the EU-funded ACT programme, it examined barriers to justice for survivors of violence against women and girls in Africa and Latin America. It focused on survivor-centred approaches and practical legal reforms.
Secretary-General’s Report
On 4 March 2026, ahead of the session opening, UN Women launched the Secretary-General’s report titled “Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls”. The report finds that legal systems meant to protect women and girls are, in practice, failing millions, with laws in numerous countries being reshaped to restrict women’s freedoms and reduce accountability for abusers.
Expected Outcome
The formal outcome of CSW70 will take the form of agreed conclusions negotiated by all Member States. These conclusions are expected to address the priority theme and will form part of the body of international policy commitments on gender equality and access to justice for women and girls worldwide. Negotiations are ongoing, with the session running until 19 March 2026.
