Niël Terblanché
The 68th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) concluded with an urgent call to action to combat entrenched poverty among women and girls worldwide.
The report of the session at the UN headquarters in New York was tabled in Namibia’s National Council by Victoria Mbawu Kauma.
Kauma was a delegate who attended the session.
She informed the council members that the report calls for swift international collaboration and the integration of gender-focused strategies into global financing.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres revealed that over 10% of the world’s women are living in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $2.15 per day.
“To meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, progress towards poverty eradication must be accelerated 26-fold,” he said.
Despite some strides toward gender equality, poverty among women remains an urgent issue, exacerbated by discriminatory policies and societal norms that restrict their economic empowerment.
A considerable gender pay gap still persists globally, with women earning significantly less than men in most countries.
According to a report about the session complied by the CSW, this pay disparity is even more pronounced in the private sector, where fewer regulatory measures protect women from wage discrimination.
The session included vital dialogues on the barriers that hinder women’s participation in formal economic activities, including the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work shouldered by women, which limits their time and opportunities for economic advancement.
According to a report on the matter, discussions focused on the economic empowerment of indigenous women, the CSW participants acknowledged that Indigenous women face unique challenges due to historical and structural discrimination.
Indigenous women, often marginalized in political and social spheres, encounter barriers that restrict their access to essential resources like land and financial capital.
The report states that such obstacles not only limit economic prospects for indigenous women but also impede their ability to contribute meaningfully to the cultural and economic fabric of their communities.
CSW participants highlighted the importance of enabling indigenous women to secure economic independence through measures such as land ownership rights, support for traditional crafts, and access to global markets.
The session also tackled the topic of violence against women in politics—a growing issue that affects women parliamentarians, candidates, and activists worldwide.
According to the report, an Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) study cited at the session revealed that over 80% of female parliamentarians have faced psychological violence, including threats and harassment, a problem that discourages women’s political participation and threatens democratic values.
Addressing this issue, the CSW stressed the need to “name, investigate, and eliminate” violence against women in the political arena to ensure that female leaders can operate safely and effectively.
The session called for more reforms to the international financial architecture to better support developing countries, with a particular focus on those reforms that can ease the debt burden and promote progressive taxation policies.
The report states that gender-sensitive budgeting and financial commitments from developed nations were also discussed in depth as essential steps to foster economic equity.
According to the report, there has been a concerning decline in official development assistance (ODA) directed toward gender equality programs, since 2020.
The CSW urged member states to reverse this trend.
The Commission urged all stakeholders including governments, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, to take immediate steps to address gender-based disparities in economic opportunities.
Strengthening social protection systems and investing in healthcare, education, and infrastructure were identified in the report as vital measures to empower women economically and socially.
The report of the CSW stated that a gender-responsive approach is essential to achieving inclusive development and sustainable progress.
It also called on global leaders to accelerate their efforts, acknowledging that achieving gender equality is a moral imperative and a catalyst for broader social and economic transformation.
