Ethiopia has commenced its four-year term as a member of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a subsidiary body of ECOSOC. As one of the 45 members, Ethiopia is participating in the sixty-ninth session of the CSW, which started this month on Thursday (March 6).
The 69th session marks the thirtieth-year anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women that adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in China. It is to be recalled that the Beijing Declaration is the most comprehensive intergovernmental document on equality of women, adopted with the consensus of 189 countries, including Ethiopia. The Declaration encompasses member states commitment to take concrete measures according to their national laws, in the fields of, including but not limited to poverty; education and training; health; violence; and power and decision-making.
In his opening remarks at this year’s CSW session, António Guterres acknowledged that “the promise of women’s equality feels more distant than we might have ever imagined.” The Secretary-General urged all stakeholders to take action by enhancing investments in education and training, supporting women’s organizations, and ensuring the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and decision-making.
The 69th session adopted a political declaration commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration. The Declaration emphasizes the urgent need to revive political commitment to address gaps in the implementation of women’s rights. It also encourages states to nominate women for the soon-to-open post of UN Secretary-General.
During its term at the CSW, which will run until 2029, Ethiopia will make concerted efforts to bring the African context, along with the concerns and policy targets of African countries, into the multilateral agenda on women’s equality. Ethiopia will also share its best practices in ensuring gender parity in the executive branch of government, legislative and institutional frameworks promoting women’s equality, and improving the roles of women in the security sector, including leadership positions. Additionally, Ethiopia will advocate for a rights-based approach centered on economic empowerment and equal opportunities in education, training, and employment for women.
The CSW was established in 1946 and held its first session with an all-women commission of fifteen in 1947. Its declared objective is “to raise the status of women, irrespective of nationality, race, language, or religion, to equality with men in all fields of human enterprise, and to eliminate all discrimination against women in the provisions of statutory law, in legal maxims or rules, or in the interpretation of customary law.”