PH Steers CSW68 on Women’s Active Role in Advancing SDGs
NEW YORK 01 April 2024 — The Philippines, as Chair of the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), successfully steered the adoption of the commission’s agreed conclusions towards eradicating women’s poverty and advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals at the 17th Plenary Meeting of the Commission.
During the closing meeting on 27 March 2024, the Ambassador commended the Bureau, UN Women, member states, as well as civil society organizations for their collaborative efforts to advance the discourse on gender equality centered on this year’s theme, “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”. He called on all stakeholders to implement the commitments and solutions agreed upon during the session.
“With the exchange of good practices, opportunities, and challenges throughout these two weeks, we know the solutions to end women's poverty: investing in gender-responsive social protection systems, expanding access to quality education and healthcare, promoting women's economic empowerment, and enhancing women's leadership and decision-making at all levels of society,” the Ambassador said.
This year’s Agreed Conclusions underscores the poverty experienced by women and their active role and important contribution to achieving sustainable development and poverty eradication. It also highlights the investments required to bolster institutions and mobilize resources for women’s empowerment, while also recognizing the urgent crises disproportionately impacting women, such as violent conflicts and climate change, emphasizing the need for comprehensive responses.
The CSW is the biggest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment. This year’s session, which ran from 11 to 27 March 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York, marked a significant milestone for the Philippines as it assumed the Chairship of the session.
Led by the Philippine Head of Delegation, Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, and Ambassador Lagdameo, the Philippines actively participated in numerous dialogues and bilateral meetings, and hosted side events that highlighted the Philippines’ commitment to investing in and empowering women by improving their access to social protection services, entrepreneurship skills training, and transformative digital technologies.
The Commission will meet again for its 69th session next year from 10 to 21 March 2025 to review the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly.
More information on Philippine participation in CSW68 can be found in this microsite: https://pco.gov.ph/un-csw68/. END