Gender Equality

The 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) took place in New York from March 9 to 19, 2026. A functional body of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Commission, established in 1946 and composed of 45 member states, is the main intergovernmental forum dedicated to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. Each year, the CSW brings together Member States, UN agencies, and civil society organizations around a priority theme to assess progress, identify persistent challenges, and guide public action at the international level. These negotiations lead to the adoption of “agreed conclusions,” which serve as a reference for public policies on women’s rights. In 2026, these conclusions focused on access to justice for all women and girls. For the first time in the Commission’s history, the final text was not adopted by consensus but by vote: 37 states voted in favor, six abstained, and one opposed it (the United States). This departure from established practice highlights a deepening divide among states over several key issues related to gender equality, sexual and reproductive rights, and, more broadly, the role of international norms on women’s rights. An analysis.