Ghana to participate in UN 57th session on status of women

Ghana is to participate in United Nations’ 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN headquarters from March 4 to 15.

The CSW conference is on the general theme: “Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.”

The CSW is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which served as the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday, the 57th session is to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women's empowerment worldwide.

The statement said the CSW was established by ECOSOC Resolution 11of 21 June 1946 with the aim to prepare recommendations and reports to the Council on promoting women's rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields.

“The CSW also makes recommendations to the Council on urgent problems requiring immediate attention in the field of women's rights.”

The CSW’s mandate was expanded in 1987 by ECOSOC resolution 1987/22 to include the functions of promoting the objectives of equality, development and peace, monitoring the implementation of measures for the advancement of women, and reviewing and appraising progress made at the national, sub-regional, regional and global levels.

Following the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, the General Assembly mandated the Commission to integrate into its programme a follow-up process to the Conference, regularly reviewing the critical areas of concern in the Beijing Platform for Action and to develop its catalytic role in mainstreaming a gender perspective in United Nations activities.

ECOSOC again modified CSW's terms of reference in 1996, in its resolution 1996, deciding that the Commission should:

Assist the Council in monitoring, reviewing and appraising progress achieved and problems encountered in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at all levels, and should advise the Council thereon;

Continue to ensure support for mainstreaming a gender perspective in United Nations activities and develop further its catalytic role in that regard in other areas; Identify issues where United Nations system-wide coordination needed to be improved in order to assist the Council in its coordination function.

Identify emerging issues, trends and new approaches to issues affecting the situation of women or equality between women and men that required consideration and make substantive recommendations thereon, maintain and enhance public awareness and support for the implementation of the Platform for action.