The 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
In March 2024, UN Women Australia joined global leaders, youth advocates, and grassroots organisations in New York for the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) – the world’s largest annual gathering focused on gender equality.
CSW68 provided a crucial platform for feminists, changemakers and governments to share experiences, confront challenges and drive collective action to accelerate progress for women and girls. This year’s session focused on addressing women’s poverty, strengthening institutions, and increasing investment to achieve gender equality.
Key discussions explored key strategies to advance women’s economic justice, including transforming the care economy, promoting decent work and fair wages, expanding access to resources, and ensuring gender-responsive financing. At a high-level event hosted by UN Women, global leaders and activists united to address the growing resistance to gender equality and reaffirm their commitment to advancing women’s rights.
Alongside the formal proceedings, hundreds of side events were held by Member States, UN entities, and civil society organisations, including the Australian Government’s session on ‘Gender Equality as a core economic imperative: How government structures, processes and evidence can shift the dial on gender equality’. These events fostered collaboration and highlighted critical gender equality issues.
Youth voices played a central role throughout CSW68, advocating for inclusive, intersectional approaches to policy-making that prioritise education, grassroots leadership, and youth participation in decision-making.
CSW68 concluded with Member States adopting a comprehensive blueprint to eradicate women’s and girls’ poverty, embedding gender-responsive policies and promoting women’s leadership across all sectors.