As the United Nations convenes the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, governments and civil society are called to measure progress not by promises, but by outcomes. In its written statement, the International Alliance of Women aligns the session’s Priority Theme, Review Theme and Focus Area into a single demand: gender equality must be enforceable, inclusive and lived across the life course.
Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls
The Priority Theme of CSW70 places access to justice at the heart of gender equality. The International Alliance of Women (IAW) documents how structural discrimination, under-resourced legal systems and social stigma continue to deny women and girls equal protection under the law. Survivors of gender-based violence face retaliation and procedural harm, while inadequate legal aid leaves justice out of reach for low-income, migrant and rural women. In family law, the application of international frameworks such as the Hague Convention too often disadvantages mothers and fails to uphold the best interests of the child. Restrictions on sexual and reproductive rights further undermine women’s autonomy and access to remedies.
Women’s Full and Effective Participation and Decision-Making in Public Life
Reflecting the Review Theme, the statement highlights women’s persistent underrepresentation in political leadership, peace processes and corporate decision-making. Media stereotypes, rigid electoral systems and institutional bias continue to constrain women’s participation, weakening democratic legitimacy. Participation, the Alliance argues, is not symbolic; it is essential for responsive, accountable governance.
Achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Older Women
CSW70’s Focus Area brings attention to older women, often absent from gender equality debates. Lifetime pay gaps result in inadequate pensions, digital exclusion limits access to justice and services, and ageism erases older women’s expertise from leadership. Gender equality must address these intersecting inequalities across the full life course.
Conclusion
The Commission on the Status of Women is not a ceremonial forum but a test of political will. At CSW70, the International Alliance of Women is present with a 20-member delegation and is convening and co-sponsoring multiple parallel events to ensure civil society perspectives shape outcomes. Justice, participation and empowerment are obligations — and the measure of whether global commitments are finally translated into practice.
By Dr. Sibylle von Heydebrand, Executive Vice President and Head of Delegation of the International Alliance of Women (IAW) to CSW70
One Response
I will thank the posters of such articles to remember that the official name of IAW is International Alliance of Women, not “the” International Alliance of Women (all four times) and that I, as President of IAW, was the official Head of the IAW Delegation to CSW70.