CSW70 Side Event Schedule

Contact: Rukaya MOHAMMED

Contact: lamia.habchi@uaeun.org

Contact: Joseph.Nkalwo@francophonie.org

Cet événement de haut-niveau mettra en lumière les actions concrètes des pays francophones et l'engagement de l'OIF en en faveur de l'enregistrement des naissance, l'accès à l'identité et l'élimination des obstacles structurels qui entravent l'accès des femmes à la justice.

Contact: jovana.bubanja@fdes.me

The event is by invitation only.Concept note - No peace without women, CSW side event

No peace without women - official flyer

Contact: karwid@um.dk

GENDER EQUALITY MAKES FAMILIES THRIVE

Contact: johan.wiersma@minbuza.nl

The Kingdom of the Netherlands and Plan International invite representatives from governments, civil society representatives, experts on gendered disinformation, and the tech sector, for an action-centered dialogue on gendered disinformation and creating safer more inclusive digital spaces for women and girls.

Contact: Queenee Choudhury, Partnerships Specialist. Email: queenee.choudhury@unwomen.org

Building on the success of the first G77 Ministerial Roundtable held during CSW69, this second Roundtable will focus on advancing practical, system-level pathways to operationalize the FfD4 commitments through gender-responsive sustainable finance. Emerging Partners Roundtable Concept Note

Contact: mozambique.unmission@gmail.com

Contact: franciscoj.lopezl@maec.es / amparo.gallardo@maec.es

Concept Note. Presentation of the Spanish Feminist Cooperation Strategy
Nota Concepto Presentación Estrategia de Cooperación Feminista en NY.

Contact: karwid@um.dk

RIGHTS, NOT PERMISSION

Contact: mcontrerasurbina@worldbank.org

This discussion will spotlight the vital—yet often dangerous—work of WHRDs, local organizations, and civil society actors operating in challenging contexts, highlighting the risks they take to defend freedom of expression and advance equitable rights. It will explore how their efforts drive structural change and help mobilize the global community in support of better local and accountable governance. This event will feature the voices of WHRDs from Afghanistan, Kenya and Sudan sharing their firsthand expertise and experiences, alongside high-level representatives from Member States, UN entities, and civil society.

Contact: 9173943284

The event will take the form of a moderated panel discussion combining short expert interventions with interactive dialogue. The format will prioritize comparative perspectives and cross-regional exchange, encouraging reflection on diverse legal frameworks, investigative practices and institutional models.

Introduction
Africa has one of the world’s most progressive and groundbreaking human rights instruments that protect the rights of women and girls: the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (“Maputo Protocol”). In the last few years, several states in Africa have also made significant progress in implementing these rights and ensuring access to justice for violations thereof. Several African states have made strides towards removing barriers and ensuring SRHR by, for example, adopting legislation that expands SRH access to adolescents, incorporating comprehensive sexuality education into curricula, prohibiting various harmful practices against women and girls, declaring gender-based violence a national disaster,[1] ensuring sexual and reproductive health (SRH) access for victims of sexual violence, and issuing comprehensive guidelines for the provision of safe, ethical, and equitable access to assisted reproductive technologies.

Register https://equalitynow.beaconforms.com/form/04ddbfc1 
Co-sponsor: Sweden, UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, and UN Women.

Contact: jluna@unfpa.org

The townhall meeting is the UN Secretary-General’s annual consultation with women’s and feminist civil society on the margins of the Commission on the Status of Women. The townhall will be an in-person event and will be webcast on UN WebTV. UN Women’s Executive Director, Sima Bahous, will moderate the event. The townhall is open to representatives of ECOSOC-accredited NGOs. 

While there have been great strides, discriminatory laws continue to persist and hinder women full enjoyment of her economic rights.  Evidence consistently points to serious gaps in ensuring legal protection for women and girls across various economic spheres – including women's access to property, land, employment, finance and credit, and business opportunities. Social inequalities, lack of access to resources and opportunities, and the absence of women’s voices in many areas of public and political life continue to exacerbate these gender inequalities. Furthermore, unresponsive justice systems impede women from claiming justice where their rights are violated. Addressing legal constraints to women’s employment, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion can drive countries’ economic growth, contributing to overall development and stability, and effectively addressing the broader security and displacement challenges. This event will showcase challenges and successful examples of rule of law interventions in achieving secure women's economic rights. For more details, click here.

Contact: elmaja.bavcic@osce.org, sasa.gavric@osce.org

In line with the focus of CSW70 on ensuring access to justice, this event examines how violence against women in the public sphere intersects with broader efforts to end GBV, presenting strategies to address it effectively. Gender-discriminatory narratives, glass ceilings, and structural barriers continue to limit access and constrain the work of women politicians, peacebuilders and human rights defenders. Addressing them is essential to guaranteeing equal participation and comprehensive protection for all women and girls. The OSCE Gender Issues Programme continuously works on improving response of participating states to all forms of violence, such as by strengthening response on femicide, or providing guidelines for standardized trainings of professionals. The OSCE, through ODIHR, has developed a comprehensive Addressing Violence against Women in Politics In the OSCE Region: Toolkit, which outlines strategies and best practices for preventing and responding to such violence. By focusing on legal frameworks and institutional measures, the OSCE aims to create safer and more inclusive environments for women in public life, reinforcing the broader goals of CSW 2026.

Contact: myatthweaung@gmail.com

TBC

IN PERSON REGISTRATION LINK: https://forms.gle/uzBfy8UpBrgyqoCt7
Those without UN badges MUST REGISTER HERE BY MARCH 5 to access the in-person event.

The event will be webcast on UNTV.

Event webpage. (https://www.equalnationalityrights.org/261070-2/)
Event flyer.
View Concept note.

EQUAL NATIONALITY RIGHTS FOR EQUAL CITIZENS
Today 45+ countries maintain nationality laws that deny women equal rights, with 24 countries denying women the right to confer nationality on their children on an equal basis with men. Gender discrimination in nationality laws causes wide-ranging human rights violations, is a leading cause of statelessness, and undermines women's status as equal citizens and their equality in the family. Global goals on gender equality, children's rights and wellbeing, ending statelessness and gender-based violence, and advancing sustainable development cannot be achieved without gender-equal nationality laws. 
At this panel, high level speakers including ministers, UN representatives, and impacted persons will elevate awareness of the benefits of gender-equal nationality rights and call for expedited action to realize equal nationality rights for equal citizens, women and men.

Contact: czechdelegation.csw@vlada.gov.cz, petra.kaplanova@mzv.gov.cz

All CSW70 delegates are invited to attend.

At a moment of shrinking aid budgets and increasing conflict and displacement crises, access to justice depends on how financing is effectively designed and delivered locally, this event will explore how localizing finance can strengthen access to justice by directly channelling flexible funds to local organizations working in conflict and displacement settings.  

This event examines the interplay between transitional and ordinary justice, and how feminist approaches can strengthen access to justice for all women and girls. Drawing on Global South experiences, including Colombia, Kenya, India, and Nepal, the discussion will explore whether and how justice systems from diverse contexts can enhance state capacity, promote inclusivity, and address structural forms of gender-based violence and discrimination.

This event will be hybrid.

Sweden UN is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join the Zoom meeting on March 10, 2026 at 10:30 AM Eastern Time  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87302652638?pwd=kQ2bgYXy9tFarNyuL2XUDJsaxkNNIx.1

Contact: tkyaw@unfpa.org

Despite spending over half their reproductive years working, women face systemic barriers due to workplaces not designed for their needs. Menstrual health remains a critical yet ignored hurdle to global gender equality and productivity. With 2 billion people menstruating monthly, lack of access is a human rights and economic justice issue central to the SDGs. On behalf of the Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business, UNFPA, Essity, and Shahi Exports invite you to a high-level CSW70 side event: "Breaking Barriers in Business," a convening to drive policy and systemic change for menstrual health at work.
Please register: https://tinyurl.com/UNFPAbusiness

Since our event will be hybrid, we would like to indicate that in-person registration is now closed, while keeping the online registration link open.

Contact: doris.ngirwampesha@fao.org

The International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 offers a unique global platform to elevate women farmers’ voices, recognize their multiple roles, and mobilize political commitment, partnerships, and investments in support of gender equality, women’s empowerment, and the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in agrifood systems.

Contact: hungaryun.ny@mfa.gov.hu

Iceland has ranked first on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Equality Index for sixteen consecutive years. Despite this strong performance on gender equality, gender-based violence (GBV) remains a persistent challenge, which the Government is responding to by building a new comprehensive strategy. GBV is a universal challenge, including in countries demonstrating an otherwise strong performance on gender equality.  

This roundtable will bring together Member States and civil society organizations to examine how fiscal and structural barriers undermine women’s and girls’ access to justice. It will explore how budgets, transparency and accountability can strengthen justice systems, foster multi-stakeholder dialogue, and advance concrete, time-bound commitments.

Please note we will have limited space and prior registration is required at: Registration CSW70 Financing Women’s Access to Justice: Closing Gaps, Scaling Solutions – Fill out form by Friday, 6 March.

YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/fbSix2WiIpo?feature=share

Contact: eivind.sundgot.oskarson@mfa.no

Join us for a dynamic conversation on how governments and civil society can work together to end violence against women and girls. Why is ensuring access to justice such a complex endeavour? How to coordinate across sectors and foster innovation? What role does civil society play in complementing government efforts? How can international frameworks strengthen collaboration?

This interactive dialogue will examine the challenges outlined in the Secretary-General’s report across formal and informal justice systems, including discriminatory laws and other structural barriers that restrict women’s and girls’ access to justice. These gaps are most visible in women’s and girls’ lived experiences, which reveal persistent and practical obstacles that increase risks of violence and revictimization. The event combines experience-driven panel interventions with a moderated synthesis aimed at identifying actionable, survivor-centred strategies to strengthen women’s and girls’ access to justice.

This event will bring together representatives from Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the UNFPA, and civil society for a focused discussion on addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) from a prevention and justice perspective. Speakers will share actionable strategies to prevent TFGBV and strengthen justice responses for women and girls experiencing TFGBV. The discussion will centre on reforming legal frameworks and building institutional responses that address online harms, promote digital safety and improve survivors’ access to justice. 

This side event, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, in partnership with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (OSRSG-SVC), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN and the Permanent Mission of Panama to the UN, will focus on the gendered health consequences of conflicts and seeks to explore the interlinkages between conflict and access to justice and health, with particular attention to mental health and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The aim is to identify practical approaches to support human rights in conflict-affected settings, learning from experiences and best practices from a variety of contexts.

The event will be preceded by a light reception from 1:15–2:15 pm (EDT)
To participate, please register here: Centering Youth Voices to Celebrate the International Year of the Woman Farmer – Registration form. The event is in person only.

Contact: ukb@aile.gov.tr

In a global context marked by deepening inequalities and multiple crises, access to justice for women and girls has become not only a legal issue but a strategic priority at the intersection of development, security, and human rights. It is a fundamental prerequisite for protecting women’s human rights and achieving gender equality, encompassing access to courts, legal information, and supportive mechanisms. Despite international commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals—particularly Goals 5 and 16—and the guidance of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, significant barriers persist, especially for survivors of violence, due to economic, geographic, linguistic, and institutional obstacles. Digitalization and technological innovation are increasingly helping to overcome these barriers by making justice systems more accessible and responsive. The event will examine how digital tools can enhance safe and effective access to protective mechanisms, while addressing data security and ethical considerations, and will promote international cooperation through the sharing of national experiences.

Contact: Mohamed Yassine KABBAJ

Organized in partnership with the National Union of Moroccan Women (UNFM), and in cooperation with UN Women and UNFPA, the event aims to create a high-level platform for dialogue and for the exchange of experiences and best practices, thereby contributing to strengthened national and international efforts to ensure women survivors’ access to justice as a key lever for advancing human rights and inclusive,sustainable development.

Contact: Rachel.tavernor@actalliance.org

Registration Required: Please express interest via Rachel Tavernor, Rachel.tavernor@actalliance.org 

By centering the discussion within a family-based, preventive framework, this side event seeks to enrich CSW 2026 with essential perspectives for achieving meaningful, lasting protection for women and girls. Particularly, it aims to: (1) Highlight emerging and under-examined forms of violence against women and girls; (2) Identify gaps between policy frameworks and lived experiences; (3) Provide expert insights, including from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Ms. Reem Alsalem; (4) Explore preventive, socially grounded, and family-sensitive policy responses; (5) Encourage Member States and stakeholders to adopt more holistic, socially grounded approaches in CSW negotiations and outcomes.

Contact: gender@ifad.org

The United Nations has declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF), a milestone moment to recognise, celebrate, and invest in rural women for the central roles they play in agrifood systems – as critical drivers of food and nutrition security, economic prosperity, community resilience, and wellbeing.

Contact: newyorkun@diplobel.fed.be

Contact: jstreeter@minrel.gob.cl

Women’s equal and inclusive participation in the judiciary and access to justice for women and girls are linked. Access to justice is a fundamental human right enshrined in international law, and States are obligated to ensure access to justice for women and girls. Globally, women and girls face numerous gendered barriers to justice, whether as claimants, witnesses, victims, or defendants. The right to equal and inclusive participation in decision making, including the judiciary, is also a fundamental human right enshrined in international law, and States have a responsibility to appoint women to judicial roles at all levels of the judiciary. Yet, around the world, men often comprise the majority of judges in domestic, regional, and international courts, particularly in the most senior roles. Join us on March 10, 2026, the International Day of Women Judges, in New York and on Zoom, to discuss how judicial gender parity and access to justice for women and girls are mutually reinforcing, and to recommit to a multi-level partnership for ensuring both. 

In person participation (limited seats available) registration  here 
Virtual participation registration here
Event website

Contact: perisw@unops.org

Registration for on-site participation: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=12TkI-YEh0uRPCS9iSGf06rtfU4a1N9LlroRQRqwTV1UOVpSRUdKSzJPNTFXS0NEV1lPVlA1UDNWRS4u&route=shorturl

Contact: Lillian Matsiaka Takaendesa

Contact: Rachel Deguara: rachel.deguara.2@gov.mt

The Permanent Mission of Malta is organising a side event in the margins of CSW70 titled 'Empowering Women in the Nuclear Field & Strengthening the Role of Men as Allies in Gender Equality'. 

Contact: mgn@ipu.org

Interpretation will be available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. 

Contact: maria.estrada@un.org

Access to Justice and Care Work: Advancing Care as a Human Right, from Latin America to a Global Movement brings together governments, UN entities, feminist advocates, and care movements to explore the growing recognition of care as a core justice issue. Building on Advisory Opinion OC-31/25 of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which affirms the right to care as an autonomous human right, the panel will examine the legal and policy implications for strengthening access to justice for caregivers, including those in informal and migrant situations. The discussion will highlight lessons from Latin America’s normative advances and explore how rights-based care policies can inform global efforts toward gender equality, inclusive justice systems, and co-responsible care frameworks.

Contact: Jonathan Passmoor, passmoorj@dirco.gov.za,

Please register by March 6, 2026, at: Event registration: STRENGTHENING WOMEN’S ACCESS TO JUSTICE: A SURVIVOR-CENTERED APPROACH TO GBV

We would be pleased by your presence at this important discussion and look forward to the opportunity to engage in a meaningful exchange on advancing survivor-centered approaches to gender-based violence.

Register here Webinar Registration - Zoom

Celebrating 10 years of the Women Count programme, this CSW70 side event highlights how gender data have strengthened national statistical systems, informed policymaking, and accelerated progress toward the SDGs. The event will showcase country impact and mobilize renewed partnerships to advance gender equality through data.

Contact: sding1@worldbank.org

Please register until 8 March 2026 using this form.

View concept note

• WHO, Project ECHO, UNM Health Sciences, WHO Collaborating Centre on Learning During Health Emergencies

Women continue to face systemic barriers to full economic participation, including discriminatory laws, restrictive policies, unequal access to financial services, and under‑representation in decision‑making. To address these barriers, Canada will convene a conversation featuring diverse leaders and policymakers to provide insight on how countries can foster sustainable livelihoods for all women, especially women most impacted by economic inequality and insecurity. By highlighting policy innovations and scalable solutions, this timely discussion seeks to advance the economic empowerment of all women by responding to their unique needs and circumstances. To this end, Canada’s event will also highlight the unique experiences and perspectives of women with disabilities.

Contact: Anna.Lazdina@mfa.gov.lv

PROTECT DEMOCRACY, DEFEND GENDER EQUALITY

Contact: sgrrii@igualdad.gob.es

Contact: Caoimhe Landy

Contact: hietaniemi@unfpa.org

Find more details and the RSVP link in the Concept Note.

This event explores one of the most pressing challenges facing democratic governance today: achieving effective and gender-equal participation in an era of rapid digitalisation and escalating technology-facilitated abuse. A high-level panel discussion, the event brings together leading academic experts in politics, law, policy and human rights, alongside representatives from international institutions including UNDP and the UN CEDAW Committee, and prominent third sector organisations. Panellists will examine the scale and impact of technology-facilitated abuse, share cutting-edge research and practical insights, and explore innovative legal, policy and institutional responses.

Contact: jluna@unfpa.org

Contact: info@kenyaun.org

Contact: Laura Mora (laura_mora@govern.ad)

FOR UN BADGE HOLDERS ONLY. 

Contact: dinajordanmission@gmail.com

Contact: lijiwei515@gmail.com

Contact: awachs@um.dk

Contact: mgn@ipu.org

Interpretation will be available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic 

Contact: helvisipilaseminar@gmail.com

Helvi Sipilä (1915-2009) was one of Finland's first female lawyers and the first woman to run for president of the nation. She made her most significant career as Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations – as the first woman in the world.

This CSW70 side event, convened by the UN Women Leaders Network and held in partnership with the Government of Iceland (TBC) and UN Foundation, will gather a panel of emerging and established women leaders across sectors to examine access to justice through a women’s leadership lens and propose concrete solutions to advance justice for all women and girls. The panel will highlight that meaningful access to justice depends on inclusive governance, accountable leadership, feminist policymaking, and cross-sectoral collaboration.

Contact: ikempeneers@apf-fr.org ; juliette.anne@francophonie.org

Contact: slomission.newyork@gov.si

The disconnect between cybercrime expertise and violence against women hampers effective responses to technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. Units specializing in violence against women often lack the technical capacity to investigate digital abuse and secure electronic evidence, while cybercrime units may lack a gender-responsive approach, limiting their ability to identify and address the specific dynamics and harms involved. Bridging this gap is essential to ensuring effective law enforcement and prosecution. This ministerial-level side event will examine the role of law enforcement agencies as first responders in ensuring access to justice for women and girls subjected to technology-facilitated violence. It will explore how effective, victim-centered reporting mechanisms for law enforcement and online platforms can enhance protection and accountability. The discussion will focus on gender-responsive policing practices, cooperation between law enforcement and technology companies, and the pathways from reporting to investigation, prosecution and disruption of online abuse. The event will also identify key gaps and highlight promising practices to strengthen timely, effective and coordinated responses.

More information: https://www.coe.int/en/web/genderequality/70th-commission-on-the-status-of-women-csw-

Please register here.

This event will highlight how women’s participation strengthens peace processes in practice and will highlight strategies used by women and civil society to advance inclusive, durable peace agreements - particularly in contexts of ongoing violence - and reflect on women’s roles in post-agreement settings, including the barriers they face in pursuing accountability and access to justice. The panel will be conducted in English, French and Spanish. Simultaneous interpretation will be available in English, French and Spanish. Please bring your headphones to access the online interpretation with your phone. 
Following the event (6:00 to 7:30 PM), there will be 30 minutes for networking and refreshments. 

Ensuring effective access to justice for all women and girls requires more than legal frameworks alone. Judicial literacy, strengthened through education, plays a critical role in enabling individuals to understand their rights, navigate justice systems, and engage with legal institutions.

Over the past year, the number of active armed conflicts worldwide has risen to historically high levels, leaving millions of women and girls exposed to violence, displacement, and severe barriers to justice. Despite extensive rights violations, women remain largely excluded from peace and justice processes. Faith led civic action is essential in these contexts, faith leaders are often the closest, most trusted voices within conflict-affected communities. Being locally rooted, they have trust and authority, local legitimacy, and deep community networks that position them to partner and collaborate to challenge gender injustice, support survivors, increase access to justice and pathways to accountability.

Register here: CSW70 Official Side Event - 12th March 2026 Multi-Faith Action: Women’s and girls’ access to justice in armed conflict. to see the location

Around the world, women judges are holding the line for justice – advancing access to justice, ensuring equality before the law, and strengthening public trust, often under intense pressure. Yet women remain underrepresented in judiciaries globally, especially in higher courts and senior leadership, due to persistent structural barriers. Closing this gender justice gap is essential to ensure justice systems reflect the societies they serve and deliver fair, inclusive outcomes for all.

Contact: asega@coe.int

The side-event will examine how backlash and anti-rights narratives undermine women's participation in public life, drawing on the work on anti-gender movements of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Istanbul Convention, and violence against women in politics. Participants will exchange experiences and strategies on recognising backlash sources, developing counter-narratives, implementing policy measures to counter online hate speech, and building democratic resilience so that women's voices are heard, respected and protected in public and political life. This will be a high-level event bringing together parliamentarians and representative from international organisations including OSCE-ODIHR and UN WOMEN.

Registration link

Contact: +1(646) 887 7650

As we celebrate International Women's Day 2026 the Commission on the Status of Women CSW70 is focused on ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls. UNDP Malawi, UN Women in collaboration with National Statistics Office, and Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare cordially invite you to a webinar to interrogate barriers on access to justice for women, girls and persons with disabilities in Malawi.

Contact: Ellen.DEN-OTTER@eeas.europa.eu

Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, the Group of Friends for Eliminating Violence against Women and Girls will convene on the ministerial level on the margins of CSW70 to take stock of progress and galvanise renewed action to prevent and end all forms of violence against women and girls. In the context of current acute challenges, such as conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, the pushback on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, resource constraints and shrinking civic space, as well as new forms of violence facilitated by technology, the Group of Friends provides a key platform to discuss successful strategies, policies and best practices. The high-level event will bring together Member State champions, the UN system, civil society and other stakeholders to showcase how comprehensive legislative and policy frameworks, multi-sectoral coordination, long-term funding and institutionalised multi-stakeholder partnerships can bring tangible and transformative change to the lives of women and girls. 

Contact: mazzacurati@unfpa.org

Join us for a high-level signature side-event at CSW70 exploring the vital intersection of population dynamics, human rights, and legal systems.
As the world faces unprecedented megatrends—from rapid urbanization and climate change to shifting fertility rates and population ageing—this session moves beyond "alarmist rhetoric" to champion demographic resilience. Demographic resilience is the capacity of societies to anticipate, adapt to, and manage profound population changes to ensure long-term prosperity and inclusive and gender-equal societies. It entails moving beyond crisis management to evidence-based policies that support human capital, gender equality, resilient and inclusive societies.  
At the heart of this resilience lies access to justice across the life course. The law and policy framework and institutional enabling environment shape access to basic rights, choices and opportunities across justice, health, education, economic, and social protection spheres. Across the lifecourse of a woman, different services and support are required including access to sexual and reproductive health rights and interventions to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

Contact: dana.karagulova@gmail.com

Registration link here
For more information visit: https://www.fao.org/new-york/events/detail/fao-at-the-2026-commission-on-the-status-of-women-(csw70)/en

Please register for In-person participation or livestreaming

Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life remains both a foundational human right and a prerequisite for achieving gender equality. Three decades after the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, progress remains slow and uneven to meet the 2030 targets. At current rates it will take over four decades to achieve gender parity in national parliaments. Women in public life face escalating risks, including gender-based violence – both offline and amplified through technology – shrinking civic space, organized backlash, and persistent structural barriers like unpaid care work and discriminatory social norms. 

Contact: ptri@indonesiaun.org

Organized by the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP) and Austrian Development Agency (ADA). 
Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/CgWP79dMwtShAojR6 

Contact: TBC

Contact: salmatadia2@yahoo.fr

Within this framework, the side event at the margins of CSW70 will provide a platform for young women leaders from these National Youth Chapters to present their locally grounded implementation plans and reflect on how youth-led action can contribute to advancing access to justice and gender equality in agrifood systems. The roundtable discussion will bring together young women leaders, Member States, civil society organizations, FAO and other UN representatives, and private sector actors to explore opportunities for multi-stakeholder collaboration and to identify pathways for supporting youth leadership in the implementation of gender-responsive agrifood policies. The President of ECOSOC, Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa, and Assistant Secretary General for Youth Affairs, Dr Felipe Paullier, will speak at the event.

To show how regional organisations convert global norms and region-specific frameworks into national results, including party reforms, changes in parliamentary and governmental practice, and effective responses to violence against women in political life, the side event will

The side event will aim to:
- Examine systemic and intersectional discrimination against women facing the death penalty, highlighting structural barriers that limit their effective access to justice and the gender bias embedded in criminal justice systems.
- Explore gendered pathways to criminalization, including the impact of gender-based violence, poverty, coercion, caregiving roles, and discriminatory laws—particularly for marginalized and disadvantaged women.
- Feature lived experience and expert perspectives to show how survivors of violence may be prosecuted or sentenced to death for acts connected to prolonged abuse, coercive control, or survival-driven conduct.

Contact: leah.tandeter@unwomen.org; amonjesilva@iadb.org; claraa@iadb.org; npena@iadb.org

Access to justice has emerged as a central pillar of effective responses to violence against women and girls, not only for ensuring accountability and survivor protection, but also for shaping broader societal change. Justice systems not only adjudicate cases: through the practices, decisions, and professional attitudes of judges, prosecutors, and other justice operators, they influence public perceptions of gender roles, authority, and responsibility. When justice institutions operate in a gender-responsive and survivor-centered manner, they can contribute to improved institutional trust and accountability, protect women from further harm and support their well-being. Socially shared notions and practices, including restrictive masculinity, shape how laws and justice systems are designed, implemented and experienced. They influence whether, how and with whom women, girls and diverse population groups can seek, access and navigate services along the path to justice. Addressing these shared notions and practices and engaging men as allies for gender equality can transform behaviors and institutional practices and is integral to increase access and responsiveness of justice systems. Integrated, survivor-centered service models, illustrate how accessible and coordinated justice responses can increase access to and engagement with justice and improve institutional performance. At the same time, prevention efforts that actively engage men are critical to transform socially shared beliefs that sustain violence, reduce recidivism, and prevent emerging forms of violence, including digital and technology-facilitated abuse. By strengthening capacities across justice systems and related institutions, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean can advance more effective, inclusive, and transformative responses to violence against women, contributing to safer societies. The objective of this side event is to explore how strengthening institutional capacities, addressing socially shared beliefs that sustain violence and adopting a survivor-centered approach are key strategies for advancing women’s access to justice while supporting their autonomy and dignity. Through an interactive panel discussion, government authorities, civil society organizations and practitioners will reflect on policy, institutional practice and field-based experience, followed by an exchange with participants to encourage collective learning and debate.

Organized by the Secretariat for Women and Human Diversity of the State of Paraíba (SMDH-PB), representing the Northeast Consortium, through its coordination of the Women's Thematic Chamber, in collaboration with GLOBAL HER - Institute for Impact and Care for Latin America and the Caribbean

Contact: cjohnson@atscalepartnership.org

This event will officially launch the ATscale and UN Women joint policy brief, Unlocking HER potential: Gender equality through equitable access to assistive technology, aimed at accelerating progress towards gender equality and meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of life, in alignment with the CSW70 Review Theme. The session will:

Contact: Mihai Cocoru (mihai.cocoru@mae.ro)

A side event, organized by the Permanent Mission of Romania to the UN, together with the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the UN and the eLiberare Association, on the margins of CSW70. This side event places survivors’ lived experiences at the center of access-to-justice debates and calls for justice systems that reflect the full spectrum of what justice means to women and girls affected by trafficking and exploitation. Approval of registration required for attendance. 

Contact: Public

Contact: gender@commonwealth.int

El evento se desarrollará bajo un formato híbrido (presencial y virtual) y será moderado, combinando un panel de discusión de alto nivel con intervenciones breves de expertas y expertos, seguido de un espacio de diálogo interactivo con las y los participantes.

This side event by the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) will examine how strengthening access to justice and promoting inclusive, equitable and accountable legal systems are essential to closing the gender pay gap. It will also underscore the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in dismantling systemic barriers and advancing structural change. View concept note

On the margins of CSW70, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict through the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict is organizing a photo exhibit entitled “When silence breaks. Accountability for sexual violence in conflict.” The exhibit, to be displayed in the Visitors’ Lobby of the United Nations Headquarters, will honor the milestones achieved by national and international prosecutors through groundbreaking prosecutions of conflict-related sexual violence since the landmark adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, as well as resolutions 1820 (2008) and 1888 (2009).

Contact: contact.ungis@itu.int

UNGIS is the United Nations system-wide inter-agency mechanism for digital cooperation, jointly bringing together 31 Member Entities and 17 Observers. Further information is available in the UNGIS brochure and on our website at www.ungis.org. 

The side event aims to showcase UNGIS and its partners’ ongoing and strengthened efforts to advance gender mainstreaming. 

The side-event responds to the mandate outlined in the newly adopted World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) resolution, which stresses the importance of ensuring that women and girls are able to participate in and contribute to society on equal terms and without discrimination. It reaffirms that the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and girls in the digital age is critical to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women. The resolution also calls for the urgent need to counter and address all forms of violence, including gender-based violence, that occur through or are amplified by the use of technology. These efforts are fully aligned with the priority theme of CSW70 and with UNGIS mandate to advance policy coherence and coordination on digital development across the United Nations system. 
In response, UNGIS members are initiating a coordinated process to develop a WSIS Action Plan on Women and Girls, working with the WSIS Women and Girls Trendsetters, Action Line Facilitators, and stakeholders. 

Contact: mision.onu.ny@mirex.gob.do

In Latin America, the position of women transcends the mere issue of social justice; it is a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable and resilient regional development. To achieve effective and lasting gender equality, it is crucial to address and transform the deeply rooted social and cultural norms that continue to systematically limit the full exercise of women's rights and opportunities. As the UNDP states, to end poverty in all its dimensions, it is necessary to address the structural barriers that women face. To address these challenges, the Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic, together with the BBVA Microfinance Foundation, is organizing the side event: “Breaking Biases, Building Equality,” in which, together with experts from international organizations, they will share effective actions to confront these social and cultural norms and promote greater equality in the region.

Sexual violence has long been a feature of armed conflict, yet accountability for these crimes remains the exception rather than the rule. Persistent legal and evidentiary barriers continue to deny survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) meaningful access to justice, leaving them among the most marginalized within the international system. This enduring failure of accountability has allowed sexual violence to persist as a deliberate and systematic weapon of war, inflicting profound and lasting harm on individuals, families, and entire communities.

Please click here to register

Contact: sh_hajiyev@mfa.gov.az

Contact: arkaul@unicef.org

Organized by UNFPA and UNICEF under the Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, co-hosted by the Governments of Burkina Faso and Italy in collaboration with the Governments of Canada, Sweden, The Girl Generation: Africa-led Movement. This high-level event will focus on strengthening rights-aligned legal frameworks, enforcement, and survivor-centred justice pathways to eliminate FGM, highlighting institutional accountability and community-level implementation.

Contact: Lydia Najjemba: lydia.wasula@gmail.com; cknabeta@gmail.com

ECOWAS Ministers of Gender Meeting on Women in Development - Advancing Women Socio-Economic Empowerment Policy Actions in West Africa 

High-Level Report Launch on the Sidelines of the CSW70
The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS), the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, and Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) will host a high-level report launch on the sidelines of CSW70, “Building Civic Coalitions for Advancing Women, Peace and Security.” The event will bring together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and the diplomatic community to amplify the evidence-based case for supporting women-led civil society organizations in coalition building, as well as strategies to inform policy and practice that enable women to contribute fully and strategically to peace processes. The discussion, along with the report findings, will offer actionable guidance for governments, international organizations, funders, and civil society actors committed to advancing inclusive and gender-responsive peace processes.

Contact: s.martirosyan@mfa.am

UNSRC Symphony Orchestra

This event brings together women political leaders, parliamentarians, lawyers, judges, civil society actors, and partners to draw attention to this urgent gap. It highlights why women’s political participation and leadership in the digital era are essential to advancing gender justice, and how cross-sector inclusive, accountable, and trusted political and justice ecosystems are critical for advancing women’s political leadership in the digital era.

Contact: maria.estrada@un.org

This panel discussion will offer expert presentations on global trends as well as strategic responses to backlash against gender justice as a central driver of contemporary democratic erosion, with a specific focus on its impact on women’s and girls’ access to justice, and the integrity of democratic institutions.

Contact: Angela Nakafeero; angelanakafeero@gmail.com; John Sengendo

Contact: hsahni@worldbank.org

Beyond headlines about a global aging population lies a more nuanced truth: old age has a woman’s face.  Today, women outlive men in all the world’s developed and developing regions. They also age differently than men, partly due to a lifetime of gender inequality—unequal access to pensions through less formal labor market engagement, inadequate sexual and reproductive health care, limited land rights, structural barriers in access to higher education and more. Older women face different challenges than younger women, but their needs and voices are often missing from conversations about gender equality.  

Contact: cbmagana@rree.gob.sv

For the first time in its 70 sessions, the Commission on the Status of Women includes a
dedicated focus area on the achievement of gender equality and empowerment of older women.
This milestone provides a timely opportunity to address the persistent and intersecting barriers
that older women may face in accessing justice, which are often overlooked in multilateral
discussions. Older women represent not only the majority of the older population, but also a
growing proportion of the global population of women. As the world’s population ages, the
compounded effects of ageism and sexism become increasingly pronounced for older women.

Access to justice for women and girls is critical to peaceful, just and inclusive societies and indispensable to substantive equality, human rights and sustainable development. A robust and effective legal system is central to justice for women and girls, enabling them to become equal partners in decision-making and development. However, women and girls, globally, continue to face specific barriers as claimants, victims, witnesses or offenders. These are often the result of institutional, policy and legislative failures to address discrimination, bias, stereotyping against women and girls, ignoring women's unique justice wants and needs. Addressing these challenges requires implementing Agenda 2030 in a way that recognizes the interdependent and mutually reinforcing nature of SDGs 5 on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment and 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. This high-level event will focus on the drivers of the mutually reinforcing nature of SDGs 5 and 16, focusing on the challenges, pathways and investment required towards improving access to justice for all women and girls. For more information, click here.

Contact: Jonathan Passmoor, passmoorj@dirco.gov.za,

Contact: maria.estrada@un.org

This panel discussion will examine the links between care systems, climate change, and access to justice in the context of a just transition. Climate change disproportionately increases unpaid and underpaid care work, weakens care and social protection systems, and exacerbates structural inequalities, particularly for women and marginalized communities in the Global South. These dynamics create significant barriers to the exercise of rights, access to remedies, and meaningful participation in climate decision-making processes. The event will present evidence and policy-relevant insights from the Climate and Care Initiative and recent research on mobilizing climate finance for care, positioning care as essential social and climate infrastructure for resilience, adaptation, and gender equality. It will feature representatives from UN entities, governments, civil society, and care-focused climate initiatives, including perspectives linked to national climate policies and just transition processes. The event will include high-level government participation and is expected to attract policymakers, researchers, feminist movements, and donors.

Contact: Meryem.hamdouni@gmail.com

Contact: dahlia.locke@undp.org

At a critical moment in global awareness of and action against sexual exploitation and trafficking, this event will address how justice and financial systems can either fail or support those affected by these crimes, featuring the voices of survivor leaders who will speak to the systemic challenges they face while seeking accountability and the policy reforms they want implemented. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls will also contribute insights, building on her recent press release warning of serious, credible allegations of crimes against humanity that recent documentation of international trafficking rings has brought to light. Together, these perspectives aim to drive urgent, system‑level change in legal systems and financial institutions that better protects survivors and strengthens global accountability efforts. 

Contact: Sarah Craggs scraggs@iom.int

forthcoming 

Contact: gari.manyanga@gmail.com

Click here to register!

Contact: cceravolo@unicef.org

Contact: tau@samoanymission.ws

Grounded in faith and culture, this high-level convening recognises 30 Samoan women advancing governance, justice and inclusive development across sectors. Samoa presents its prevention-led, district-driven model of gender investment — with 20% dedicated to Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) initiatives under the District Development Programme.

Contact: Janette Akhilgova jakhilgova@equalitynow.org

In recent years, the Governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have made a number of legal and policy reforms to address violence and discrimination against women. Despite the progress, challenges remain in translating reforms into meaningful, accessible and equitable justice in practice, especially for women with disabilities survivors of sexual violence.

Contact: sedef.ercetin@yesilay.org.tr

Behavioral addictions are a growing public health challenge in the digital age, particularly affecting women and girls. Linked to gender norms, unequal care responsibilities, psychosocial stress, and algorithm-driven digital environments, these non-substance-related behaviors—such as excessive social media use, online gaming, gambling, shopping, and food-related addictions—are associated with anxiety, depression, body image concerns, and loneliness. Despite their significant impact, they are often normalized or stigmatized, limiting access to support, especially for women facing poverty, caregiving burdens, or fragile contexts. In response, the Turkish Green Crescent Society and its partners have developed gender-sensitive prevention and recovery models that integrate psychosocial and community-based services. This initiative supports the Beijing Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda, promoting women’s rights to health, dignity, and full participation in society.

Contact: www.ardn.ngo

Contact: Enian Lamce

Contact: enaun@mrecic.gov.ar

TBC

Contact: stephanie.baric@womeningh.org

• GFF, WHO, World Bank
  

 To sign up to the event, please register here. 

Contact: Eivind.sundgot.oskarson@mfa.no

Contact: frame1055@hotmail.com

Objectives

Contact: Ms. Keiso Matashane-Marite, Chief, Gender Equality & Women's Empowerment, ECA, matashane-marite@un.org