Priority Theme:

Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Review Theme: 

Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development. This is in line with the 60th session whose agreed conclusions can be found here.  

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the global inter-governmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The CSW discusses progress and gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the key global policy document on gender equality as well emerging issues that affect gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. The outcomes of each session are forwarded to ECOSOC for follow up.

The principal output of the CSW is the agreed conclusions on the priority theme set for that year. The Agreed conclusions contain an analysis of the priority theme and provide concrete recommendations for Governments, intergovernmental bodies and other institutions, civil society actors and other relevant stakeholders, to be implemented at the international, national, regional and local level. Read more on the CSW here.

1.0 Key Dates to NOTE:

• 15^th February 2019: Draft Agreed Conclusions
  

UN Members States have until to 15 February 2019 to give their inputs on the theme areas of CSW63. Click here to read the Draft Agreed Conclusions

• 18^th February 2019: Oral Statements Submission
  

Oral statements usually delivered during the general discussion by a limited number of NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC, is subject to time availability.  Preference will be given to NGOs speaking on behalf of groups of organizations, caucuses, or coalitions. Sign up for NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC to express interest in delivering an oral statement during the general discussion is open online until 18 February 2019. Oral statements should not exceed three minutes (approx. two pages double-spaced using font size 12). Click here to Sign-Up for delivering an Oral Statement.

• 18^th February 2019: Intervening from the floor during an interactive panel
  

A limited number of NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC will be able to make oral interventions during the interactive panels. Interventions must be focused on the theme of the panel and not on any other issues. Interventions at interactive expert panels are NOT to be in the form of prepared statements; NGOs are therefore not required to submit copies of such interventions. These interventions must be in the form of comments or questions addressed to the panel experts. Interventions should not exceed three minutes. Instructions will be communicated via e-mail to each NGO representative requesting to make an intervention. Click here to Sign-Up for intervening from the floor during a dialogue or an interactive panel.

• 28^th February 2019: Events by FEMNET Members & Partners

As with previous year’s FEMNET will continue to amplify African women’s contributions to the CSW. Kindly fill in this Google form with details of your side event to enable us share with other colleagues attending CSW. This table and coordinated list of side events is aimed at providing a platform for members to easily mobilize among each others for greater support. Feel free to email e-flyers and e-posters of your side events to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for wider sharing.

2.0  Useful Must Reads:

• Pre-CSW63 African Ministerial Outcome Document

The African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with UN Women and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), convened the Pre-CSW63 Africa Expert meeting and the Ministerial Consultation meeting in February 3-6 2019 in Cairo Egypt. The Experts meeting was held on the 3-4 of February and the ministerial segment on 5-6 February. The objective of these meetings was to consolidate an African common position on the priority and review themes and build consensus on a coordinated Africa strategic advocacy to influence the Agreed Conclusions of CSW63 using the Africa key messages adopted at this meeting. Click here to Read the African Ministerial Outcome Document

• Position Statement on CSW63 by African Women’s Rights Organization

FEMNET under the auspices of the NGO CSW/Africa will be organizing a Webinar (Friday 22^nd February at 1200 EAT for Anglophone and Monday 25^th February 1300 EAT for Francophone  ) to refine the CSW63 Position Statement by African Women’s Rights Organization – with priority recommendations for influencing the final Agreed Conclusions. Click here to register and participate in the Webinar.

• Written Statements Submitted by FEMNET

FEMNET in partnership with AWID submitted a written statement on Privatization of Public Services and on Multiple Discrimination, Intersecting Inequalities and Social Protection for Older Women in partnership with Help Age International.

• Briefing by FEMNET and GADN
  

FEMNET in partnership with Gender and Development Network developed a briefing on how social protection, public services and infrastructure impact women’s rights.

• Click to Read the Report by the UN Secretary General on the CSW63 theme
  

• Click to Read the Expert Group Meeting background and expert papers

3.0 Advocacy and Policy influencing at CSW 63:

The Bureau of the Commission plays a crucial role in facilitating the preparation for, and in ensuring the successful outcome of the annual sessions of the Commission. The Bureau for the 63^rd session (2019) of the Commission on the Status of Women comprises the following members:

• H.E. Ms. Geraldine Byrne Nason (Ireland), Chair (Western European and other States Group)
• Ms. Koki Muli Grignon (Kenya), Vice-Chair (African States Group)
• Mr. Mauricio Carabali Baquero (Colombia), Vice-Chair (Latin American and Caribbean States Group)
• Ms. Rena Tasuja (Estonia), Vice-Chair (Eastern European States Group)
• Mr. Mohammed S. Marzooq (Iraq), Vice-Chair designate (Asia-Pacific States Group)

TAKE ACTION
Below are actions you can take to start influencing the CSW63:-

1. Use your platforms to hold discussions with the constituencies of women and girls that you work with and represent to identify their priorities on social protection. At FEMNET, we believe that policy discourse on gender equality and women’s empowerment should be guided by priorities and aspirations of African women and girls.
2. Share the generated priorities with FEMNET to include them into an African women position paper for CSW63.
3. Reach out to your Ministry of Gender and UN Women Country for updates on national preparations and to influence your country’s position. In addition, find out your government’s delegates to CSW63 and ask to meet with them to influence your country position.