. WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .
A press survey by CPNN
Here are the results from North America
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. WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .
A press survey by CPNN
Here are the results from Africa
Former Mozambique first lady and Graca Machel Trust founder Graca Machel speaking during the International Women’s Day celebrations in Maputo Mozambique on March 9th 2026. (Editor’s note: she organized the women’s movement of that country before going to South Africa to marry Nelson Mandela.)
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. WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .
A press survey by CPNN
Here are the results from Asia and the Pacific
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. WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .
A press survey by CPNN
Here are the results from Western Europe and Scandinavia.
Lille: stilt walkers also joined the march on March 8, 2026. • © Morvan Antoine / France Télévisions
Thousands of women marched through Istanbul to mark International Women’s Day late Sunday defying a ban on demonstrations, with the rally passing without incident despite a heavy police presence. The demonstrators packed the streets of Cihangir district, some carrying parasols garlanded in fairy lights, others waving a sea of colorful banners with slogans such as: “Kurdish for Women, life, freedom,” “Femicides are political!” or even “My favorite season is the fall of the patriarchy.” Photo AFP.
Thousands of women took to the streets of central London on Saturday for the 19th annual Million Women Rise march, against male violence against women and girls ( Photo by Ellie Macieria-Fielding for The New Feminist)
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… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …
An article from Cambio de Michoacán (translation by CPNN)
The Economic and Social Council of Michoacán presented a citizen initiative this Thursday at the State Congress in Morelia to reform the state Education Law and establish a culture of peace as a guiding principle of the education system. This was proposed Fátima Conde Moreno, during the official ceremony.
The proposal aims to incorporate a culture of peace as a mandatory subject at the basic and upper secondary education levels, with the purpose of ensuring that education contributes to rebuilding the social fabric. Fátima Conde explained that the initiative arises in response to problems of violence in school and community settings, and the need for conflict resolution.
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Where is peace education taking place?
Is there progress towards a culture of peace in Mexico?
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During the event, Representative Reyes Galindo Pedraza, coordinator of the Labor Party’s Parliamentary Group, welcomed the proposal and pointed out that Michoacán has citizen participation mechanisms that allow anyone to submit initiatives to the Congress without requiring the collection of signatures, unlike at the federal level.
For his part, Eduardo Orihuela, president of the Michoacán Center for Social Studies (CESMICH), indicated that building peace requires preventive actions starting in education. He maintained that addressing violence solely through reaction is limited. Similarly, Jesús Vivanco Rodríguez, president of the Together for Michoacán Network, expressed his support for the initiative.
The initiative was referred to the State Congress for analysis and eventual discussion in committees, where its viability will be determined and, if applicable, its incorporation into the current regulatory framework, so it is expected that the legislative process will continue in the coming weeks.
(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)
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FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION .
An article by Fausto Lara Flores in Vístazo (translation by CPNN)
The current situation of violence in Ecuador is not an isolated phenomenon, but rather part of a global context marked by transnational criminal networks, black economies, and structural threats that transcend national borders.
This is the analysis of Dr. Carlos García Torres, research professor at the UNESCO-UTPL Chairs, who emphasizes that the country faces problems linked to powers and organizations that operate on a global scale. In this scenario, a culture of peace emerges as a strategic solution.
The notion of a culture of peace arose with the creation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), based on the premise that if war originates in the minds of people, it is also in the minds that peace must be built. This principle remains fully relevant in the current context, both in the face of global threats and internal challenges stemming from drug trafficking and organized crime.
According to Dr. García Torres, fostering a culture of peace involves reactivating human values that have historically sustained social cohesion. “A society with a strong social fabric is resilient to diverse threats, whether criminal, economic, political, or natural. A culture of peace, then, acts as the glue that binds society together and strengthens its capacity to respond,” he states.
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(Click here for the original Spanish version of this article.)
Latin America, has it taken the lead in the struggle for a culture of peace?
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During the Security, Conflict, and Peace Summit, organized by the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) in Guayaquil, concrete examples of promoting this culture of peace were presented.
In neighborhoods plagued by violence, expressions such as poetry shared on social media and other cultural initiatives offer alternative meanings to populations exposed to the influence of drug trafficking. These actions demonstrate that violence prevention is not limited to coercive measures, but requires educational and cultural programs that reorient life plans.
The UNESCO-UTPL partnership has yielded significant results in three dimensions: social engagement, academic development, and research.
° The Student Network for Peace stands out, comprised of young people from Ecuador, Peru, and other countries, who coordinate concrete actions to promote peaceful coexistence.
° Furthermore, ongoing training in a Culture of Peace, aimed at the National Police and the general public, strengthens institutional and civic capacities.
° In the field of research, the UNESCO Chair in Culture and Education for Peace promotes specialized academic production in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Granada.
“Conflict is inherent to the human condition; therefore, peacebuilding is an ongoing task. Proper conflict management requires non-violent resolution, the philosophical foundation of a culture of peace,” adds Dr. García Torres.
For this reason, it is important that the State and civil society work together to develop public policies that enable this continuous construction of a culture of peace, thereby improving social and human conditions.
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DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .
Cuba’s Representative Office Abroad
Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Khaled Khiari,
High-ranking officials un the UN Secretariat,
Distinguished Ambassadors,
Brothers and Sisters of Latin America and the Caribbean,
Dear colleagues,
Twelve years later, we are gathered on a date of profound significance for the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. On 29 January 2014, the Heads of State and Government of CELAC adopted a landmark decision in Havana: to proclaim our region a Zone of Peace.
Such a Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace signed by the Heads of State and Government of the region was a major historic event.
The Proclamation materialized the historic wishes of our people and their fighters for independence, those who envisioned and fought for a free and united Great Motherland, which José Martí called “Our America.”
It was an affirmation of dignity, sovereignty, and confidence in genuine regional integration. It was our joint decision to reject war, coercion, or interference aimed at seizing our region. It was our collective commitment to dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect—in favor of a true culture of peace.
It committed us to settling differences among nations peacefully, through dialogue and negotiation, with absolute respect for international law—and thereby to banish forever the use or threat of force in our region.
It endorsed the renewed commitment of our States to promoting nuclear disarmament as a primary goal, as well as contributing to general and complete disarmament, with a view to strengthening trust across all nations.
It indicated the path for a peaceful living and for cooperation to face up challenges and to jointly solve the problems which affect us all.
With it, we committed ourselves to fulfilling our “obligation not to interfere, directly or indirectly, in the internal affairs of another State and to observe the principles of national sovereignty, equal rights and the self-determination of peoples”, as well as to respecting the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
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(Click here for the article in Spanish.)
Where in the world can we find good leadership today?
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Distinguished colleagues:
The Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace was clear in its defense of the inalienable right of every State to choose its political, economic, social and cultural system, as an essential condition for ensuring the peaceful coexistence of nations.
This historic document urges all member states of the international community to fully respect its principles in their relations with CELAC member states, practice tolerance and live together peacefully as good neighbors. Preserving these precepts is an imperative.
Just over a decade later, the regional and international context has become extremely dangerous and unpredictable. The United States Government is reviving its imperial claims to domination, driving the planet towards anarchy and war‑mongering chaos, posing a constant threat to international stability and security, and displaying utter disregard for multilateralism and international law. In the face of these colossal challenges, we have a historic duty to safeguard, at all costs, the status of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.
In just one month, in our region alone, the United States carried out a brutal and unjustified military intervention in Venezuela, kidnapped its constitutional President, Nicolás Maduro Moros, and comrade Cilia Flores and reinforced the aggressive escalation against Cuba by trying to impose an absolute siege on fuel supplies to the country. These irresponsible actions require urgent mobilization by the international community. Today, the fate of our peoples, regional stability and the very identity of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace are at stake.
Reason, International Law and the unwavering will to fulfill and uphold the postulates of the Peace Proclamation are on our side.
In the face of intentions to reinstate the Monroe Doctrine by military force, we reaffirm that Latin America and the Caribbean is neither disputed territory nor anyone’s backyard. Latin America and the Caribbean belong to the peoples from the Rio Bravo to Patagonia, as our Apostle said.
José Martí warned us 135 years ago, and I quote: “The trees must form ranks to keep the giant with seven-league boots from passing! It is the time of mobilization, of marching together, and we must go forward in close ranks, like silver in the veins of the Andes.”
This historic moment needs more unity, even in our diversity. In the face of the differences, challenges and threats that now loom over Latin America and the Caribbean, let us uphold peace. The peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean deserve to live in peace.
Thank you very much.
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DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .
An article by Brett Wilkins from Common Dreams (reprinted according to Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
People, groups, and governments across the
Global South this week condemned the US-Israeli war on Iran, which one prominent international progressive organization slammed as "devoid of any legal justification."
People rally and march in Thiruvananthapuram—the capital of Kerala state in India—on March 2, 2026 to condemn the US-Israeli war on Iran. (Photo by Communist Party of India-Marxist/X)The attack on Iran sparked large protests in countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, and Turkey, with demonstrators taking to squares and streets to condemn what many called a war of imperialist aggression waged by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
(Editor’s note: The Guardian lists protests from Pakistan, South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Chile, Cuba, and many other developing nations.)
In South Africa—which is leading a genocide case against Israel at the >International Court of Justice (ICJ)—labor, leftist, student, and Muslim groups are among those denouncing the war.
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) issued a statement Tuesday proclaiming, "No to war, no to regime change, no to oppression."
"History has taught the global working class a bitter lesson: So-called 'interventions' in the name of democracy have left behind destruction, instability, and suffering for ordinary people, never liberation," SAFTU asserted. "From Iraq to Libya, from Syria to countless other theaters of intervention, it is workers and the poor who pay the highest price."
"The future of Iran belongs to its people, not to Washington, not to Tel Aviv, and not to foreign intelligence agencies," the federation stressed.
In Pakistan, at least 23 people were killed during demonstrations across the country on Sunday, including 10 protesters outside the US consulate in Karachi. US Marines reportedly opened fire on a crowd of people who attempted to storm the facility. Eleven others were killed in the northern city of Skardu, where people set a United Nations office ablaze. Two people were also slain in capital Islamabad.
The Progressive International (PI) cabinet published a statement condemning the war "in the strongest possible terms."
"The assault once again exposes the true character of US diplomacy," the group said. "Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington—mediated by Oman—were little more than a screen behind which the Trump administration coordinated an agenda of [a] 'major combat operation' under the banner of ‘Operation Epic Fury.’"
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"Trump has been clear: This is a regime change offensive—devoid of any legal justification let alone authorization," the PI cabinet continued. "Trump has framed these strikes as 'preemptive,' necessary to eliminate 'imminent threats' and to defend national security. Yet Iran has made no immediate threats to the US. On the contrary, it is a long-standing ambition of the US and Israel to wage war on Iran—the lethal consequences of which will be borne by its people."
"Imperialist war does not liberate peoples—it subjugates them," the group added. "The evidence is found in the ruins of Gaza, Baghdad, and Tripoli, where bombs leveled cities and 'democracy promotion' left ashes in its wake."
Siphamandla Zondi, a professor of politics at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, told the Guardian that “this is a war of domination and subordination, therefore it has imperialist undertones and motives" and "makes the world unsafe for all of us.”
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) issued a statement Monday calling the attack "against international law."
"The bombing in Iran has killed hundreds of people, most of them are children and civilians," the group said. "The aggression is part of the Israel-US renewed war to dominate the West Asia region and plunder their resources… For decades, the United States has armed, funded, and protected Israel’s military actions while destabilizing West Asia through sanctions, interventions, and war. The result is endless violence, displacement, and suffering for ordinary people."
"The ongoing attacks will create new waves of refugees," IMA added. "Families are forced to flee across borders that are increasingly militarized. Imperialist wars create a brutal cycle of forced migration: People are driven from their homes, safety, and future, only to face criminalization, detention, or exploitation as migrants and refugees abroad."
Indian-born academic Amitav Acharya, author of The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West, said in an interview with the Guardian that “many countries in the Global South are going to look for a coalition of powers that will stand up to the United States, as the United States is seen as so aggressive, so imperial."
That sentiment was echoed across the developing world. In Brazil, the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) said: "Trump is a threat to the world. This is a criminal violation of Iranian sovereignty and international law."
"To justify the war, the United States lies by stating that Iran threatens the American people and the world," the party continued. "We already know this story: The 'weapons of mass destruction' of Iraq… have never been found. Trump invades Iran to defend American neocolonial interests and to give a message to the world that the American government does not accept the existence of independent countries in the world system."
"Once again, US imperialism and Israeli Zionism elect the path of war and barbarism, bombing civilian facilities and killing innocents," PSOL added. "We demand an immediate end to the bombing and express our total solidarity with the Iranian people.
(Editor’s Note: We are impressed by the analysis of Professor John Mearsheimer that “it is almost impossible for me to see how Israel and the US win this war . . . Remember that in the Vietnam War, the US won virtually every battle and lost the war.”)
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… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …
An article from Agenparl
PREAMBLE
Assisi has, for centuries, been a city that speaks of peace to the world.
From Assisi comes Francis, whose eighth centenary we celebrate this year: a figure who bequeathed to history a humanism of peace founded on fraternity, the protection of creation, reconciliation between human beings and between humanity and the earth that hosts it. An embodied humanism, capable of bringing together differences, fragilities, and tensions without erasing them, and of inspiring profound reflection on human rights, on encounters between people, on respect for the environment, and on peace.
In that same historical period, the university as universitas took shape: a community of people and knowledge, a universal space for relationships, capable from its origins of crossing political, geographical, cultural, and religious boundaries. It is within this horizon that the University of Perugia was also born (1308), a living part of that universal tradition of knowledge.
Umbria continued to speak of peace even in the twentieth century: Aldo Capitini indicated a nonviolent path based on education, participation, and personal and collective responsibility.
For this reason, in Assisi, the University of Perugia, together with the universities and academic institutions gathered here, subscribes to the following principles, assuming a historical and public responsibility.
Founding principles
The university as a universal space for relationships
The university was born as a universitas: an open community of students , professors, researchers, and all the staff (technicians, administrators, librarians, and cel) who make the life of the university possible, united by a love of knowledge and the method of free, democratic, and peaceful debate.
Its original vocation is not opposition, but relationship; Not identity-based closure, but openness;
Not separation, but encounter.
For this reason, the university is called to be a place where differences are not denied or erased, but inhabited, understood, and transformed into dialogue.
2. Peace as a process, not a slogan.
Peace is not a sudden event nor the result of a victory.
It is a long, patient, formative process.
Universities, by their very nature, operate over a long period of time: they educate, train,
support, and foster critical thinking and responsibility.
In this sense, peace is not an external addition to the university mission, but is an essential constitutive dimension.
3. Knowledge, responsibility and justice
Knowledge is not neutral.
All knowledge has an impact on the world, on people, on communities and therefore requires a sense of responsibility.
Universities are committed to:
• orienting research and teaching towards the common good;
• promoting a responsible use of technologies;
• addressing the great transformations of our time – environmental, social, digital – with ethical awareness.
Peace is inseparable from justice and equity, from sustainability and from caring for the environment that welcomes us and that we have a duty to preserve for future generations.
4. Universities, cities and territories: alliances for peace
Universities are not islands.
They live in cities, territories, and communities.
Being bridges of peace also means:
• building alliances between institutions;
• engaging in dialogue with social, cultural, civil, and productive realities;
• contributing to the human and sustainable development of territories.
Peace grows where relationships of trust and shared responsibility are forged.
5. Peace as a long path
Peace is not a destination, but a journey: it is built day after day, generation after generation. It is a long path that requires patience, perseverance, and vision.
Universities are called to travel it with a particular responsibility: to educate in critical thinking, to cultivate dialogue between cultures and knowledge, to dismantle prejudices through knowledge. It means recognizing that complexity is not resolved by force, but by intelligence and empathy; that conflict cannot be erased, but is overcome with tools of reason and care.
This path passes through classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and seminars; through research focused on humanity’s common problems; through exchanges between students from different countries; through the rejection of any knowledge that becomes an instrument of oppression.
Lasting peace is built by forming free consciences and open minds, capable of recognizing the other not as an enemy, but as a partner. It is a work of attention, listening and responsibility: it is not immediate, it cannot be simplified, it cannot be reduced to slogans.
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Where is peace education taking place?
University campus peace centers, What is happening on your campus?
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6. Spirituality, values and protection of humanity
In a secular and welcoming way, this Charter recognizes that peace is expressedalso starting from a profound reflection on the spiritual values that cross cultures.
Universities welcome dialogue between different spiritualities, with the aim of safeguarding humanity, which is completed by:
• safeguarding the dignity of each person;
• recognizing the value of relationships;
• maintaining an ethical approach in times of great transformations, including those related to artificial intelligence.
7. Universities as bridges of peace in the world
In a world crossed by conflicts, polarizations, and new forms of division, universities reaffirm their role as:
• spaces for dialogue;
• places where differences meet;
• laboratories for a shared future.
Dialogue only makes sense if it is inhabited within a relational universality that fully recognizes the other. Universities choose to be bridges, not walls.
CONCLUSION
This Charter is not a point of arrival, but a commitment, signed and shared.
Universities are committed to educating for Peace, practicing Peace, and building peaceful relationships through actions such as establishing degree programs on Peace issues, establishing chairs or courses on Peace issues, establishing working groups to evaluate agreements between and with universities in conflict contexts, establishing Peace Study Centers , developing international networks on Peace issues, or any other action with the same general goals.
Possible Actions
• Establish degree programs on Peace issues;
Peace requires specific and interdisciplinary skills, capable of understanding the roots of conflicts and imagining paths to reconciliation.
We need mediation professionals, international cooperation experts, and dialogue builders.
• Establish chairs or courses on Peace issues;
Integrating this dimension into all educational programs, as the culture of peace cannot be a marginal specialization: it must cross disciplines, since all knowledge can and must be oriented towards building bridges of peace.
• Establish working groups to evaluate agreements between and with universities in conflict-affected contexts; Taking ethical responsibility for their collaborations, universities commit to rigorously and transparently evaluating every partnership, exchange, and funding, the moral and political implications of which must be assessed.
• Establish Peace Study Centers; Permanent places of research, documentation, and reflection. Centers that can become points of reference for scholars, policymakers, and civil society; laboratories for developing analyses, proposing solutions, and preserving the memory of conflicts and their resolutions.
• Developing international networks on the themes of Peace.
Peace is by definition a global common good. Universities must forge alliances that transcend political borders, creating communities of research and practice that overcome national divisions, building bridges where others raise walls.
Assisi, 25 February 2026
Université Catholique de Lyon (Founded in 1875) Pr. Grégory Woimbée
Universidad de Guadalajara (Founded in 1792) Prof.ssa Karla Planter Pérez
Agricultural University of Tirana (Founded in 1951) Prof.ssa Erinda Lika e Prof.ssa Koto Romina
Université Clermont Auvergne (Founded in 1519) Prof.ssa Marie-Elisabeth Baudoin
Università degli Studi di Siena (Fondata nel 1240) Prof. Gianluca Navone
Università degli Studi di Macerata (Fondata nel 1290) Prof. John Francis McCourt
Sapienza Università di Roma (Fondata nel 1303) Prof. Fabio Sciarrino
Università degli Studi di Perugia (Fondata nel 1308) Prof. Massimiliano Marianelli
Università degli Studi di Firenze (Fondata nel 1321) Prof.ssa Maria Paola Monaco
Università degli Studi di Camerino (Fondata nel 1336) Prof. Graziano Leoni
Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo (Fondata nel 1506) Prof. Giorgio Calcagnini
Università degli Studi dell’Aquila (Fondata nel 1596) Prof. Fabio Graziosi
Università per Stranieri di Perugia (Fondata nel 1925) Prof. Valerio De Cesaris
Università del Salento (Fondata nel 1955) Prof. Salvatore Rizzello
Università degli Studi “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti Pescara (Fondata nel 1965) Prof. Liborio Stuppia
Polytechnic University of Marche (Founded in 1969) Prof. Enrico Quagliarini
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. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .
A media advisory from UN Women
International Women’s Day 2026 comes at a defining moment: Women and girls have never been closer to equality, and never closer to losing it. Legal protection against domestic violence has expanded in many countries. Yet, the rights of women and girls are being rolled back in plain sight, and across the world, women still do not enjoy the same legal rights as men.
On 4 March, ahead of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), UN Women will launch a report warning that the systems meant to protect women and girls are failing, leaving millions exposed to discrimination, violence and impunity as backlash against gender equality intensifies and violations of fundamental rights rise worldwide.
From 9–19 March, the world will gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York for CSW70 – the United Nations’ largest annual forum dedicated to gender equality and women’s rights. What happens at CSW influences laws, policies, funding and accountability across countries and generations.
This year’s focus is clear: rights, justice and action for all women and girls.
CSW70 is a defining test: whether the world choses to act together and deliver equality before the law for all women and girls or allow injustice to persist with impunity. UN Women calls on governments, partners, institutions and communities everywhere to stand up, show up and speak up for rights, justice and action – so all women and girls can live safely, speak freely and exist equally.
Follow the global conversation: #ForAllWomenAndGirls #IWD2026.
(Editor’s note: Details about the following events have been removed here but they may be accessed via the link above. The events may be followed via UN Web TV except in one case as indicated).
Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls. United Nations Observance of International Women’s Day
The United Nations Observance of International Women’s Day 2026, under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” will be held on 9 March 2026 at the UN General Assembly Hall, immediately preceding the opening of CSW70. Aligned with CSW70, the observance is conceived as a single, continuous political moment that will elevate global attention to justice as the critical bridge between rights on paper and rights in practice, reaffirming collective resolve to confront persistent setbacks, violence and the denial of rights. Bringing together Member State delegations, global leaders, advocates, Goodwill Ambassadors and global voices, the observance will serve as a high-visibility platform to galvanize leadership, media engagement and concrete action towards ensuring equal access to justice for all women and girls.
Opening of the Seventieth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70)
The CSW70 Opening marks the start of the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission will hear opening remarks by the CSW Chair, the Presidents of ECOSOC and the General Assembly and the Secretary-General, as well as a civil society representative and a young person. It will also hear introductory statements by the UN Women Executive Director, the Chairperson of the CEDAW Committee, the Chairperson of the Working Group on Discrimination against women and girls and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences. The ceremonial opening will be followed immediately by the adoption of the agreed conclusions, and the start of the general discussion which will focus mainly on the priority theme: ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including promoting inclusive legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws and practices, and addressing structural barriers to equality.
G77 and Emerging Partners Ministerial Roundtable: Pathways for Accelerating Sustainable Financing for Gender Equality for All Women and Girls
Ministers, financial leaders, Ambassadors and development partners convene at CSW70 to advance practical pathways for scaling sustainable finance for gender equality. Co-hosted by Brazil, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Uruguay and UN Women, the Roundtable will focus on mobilizing public and private capital, strengthening financial systems and investing in priorities such as care infrastructure, digital inclusion and women’s economic empowerment. As the SDG deadline approaches and financing gaps widen, the event highlights concrete national actions and partnerships needed to accelerate investment in gender equality and drive inclusive, resilient economic growth.
Rights, Justice, Action for All Women and Girls: Celebrating 45 years of CEDAW
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), often described as the international bill of rights for women, was adopted by the General Assembly in 1979 and entered into force in 1981. The CEDAW Committee held its inaugural session in 1982. As we convene for CSW70 in March 2026, we celebrate 45 years of the Committee’s work in monitoring the implementation of the Convention. As a quasi-judicial body, the CEDAW Committee has been the global vanguard for legal reform, the repeal of discriminatory laws, and the establishment of gender-responsive legal frameworks, and its General Recommendation No. 33 specifically provides guidance and recommendations to States on access to justice. In this regard, the CEDAW Committee, UN Women, OHCHR, the UN Foundation and the Ford Foundation are pleased to cohost a reception in commemoration of this important milestone.
Achieving Gender Equality in Nationality Laws
UN Women, in partnership with the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights, UNHCR, UNICEF, the Global Alliance to End Statelessness, and champion States will convene a high-level event on Achieving Gender Equality in Nationality Laws on 10 March at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Despite global progress, more than 45 countries still retain gender‑discriminatory nationality laws that deny women equal rights to confer nationality, causing statelessness and lifelong barriers for millions of families. The event will spotlight testimony from people directly affected, share lessons from recent reforms, and underscore why gender‑equal nationality rights are essential to achieving justice and the SDGs. It will also launch a new Legal Atlas on Discriminatory Nationality Laws, providing the first comprehensive global mapping of these legal gaps. Impacted States are expected to announce concrete reform commitments.
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Protecting women and girls against violence, Is progress being made?
Does the UN advance equality for women?
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Townhall Meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General and Civil Society in the Margins of the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
The townhall provides an opportunity for the UN Secretary-General to meet with the largest gathering of civil society at the UN, and to have a frank discussion on issues related to the advancement of gender equality and women and girls’ rights around the world. It offers intersectional and intergenerational civil society a space to directly engage with the highest leadership of the United Nations and to ask questions, share recommendations and strengthen collaboration. This will be the last townhall with the current Secretary-General whose term ends this year.
Achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Older Women
As part of the CSW70, this Ministerial Round Table will focus on Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all older women, an emerging focus area identified by the Commission. The discussion, led by high-level ministers and UN leaders will address how rapid population ageing – with women comprising the majority of persons aged 60 and above – reshapes the conditions for gender equality across the life course. Ministers will exchange experiences, lessons learned and good practices to advance income security and economic independence of older women, and to transform social and cultural norms to counter ageism and sexism, prevent elder abuse, and more.
The Role of Parliaments in Achieving Parity in Decision-Making and Ensuring Gender-Responsive Access to Justice for Women and Girls
The Meeting will provide an opportunity to bring a parliamentary perspective into the CSW70 discussions on the priority and review themes. Members of Parliament from around the world will share perspectives and practices on legislative, oversight and budgetary actions to achieve parity representation in decision-making, eliminate discriminatory laws, address gaps between legal frameworks and their implementation, combat impunity for violence against women, and strengthen accountability and enforcement across justice systems. The event will also serve as the launch of the latest Women in Politics Map, presenting new data for women in executive positions and national parliaments as of 1 January 2026.
Advancing Women’s Access to Justice: Building Justice Systems that Deliver for All Including in Fragile Contexts
Amid intersecting crises, uncertainty, and deepening inequality, there is an urgent need to reimagine justice systems that respond to the realities of a rapidly changing world. At CSW70, UNDP and UN Women – in partnership with the Governments of Brazil, Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Ukraine – are hosting a high-level event to spotlight country experiences, civil society innovations and emerging legal reforms. The discussion will identify recommendations that can be taken forward now and explore how governments, civil society and international partners can work together to co-create and sustain reforms for humans everywhere, including in fragile and crisis-affected contexts.
Women Leaders Paving the Way: Access to Justice for All Women and Girls
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Hosted by the UN Women Leaders Network, in partnership with the Government of Iceland and the UN Foundation, this CSW70 side event will feature a panel discussion with distinguished speakers from the UN Women Leaders Network about ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, examined through a women’s leadership lens. The panel will highlight that meaningful access to justice depends on inclusive governance, accountable leadership, innovative policymaking, and cross-sectoral collaboration. The event will end with closing remarks from UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.
CSW High-level Meeting on Violence Against Women and Girls
On 12 March 2026, Member States will convene at UN Headquarters for the CSW High-level Meeting on Violence against Women and Girls – the first annual High-level Meeting held during CSW under a new mandate to elevate critical cross-cutting priorities aimed at accelerating implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The meeting will highlight what works to prevent violence and strengthen survivor-centred responses – both online and offline – at a moment when progress remains too slow and technology is accelerating new harms. Across two sessions, ministers and leading experts, including from women’s rights organizations and survivors from all five UN regional groups will share evidence, good practices with potential for scale-up, and practical actions to close implementation gaps and accelerate commitments to end violence against women and girls.
Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls
The Interactive Dialogue with Youth Representatives at CSW70 is a global platform that elevates the leadership, vision, and lived experiences of young people advancing access to justice for women and girls. It highlights the need for inclusive and equitable legal systems, the elimination of discriminatory laws, policies and practices, and action to address the structural barriers that deny women and girls justice.
Closing of the Seventieth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70)
The CSW70 Closing Session brings the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women to an official end. Delegates will review progress made during discussions on the priority theme of ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, consider outstanding agenda items, adopt the session’s report and agreed conclusions, and look ahead to the work of CSW71.
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The International Women’s Day in Paris attracted around 32,000 people, according to police. Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP
People march to mark International Women’s Day in Dublin, Ireland, March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
