U.N. Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) is an annual two-week United Nations meeting that focuses on the conditions facing women and girls around the world; promotes their rights in political, economic, civil, social, and educational fields; and makes recommendations about urgent problems.
The Episcopal Church and our Anglican Communion partners have long participated in these sessions in support of gender justice, human rights, and empowerment for women and girls. In alignment with our baptismal covenant, we strive for justice, respect, and dignity for all people—and we invite our churches and dioceses to engage in these actions through involvement in UNCSW.
Find out more below about how you and your faith and local communities can be involved in the next UNCSW session.
How to participate in UNCSW events in New York—and online
The annual two-week meeting is held in the spring at U.N. headquarters in New York City. It consists of an ongoing plenary session and side events organized by member states and U.N. entities. In addition, public “parallel” events mirroring the theme often take place near the U.N. at the same time. If you live nearby, below are some ways to consider participating in person.
- Attend public events, on your own or with an Episcopal Church group. In past years, there have been groups from national and New York-based Episcopal Church Women, the Anglican Church of Canada, parish youth groups, and more.
- Attend “parallel” events in the U.N. vicinity. Hundreds of free public events are offered in hybrid format related to UNCSW themes. Most are coordinated by the NGO Committee on the Status of Women. Sign up for their newsletter to learn more.
How your church or diocese can participate in UNCSW
Episcopal dioceses, churches, organizations, individuals, and their local communities are invited to join in the church’s UNCSW engagement in the following ways, from anywhere in the world.
Educate
- Educate yourself and your community about the issues. The commission’s work is framed around 12 critical areas of concern outlined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
- Watch the two-week meeting via livestream or recording on UN Web TV.
- Organize local events highlighting access to justice for all women and girls.
- Follow @UNWomen across all digital and social media platforms along with official #CSW71 hashtags.
Advocate
- Share the Ecumenical Women’s joint written statement for this year’s UNCSW with your community circles and decision-makers and illustrate the concerns from your own experience.
- Engage in local and national-level advocacy on the church’s UNCSW priorities.
- Engage in digital advocacy across all social media platforms, addressing decision-makers’ accounts and using hashtags #CSW70, #EpiscopalUN, #EpiscopalCSW, and #EpiscopalAdvocacy.
Pray
- Organize local prayer and worship services that include themes on access to justice for all women and girls.
- Join in the churchwide Beijing Noonday Prayer that Anglicans and Episcopalians have been praying since 1995.
- Pray for Episcopalians and Anglicans involved in UNCSW’s work, and for all participants from around the world. Pray for the decisions made during the session.
Serve
- Organize service opportunities in your local community that meet the needs of women and girls whose access to justice is stymied.
- Share stories and experiences with the wider church through social media.
Join in Beijing Noonday Prayer
Join an Anglican/Episcopal tradition started in 1995 with this prayer, written to remember the ongoing work begun at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.
