Commission on the Status of Women

The next UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 56) will take place from 27 February to 9 March 2012 on Priority theme: “The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges”.

WILPF International submitted a written statement noting, “For nearly a century, WILPF has concentrated on the links between gender inequality, socioeconomic injustice and the root causes of war. Since the last CSW, women from around the world convened for the WILPF International Congress in San José, Costa Rica (July 30-August 6, 2011) to reaffirm our position and refocus on work to prevent conflict and insecurity through advancing the rights of all.

The statement focuses on theme of CSW 56, “the empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development, and current challenges”, and draws particular attention to cross-cutting issues: participation; land rights and access; indigenous rights; natural resources; food security, and the particular challenges and impacts of disasters, conflict and insecurity on the lives of rural women. The statement underlines that “rural women are often subject to particular rights' violations, exclusion, isolation, and poverty, and are acutely affected by natural and man-made disasters including economic crisis, climate change, militarization and conflict”. To draw attention to some common themes, the WILPF statement highlights cases from our national sections, which exemplify the complexity and range of challenges facing rural women.

To review CSW 55: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Summary Report, click here