The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW or UNCSW) is one of the most important committees of this organization, which was established in 1946 with the goal of gender equality and helping the progress of women. This commission was founded as a mechanism for promoting, reporting, and monitoring issues related to women’s political, economic, civil, social, and educational rights. The 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (69 CSW), held from March 10 to 21, 2025 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, focused on reviewing and evaluating the implementation of the “Beijing Platform for Action”. This 131-page report, adopted at the 1995 World Conference on Women, was recognized as a global roadmap for promoting women’s rights and gender equality. The report, released twelve years ago, estimated that there are 12 areas of concern that require action by countries around the world to achieve gender equality:

1- Women and Poverty: Reducing the Disproportionate Impact of Poverty on Women and Strengthening Their Economic Independence.

2- Education: Ensuring equal access to quality education for girls and women.

3- Women and Health: Improving healthcare systems by considering the needs of women, including reproductive rights…

4- Violence against women: Putting an end to all forms of gender-based violence and ensuring legal protection.

5- Women and Armed Conflicts: The Increase of Women’s Role in Peacemaking and Protection of Their Rights in War Zones.

6- Women and Economy: Elimination of job discrimination and support for equal economic opportunities.

7- Women in Power and Decision-Making: Increasing Women’s Participation in Leadership and Politics.

8- Institutional mechanisms for promoting women: Strengthening policies and institutions related to gender equality.

9- Women’s rights: Recognizing women’s rights as human rights and eliminating discrimination.

10- Women and Media: Promoting fair representation of women in the media and combating gender stereotypes.

11- Women and the environment: Increasing the role of women in environmental decision-making.

12- Girls: Eliminating discrimination against girls and guaranteeing their rights.

The comprehensive framework of the “Beijing Action Plan” identified strategic goals and actions for promoting gender equality at the global level, which is still practical and impactful today and even 30 years after this conference. The Philippines was supposed to take on the leadership of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women with the theme “Beijing+30”, but in March 2024, the Philippines stepped down from this role and Saudi Arabia took over the leadership of this session. This decision was not only met with protests from human rights organizations, but also many non-governmental organizations and women participating in the NGO Forum held simultaneously with the Commission on the Status of Women in New York protested against this decision.

If every year in the meeting of the members of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, a draft would first be released to prepare the final document of the conference, and after two weeks of discussion among representatives of member countries, the final document would be published, at the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, unexpectedly on the second day of the conference, a “political declaration” was released with unanimous votes, reaffirming the commitments stated in the Beijing Platform for Action and holding member countries of the United Nations accountable for its implementation. This political declaration, adopted on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing World Conference on Women (Beijing+30), emphasized the renewed commitment of countries to the full implementation of the declaration and the Beijing Action Plan, and the achievement of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.

It is necessary to support human rights and fundamental freedoms for every woman and girl, without exception.

As we approach the quarter century mark since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNCSW 1325) in 2025, this political statement continues to emphasize the crucial role of women in peace and security. It stresses the importance of integrating women’s leadership at all stages of conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding.

The importance of eradicating poverty in all its forms.

Ensuring the right of women and girls to education, especially in the fields of STEM.

The necessity of closing the digital gender gap, relying on the vast potential of technology.

Investment in Gender Statistics and the Use of this Data in Informed Policy Making.

Eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, including new forms such as digital violence, online harassment and cyberbullying.

This political statement also emphasizes that achieving progress in these areas requires significant financial resources and efforts must be made to accelerate gender equality globally. “Simba Bahous,” Executive Director of UN Women, said at the meeting, “No country has fully achieved gender equality yet.” This bold political declaration shows that governments around the world recognize 2025 as an important year and can no longer push back on commitments made 30 years ago.

A Fifty-Year Review of Women’s Conferences and Meetings, from Mexico City to Beijing.

The history of the global women’s movement and the transition towards gender equality in the past fifty years can be traced through United Nations conferences, organizations, non-governmental gatherings, and other key actions to gain a better understanding of the global women’s movement and its ups and downs.

1975: World Conference on Women, Mexico City.

By declaring this year (1975) as the International Year of Women, the General Assembly of the United Nations marked a turning point in drawing international attention to gender inequalities and creating a platform for global commitments to women’s rights. Non-governmental women’s organizations, as they were not informed of the conference, did not have a significant presence and only a few feminist and human rights organizations from Latin America gathered on the sidelines of the conference.

1980: World Conference on Women, Copenhagen.

With the momentum created by the Mexico City Conference, this conference emphasized strategies for improving the economic and social status of women and highlighted the need for specific political actions to address gender inequalities.

1985: World Conference on Women, Nairobi.

This gathering focused on the progress of women and poverty eradication, expanded discussions on gender issues, and encouraged collaborative solutions between governments and civil society. Non-governmental women’s organizations had a significant presence at this conference. The processes of the Women’s Decade were examined and “forward-looking strategies for the advancement of women” were discussed, with the assessment that the goals of the Women’s Decade had not been achieved and that “forward-looking strategies” must be taken to achieve these goals.

1995: Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing.

This conference, with the participation of 42,000 women and 1,200 men, was the largest and most influential United Nations conference on women. The Beijing Program of Action, also known as the “Platform for Action,” covers 12 areas. The Beijing Program of Action developed practical measures and strategies for women from countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, to European and North American countries. Along with four global conferences, it is worth mentioning that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is a key and important document that all countries in the world have joined, except for the United States (which was signed during the Carter administration but has not been ratified by Congress), Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Tonga, Vatican City, and Palau, who have not signed or ratified the convention.

Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council.

One of the important actions regarding women is Resolution 1325 of the United Nations Security Council (1325 UNCSW) on Women, Peace, and Security, which was adopted on October 31, 2000 by unanimous vote. This resolution emphasizes the disproportionate impact of wars and conflicts on women and girls, and calls on governments to adopt a gender and sexual lens for addressing the specific needs of women during times of war, conflict, and post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation. It also stresses the importance of women’s participation in peace negotiations.

Women of the United Nations.

In 2010, four United Nations agencies working on women’s issues came together and established the UN Women organization. This entity was added to the United Nations General Assembly in July 2010. This action was part of the UN’s efforts to combat gender discrimination worldwide.

Equality Institution.

This institution (Generation Equality) in 2021, at the initiative of women of the United Nations, is considered the latest official effort of the United Nations to accelerate gender equality in a world with increasing communications.

This historical evolution, from the first global conferences to modern initiatives led by women at the United Nations, demonstrates a continuous path towards striving for gender equality and demanding equal rights for women and girls worldwide. However, this path is still incomplete and the issue of gender equality remains a daily and challenging struggle.

Challenges on the path to gender equality.

With the above explanations about the evolutionary process of the global women’s movement, it is clear that in the past 50 years (1975-2025), the elimination of sexual and gender inequalities has shifted from the margins to the center of global discussions. The struggle and demands of women and girls for gender equality have been amplified by the use of information technology and the increasing access of women to the internet and social media, and their voices are being heard on a global scale. However, women and girls still face systematic discrimination, violence, and economic inequalities. Two major global trends, which can be traced back to the Beijing Conference, are the rise of extremism and fundamentalism in all religions and the growth of right-wing extremist and populist forces in various countries. These two global trends, along with the deepening economic divide in most countries and between the global North and South, have created serious challenges at the global level for achieving equal rights and human dignity for women.

Some of the most important and widespread challenges of women and girls include:

Sexual and gender-based violence that are the cause and effect of gender inequalities.

Neoliberal policies, privatization, and discrimination in education and healthcare, especially for ethnic, racial, sexual, religious minorities and other cases.

According to the annual report of the United Nations, economic inequality is expected to hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the year 2030. It is expected that closing the gender gap, which is the target of SDG number 5, will face an annual budget deficit of 360 billion dollars.

The limited presence of women in political and economic leadership, including the private sector…

Impact and advancements from 1995 until now.

Since the adoption of the Beijing Action Plan by 189 countries in 1995, as the Fifth Conference was not held (further explanation is provided below), every five years, countries are required to report to the Commission on the Status of Women on their progress in 12 critical areas of concern in the Beijing Action Plan. These reports serve as a tool for non-governmental organizations in the respective countries to monitor and hold their governments accountable by submitting a “shadow report” to the United Nations. Gender equality has been a driving force behind social movements worldwide and demands from women and marginalized groups have led to:

Increasing legal support against gender-based violence, passing more laws against domestic violence, sexual harassment, and discrimination. However, the implementation of these legal supports is lacking in many countries. At least 162 countries have passed laws related to domestic violence and 147 countries have passed laws related to sexual harassment in the workplace. However, even when laws exist, it does not necessarily mean that they always comply with international standards and recommendations or are enforced.

The strong presence of women in politics has led to an increase in the number of women in leadership positions. In 2024, women held 27% of legislative seats worldwide, showing a growth of 15.6% compared to 2004. The presence of women in leadership positions can have a significant impact on the empowerment of women. It should be noted that nowadays, especially in European and American countries, right-wing extremists use women as a tool for their strategic goals.

Improving access to education for girls and reducing gender gap in primary and secondary schools. This gap was closing for primary education by 2019, but global research shows that child marriage and poverty, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have widened the gap. The case of the Taliban in Afghanistan and smaller terrorist groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and ISIS in some countries in South Asia are essentially barriers to girls’ education.

Increasing women’s economic participation. Unfortunately, the gender pay gap and heavy presence of women in the informal economy still persist. In 2024, two billion people were employed in the informal sector of the global economy (private sector, small workshops, temporary and non-beneficial jobs, etc.), of which 80% were women.

Remaining challenges and the path ahead.

Despite advancements, there are still many challenges remaining.

Economic inequality and gender wage gap.

Continued gender-based violence in homes, society, and virtual spaces.

The limited presence of women in leadership roles.

Access limitations to health and educational services for women regarding pregnancy health and a woman’s right to her own body, not only exist in countries across three continents (Asia, Africa, and Latin America), but even in countries such as the United States and some European countries, including Poland and others where right-wing extremist forces hold political power.

Necessary steps for achieving gender equality.

“Developing and implementing stronger laws to protect women’s rights.”

Increasing investment in programs related to gender equality.

Expanding women’s participation in decision-making and leadership roles.

Removing cultural and systematic barriers that reinforce gender discrimination.

Why was the 5th World Conference on Women not held?

After the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, the Fifth World Conference was supposed to be held, but the rise of religious extremism at a global level and right-wing extremist policies in various countries caused priorities to change. If this conference had been held, it would have likely resulted in a setback from the 131-page action plan adopted in Beijing, which was signed by 189 countries.

Instead, annual women’s conferences are held every 5 years under the title of Beijing Plus Five, Ten, Fifteen, Twenty, Twenty-Five, and this year Beijing Plus Thirty, as a platform for monitoring the implementation of the Beijing Action Plan.

Non-governmental organization meetings in Beijing plus 30.

Alongside the official meetings of the member countries of the Commission on the Status of Women, which take place every year and are a manifestation of the saying “Two hundred words are not equal to half an action,” thousands of activists for gender equality, feminists, human rights and environmental activists, and other civil society organizations participated in many in-person and virtual sessions and hundreds of meetings and workshops were organized by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). After the spread of COVID, participation in meetings of non-governmental organizations can take place without any costs, both in virtual and in-person spaces. This has led to thousands of people from all over the world participating in these meetings. In the in-person sessions, which are also broadcasted on social media by some of them, gender equality activists learn from each other and rely on each other’s achievements to move forward.

Iran and the United Nations Women’s Commission.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, like other member countries of the United Nations, has reported to the Women’s Status Conference every five years over the past thirty years, and has also presented a 134-page report to the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The report states: “Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, special attention has been paid to the promotion of women’s affairs and the improvement of their situation and rights. The Islamic Republic of Iran has made remarkable achievements in increasing the status, dignity and human and social rights of women, and has taken extensive measures in the areas of health, education, employment, security, combating violence and increasing women’s social presence through appointments to decision-making positions.” It also refers to the achievements of the past five years, including the following data and statistics:

Illiteracy eradication among Iranians aged 10 to 49 years with a rate of 97 percent.

Decrease in the literacy gap between women and men to less than 6.1 percent.

“60% of university students and 40% of faculty members are women.”

“40% of doctors are women, 30% are specialists, and 50% are medical staff.”

“Occupation of 74.5% of women in the private sector, 25.5% in the public sector.”

Social security insurance coverage for rural women, housewives, and household heads.

The presence of women in 103 international seats of sports federations.

37.1% increase in women’s medals at the World Championships.

934,589 female athletes are talking…

Activity 23.543 female authors and 1051 female publishers.

An increase of 31.5% in women’s participation in information technology.

Receiving over 100 international awards by female filmmakers.

The leadership of women over the Environmental Organization, in four terms…

“30% of managerial positions are allocated to women.”

Most of these statistics lack reliable sources and independent evaluations. It is not clear which institution has collected these statistics, how they have been verified, and which groups of women have not been included in these statistics (such as marginalized women, ethnic or religious minorities, or protesting and imprisoned women). The claim of high employment in the private sector is also misleading. In Iran, like in the global society, many women work in the informal market without insurance or contracts and in low-paying jobs. In the official sectors, discrimination in employment, promotion, and wages still exists, and Iran is among the countries with widespread discrimination in government employment, which puts the heaviest burden on single women. Despite the high rate of university education among women in Iran, their presence in decision-making levels (ministries, Guardian Council, Expediency Discernment Council) is very limited. The Constitution still does not allow women to run for presidency.

The report mentions coverage of insurance for rural women and household heads. However, these plans are mostly limited and experimental for the approximately 90 million population of Iran.

The report has focused on the successes of women in sports or arts, but these achievements have been obtained under circumstances where many women have faced censorship, ideological pressures, and security threats with courage and bravery. Female athletes are forced to comply with mandatory hijab in order to participate in international competitions, and sometimes they are deprived or threatened for interacting with other athletes.

In the report of the Islamic Republic of Iran government and/or several non-governmental organizations (GONGOs), the US sanctions have been cited as a violation of the fundamental rights of the people of Iran, especially women and children. While these sanctions have undoubtedly had an impact on the economic and health problems of the Iranian people, the report of the Islamic Republic of Iran attempts to portray the incompetence of those in power and the numerous instances of financial corruption as a one-sided result of the sanctions. The reality is that many experts and commentators have consistently emphasized that the actual impact of the sanctions has never been more than 20%. In fact, over the past three decades, the Islamic Republic has used the sanctions as a scapegoat for all of its structural problems, including gender inequality, civil restrictions, violence against women, and political suppression. This evasion ignores the government’s responsibility for structural discrimination against women and the suppression of women activists. The narrative presented in the 134-page report of the Islamic Republic

The report discusses the actions of the Islamic Republic towards gender equality, highlighting the scientific, social, ethical, political, and managerial advancements of women in all fields. However, the reality is that although women’s presence in universities is high, this does not necessarily translate to equal access to job and managerial opportunities. The unemployment rate for women, especially among educated women, is twice that of men. Additionally, ideological and security constraints have hindered women’s full participation in political and even civil spheres.

The report focuses on three main areas: “education”, “gender justice”, and “gender budgeting”. The concept of “gender justice” has been replaced by “gender equality” in the discourse of the Islamic Republic, the Vatican, and several other countries, justifying inequalities through cultural and religious interpretations. In practice, gender budgeting has the potential to be a valuable strategy for achieving gender equality, but it is often only used as a symbolic tool, not only in Iran but in many other countries, and there is no report on its effectiveness in reducing gender gaps.

The report discusses supportive measures for female heads of households through programs such as the “Family-Centered Sustainable Business Plan”. Although the implementation of these programs may have helped a limited number of women, their scope and impact on Iranian society have been very limited and they do not fundamentally address the structural roots of poverty and discrimination against women. Many women still remain without social support and insurance.

The report on the increase in the appointment of women in managerial positions refers to the existence of 1121 female judges and a 30% participation in management. While some women are reaching managerial positions, they are still deprived of access to higher levels of power. Women cannot be judges in criminal courts and there are still many non-decision-making appointments at the middle level. Additionally, many of these appointments are limited to women who are in line with government policies. This is not limited to Iran, as we are currently facing tragic examples of this in America as well.

The report highlights the success of women in sports, filmmaking, and writing, as well as their increasing participation in the field of information technology. These achievements are mostly the result of individual efforts and the determination of women to pursue their dreams and challenge limitations, rather than institutional support from the Islamic Republic. Female athletes continue to face serious restrictions in terms of clothing, participation in international competitions, and access to facilities. Women filmmakers also face strict censorship and security threats.

As the report of the Islamic Republic to the United Nations and the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women has been prepared for actions taken in the past five years in the field of gender equality, we cannot ignore the inspiring and hopeful movement of “Women, Life, Freedom” which has shown that Iranian women and girls are dissatisfied with the current situation, discrimination, violation of individual, political, social and economic rights, violence, patriarchy in the private sphere of family – power relations of men – and discrimination in the public sphere. Every day, we witness the courage of women and girls at the global and Iranian levels. They stand against oppressive structures in their daily lives and reject any symbol of gender inequality, showing that they are willing to pay the price for freedom, equality, social justice and the realization of their demands. How beautiful it is that this hope, this perseverance, is passed down to history with cries and love, so that we never forget that “Women,