New Delhi: Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi led India's delegation at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which began on 10 March 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

India took an active role in key discussions, with the minister delivering the national statement at the Ministerial Forum. She addressed the priority theme of the session—the review and appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on its 30th anniversary—assessing global progress and challenges in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women, along with the full realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In her address, Annpurna Devi reaffirmed the government's commitment to empowering, protecting, and ensuring the holistic development of women and children. She outlined India's progress on gender equality, focusing on the 12 critical areas of concern and highlighting the impact of key government initiatives that have improved health, nutrition, education, and economic opportunities for women and children. She emphasised the importance of strengthening implementation and outreach efforts to ensure that every woman and girl has access to their rights and entitlements. She stated that the welfare of women and children remains central to India's development, and the government is working through a multi-pronged approach to build a future where every woman is empowered and every child is nurtured in a safe and supportive environment.

The session saw participation from UN member states, intergovernmental organisations, the private sector, philanthropists, academia, civil society, women’s collectives, and UN agencies.

The Commission on the Status of Women is the leading global intergovernmental body dedicated to promoting gender equality and women’s rights. A functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it will hold its current session from 10 to 21 March 2025.

BI Bureau