United Nations

District 1 United Nations Committee Chair:
Donna Sroka, Zonta Club of Northampton Area USA

Of the 6,155 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with consultative status at the United Nations, only 141 have General Consultative Status, the highest status an NGO can have at the UN.  Zonta International was granted General Consultative Status in 1969.  As an NGO with General Consultative Status, Zonta International is invited to participate in the annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York.

The CSW is the largest annual gathering on women’s rights worldwide, and is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.

 

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint created by the CSW to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it ís important that we achieve each Goal and target by 2030. UN.org has an excellent overview of the SDGs – click on any specific Goal on the page to learn more about each issue.

 

Zonta International is focusing efforts on GOAL 5: GENDER EQUALITY
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Unfortunately, at the current time, 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15-49 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic violence.

CSW 68 Wrap-up

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is a global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Commission was established by an ECOSOC resolution in 1946 with a mandate to prepare recommendations on promoting women’s rights in the political, economic, civil, social and educational fields. The Commission also makes recommendations to the Council on urgent problems requiring immediate attention in the field of women’s rights. Below are reports from Dr. Mary Ann Rubis (Quaboag Valley Club), Audrey Millgate (Northampton Area Club) and other Zontians who attended the CSW68 forum. Mary Ann Rubis  ~  Impressions from the Commission on the Status of Women 68 This year marked my 12th anniversary attending this annual event, all in person, with the exception of 2021’s virtual session due to COVID. My week in New […]

CSW 68 11-22 March 2024

The Commission on the Status of Women is the largest annual gathering on women’s rights worldwide, and is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Hundreds of sessions take place around the UN in New York City, it is a hybrid event and REGISTRATION IS FREE.  Click on the Advocacy toolkit picture to open a PDF that will give you a great overview of CSW. All are invited to a CSW Orientation session with the Zonta International and the United Nations Committees on Saturday, 24 February, at 8:00 a.m. Chicago time. As the CSW closes, join Zonta International to discuss events of the two-week sessions, what you saw and heard, and where Zonta can play a role post-CSW. The discussion will be held Friday, 22 March, at 8:00 a.m. Chicago time. CSW is a great way to learn about how women and girls are […]

Resources and Links

United Nations and Zonta – 30 min video with UN Chair Liz Hart giving a good overview of Zonta’s relationship with the UN, ZI Service Projects, Sustainable Development Goals and club involvement.

United Nations and Zonta – 30 min video with UN Chair Liz Hart giving a good overview of Zonta’s relationship with the UN, ZI Service Projects, Sustainable Development Goals and club involvement.

Zonta and UNFPA – About the United Nations Population Fund and Zonta’s Projects to Improve Maternal Health, End Child Marriage, and Strengthen Services for Gender-Based Violence Survivors. 

Zonta and UNICEF USA – About UNICEF and Zonta’s Projects to Improve the Lives of Women and Children, Responding to Adolescent Girls’ Health and Protection in Peru, Engaging Girls on Climate Change in Madagascar, and the Global Programme to End Child Marriage.

Zonta and UN Women – About UN Women and Empowering Women and Ending Gender-Based Violence

Commission on the Status of Women – A snapshot of the CSW.