U.S. Delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was established in 1946 by the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council. CSW is defined by the UN as the “principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.” Every year, the UN hosts a session of the CSW at the UN headquarters in New York, at which member states, civil society organizations, and UN entities gather to discuss progress and work that needs to be done to execute the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as other international agreements pertaining to the advancement of gender equity. Unfortunately, under the Trump administration, the U.S. delegation to CSW has been stacked with anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ extremists who have used their platform at CSW to work to roll back reproductive rights globally. By contrast, in past administrations, U.S. delegation members such as Ambassador Susan Rice have led resolutions at CSW to address maternal mortality, increase access to sexual and reproductive health services, and combat gender-based violence.