51st Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

From February 26 – March 9, the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held its 51st session. The theme of the session was the "elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child."

Government delegates and civil society advocates from around the world convened in New York to define actions that would reduce and end violence and discrimination against girls and young women.

Girls from birth to age 18 face significant threats to their sexual and reproductive health and rights—child marriage, HIV infection, unintended pregnancy, complications in childbirth, sexual violence, and pervasive gender inequality. The International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC) and its global colleagues worked to ensure that these issues stayed on the agenda and that effective actions were taken to better protect the health and rights of girls and women worldwide.

• Click here to read the Agreed Conclusions

• Click here to read IWHC's press release

• Click here to listen to Zonny Woods, IWHC's Senior International Policy Advisor, discuss the CSW [scroll to 14 minutes on the audio file]

• Click here to read IWHC partner Rahal Saeed's statement to the Commission, made on behalf of the International Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition (ISRRC)

• Click here to read the statement by IWHC partner Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies

• Click here to read the joint statement from U.S.-based organizations sent to the U.S. Representative to the CSW

• Click here to read the statement by Srilatha Batliwala, Board Chair of the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)

• Click here to read the statement by Mr. Farukh Amil of Pakistan, made on behalf of the Group of 77 and China