Report on the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women and the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Conference

By: Rezvan Moghaddam

The 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was held from March 10 to 21, 2025, at the United Nations headquarters in New York. This session coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), one of the most significant international documents on women’s rights. Representatives from 193 UN member states, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participated in this important event.

The primary focus of the 69th session was to review and assess the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 22nd Special Session of the General Assembly. Additionally, the session addressed the current challenges hindering gender equality and women’s participation and the role of women’s empowerment in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

A Scene from the Arrival of Participants at the 69th Session of the CSW

The CSW sessions are not just about attending various meetings on many interesting and relevant topics related to women’s lives. A significant part of the session is dedicated to sharing experiences, discussions, planning, and strategizing. It also provides an opportunity for interaction between official country representatives and women’s organizations at the UN.

Challenges Faced by Iranian Women’s Rights Activists in International Forums

While in many parts of the world, women’s rights activists and NGOs participated in this session by presenting extensive national research on their governments’ actions in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action over the past 30 years, Iranian women’s rights activists and researchers faced severe restrictions.

In Iran, not only do activists lack access to necessary resources and information to prepare comprehensive reports, but if they attend UN official sessions, they risk being accused of “acting against national security.” Back in 1995, the Beijing Conference identified 12 critical areas of concern for women and girls globally. These challenges included:

• Women and poverty
• Education and training
• Women and health
• Violence against women
• Women and armed conflict
• Women and the economy
• Women in power and decision-making
• Institutional mechanisms for women’s rights
• Women and the media
• Human rights of women
• Women and the environment
• The girl child

At the CSW, two types of reports are presented:

1. Government Reports, which typically present an idealized picture of the status of women in each country.
2. Shadow Reports, prepared by NGOs, civil society groups, and human rights activists, which provide a more comprehensive and realistic view of human rights conditions and the implementation of international commitments.

Unlike previous years, where large delegations from the Islamic Republic of Iran attended the UN sessions while staying in luxurious five-star hotels in New York to present a rosy picture of women’s status in Iran, this year, there were no official or unofficial delegations from the Islamic Republic. Instead, a group of Iranian women’s rights activists and members of the “Stop Honor Killings Campaign” from Europe, the U.S., and Canada attended the conference at their own expense to be the voice of Iranian women.

Some participants of the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women – Photographer: Jawaneh Abadi

The Presence of Iranian Women’s Rights Activists in International Conferences Since 1979

Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, women’s rights activists in Iran have faced numerous challenges in participating in international conferences. During Iran’s first participation in the 1995 Beijing Conference, a state delegation was sent by the Iranian government, while independent women’s rights activists inside Iran were not allowed to attend. However, some Iranian activists from the diaspora participated in that historic global conference.

In 2010, at the 54th session of the CSW, which coincided with the 15th anniversary of the Beijing Conference, Iranian women’s rights activists were, for the first time, able to present a shadow report based on field research, offering a factual picture of Iranian women’s conditions 15 years after Beijing. Subsequently, in 2011 and 2012, more shadow reports were presented by Iranian women’s rights activists. After a long hiatus, in 2025, a new shadow report was presented by Rezvan Moghaddam, founder and spokesperson of the Stop Honor Killings Campaign. This report identified the challenges faced by women in Iran and proposed solutions based on the Beijing Platform for Action.

The Importance of Shadow Reports
While governments often submit official reports to international bodies, these reports tend to downplay shortcomings, failures, or human rights violations. In contrast, shadow reports serve as an alternative source of information, providing more accurate data and highlighting government policies’ weaknesses and human rights violations through evidence-based documentation.

Opening session Photo by Jawaneh Abadi March 10, 2025

Opening Ceremony: A Renewed Call for Gender Equality and Action

The 69th session of the CSW began with a powerful call to action, reviewing the progress and setbacks since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

As the world celebrates the 30th anniversary of this historic commitment to gender equality, the session served both as a celebration of achievements and a sobering reminder of the challenges that remain. Despite global crises, economic inequalities, and political challenges that threaten previous gains, speakers emphasized the importance of turning government commitments, civil society efforts, and international organization pledges into concrete actions with tangible results.

Prominent speakers included:

• Young activists
• Leaders of Indigenous communities
• UN representatives
• Policy-makers and other influential figures

They all stressed the urgent need for investment, policy reforms, and systemic changes to ensure women’s full and equal participation in society.

Ms. Sima Bahous, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, began her remarks at the opening of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women with the declaration, “We will not back down.” While highlighting the remarkable achievements of women, she warned of the dangers of regression and said:

“As we gather here today, in many parts of the world, women’s rights are being rolled back. The noble goals of the Beijing Declaration and its call in the interest of all humanity still remain out of reach.”

CSW President Al-Wasel Raised a Fundamental Question: “Has the world fulfilled its commitments to gender equality?”

Antonio Guterres: “The poison of patriarchy has returned”
The UN Secretary-General warned that gender equality is under threat. He declared:
“The poison of patriarchy has returned and this time, it’s back with a vengeance. But there is an antidote: that antidote is action.”

One of the key sessions of the 69th Commission on the Status of Women was the impassioned speech by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. In his address, he emphasized the importance of advancing women’s rights and gender equality. He spoke about current challenges such as discrimination, economic inequality, unequal access to property rights, and violence against women, and called for strong and global action to confront these issues.

Guterres urged governments and societies to uphold their commitments to empowering women and girls and to implement programs that support them. He also underscored the need to ensure women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peacebuilding processes. He warned that major gaps in gender equality still persist, and that many of the hard-won gains are being reversed.

Guterres identified global crises including COVID-19, debt crises, climate change, and armed conflict—as serious barriers to women’s progress. He pointed to the shrinking financial support for women’s rights organizations, a weakening of political will, and a lack of accountability on gender equality as key concerns, and called for sustainable investments in this field.

He also addressed attacks on women’s reproductive rights and stressed that new technologies—including artificial intelligence have created new platforms for abuse and the spread of violence against women.

He also offered proposals for advancing women’s rights, including strengthening financial support for women’s organizations, increasing women’s participation in decision-making, taking action against digital violence, and expanding education and economic opportunities for women. He emphasized the need to implement the commitments of the “Pact for the Future,” which places women’s rights at its core, and called on governments to make investment in gender equality a top priority.

At the 69th Commission on the Status of Women, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the urgent need for global action to secure women’s rights and address the mounting challenges women face due to rising authoritarianism, violence, and shrinking civic space. Guterres highlighted the growing backlash against gender equality in his speech, warning that misogyny and political regression threaten the progress women have struggled to achieve over the past decades—particularly since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

His remarks were a call to action for all stakeholders to continue the fight for gender equality, including by increasing investment in women’s rights, providing stronger support for women’s organizations, and ensuring women’s voices are heard in peacebuilding and leadership roles. He emphasized the importance of maintaining civil society participation and empowering women in decision-making processes to safeguard their rights.

Women from civil society and activist groups actively participated in the session, raising questions about practical steps and government accountability for their promises. Despite progress such as increased women’s leadership, expanded educational opportunities, and stronger legal protections, there was general agreement that change is happening too slowly and remains vulnerable to various crises. The message was clear: the world must not settle for promises alone, but must take decisive and effective action to dismantle structural barriers and ensure equal rights for women.

Following the Secretary-General, Bob Rae, President of the UN Economic and Social Council, echoed these concerns and warned of the growing resistance to gender equality. He stated: “Gender equality is not just a goal—it is the foundation of a just and sustainable world. We cannot achieve the 2030 Agenda unless we realize full equality between women and men.”

As the opening ceremony concluded, speakers made it clear: The world stands at a decisive moment for gender equality.

Side Events

The side events included a range of activities organized by various institutions. Here, we highlight some of these side events.

Cities for CEDAW

One of the key side events was “Cities for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women” (Cities for CEDAW), which saw notable participation from Iranian women’s rights activists. The session opened with a speech by Ms. Elahe Amani, who emphasized that one of the prominent features of this initiative is the encouragement of civil society, academia, NGOs, and the private sector to take part in urban policy-making processes.

The Cities for CEDAW initiative aims to promote gender equality in cities across the globe through the adoption of regulations and laws aligned with the Convention. As of 2023, related ordinances had been adopted in 15 counties, and more than 70 cities across the country had implemented laws in accordance with this convention.

The side event  panel “Cities for CEDAW” Photo by Rezvan Moghaddam

A group of participants at the side event “Cities for CEDAW” – Photo by Parvin Malek

Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Rights in a Changing World

On Tuesday, March 11, a side event titled “Equality and Non-Discrimination for the Next 30 Years: Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Rights in a Changing World” was held, jointly supported by the permanent missions of Uruguay, New Zealand, Mexico, Mongolia, and Spain, and organized by the Center for Reproductive Rights, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls, and the Center for Global Justice.

In this session, legal and policy approaches to managing the diversity of beliefs within societies were examined in ways that safeguard the rights and well-being of women, girls, and individuals with diverse gender identities especially those most vulnerable. The event specifically focused on ensuring gender equality and eliminating discrimination in access to sexual and reproductive health rights, aiming to present a pluralistic perspective consistent with the human rights framework of “respect, protect, and fulfill.”

Conclusion

The 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women focused on the urgent need to combat gender-based violence, dismantle gender stereotypes, and emphasize the role of men in ending this crisis. It also identified the growing threats posed by the resurgence of right-wing authoritarian policies as a major challenge to women’s rights.

During the session, several regressive positions and conservative resistance to the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality were observed. These included attempts by some countries to weaken the language of international documents regarding sexual and reproductive rights, reduce support for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and resist binding commitments on women’s participation in political decision-making. Additionally, the increasing influence of authoritarian governments within international organizations was seen as a threat to the progress made in women’s rights.

Young people played a significant role in this session in defending women’s rights and gender equality. Speakers emphasized the importance of creating leadership opportunities for the new generation, especially in financing gender equality and removing structural barriers for women and girls.

Key points raised by speakers included the need for effective implementation of international commitments, confronting escalating violence, and ensuring meaningful participation of women in policymaking. The global community must take more practical actions to reduce inequalities and promote women’s rights.

The 69th Commission on the Status of Women concluded with the arrival of spring on March 21, 2025