An Indian delegation, led by Union Minister for Women and Child Development (WCD) Annpurna Devi, will participate in the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW), which is starting from Monday at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The Indian minister will deliver the National Statement at the Commission, and participate in the Ministerial Roundtable, wherein the path-breaking and transformative initiatives of the Government of India for holistic development and empowerment of all women and girls, will be highlighted.

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She will also participate in the discussions on various issues on empowerment of women and girls, including commitment to resourcing and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNCSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, the rights and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the forthcoming session of the Commission will be held from 10-21 March. This year’s session is momentous as the year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the landmark global guiding instrument on empowerment of women and girls, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995.

The session will focus on the review and appraisal of its implementation, analysing global progress and challenges on the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and the full realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The minister will also be the guest of honour at a high-level side-event at the UN Headquarters attended by Ministers and senior level officials from various countries, along the sidelines of the Commission, on the theme, “Ministerial Roundtable on Digital and Financial Inclusion – A Catalyst for Women’s Empowerment and Leadership: Experiences from the Global South & Criticality of Core Resources,” organised by the Government of India in collaboration with UN Women Headquarters on 12 March.

The session will witness large-scale participation from all member states of the UN, as well as inter-governmental organizations, private sector, philanthropists, academia, civil society, women’s collectives and UN agencies.

During the visit, the minister will also have an interactive session with the Indian Diaspora in the context of International Women’s Day.