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11th plenary meeting - Commission on the Status of Women, Seventieth session (CSW70) - Voluntary presentations by Member States on the review theme — Economic and Social Council — 13 March 2026
Language: en
Automatically generated transcript — may contain errors. Not an official United Nations record.

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CSW · Chair [0:00]:

I call to order the 11th meeting of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I now invite the Commission to continue its consideration of sub item AI of agenda item 3 in order to hear voluntary presentations by Member States on the Review Team, women's full and effective participation and decision making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Ministers, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, this afternoon we will hear the remaining voluntary presentations. We will proceed in the same manner as we did this morning. Each of the presentations will be followed by comments and questions by partners of the presenting countries, after which the presenters will wrap up with responses.

A maximum of 25 minutes is allocated to each presentation, including the responses. I request that comments and questions from partners and other delegations, time permitting, debrief and not exceed three minutes. The microphones will be automatically muted when the allotted speaking time has elapsed. We will now hear a presentation by Her Excellency Aminas Richmi Amir, Head of the Gender Affairs Department in the Ministry of Social and Family Development of Maldives.


Maldives · Head, Gender Affairs Department · Aminas Richmi Amir [1:43]:

Thank you, Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Assalamualaikum and a very good afternoon. It is my honor to present the voluntary national presentation of the Republic of Maldives at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. This presentation highlights our progress in implementing commitments towards gender equality since the 65th session of CSW.

The Maldives is a small island developing state consisting of nearly 1190 islands with approximately 200 inhabited islands across 26 natural atolls and a population of around 500,000 people. Our geography presents unique governance and service delivery challenges due to the dispersed nature of our islands. Despite these structural constraints, the Maldives has continued to prioritize gender equality through strong legislative frameworks, institutional mechanisms and community based initiatives. Our efforts focus on five priority areas. Strengthening women's full and effective participation in leadership and decision making economic empowerment of women and addressing structural inequalities Strengthening gender responsive social protection, health and and care systems Improving legislation and services to prevent and respond to gender based violence and finally, strengthening gender statistics systems, ensuring policies are informed by reliable data.

Our legal and policy framework is anchored in three key instruments. The Gender Equality act of 2016 provides the legal basis for gender equality and prohibits discrimination. This is supported by the national gender policy of 2019 which sets strategic priorities. The most significant milestones in the first five years has been the launching and implementation of the National Gender Equality action plan for 2022-2026 which translates these commitments into concrete action across five pillars which are leadership and governance, economic empowerment, institutional gender mainstreaming, elimination of gender based violence and access to justice. The national gender machinery is led by Ministry of Social and Family Development through the Gender Affairs Department.

To operationalize the Gender Equality Action Plan, the Maldives has adopted a whole of government approach at the highest level. A high level steering committee chaired by the Vice President provides strategic oversight and ensures commitment to gender equality. Supporting this structure are four thematic technical advisory groups as well as the Maldivian Gender Equality Model Advocates who promote gender equality within institutes and strengthen community engagement. Together, these mechanisms ensure that the commitments of the Gender Equality Action Plan are translated into coordinated national actions. Evidence based policy is central to our approach.

The Statistics act of 2021 established the Maldives Bureau of Statistics with a dedicated Gender data unit. In 2024, the Maldives launched the National Strategy for the Development of Gender Statistics. Additionally, an Interagency Working Group on Gender Statistics now coordinates data production across institutions. These efforts ensure that gender gaps are clearly identified and addressed through policy. Increase in women's participation in decision making remains a national priority One of the most significant reforms supporting women's leadership in the Maldives has been the amendment to the Decentralization act which introduced a 33% quota for women in local councils.

Since the implementation of this quarter, women's representation in local councils has increased significantly, rising from around 6% prior to the quarter to approximately 40% today. This has helped create important entry points for women to participate in decision making at the community and island level. In 2023, another milestone was achieved with the election of the first female atoll council president, marking an important step forward for women's leadership within the decentralized governance system. Island women's development committees play a key role in grassroots governance. Recent reforms have significantly strengthened the institutional role of these committees.

WDC members are now elected alongside local councils, reinforcing their democratic legitimacy and strengthening their role in local decision making. Their positions have also been professionalized with formalized allowances and the WDC president now serving as a full time salaried member elected through a vote. In addition, dedicated financial resources have been allocated, including 5% of local council budgets earmarked to support WDC activities, with this allocation later expanded to 10%, further strengthening their capacity to implement community initiatives to ensure representation at the national level. The Local Government Authority Board now includes a member elected from among WDC presidents. These reforms have strengthened WDC as an important institutional platform for women's participation in local governance and community development.

Women's representation in the judiciary has also improved Female judges now serve across all levels of the court system, including the Supreme Court. Women's representation among Judges increased from 11% in 2021 to 18% in 2026, supported by initiatives such as the Women Judges Conference. Beyond politics, women continue to make significant gains in education and leadership. Women represent 65.7% of master's graduates and 70% of PhD graduates. They also hold 44.5% of civil service executive positions and 27% of state owned enterprise board positions.

Despite important progress in women's participation across sectors, women remain underrepresented in national political leadership. Currently, women hold 3% of seats in Parliament, highlighting the continued barriers to women political representation. To address this gap, the Maldives is focusing on building structured pathways for women's leadership. Starting from the community level, the Women's Leadership program provides nationwide capacity building for women. At the same time, the National Women's Caucus will serve as a coordination platform connecting women's development committees across islands, strengthening collective representation and amplifying women's voices in national planning processes.

Together, these initiatives aim to transform women's participation at the local level into sustained national leadership opportunities. Economic empowerment remains central to advancing gender equality in the Maldives the Maldives has introduced several targeted initiatives to strengthen women's economic empowerment through through entrepreneurship. In 2024, the government launched a startup loan program for women entrepreneurs, allocating approximately US$6.47 million to support women led businesses. Importantly, 25% of this funding is reserved for women with disabilities, ensuring that economic opportunities are inclusive to support market access. The the government also established Heal a market providing women entrepreneurs with stable business space, improved visibility and greater opportunities to market their products.

In addition, nationwide focus group discussions with women entrepreneurs are being conducted to better understand the challenges faced by women in sustaining and expanding their businesses, particularly in outer islands. To further promote gender equality in workplaces, the Maldives introduced the Gender equality seal in 2023 as a national recognition framework for both public and private sector institutions. Organizations can receive gold, silver or bronze certification, creating a positive incentive for institutions to adopt stronger gender equality measures. The Maldives has also taken steps to strengthen family friendly working policies, recognizing that caregiving responsibilities often disproportionately affect women's participation in the workforce. Recent policy reforms have expanded parental leave provisions within the civil service, including the introduction of parental leave for foster parents, acknowledging the important role of foster care and ensuring the caregivers have the support needed to provide a stable environment for children.

In addition, the government has announced work from home arrangements for parents of children with disabilities, enabling greater flexibility for caregivers while ensuring continued participation in the workforce. These measures are part of broader effort to create more inclusive workplaces, promote shared caregiving responsibilities, and support work life balance for families. The Maldives continues to strengthen inclusive social protection systems, with particular attention to women who face multiple vulnerabilities. Disability allowances has been increased by 50%, positively impacting lives of women with disabilities. Economic empowerment of women with disabilities has been priority for the government.

In fact, among persons with disabilities employed in 2024 and 2025 through the government's Employment Initia, 41% were women, reflecting progress in inclusive employment efforts. At the same time, we're addressing the needs of elderly women and older persons. Elderly community centers have been established in the capital city Male as well as in several outer islands. These centers focus on providing safe spaces where older persons can participate in social activities, remain active in their communities, and maintain strong social relationships.

Through these initiatives, the Maldives is working to ensure that social protection systems remain inclusive across all stages of life. The government has taken measures to expand access to reproductive health services and address the needs of our families. Treatment for pcos and endometriosis are now covered under the National Health insurance scheme. In 2024, the Maldives opened its first national fertility center, providing IVF and IUI treatments under the national insurance programs. The Maldives continues to strengthen legal frameworks to eliminate gender based violence.

A key Milestone was the 2021amendment to the Sexual Offences act, which unconditionally recognizes marital rape as a crime and mandates the availability of rape evidence kits in health facilities, strengthening both accountability and survivor centered response mechanisms. In addition, the revision of the Domestic Violence Prevention act and the Sexual Harassment and Abuse Prevention act was completed in 2025. These revisions aim to strengthen institutional coordination and improve the effectiveness of protection and response mechanisms. Further reforms are also underway, including a revision of the Gender Equality act, which aims to strengthen reporting mechanisms and protections against workplace gender discrimination. Alongside legislative reforms, the Maldives has focused on strengthening institutional capacity to effectively respond to gender based violence within the judiciary.

Specialized training modules on the Domestic Violence Prevention act and the Sexual Offences act have been conducted for judges and magistrates, and a mandatory gender sensitization module has been introduced for newly appointed judges. To further support coordinated response. A procedure manual on responding to GBV and DV cases was developed in 2025. Capacity building trainings have also been conducted for case workers and social workers to strengthen frontline service delivery. In addition, efforts are underway to establish domestic violence shelters in three regions of the country, ensuring safe and accessible support for survivors to strengthen responsible reporting media guidelines on Reporting GBV and DV were also developed into 2025.

The Maldives has also introduced proactive mechanisms to identify vulnerability early and provide coordinated support. One key initiative is the nationwide Halukihine Door to Door program. Through this initiative, over 17,000 households have been reached covered in around 70% of adults, allowing early identification of vulnerable women, children, persons with disabilities and elderly individuals. At the island level, an interagency coordination mechanism known as IBAMA has also been established to strengthen community level response. Community social groups now operate in over 85% of islands with more than 1200 members trained to support early detection, referral and immediate assistance for vulnerable individuals and families.

Through these initiatives, the Maldives is moving from reactive assistance towards a more integrated system of early detection and coordinated intervention. The Maldives also recognizes that sustainable progress in preventing gender based violence requires addressing social norms, particularly among younger generations. To support their role as change makers, youth are trained as peer educators who promote gender equality, respectful relationships and awareness on GBV and DV within their communities. This approach allows young people to engage their peers directly, creating community level dialogue and awareness that can influence attitudes and behaviors. Youth engagement is particularly important because social norms often change more effectively through peer networks and early prevention helps reduce the long term social and institutional impact of gbv.

Looking ahead, Maldives remains committed to to accelerate in progress towards gender equality through several key strategic priorities. We aim to strengthen pathways for women's leadership, particularly by supporting women to transition from local governance and community leadership into national level decision making. We are working towards fully operationalizing gender responsive budgeting across government sectors, ensuring that national resources are allocated in ways that address gender gaps and promote inclusive development. We are focusing on strengthening enforcement and implementation mechanisms so that existing legislative frameworks translate into meaningful and measurable outcomes. Together, these priorities will guide the Maldives effort to advance gender equality and empower women and girls in the years leading up to 2030.

In closing, the Maldives reaffirms its strong commitment to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. While progress has been made, we recognize that continued collaboration, innovation and sustained commitment are essential to achieving lasting change. The Maldives look forward to continuing to work with member States, UN agencies and partners to accelerate progress towards our shared goals. Thank you.


CSW · Chair [18:29]:

I thank the Head of the Gender Affairs Department and the Ministry of Social and Family Development of Maldives. I now invite the partners of the presenting country to provide comments or pose questions.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Australia.


Australia [18:52]:

Thank you very much Chair and can I thank the delegation of the Maldives for sharing their truly commendable efforts to promote Women's full, effective participation and decision making in public life, including through their

national Gender Equality Action Plan. The Maldives focus on women's leadership, economic empowerment, gender mainstreaming and the elimination of gender based violence are all shared priorities for the Australian government.

And we agree that these commitments should underpin policy frameworks for advancing gender equality nationally and through global partnerships. Distinguished Representative, I was very interested to hear about the focus your government's placing on gathering and analysing gender statistics. Statistics, particularly the work of the Interagency

Working Group and the dedicated Gender Data Unit. Are you able to share more insights and lessons on the role of these agencies in highlighting both the importance of gender statistics and indicators as tools for

promoting gender equality, but also how that drives meaningful policy change? Thank you.


CSW · Chair [20:01]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Australia. I now invite the head of the Gender Affairs Department in the Ministry of Social. And.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Romania.


Romania [20:23]:

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. By popular demand, my delegation takes the floor for the third time in this session because actually it's interesting and I think the Maldives case, I didn't know it's pronounced Maldives. Sorry. Beth knows better from Australia.

I pronounce it Maldives. So I think that the showcase, what you showcased, it's how interesting it is to advance gender equality across so many islands. I think this is an extra challenge that you take and congratulations for that. I also personally think that you have a creative idea to give brand logos right gender equality for companies in order to support gender equality.

This is a creative example and I was looking at the pillars that you put forward and you presented and I was interested actually in the economic one and I was wondering if you can expand a bit if you have time on the Economic Empowerment Initiative program. I mean if and how it has been successful and what level of support it has reached when it comes to the inhabitants of the islands of so many islands.

And thank you again,


Chair [21:39]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Romania. I now invite the head of the Gender Affairs Department in the Ministry of Social and Family Development of Maldives to respond to the comments made and questions posed.


Maldives · Head, Gender Affairs Department [21:53]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me give the floor to my colleague, Ms. Raya to answer to the representative of Australia. Thank you.


Maldives · Ms. Raya [22:06]:

Thank you, representative from Australia. For the question regarding gender statistics, the Maldives has done a lot of work to advance our status on gender statistics. And that includes study that we conducted in 2024 supported by Paris 21 and together with the Maldives Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry worked on this study to assess the role of gender data in policy Making across Maldives and this study.

The findings of this study helped us develop the national strategy for the development of gender statistics as well. So. So the current strategy is very much reliant on the findings of the study. And this in turn helps us develop the work that the interagency working group will carry on moving forward as well.

So currently the Interagency Working Group on Gender Statistics is co chaired by the Maldives Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Social and Family Development. And together with representatives from other institutions, we have been working on prioritizing gender indicators in different sectors. And through this work we are also able to identify what sort of resources are required to strengthen our policies and programs that are implemented across these sectors.

One example could be, for example, in the Maldives we have very high representation of women in higher education, especially in tertiary education completion, enrollment, graduation as well. However, this is not reflected very well in our labor force participation rates. And this is an area that we were able to identify through these gender

statistics that we collected. And that is an area now that we would be able to work to strengthen our policies. Thank you.


CSW · Chair [24:03]:

I thank Zahed.


Maldives · Head, Gender Affairs Department · Aminas Richmi Amir [24:09]:

Let me address to the question of the representative from Romania. Thank you for the question. With regard to your question about economic empowerment programs, the economic empowerment initiative is majorly to understand three areas. One is identifying challenges in local women, then having a resource allocation mapping as well as identifying areas for trainings that needs to be developed according to islands and their needs. So something that was very helpful for us is island level needs and resource allocation was very different when we started having focus group interventions with these islands separately.

Having home based workers as well as women entrepreneurs in the islands and understanding their roles and their challenges was very important for us before developing any training. So going with any trainings to them. So it was helpful for us to develop financial literacy programs as well as digital literacy programs for women. So that was very helpful for us for the economic empowerment area. Thank you so much.


CSW · Chair [25:13]:

I thank the head of the Gender Affairs Department in the Ministry of Social and Family Development of Maldives and her team. We will now hear a presentation by Her Excellency Maria Guijaro Ceballos, Secretary of State for Equality and for the Eradication of Violence of Spain.


Spain · Secretary of State for Equality and for the Eradication of Violence · Maria Guijaro Ceballos [25:34]:

Gracias. Thank you. Chair. Good afternoon. It is an honor to participate in the 70th session of CSW.

This is a space that represents the very best of multilateralism, cooperation, dialogue and joint action in favor of the rights of women and girls. It's been several years since the 65th session when we adopted conclusions that continue to pave our way, upholding the presence of women in public life, breaking down structural barriers and ensuring that absolutely no woman is left behind. Since then, Spain has worked with determination in order to move forward with these commitments through several different instruments. Our Parity law data on the situation of parity and the balanced presence of men and women in different spheres of life. We've also supported actions geared towards providing space for women entrepreneurs.

We've worked to prevent and eradicate violence within our borders through the renewal of the State Pact and also abroad through the program Pacta. I would like to to speak about an important achievement, the Organic Law 22024 on August 1, for parity and a balanced representation of women and men. And after a preparation phase and a parliamentarian phase came into effect, it basically defines what is parity and representation and the balance of presence of men and women. So it means that neither sex goes over 60% and neither sex is under 40% in any determined space. This applies to constitutional organs, the government and the public sector, as well as publicly traded companies, schools, public broadcasting corporations, etc.

It is also a place applied to representative organs in the government, unions, foundations, the third sector, and also any kind of organism that is representative in terms of the social economy. And to ensure follow up and understand its impact, we have the Institute for Women and the National Commission for Trading Stock who are responsible for promoting, providing, analysis and doing a follow up of this law. Data have showed that we're moving forward, but we still see challenges at the very highest levels of state administration. Women already make up 62% of the workforce, but as they continue going up in the chain of responsibility, representation declines. In our courts, in Congress and in Senate, we've achieved parity.

And this exists along a persistent challenge, the private sector, which is still moving slowly. And to speak about women's leadership and to deepen it, we have programs for entrepreneurship, talent and women's leadership. This is developed by the Spanish Institute of Women. We have an official certification that can be renewed every five years and it is given to companies that promote egalitarianism in the workforce. 157 companies habit in Spain right now, and they're in all kinds of stuff sectors and they are all kinds of sizes.

We also have a program, Talentia 360 that boosts promotion, professional promotion and gives visibility to women and it increases their number in positions of leadership. It exists since 2010 and in 2018 it was expanded to the state security forces. We also provide micro credits up to €30,000. So women that are experiencing difficulties can access traditional financing. We have a school for entrepreneurs, the Juana Mian School, which promotes the economic empowerment of women through the creation and consolidation of business projects, individual or collective business projects, by the way.

Or our program called the Rural Women Challenge, that provide equality in the tech sector and also in rural areas, creating networks of support that are sustainable and can stand the test of time. Time. In order to address structural inequality, the first thing that we need to do is to have objective data that provide visibility for what is invisible for some people. And we have clear data when it comes to this. Women spend more time on care, work and housework.

And we have less time for physical activity, exercise and entertainment. And of course, we still see gaps when it comes to salaries, pensions and employment. And what measures has Spain taken to roll back some of this? The plan called Co Responsible. This depends directly on the Ministry of Equality.

It came into effect in 2021. It's in its sixth edition this year. What is the goal? To facilitate the co responsibility of families that have children of up to 16 years old and also work on positive masculinity. Increasing the interprofessional minimum wage.

We've done eight of those since 2018 until 2026. And this increase of over 27% mostly benefits women. We've gone from 16 to 19 weeks of parental leave for each one of the parents and we provide 3, 32 weeks for single parent families. And we also have a system that seeks to compensate women for the damage their careers might sustain for having children. And we've also carried out a labor reform.

The goal has been to fight against precarity and temporary employment. This mostly affects women and in this case it reinforces stimulus, stability and employment for women. We've also strengthened the special system for domestic workers, the broadest reform, in order to make sure that they have the same rights in terms of access to social services as other workers. In February of 2025, the Spanish parliament approved the State Pact against Gender Based Violence. This was a wonderful achievement in our country.

It was renewed in 2017 with we had 290 measures and now we've updated our law and we have 461 new concrete measures in this State Pact against gender based Violence. We also see a budgetary rise of 1.5 billion euros in just five years. And here we deepen our cross cutting approach when it comes to addressing violence. And we move forward in terms of protection, protection and attention for victims of human trafficking, for prostitution or sexual exploitation. We've developed our law for Integral assurances when it comes to sexual freedom.

And we also emphasize the impact of pornography as a source of violence. The PACT recognizes the key role of education in order to detect, prevent and raise awareness in society and also to provide attention and reparation for victims. And it also emphasizes three new forms of violence. Vicarious violence, economic violence and this is very important, the emerging trend of digital violence. In 2025, the Ministry of Equality contributed 2 million euros in order to finance our program called PACTA.

This is a coordinated action program to eradicate violence against women and girls in Latin America and its implementation will be coordinated through UN Women. Spain reaffirms its commitment to eradicating violence against women at the international level and we ratify the leadership of our country when it comes to feminist cooperation. The program will run for 24 months and will be implemented in several countries. Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras and Mexico. The acronym PACT represents the five pillars of our action.

Prevention, Promoting cultural changes to prevent and eradicate the structural causes of violence. Attention. We must give integral services when it comes to prevention and support to women that have been victims and also survivors. We must articulate greater coordination efforts among local and national governments, civil society, international organizations and communities. We also have a challenge when it comes to transformation.

We have to uphold reforms that transform norms and patriarchal institutions in order to ensure a life free from violence for all women and all girls. And of course, my last point, Action. We have to implement specific, sustainable and measurable actions from our territories with regional articulation in our country and also abroad. This program also combines education, prevention, institutional strengthening and specialized attention. This is one of the parts of the work that we have done when it comes to gender parity and violence.

And this is Spain's contribution from our government. Thank you.


CSW · Chair [35:35]:

I thank the Secretary of State for Equality and for the eradication of violence of Spain. I now invite the partners of the presenting country to provide comments or pose questions. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of UN Women.


UN Women [35:56]:

Thank you so much, Madam Chair. And thank you, Ms. Secretary of State, for sharing Spain's important initiatives to promote gender equality and particularly to eradicate violence against women and girls. Could you please share some more information about the expected results of the PACTA

program and about Spain's priorities and opportunities to accelerate progress in combating technology facilitated gender based violence. I thank you.


CSW · Chair [36:28]:

I thank the distinguished representative of UN Women. I now invite the Secretary of State for Equality and for the Eradication of Violence of Spain to respond to the comments made and questions posed.


Spain · Secretary of State for Equality and for the Eradication of Violence · Maria Guijaro Ceballos [37:02]:

Allow me to begin by responding to the representative of UN Women, I would like to start with the results that we hope to achieve through pacta. Pacta is a coordinated response between Spain and UN women in order to eradicate violence against girls and women in Latin America. What we seek is to strengthen institutional capacities in key actors in order to prevent and respond to all forms of violence. And this includes an emerging form of violence, which is violence against women in politics. We need for women in politics to feel safe and be free from violence.

And this includes the digital sphere. And we do this through robust normative frameworks, with essential services and significant participation of women and youth. The main results that we hope to achieve. First, we want to create cultural change through campaigns, through training with men and young people, and we want to specifically prevent violence in political life. And like I mentioned, this includes the digital sphere too, in order to denormalize harassment, denormalize sexist disinformation and coordinated attacks against women activists and women leaders.

And we also hope to strengthen essential services and basic protocols when it comes to cases of digital violence, with mandatory training for operators and specific referrals for girls and teenaged women.

On the other hand, the State Pact against Gender Based Violence has a specific block on digital violence and we are specifically interested in it. For instance, it speaks of passing a law in order to protect underage people in digital spaces. And this includes preventing gender based violence in all of its manifestations. The pact also speaks about keeping young people informed about the adequate use of technology, especially when it comes to protecting their own privacy, and also about cybercrime. The pact includes another measure, 418, which is about continuing to carry out information campaigns to prevent digital violence.

And it also provides information on its consequences. And this has subsidies that come from the Equality Ministry. And another measure contemplated is in the pact, when it comes to digital violence is to develop, in collaboration with other entities, specific training programs for teenagers, for families and educators, with the goal of increasing digital awareness. The government of Spain wishes to emphasize all of the types of violence that are experienced by women. We are highly aware that the main security emergency in our democratic system societies is gender based violence.

This should be our main challenge as a state, especially when we see a rollback and a pushback of the advances of feminism at the global level. Thank you.

Good afternoon. I would like to please now give the floor to a senator from Spain. Senora Nuria Medina has the floor.


Spain · Senator · Nuria Medina [40:34]:

Good afternoon to all. First, I would like to thank the State Secretary for her intervention. And I would also like to thank Spain and the government of Spain for their enthusiasm and work to reduce structural inequalities between men and women, especially, as the State State Secretary said, in its most crude expression, violence against women. And in that sense, the State Pact and the renewal of the State Pact has a crucial role in the text of that pact, the State Pact against gender based violence. We see that Parliament was absolutely key, the Congress of Spain and of course, the different political parties that are represented there.


Spain · Secretary of State for Equality and for the Eradication of Violence · Maria Guijaro Ceballos [41:24]:

Secretary of State, I would like to ask you how could you find consensus for the State pact and what is the importance of the participation of all political parties currently represented in the Spanish Congress? Thank you very much, Senator. Gender based violence in Spain has been and should continue to be an element of unity and consensus amongst political democratic forces. There is an awareness, and there was an awareness that renewing this pact was necessary in order to update it, in order to provide responses to these new forms of violence that we have seen emerging through time. And they did not exist when the pact was originally conceived.

Now, the three new main elements of the State Pact are their vicarious violence, economic violence, and also digital violence. And I know this. I am aware of the fact that our female Congress people worked extremely hard to negotiate the text. It was a daily task. They were in dialogue, they were seeking agreements, they were looking for consensus regardless of their political party.

And here I would like to thank every single one of them from this. Rostrom, thank you for that work of seeking democratic consensus, because their main goal was to protect life and protect the rights of women. And that is their achievement and theirs only. Thank you very much. And I would please like this written in the records.

And it is true that the only sector that disaffiliated himself from the pact was the far right that denies the existence of sexist violence in all of its dimensions. And I think we must highlight this because women must be aware of who is defending our rights and who wants to push back against our rights. And with this pact, the far right once again has shown its true face. But I want to keep the positive here. Unity of democratic forces of all kinds of ideologies from both corners of the spectrum.

For us, violence against women is not justifiable. It's unacceptable. There is no real democracy if there is violence against women. And we have to use all of the resources that are at our disposal from the State in order to put a stop to this madness of sexist violence against women. Thank you very much.


CSW · Chair [43:50]:

I thank the Secretary of State for equality and for the eradication of violence of Spain and her team. I will now briefly pause the meeting in order for the podium to be rearranged for the next presentations. Please remain seated.

We will now hear a presentation by His Excellency Claudio Ernesto Gari Domelo, Charge d' Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations.


Chile · Chargé d’Affaires · Claudio Ernesto Gari Domelo [45:55]:

Mucha gracias. Thank you very much. Madam Chair, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the delegation of Chile wishes to thank you for the opportunity.

An opportunity to share our voluntary contribution on the implementation of measures that have been adopted. And this represents a valuable opportunity to assess progress that has been made, to consider the challenges and to reiterate our commitment. The commitment of states to the enhancement of laws and improvement of women's participation. Conclusions during the 65th session establish a framework of action for the promotion of women's participation, participation in public life and in decision making bodies and is geared towards preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls. These are key conditions in order to make headway to have more just societies as well as for the achievement of sustainable development.

In this context, in recent years we've advanced a number of legislative reforms as well as programs and policies which are geared towards combating inequality and to address women's participation in various aspects of economic, political and social life. I wish to share with you the most significant progress that has been achieved. A priority area was enhancement of political participation of women and their access to decision making spaces. And in that vein, Chile has assured up institutional mechanisms which are geared towards promoting greater participation of women in politics. Specifically, we have established reformed the electoral system, replacing that system with a proportional system with mandatory criteria of balance when in terms of parliamentary candidatures, no gender, there is a specific quota for gender participation.

And the implementation of these measures has fostered tangible progress in political participation participation. Presently, women represent more than 32% of the composition of the National Congress. Women have increased their presence at the national level and have also have 1.5% of a significant share of seats in regional councils. And this progress is reflected in lead institutional leadership bodies. The Senate and in Chile is presently presided over by a woman.

And this is an important example of the influence of women at the highest levels of legislative power. At the economic level, we've also adopted measures to promote women's participation in decision making spaces. In businesses, we have a law on representation of directors of public businesses and this law stipulates that no gender can. There can be more than 60% for any gender represented. We have significant percent of women, even 48% women in member entities of the system.

Our legislative bodies are seeking to gradually enhance women's participation at the helm of businesses while promoting best practices in terms of equality of opportunity in the context of businesses. These measures complement the Fourth Women, the Fourth Gender Equality Plan, which advances leadership women's leadership enhancement initiatives in various aspects of public life, specifically vis a vis women's participation in Congress at the executive level as well as at the regional level and in local governments. In this context, we also wish to highlight the role played by Chile and the Minister for Women's affairs and Gender Equality, the youngest minister to have ever assumed these functions since the restoration of democracy in Chile. This reflects our country's commitment to women's leadership and the promotion of a new generation of women in order in terms of conducting public policy and holding public office. In parallel.

We have launched the project Elias Mas and we are seeking to have find 60 leaders in the country. We are seeking to build a capacity in public debate, seeking to design policies to improve the quality of life for women. At present, we are working on a draft law, and this draft law is to establish parity rules for candidatures in elections at the international level to enhance women's participation in local and regional governments. A second axis that is essential to strengthen the participation of women in public life has been boosting their economic autonomy. And the conclusions of CSW65 point to that inequality in terms of care work and gaps in the labor market are important barriers for the leadership and participation of women.

In response to this challenge, Chile has a National Strategy for Women's Economic Autonomy which articulates over 100 measures implemented by 43 public institutions. This strategy is organized around three main spheres. A more balanced distribution of care responsibilities, strengthening independent work and fostering women's access to employment. In that sense, our National Service for Women and Gender Equality has different programs programs that are geared towards strengthening the economic capacities of Women. In 2024, these initiatives benefited over 66,000 women throughout the country.

Among them, we can speak to certain programs, such as the one that promotes employability and income creation for women that support their families. The program Women Entrepreneur is a program geared to support support women owned businesses and the program 4 to 7 that supports after care for mothers that have children in school. That way we support them in their careers and professional lives. We have a technical cooperation program that provides financing for women entrepreneurs. We have a program called Adeja Emprende.

This is a fund that provides financing to support the creation of new women owned businesses. We also have a program called Women Export headed up by PRO Chile. It contributes to improving the Participation of women owned businesses in international markets. In recent years, we see that the number of businesses that are headed by women that are exporters has increased to 2,500. The state has also increase the number of policies to prevent and eradicate violence against women.

In 2024, we passed an integral law that establishes a broad legal framework to address violence against women in its different manifestations. This law strengthens state obligations when it comes to prevention, protection, access to justice and it also incorporates inter institutional coordination mechanisms in order to improve public responses in these situations. Among the main achievements, we have an integrated system on violence against women that allows for improvement in terms of inter institutional coordination. It facilitates early detection and avoids re victimization. Chile is also implementing the National Plan for the Right to Pathways without Violence that articulate public policy on this issue through five strategic axes.

Prevention, institutional responses, access to justice and access to information and knowledge. Despite the progress made, we know that there are still important challenges. Among them the need to continue strengthening the participation of women in local governments, improving the distribution of care responsibilities and strengthening policies geared toward preventing violence. The experience of our country has been proven that moving toward more equality requires sustained public policy, solid normative frameworks and close cooperation between the state, civil society and international organizations. Madam Chair, Chile would like to reaffirm its commitment to the implementation of the conclusions of CSW 65 and to the strengthening of public policies that promote women's participation, their economic autonomy and their right to live with dignity and safety.

Our country will continue working to move towards societies where all girls and women can fully enjoy their rights and actively contribute in order to build a more prosperous and just future. Thank you.


CSW · Chair [54:59]:

I thank the charged affair of the Parent Mission of Chile to the United Nations.

I now invite the partners of the presenting country to provide comments or pose questions. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Spain.


Spain [55:20]:

Muchas grafias. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I would like to thank the representative of Chile for presenting the activities that their government is currently carrying out. My question is the following.

How is Chile promoting the participation of women in areas where they have traditionally been underrepresented, such as science, technology and innovation? Thank you very much.


CSW · Chair [55:46]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Spain. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mexico.


Mexico [55:56]:

Muchas gracia. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Distinguish distinguished representative of Chile. Thank you very much for sharing with us your country's achievements in your presentation. Mexico would like to start by congratulating Chile for the noble work that they've done to strengthen equity in terms of gender and to improve the enjoyment of human rights among women and girls in all of their diversity.

Esteemed representative of Chile, you mentioned in your intervention that the Chilean government has implemented over 100 specific measures to promote the economic autonomy of women. Could you please talk about measures that have to do with the system for care work?


CSW · Chair [56:39]:

Thank you, representative of Mexico. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of UN Women.


UN Women [56:48]:

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair, Let me congratulate. Congratulate the Government of Chile for the presentation and for the progress for women and girls in Chile. And let me ask a question. If you could share the measures it has adopted to prevent and eradicate violence against women and to strengthen the protection of victims.


CSW · Chair [57:08]:

Thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of UN Women. Thank you for the comments and the questions. I now invite the charged affair of the Parent Mission of Children Chile to the United nations to respond to the comments made and questions posed.


Chile · Chargé d’Affaires · Claudio Ernesto Gari Domelo [57:25]:

Mucha graza no presienta. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. With respect to the first question made by the distinguished delegation of Spain, I would like to give the floor to my colleague Andres Flores to respond to that question.


Chile · Andres Flores [57:46]:

Thank you very much for the question. Yes, we know that achievements in terms of gender equality are impossible if we do not promote science, technology and innovation. And we have different public policy levers for this. Women, as the representative of Spain said, have historically been underrepresented in these fields. This is why Chile has launched specific initiatives to foster their participation in STEM activities.

And we would like to highlight our national policy on science, technology, Knowledge and innovation, which seeks to reduce gaps in terms of participation, leadership and recognition in the scientific system of women's contributions. We've also implemented financing programs, measures to foster equity in research fairs, and also mentorship program programs to promote the scientific careers of women and girls. And through these actions, Chile hopes to move towards a system for science, technology and innovation that is more inclusive. We recognize that diversity also improves the quality of knowledge's impact. Women have been instrumental in developing, for instance, astronomy in Chile.

As you know, In Chile, over 50% of the world's observatories are based in Chile. And this has created massive opportunities for research and also in order to access studies and programs. And women are at the forefront of this today. Around 50% of these programs in Chile in astronomy are carried out by women. And well, science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, these are all processes that go hand in hand.

Chile has made progress in strengthening female entrepreneurship through programs implemented by circot, our Service for Technical Cooperation. We provide funding, training and technical support for women. And this also has an effect on how women have been able to lead and participate in programs to strengthen the participation of women in international trade and exporting through specific training, technical support and the creation of commercial networks. Through this initiative, the number of exporting businesses headed by women has significantly increased, going from 472 to over 2,500 businesses in the last years. This is 23% of the total value of Chilean exports.

Moreover, these companies create more than 500,000 jobs in the formal sector. And this is proof of how important women are for economic development and to promote our economy as well as science and technology. Thank you. Thank you very much.


Chile · Chargé d’Affaires · Claudio Ernesto Gari Domelo [1:00:42]:

And in my case, I will now respond to Mexico. Thank you very much, Mexico, for that question. Yes, the conclusions of CEDAW75 have been crystal clear when it comes to pointing out inequalities in terms of the distribution of care work and the persistent gaps that we see in the labor market. These continue to be important barriers for leadership and the full participation of women. And in that framework, one important step has been a law that was recently passed that creates our national care system in Chile.

This law recognizes that care work is a fundamental component of social well being and it is a key condition for women to be able to fully enjoy their economic autonomy. Moreover, it seeks to move towards greater co responsibility and gender co responsibility when it comes to care work, providing more support for those that do the care and those that require care. A law called Chile Cuida Chile Cares recognizes that the right to care is the fourth pillar of social protection, along with health, education and Social Security. The system contemplates, for instance, that you could obtain a caretaker id. That way the person would have preferential access to many kinds of social support benefits.

We also believe that it is important to highlight that this is an achievement that isn't happening in a vacuum, that this is a wider moment. This is a historic moment in Latin America because in the region we've seen that integral care policies have been recognized as something that is not just important for gender equality, but also for the inclusive and sustainable development of our society. So thank you very much for that, Mexico. And with respect to UN women's question on violence, I now give the floor to Josefina Streeter to answer that question. Thank you very much.


Chile · Josefina Streeter [1:02:40]:

And we would like to thank you and women for that question. And I can proudly share with you that Chile has made significant strides when it comes to strengthening its normative and institutional framework in order to prevent, sanction and eradicate violence against women. One important step on this road has been the passing of Law 21275 that establishes an integral system for prevention, reparation, detention and sanctions for gender based violence. And thus we broaden our understanding of this phenomenon and we establish key responsibilities among different institutions of the state. Some measures that I would like to highlight has been the creation of an integrated system on information about gender based violence that facilitate interinstitutional coordination.

This system also has a single file system for victims in order to avoid re victimization and ensures continuity of cases care. And we have a pilot system in 15 districts in Chile to strengthen the articulation between forensic police, the police and also our prosecutor. We also have special centers to provide assistance to victims. We have shelters and also programs to provide psychosocial and legal support. We ensure thus that women can access protection and support in a timely and coordinated fashion.

And along with all of this, as we mentioned, Chile has a National Action Plan for a Right to Lives Free of Gender Based Violence 2020-2030. This is a strategic instrument that addresses holistically gender based violence. Just to delve into this, this program was developed with 718 representatives of social organizations and we have five strategic axes. Prevention, promotion, access to justice, institutional articulation and creation of information. Through this integral and participative approach, Chile has strengthened its commitment to ensure that all women have the fundamental right of a life free of violence and to live with dignity and security.


CSW · Chair [1:04:41]:

Thank you. The Charge d' Affaires of the Parent Mission of Chile to the United nations and his team. We will now hear a presentation by Mr. Fatim Sabriu, State Secretary at the Ministry of Social Policy of North Macedonia.


North Macedonia · State Secretary, Ministry of Social Policy · Fatim Sabriu [1:05:00]:

Thank you, Chair, Honorable State representatives, representatives of United Nations. Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear youth, it's both an honor and responsibility to speak today on a topic that is not merely a matter of rights, but a matter of justice, development and the future. The full and effective participation of women in decision making in public life and the elimination of violence as a prerequisite for genuine gender equality. Allow me to start my presentation with a statement from a noble Peace Prize, Laura Malalius of We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. This is not only simply an inspiring message, it is a political and moral imperative.

A society that excludes from the tables where decisions are made voluntary deprives itself of half of its potential.

Today, as North Macedonia presents alongside other states, we sent a clear message. Gender equality is not a declarative objective, but a strategic commitment. Participation without barriers, wars without fear. Opportunities. Without violence, there is no true democracy if women are not equally represented in decision making processes.

There is no sustainable peace if girls grow up in fear.

Our shared responsibility is not only to recognize these challenges, but to act with political courage and institutional accountability. Gender equality is not a matter of ideology. It is a matter of dignity, human rights and the vision of a world in which every woman and every girl has a right to decide, to contribute and to live free from fear. It is time to turn words into action, and the time is now. Women's participation in decision making is not matter of symbolism or statistical balance.

It is a matter of fundamental human rights, de facto equality and the substantive quality of democracy. The quality of democracy depends directly on the degree of woman's full and effective participation in public life. However, participation cannot be separated from safety. We cannot speak about political engagement while ignoring the fact that violence against women woman remains one of the most serious barriers to their public and economic activity. Eliminating gender based violence is therefore not merely a social policy.

It is a prerequisite for democratic stability and development. Full and effective participation of women in public life is directly linked to the elimination of all forms of violence against women. These two issues are inseparable. The quality of democracy is measured not only by the space it creates for women's voices, but also by the level of protection it provides against discrimination, pressure and violence. The strategic commitment of the Republic of North Macedonia to gender equality is grounded in its constitutional order, national legislation and international obligations.

It reflects a deliberate policy choice to align institutional reform, public investment and governance standards with European and global frameworks ensuring that equality between women and men is embedded across all sectors and level of decision making, rather than confined to a single policy domain. Through The National Development Strategy 2024, 2044, the Republic of North Macedonia clearly positions gender equality as a strategic value and prerequisite for inclusive and sustainable development. We treat it not as a declarative commitment, but as a horizontal principle shaping our long term vision for economic growth, digital transformation, social cohesion and the Green transition. The data provide a realistic picture. Women hold 39.2% of the seats in the Parliament.

Significant progress that confirms the importance of quota mechanisms. Yet participation in executive and local government remains a challenge. With only 4.9% of mayors being women. This figure shows that formal representation does not always translate into real influence. Full participation means success to positions where key decisions are made, budgets are allocated and development priorities are defined.

Our vision is clear. Gender perspectives must be horizontally integrated into all policies, from economic growth and fiscal reforms to digital transformation. Education and Green Transition. Our commitment to Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality is unequivocal. We are advancing gender responsive budgeting, systematic monitoring of indicators and elimination of structural inequalities that have long limited women's economic autonomy.

We proudly highlight the establishment and success of the Resource center for Gender Responsive Policymaking and Budgeting, a pioneering model in our region. In the past year alone, we provided professional training to over 400 civil servants directly investing in capacity building and gender sensitivity within the public administration. Our strategic vision is to transform the Resource center into a regional center of excellence for integrating gender perspectives into public policies and budgets. We have already taken concrete steps by organizing specialized training for young civil servants from Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and Boskia and Herzegovina, thereby by strengthening regional cooperation and the exchange of best practices. With the adoption of a new bylaw on gender responsive Budgeting, we are establishing a legal guarantee that public finances at both central and local levels directly serve the promotion of equality and fairness in our society.

At the same time, we invest in institutional accountability and continuous education. The Gender Equality Strategy and its National Action Plan translate into concrete operational programs with measurable indicators and secure budget allocations. Without financial backing, policies remain just good intentions. With budgetary support, they become real change. We pay particular attention to women facing multiple forms of discrimination.

Women in rural areas, women with disabilities, Roma women, single mothers and women from marginalized communities. Through self employment programs, digital skills training, care economy measures and active labor market policies, we create conditions for their economic independence and active participation in development. We invest in care services, home assistance and personal support services. These measures have a dual effect. They engage long term unemployed individuals while enabling greater labor market participation for women.

We complement these efforts with increased investment in early childhood education and support for childcare costs for single parents. However, let me be clear. There is no substantive gender equality without a systematic and decisive fight against gender based violence. As one of the first signatories of the Istanbul Convention, we committed to building a comprehensive system of prevention, protection, persecution and true integration through the Law on Prevention and Protection from Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. We established a clear legal framework and the principle of due diligence as an institutional obligation.

Victims have the right to protection, support coordinated institutional response and to seek accountability if institutions fail to act with due diligence. This is not merely technical harmonization. It is a clear political message that violence against women constitutes a serious human right violation and that the state maintains zero tolerance. Through amendments to the Criminal Code, we introduce a clear definition of gender based violence, criminalized femicide as an aggravated form of homicide and expanded criminal offenses to including stalking, sexual harassment, forced sterilization and female genital mutilation. We established a functional multisectoral response model through national Protocol for Cooperation among the Police, social work centers, prosecution services, courts, healthcare institutions and civil society organizations.

We developed risk assessment standards, case management mechanisms and specialized support services. We introduced a financial compensation scheme for victims of violent crimes and a reintegration program that includes psychosocial support, economic empowerment and access to service at both national and local level. Justice does not end with a court verdict. It continues through restoring dignity and economic security. We also invested in raising public awareness.

National campaigns reached a broad audience. The campaign do not be a Silent Witness sends a clear message. Silence sustains violence. Reporting saves lives. Encouraging reporting and breaking breaking the silence are essential to building trust.

We recognize that cultural change is a long term process, but without it, sustainable results are impossible. At the same time, we actively address emerging forms of digital violence. We strengthened cooperation with cybercrime units and introduced online reporting mechanisms. The digital space must be a safe the physical one. We expanded and strengthened the network of specialized services for victims of gender based and domestic violence, including an SOS helpline, consoling centers, shelters, 24, seven crisis centers and rape crisis referral centers.

At the strategic level, the National Coordinative Body prepared a new national strategy for prevention and protection from gender based and domestic violence which will ensure an integrated, measurable and sustainable framework for action over the next decade. Challenges remain. We must further improve integrated data collection systems, upgrade information systems and ensure continuous professional training. We must secure sustainable funding for services and strengthen local level support. In the spirit of this event, let me underline clearly, full and effective participation of women in decision making and the elimination of violence are not two separate agendas.

They are inseparable objectives. A woman who lives in fear cannot decide freely. A woman without institutional support protection cannot build leadership. Safety is the foundation of participation and participation is a foundation of equality. Empowering women and girls means creating an environment in which they not only have the right to speak, but also the power to influence.

It means institutions that listen, policies that respond, and societies that recognize equality not as precise privilege, but as a prerequisite for progress. Our shared task as governments, institutions and the international community is to ensure that no girl limits her dreams because of fear, discrimination or violence. Only then we can say that we have built a system in which every woman has the space to participate, to decide and to lead. Gender equality is not a final destination. It is a continuous process of responsibility, courage and Solidarity and it requires from all of us a clear commitment and a concrete action.

Thank you for your attention.


CSW · Chair [1:19:20]:

I thank the State Secretary at the Ministry of Social Policy of North Macedonia. I now invite the partners of the presenting country to provide comments or pose the questions. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of UN Women.


UN Women [1:19:40]:

Excellencies, distinguished guests, thank you very much for the presentation. I have a question. North Macedonia is often recognized in the Western Balkans, in Europe for advancing gender responsive budgeting. So could you share how gender responsive governance and budgeting have helped translate gender

equality commitments into concrete policies and services for women and girls? Thank you.


CSW · Chair [1:20:05]:

I thank the distinguished representative of UN Women. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of unfpa.


UNFPA [1:20:20]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Minister Sabriu, thank you for a comprehensive and visionary presentation on behalf of the United Nations Population Fund, unfpa. I would like to specifically highlight our exemplary cooperation and express our pride in being the country's key partner in combating gender based violence. Let me remind you and the audience that the landmark launch of the Body Right Campaign in North Macedonia in 2021 was the first of its kind in the region. Furthermore, with critical support of the United Kingdom, our robust engagement with North Macedonian partners on GBV, spanning from policy and services to CSOs and data, is triggering systemic and sustainable changes for the prevention of and protection against gender behavior, violence, always placing human rights and gender equality at the center of our efforts.

Now turning to the question. As digitalization expands into every sphere, it poses significant threats in the digital space. If misused, the vulnerability of young people, especially girls, is high and directly threatens bodily autonomy. With this in mind, and as we look to toward the National Strategy on Gender Based Violence, 2026, 2033, what specific actions is the government taking to engage

and protect young people to shift digital culture? And how can we ensure the next generation views the digital space as a platform for empowerment rather than a tool for harassment and fear?


Chair [1:22:01]:

Thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of unfpa. I now invite the State Secretary at the Ministry of Social Policy of North Macedonia to respond to the comments made and questions posed.


North Macedonia · State Secretary, Ministry of Social Policy · Fatim Sabriu [1:22:16]:

Thank you, Chair. Thank you also for the questions of our partners UN Women and UNFPA about gender responsive budgeting. We have made significant progress in integrating gender responsive budgeting into public policies and budgeting processes. Through institutionalization of GRB under the Organic Budget Law and the new Bylaw, we have enabled a framework that ensures public finances at both national and local levels directly serve the cause of equality. A cornerstone of our strategy is The Resource center for for Gender Responsible Policymaking and Budgeting, established with the strategic support of UN women and the financial backing of the Swedish and Swiss Embassy.

As the first institution of its kind in the region, the center serves as a pioneer in institutionalizing gender equality. Just last year alone, we successfully built the capacity of 400 civil servants, ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into the core of governance. Our vision is for the Resource center to evolve into a regional hub. To achieve this, we have recently conducted a specialized training of trainers for young professionals from our neighbor countries, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The second question from the UNFPA about the digital harassment and also bullish of young people.

We are taking three decisive actions in three key pillars. First, modernizing our legal framework for explicitly criminalized tech facilitated violence. Secondly, in partnership with youth organizations and international organization, right now we are establishing the National Coordinative Body for Youth and Cyberbullying to lead a specialized education shift from from basic IT literacy to comprehensive digital citizenship. And finally also we are focused on expanding the social services, especially on digital support services, ensuring that our national health centers and also other centers are trained and equipped to provide special legal and psychosocial assistance for victims of online abuse. Thank you.


CSW · Chair [1:25:19]:

I thank the State Secretary at the Ministry of Social Policy of North Macedonia. I will now briefly pause the meeting in order for the podium to be rearranged for the next presentations. Please remain seated.

We will now hear a presentation by Her Excellency Elvina Sousa Carvalho, Secretary of State for Equality of Timor Leste.


Timor-Leste · Secretary of State for Equality · Elvina Sousa Carvalho [1:28:47]:

Thank you very much. Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it is an honor to represent Timor Leste's progress since CSW 65th session, where member States committed to strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure women's equal participation in public life and to eliminate violence against women and girls. Timor Leste stands before this commission with pride in the progress we have made and humility in recognizing the challenges that remain. Since CSW 65th session in 2021, Timor Leste has made tremendous achievement at the policy and decision making levels. Gender based violence and empowerment of women and girls.

First, political representation Timor Leste has one of the highest rates of women's representation in its national parliament, almost 40% compared with its regional peers. In 2023, for the first time, a woman was selected to serve as the President of our National Parliament.

This is a testament to our commitment to inclusive democracy and affirmative measures such as electoral quotas have helped increase women's seats in Parliament. Second, strategic framework for women in politics 20212025 ensuring multi stakeholder engagement to advance women's political participation. To contribute to this strategic framework, Timor Lesta has achieved notable progress in promoting women's political participation. In 2021, government partnered with civil society organizations UN, Women and UNDP launched the How Prone to Lead era or I Am Ready to Lead campaign. This in its initiative strategically engaged government line ministries, the national police, civil society groups, media and international development partners to ensure a whole society approach.

The third is Women Peace and Security National Framework 20242028 In 2024, the government launched the second generation of its National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security Security, emphasizing women's participation in decision making, leadership and in peace building, conflict resolution and disaster response. A concrete step toward integrating women's empowerment into government across sectors. Key aims include increasing women's meaningful roles in security, justice and government and supporting more gender responsive institutional service delivery. Madam Chair in Chimor Women's equal participation in public life has proven essential to preventing gender based violence. Women leaders in Parliament, local council and security institutions have advanced survivor center legislation, strengthen protection services, promote awareness and ensure gender responsive policy.

Their meaningful engagement in decision making contributes to safer, more inclusive and more resilient communities. Timor Leste has developed and launched its third National Action Plan on Gender Based Violence 2022-2032 to address gender based violence. Extending the previous plans 2017-2022 into a fully decade long strategic framework, this plan focuses on prevention, protection and multisectoral response including community mobilization and shifting and transgender norms. Over five year period from 2021 to 2026, the vulnerable personnel Unit of National Police of Timor Leste recorded a total of 6014 cases of gender based violence including domestic violence and over 4943 victims have received a legal assistance from Alfela and 1169 perpetrators were brought to the trial and as recorded by the Judicial system monitoring program. This figures the Government of Timor Leste's steadfast commitment to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in Timor Leste to assure services for survivors of violence.

The safe spaces and support services have been rolled out in multiple municipalities. There are one stop entry point for survival to receive medical care, psychological support, legal referrals and case management at the grassroots. Education and Prevention the educational system is integrating gender sensitive curriculum such as CONNECT with respect to foster understanding of gender equality and prevent gender based violence among students, parents and teachers. The Ministry of Education and Youth have focused on gender equitable education and community outreach including comprehensive sexuality education in youth centers and schools which is critical for long term empowerment and shifting norms around gender roles and relationships in the advancement of lessons learned from the good practices in gender based violence prevention response government and the eu. UN Spotlight Initiative implemented through the un, Women, unfpa, undp, UNICEF and ILO has supports national and local civil society organization CSO to deliver services, awareness campaign and community based prevention work and it strengthened the data systems on violence, knowledge products on gender justice and legal frameworks to integrate evidence into policy.

It mobilizes communities including engaging men and boys into behavioral change dialogues. By 2023, the initiative have had a formal agreement with 21 national partners CSOs and this disseminated more than 2017 knowledge products and enhancing both policy influence and grassroots impact. These elements together reflect a best practices model combining institutional reform, community engagement and evidence based advocacy. Madam Chair to enhance the Empowerment of Women and Girls Timor Leste in in collaboration with the UN Women and DFAT Australia has continued the MOBISI Declaration on Women's Economic Empowerment 2023-2028 with 17 implementing partners and local bank BNCTL. This is a strategic policy emphasizing women's economic rights, access to market entrepreneurship opportunities and financial inclusion.

This aligns economic empowerment with broader human rights and equality goals. These programs fostering women's economic opportunities including expansion of national associations and skill training and have enhanced women's financial inclusions and leadership in local economy. As part of institutional lessons and forward looking practices, Chimorleste continues to engage in a multisectoral coordination to aligning ministries such as health, Education, Minister of Interior and Ministry of Justice and working with the CSOs, civil society and international partners, UN, EUFAT and other international partners demonstrates that the cross cultural coordination is essential to to integrate to gender based response, prevention and women's empowerment into national policy. Madam Chair despite these advances, challenges remain entrenched. Patriarchal attitudes still limit women's ability to assess and assert authority even when they hold formal positions.

Women from rural areas often do not have the same opportunities as urban counterparts, which creates disparities in influence. Timor Leste's experience shows that progress is possible when political will, legal frameworks, grassroots mobilization and strong partnerships converge. Cross party network have strengthened women's collective influence while embedding gender perspective in national plans, ensuring resources reflect women's priorities Madam Chair Women's equal participation in public life and decision making is inseparable from empowerment of women and girls which women led in parliaments, council and communities. They shape laws, policies and budgets that protect rights, expand opportunities and dismantle harmful norms. Timor Leste is committed to investing in girls education, economic empowerment programs, access to vocational training and support for women entrepreneurs.

We recognize that economic independence is a clear pathway to reducing vulnerability to violence and strengthening women's participation in public life. Women and girls are powerful agents of change and essential partners in building a just, peaceful and prosperous society. When women and girls step forward with confidence and determination, community grows stronger, more inclusive and more resilient. Thank you very much.


CSW · Chair [1:39:32]:

I thank the Secretary of State for Equality of Timor Leste. We will now view a video as part of the Timor Leste presentation. SA.

We will now briefly pause the meeting before starting the next presentation. Please remain seated.

We will now hear a presentation by Her Excellency Amal Ammar, President of the National Council for Women of Egypt.


Egypt · President, National Council for Women · Amal Ammar [1:48:42]:

In the name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, your Excellencies, members of the csw, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to partake in the 70th session of the CSW which constitutes a high level international platform to ensure the advancement and empowerment of women and girls as important and fundamental partners in the establishment of a more balanced and sustainable future.

It is my pleasure to highlight the advancements made by Egypt in the empowerment of women, namely in political empowerment and protection from all forms of violence. Our vision is based on strong political will under the guidance of His Excellency President of the Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattahassisi, namely one that considers women as fundamental for development and this was translated into provisions in the 2014 Constitution criminalizing all forms of discrimination against against women, paving the way for a new era where progress made was accelerated through a number of national policies and legislations to strengthen women's role in all spheres of life. Based on the aforementioned approach, the National Strategy for the empowerment of Egyptian women 2030 was launched. It was aligned with Egypt's vision 2030 to strengthen the framework of efforts made to bolster the status of women.

It was focused on four important political empowerment and the strengthening of leadership, social empowerment, economic empowerment and protection. The State also adopted supporting national strategies supporting development and human rights, including the National Human Rights Strategy 20212026 and the National Youth Strategy 2022 and the National Plan to Promote Gender Equality in the workplace 2023 to set a clear vision in order to bolster empowerment, A number of legislations and laws has been enacted to support the fulfillment of women's rights. More than 59 laws were amended in favor of Egyptian women, including the criminalization of fgm, sexual harassment as well as the deprivation of inheritance and protection from violence. In addition to legislative amendments that strengthened women's representation in local councils as well as the participation of women in local and national leadership through a legal environment that ensures full and effective participation by women and to ensure effects. Effective implementation the Egyptian Women's Observatory was established to monitor the implementation of progress.

The 2020 review showed progress in some 24 indicators, such as, for instance, political participation, financial inclusion and support for micro and small enterprises. This review also revealed a number of gaps and necessary measures to address them have been undertaken, namely regarding economic participation, poverty eradication as well as the pay gap and an increase in Caesarean section deliveries. We've adopted an inclusive approach to ensure the economic empowerment of women by widening the scope of opportunities available and strengthening entrepreneurship skills. The Egyptian Constitution enshrined the principle of non discrimination and protection, including equal pay for equal work. Egypt has strengthened this commitment by joining the International alliance for Equality and pay in 2020.

And in collaboration with the International Forum, we've made progress and we became the first country in the MENA region implementing laws to ensure the implementation thereof. A new law was elected in 2025 enshrining equal pay and non discrimination in the workplace. As for social protection, the Takaful and Karama program was launched since 2015. It was an important tool for support for households. More than 8 million households benefited from the program and our efforts are aimed at ensuring that households graduate from the program and that they become productive.

In addition, the issue of the increase in Caesarean deliveries has also been tackled in order to ensure the development of Egyptian households. In addition to training provided to medical staff and campaigns launched benefiting more than 400,000 women in addition to protection and the eradication of violence with the National Council of Women, we have been receiving complaints through the hotline and we have 27 branches across the state in addition to E platforms providing legal aid and psychosocial support pro bono through a network which includes more than 700 pro bono attorneys in addition to 76 case managers. We've also dedicated units in the Ministry of the Anterior in order to eradicate violence and ensure documentation in the prosecution through E platforms which facilitated responses to complaints filed, we've also established a coordination mechanism to ensure collaboration between law enforcement agencies as well as the judiciary and providers of psychosocial support. This was also enhanced through training projects benefiting more than 7,000 judges, members of the prosecution, law enforcement agents in addition to mechanisms established for each and every sector. This has led to the adoption of a decree in 2021 to establish establish a unified protection unit for the protection of women from violence, including survivors.

This unit includes representatives of ministries in addition to the National Council for Children and Mothers Affairs. To ensure ease of access by survivors to necessary services, we've established the first National Coordination Committee to eliminate FGM in collaboration between the National Council for Women and the National Council for Children and Mothers affairs and a number of ministries in addition to the church and civil society organizations and order to address this scourge. We've also implemented wide scale campaigns in collaboration with religious leaders and community organizations to strengthen reporting. As for political empowerment, the Constitution enshrined affirmative actions with a quota of 25% for women in the cabinet and 25% for local councils as well as a representation of 10% for women in the Senate. In the current cabinet, 106 seats were awarded to women.

In addition, seven deputy governors were women. In addition to 65 female assistants to governors,

The number of judges has reached over 180 and about 2,600 members

of judicial committees have also been included. From among women specialists, 184 judges were announced to join the State Council for the first time since an amendment was passed in 2021. This is in addition to hiring a women National Adviser for security for the President of Egypt and two women appointed as governors and the first woman Deputy Governor of the Central bank along with a woman heading the Economic Court for the first time in Tanta and Cairo. For the first time, we have also had a woman heading the advisor position for the rights of women and children.

And women's representation has increased to 32% of representation in the Ministry of Foreign affairs. And women have also increased their representation in non banking financial institutions. With support from laws for equal representation of women, we are also investing in girls. Therefore, we have launched the first national framework for the investment in girls under the auspices of the first lady of Egypt, Intisar Al Sisi. We have three such projects, Noora and Dawi.

We also have girls student activities in order to build trust and societal participation. As for the economic front, on this front we have a comprehensive approach that combines supporting entrepreneurship and economic integration in support with the Egyptian Central bank. More than 1.2 million work opportunities have increased women's access to financial integration to exceed 71% by 2023 and this is a 16% increase over 2016. Over 23 million women now have access to bank accounts and this enhances their ability to further enhance their professional careers. We are also providing family support to help women help enhance their careers and eliminate the gender inequality in this field.

Last but not least, women's empowerment is a conscious political vision that sees women's participation as the key pillar in societal economic growth. The state continues to work in order to sustain the gains and to address any challenges that arise. And we would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks and appreciation to partners in development, chief among which are UN agencies such as UN Women, unfpa, UNDP and UNICEF and all other development partners among UN agencies. We also value our close cooperation with ministries and international institutions and government bodies, chief among which is the Egyptian Central Bank. This is in enhancing economic inclusion and enhancing women's participation in entrepreneurship.

We also appreciate the support of the private sector and the civil society and academia and all law enforcement agencies and independent bodies and national councils in order to establish a comprehensive protective network for women. This multilateral partnership is a living proof of a model of solidarity with the goal of building a fairer and more just and sustainable society where every girl and woman gets to enjoy the full scope of her rights. Thank you and peace and blessings of God be upon you all.


CSW · Chair [2:02:58]:

I thank the President of the National Council for Women of Egypt. I now invite the partners of the presenting country to provide comments or pose a question. I now give the floor to the distinguished. Excuse me, we have a film video. Yeah, yeah.

Okay, okay. Sorry. Okay.


Speaker 46 [2:03:35]:

Civilization proves women's undeniable presence. Women have led nations, shaped destinations and raised voices across the world to defend women's homeland, Egypt. For decades, women have fought to secure their rightful place, and the establishment of the National Council for Women marked the culmination of that journey. Over the past 25 years, the council has helped women reshape their reality. President Assisi says, I will not sign a law that fails to deliver justice for you.

Addressing women in the first decade, the Council laid the foundation for women's empowerment across all sectors. It initiated comprehensive legislative and policy reforms, ensuring for the first time that women's priorities were integrated into Egypt's national development plans. Gender responsive budgeting was introduced, and Egypt witnessed the historic appointment of its first female judge in 2011. Despite losing its headquarters amid challenging national circumstances, the Council remained steadfast, continuing its mission and safeguarding women's rights under considerable pressure. Egyptian women rejected marginalization during the drafting of the 2012 Constitution.

When they perceived a threat to their nation, they rose in solidarity and their voices helped shape a new course.

The year 2014 marked a transformative turning point.

A new constitution enshrined more than 20 provisions dedicated to protecting respecting and advancing women's rights.

Following President Abdel Fattah Sisi's accession to office, a new era began, one widely regarded as a golden age for Egyptian women. This happened under the leadership of the National Council for Women, which impacted millions of women's lives. The Council became a strategic partner in major national and presidential initiatives, particularly the Egyptian Family Development Project.

Guided by the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, the council pursued a comprehensive vision spanning political, economic and social empowerment as the first steps of a thousand mile process. Politically, we launched specialized leadership programs that prepared women for senior positions across state institutions. Over 1,700 women graduated from these initiatives, assuming judicial and executive leadership roles. From these eight programs, women's electoral participation reached unprecedented levels, accounting for 44% of voters in 2014 and rising to 60% in the elections of 2024. A tangible difference was seen in the political landscape.

Representation in parliament, government political institutions and corporate leadership expanded significantly, breaking long standing glass barriers.

Economically, the Council advanced financial inclusion through innovative tools. Tools such as the Tawisha digital savings application designed to facilitate rural women's access to banking services.

We gave due attention to women's inclusion in the working market. Vocational training programs strengthened women's integration into the labor market, while initiatives supporting intellectual property and entrepreneurship enabled women to formalize and scale their businesses. A milestone was achieved with the registration of the first collective trademark for a traditional heritage craft, tal, to address the root causes of irregular migration. The Council implemented targeted economic empowerment programs that created sustainable livelihood opportunities for women and their families. Social empowerment efforts focused on ensuring women's access to essential services.

More than 1.3 million national ID cards were issued to women, unlocking access to state benefits and protections. Financial security certificates were provided to the most vulnerable. At the request of the Council and with the direct support of the President, the Women's Health Egypt's health initiative was launched to promote early detection of breast cancer, reaching millions of women with critical screening and healthcare services. Investing in girls remains central to the Council's vision. Under the patronage of the First Lady Intasar Isisi, the national framework for investing in girls was introduced, including the NOORA program and the DAWI initiative designed to empower young girls with knowledge of their rights and responsibilities.

We moved in full force on the path of helping women and protecting them. Women's complaints offices were established across all 27 governorates. University based units to combat violence against women and safe women's clinics within university hospitals were created to provide accessible support services. A decree by the Prime Minister established a unified Protection Women Unit to streamline procedures and ensure timely assistance for for survivors of violence. Efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation intensified through establishment of a national committee, expanded awareness campaigns and sustained community outreach.

These coordinated actions contributed to a measurable decline in prevalence rates. With continued progress underway, we have also assisted in the production of a number of TV and radio projects and our initiative, entitled Ta Marbuta managed to reach hundreds of millions.

Since its founding in 2000, the National Council for Women has remained Egypt's foremost institutional advocate for women's rights, protecting the hard won gains and shaping forward looking empowerment policies recognized internationally.

We were able to provide women with initiatives that change their reality in tangible ways. The National Council for Women remains a steadfast pillar of support and a safeguard for every Egyptian woman. Thank you.


CSW · Chair [2:10:25]:

I now invite the partners of the presenting country to provide comments or pose the questions. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Jordan.


Jordan [2:10:40]:

Thank you Madam Madam Chair, I wish to thank the President Adviser of the National Council for Women in Egypt for the elucidating briefing. We wish to thank you for your efforts at the national level.


Algeria [2:11:01]:

In light of what you have just mentioned, we have two questions. What are the main measures that have been adopted by Egypt for the advancement of the protection of system for women, both at the institutional and the legislative level, but also in terms of facilitating women's access to justice? Second question what is the policy that has been adopted by Egypt for the advancement of Social Security and protection for women, especially women with special needs?


CSW · Chair [2:11:29]:

Thank you representative of Algeria.


Speaker 51 [2:11:37]:

Thank you Madam Chair. First and foremost I wish to warmly thank Madam Anuramhamr, the Chair of the National Council for Women in Egypt for her excellent presentation with an emphasis on the achievements of the Arab Republic of Egypt in terms of the empowerment of women and various achievements in many sectors. We applaud the progress that has been achieved both in terms of women's participation in public life and the question is as follows. What achievements? What are the most significant achievements of Egypt in terms of women's political participation and women's participation in political life as well as in decision taking?

And what measures have been adopted in order to advance women's participation in the judicial sector?


Chair [2:12:25]:

Representative of Nigeria


Nigeria [2:12:28]:

thank you Madam Chair. I wish to first of all thank Her Excellency the President of the National Council for Women of the Arab Republic of Egypt for the rich and detailed presentation. My question goes as follows. What are the main policies and programs adopted by Egypt to promote women economic empowerment and increase their participation in labor markets?

How do initiatives aimed at empowering girls such as Dawi and Noora ensure the integration of girls voices into society and national policies and what are the main challenges faced in implementing the National Strategy for Empowerment women and how has Egypt addressed them to ensure continued progress towards the 2030 goals? Thank you.


Chair [2:13:16]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Nigeria. I now invite the President of the National Council for Women of Egypt to respond to the comments made and the questions posed.


Egypt · President, National Council for Women · Amal Ammar [2:13:32]:

Shukran Gazilan said Thank you Madam Chair. I wish to thank you and to thank the distinguished representatives who have posed questions when it comes to the political empowerment and political participation of women in decision making processes. For us this is the first step towards empowerment with the launch of the National Strategy for the Empowerment of women for 2020-2030. This is a strategy which is focused on the political empowerment and participation in decision making and focusing on the need to guarantee protection for women and based on the constitutional power and the article the women's related article a specific article in Egypt this article emphasizes women's right to hold high office and command positions as well as important positions in the judiciary and this was the starting point. Article 102 of the Egyptian constitution guarantees women's women a quota.

25% of seats in the Egyptian Parliament are allocated to women. Article 180 of the above mentioned constitution provides for 25% of local governmental seats. These are allocated to women and this promotes the role of women and women's participation at the national and local levels. These constitutional quotas were subsequently enshrined in the legislative system at the House, the Chamber of Deputies and at the Senate as well. And this specific institutional quota provides women with a significant number of seats.

Women's participation in the Parliament has reached the level of 166, 168, 26.8% that is 26.8% of all seats which have been allocated to women. And Egyptian women have also are being represented in the Senate. 10.6% of the Senate seats have been allocated to women, that is 32 seats. Specifically women's representation in administrative boards in businesses and non banking financial bodies is also significant. There's a letter that is regularly issued by the oversight the financial oversight body and this document was published and said document stipulates that the share of women must be 25% at least in these administrative boards in addition to the ministries and the ministerial portfolio that the portfolios that are held by women for the first time an Egyptian woman is responsible for the habitat portfolio and the same is true for the Ministry for Planning and the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for Social Solidarity.

Turning to lifting barriers and lifting patriarchal obstacles, I wish to note the fact that two women have been appointed advisors to the Presidency of the Republic. These are economic advisor positions and I now turn to amendments related to governorship. For the very first time, women holds a governorship body position in a border province. And for the very first time, a woman is holding the role of governor in Alwandi Al Jadi Province and Al Bahira Province and Mufakha Al Zabira. And this is in addition to a significant level of participation in the National Academy in conjunction with the National Council for Women as well as the Council for Planning.

And these are bodies which have launched training programs to assist women as they seek to gain the necessary skills, which in turn resulted in the nomination of 300 women to posts which require a certain level of qualifications and skills. There are also mechanisms to motivate women and to motivate and incentivize various institutions in order to facilitate women's access to leadership positions and decision making positions. In response to the question of the promotion of women's participation in the judiciary, as we are aware, the United nations yesterday noted that Egypt's experience is an example of a pioneering experience which brought Egypt to a golden age. In this respect, we have made significant headway in this regard. And yet, According to legislation, women's rights are set out as a key in various administrative bodies.

Turning to the political dimension, since 2021, for the very first time in Egypt's history, a decision was taken to grant access for women to State Council positions and office of the Prosecutor. There are now 65 women, female prosecutors, general prosecutors. And according to women's aspirations, for decades, for seven decades they have been heard and now, as a result, there are a large number of magistrates at the State Council.

Prior to 2021, the number of female judges was 66. And today we have 176 female judges. Turning to the Administrative Office of the Prosecutor and State tribunals, women's representation has risen to the tune of 35%.

And these successive increases at the judicial level are a clear reflection of Egypt's approach for the advancement of women's empowerment. At the judicial level, women are present in the Supreme Court. Women are present in technical offices and office of the Inspector, judicial inspectors offices and then the highest levels of the judiciary, including tribunals of a first instance and appeals tribunals. This participation of women and women's meaningful presence at the judiciary naturally advances women's access to justice and gives women the feeling that they are protected.

By the gender representative of the judicial body. I now turn to the significance of the measures that have been adopted by Egypt to protect women against domestic violence. Egyptian legislation clearly stipulates the protection of women against all forms of violence beyond the legislation that has been promulgated in this regard. And this legislation criminalizes violence against women, including physical violence and digital violence against women. In addition to those provisions, There are now 59 specific laws and 13 ministerial ordinances which shore up protections for women, specifically when it comes to the crime of female genital mutilation, sexual harassment.

And the aim is to foster.

Awareness raising about this and to encourage women to lodge complaints and to end such abuse.

In certain tribunals there are certain chambers, the purpose of which is to provide assistance to women as they seek to testify, to provide testimony independently of the court. I now turn to institutional support for women through the National Council of Women in Egypt. We have established an office, an office which deals with complaints and grievances, and there are branches in various regions of the country.

There's a hotline that has been established as well as email communications and WhatsApp communications that have been established to that end within this office. And Also there are 700 volunteer lawyers and 76 case directors who are positioned to deliver legal, psychological and social support to the women concerned. In 2025, the grievances office received nearly 320,000 complaints.

And these cases were scrupulously considered.

I have an. If I may take one additional minute, please. I now turn to economic empowerment and this is where I will conclude my remarks. We launched a broad range of economic programs to help Egyptian women lift themselves out of the informal labor sector through the Parisha A saving program. And women therefore now have access to loans through digital means.

And women are now able to open up banking accounts. Therefore, we have adopted meaningful measures to help Egyptian women improve their situation. Thank you.


CSW · Chair [2:25:53]:

Thank the President of the National Council for Women of Egypt. We have thus heard the last voluntary presentation on the review team for this meeting.

I once again thank the presenting countries and their partners for the excellent case studies. The Commission will reconvene on Monday 16th March at 8am and send this conference room to hear an interactive explanation expert panel on the priority team. Information on the session is accessible on the igov portal igov un.org the meeting is adjourned.