At CSW 70, Global Reproductive Rights Face Progress and Pushback

Seventy years after its establishment by a nascent United Nations committed to advancing the rights of women and girls, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) remains the paramount international forum dedicated to women’s empowerment and gender equality. Each March, global leaders convene to assess progress, confront persistent challenges, and reaffirm their commitments to achieving gender parity worldwide. The 70th session, CSW70, held from March 9-19, centered on the critical imperative of ensuring and fortifying access to justice for women and girls, a core focus area for the Center for Reproductive Rights. As a preeminent legal advocacy organization, the Center actively engaged with Member States throughout the negotiation processes and organized and participated in pivotal events designed to explore strategies for legal reform and the expansion of access to justice within the complex landscape of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

This year’s session saw Center representatives converge from across the globe, underscoring the international scope of their advocacy. Among them were Elsy Sainna, Associate Director for Advocacy and External Relations for Africa; Maria Cecilia Ibanez Garcia, Senior Advocacy Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean; and Kiefer Kofman, Global Advocacy Advisor. Their collective expertise and on-the-ground insights were instrumental in shaping the discourse and advancing the Center’s agenda at this crucial global forum.

The significance of CSW in the global struggle for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) cannot be overstated. It provides an indispensable platform for surfacing and critically examining emergent threats to SRHR, while simultaneously contributing to the legal and policy dialogues aimed at both preserving existing protections and pushing back against regressive forces. Maria Cecilia Ibanez Garcia highlighted CSW’s role as a vital space for shaping global norms on gender issues, including SRHR. "At a time of growing backlash, it allows us not only to defend existing commitments, but to push forward new standards—creating new entry points to advance rights across contexts," she stated. This forward-looking perspective is crucial in an environment where hard-won gains are increasingly under threat.

Kiefer Kofman further elaborated on CSW’s function as a monitoring body, tasked with tracking progress and identifying gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA). This landmark document serves as a comprehensive roadmap for the advancement of women’s rights, to which all UN Member States have committed. The outcomes adopted at the conclusion of each annual CSW session signify a renewed commitment from every nation to accelerate the BDPfA’s implementation and uphold the human rights of all women and girls, encompassing SRHR.

The Center’s involvement at CSW70 was multifaceted, reflecting a strategic approach to advocacy. Colleagues from the Center actively advised Member States during the intricate negotiation processes that define the session’s resolutions and declarations. Simultaneously, the Center hosted and participated in a series of high-level events and side sessions, fostering dialogues and sharing expertise on critical issues. These engagements aimed to dissect the challenges to SRHR access to justice and to collaboratively develop actionable strategies for legal reform and expanded service provision.

The Enduring Significance of CSW in the Fight for Reproductive Rights

The Commission on the Status of Women, established in 1946, was one of the UN’s earliest functional commissions. Its initial mandate was to advise the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on issues requiring immediate attention to further women’s rights. Over the decades, it has evolved into the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Its annual sessions serve as a critical barometer for the state of women’s rights globally, providing a unique forum for civil society, governments, and international organizations to converge, share experiences, and forge common strategies.

For the Center for Reproductive Rights, CSW represents a vital nexus for international legal advocacy. It offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with Member States, influencing the language and commitments within crucial UN documents. This engagement is not merely symbolic; it has tangible implications for national policy and legal frameworks. By participating in CSW, the Center aims to ensure that SRHR are recognized as fundamental human rights, protected under international law, and translated into actionable policies at the national level.

Emerging Threats to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

The current global landscape presents a complex and often challenging environment for SRHR. Maria Cecilia Ibanez Garcia observed that SRHR are being undermined through "very tangible rollbacks, such as the criminalization of abortion, the prosecution of women and girls for obstetric emergencies, and increasing restrictions that make services harder to access in practice." These direct attacks on reproductive autonomy are often accompanied by more insidious attempts to reinterpret and dilute established international human rights law. "We are also seeing attempts to reinterpret and weaken established standards in international human rights law," she added.

Furthermore, the rise of well-organized "anti-rights" actors poses a significant challenge. These groups actively seek to influence laws, policies, and public discourse at the national level, aiming to dismantle protections and curtail individual autonomy. Elsy Sainna characterized these efforts as "intentional attacks on constitutional and legal guarantees and safeguards, fueled by misinformation and disinformation attributed to conservative and religious ideologies." This deliberate propagation of falsehoods serves to erode public support for reproductive rights and to create a political climate conducive to regressive legislation.

Kiefer Kofman highlighted specific instances of these challenges manifesting within the UN system itself. He pointed to attempts by conservative states, often supported by anti-rights groups, to undermine long-standing international commitments on gender equality and SRHR. "Conservative states, with the support of anti-rights groups, are also attempting to undermine long-standing international commitments on gender equality and SRHR and to challenge long-accepted terminology and concepts," Kofman stated. He cited a recent instance where there were attempts to "entirely remove the phrase ‘sexual and reproductive health’ from a resolution on children’s rights—a bid to erase a fundamental aspect of health and well-being to fit an extremist agenda."

The United States’ actions at CSW70 also drew attention. Kofman noted that the U.S. "introduced unprecedented amendments and a last-minute resolution that would have weakened commitments on gender equality and human rights." This move, which ultimately saw the U.S. as the sole Member State to vote against the adoption of the CSW outcome document, underscored the deep divisions and the intensity of the ideological battles being waged within multilateral forums. This isolation of the U.S. at CSW sent a powerful message regarding the international consensus that human rights and the multilateral system must ultimately prevail over extremist agendas.

Navigating the Path Forward: Strategies for Advancing SRHR

Despite the formidable challenges, the Center and its allies remain resolute in their commitment to advancing SRHR. The path forward, as articulated by the Center’s representatives, involves a multi-pronged approach combining accountability, legal innovation, and grassroots empowerment.

Kiefer Kofman emphasized the Center’s unwavering dedication to ensuring SRHR are recognized as fundamental human rights across the UN system. "We will continue to be relentless in ensuring SRHR are recognized as fundamental human rights across the UN system and that Member States at the UN respect, protect and fulfill them for all in line with their obligations under international human rights law," he asserted. The Center’s strategy includes actively working within coalitions, such as the Women’s Rights Caucus, to counter regressive amendments and resolutions and to advocate for strong, rights-affirming language in outcome documents. The isolation of the U.S. at CSW70, as previously mentioned, is seen as a testament to the strength of this collective advocacy and a signal that the international community will not easily concede on fundamental rights.

Elsy Sainna underscored the importance of reminding states of their existing obligations under international and regional human rights law. "Through constructive engagements and dialogue, we intend to remind states of their obligations to protect, promote and fulfill the SRHR standards contained in international and regional human rights norms & standards to which the majority of states are party, including regional treaties like the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol)," she explained. This focus on existing legal frameworks is crucial for holding states accountable and ensuring compliance with commitments they have already made. The Maputo Protocol, for instance, represents a significant regional advancement in codifying women’s reproductive rights within the African continent.

Maria Cecilia Ibanez Garcia outlined a comprehensive strategy that integrates legal advocacy with on-the-ground impact. "We move forward by combining strategies: holding states accountable to existing commitments, continuing our work to advance stronger legal standards through litigation and advocacy, and supporting local actors to use these tools in practice," she stated. This approach recognizes that international advocacy must be complemented by robust legal challenges and the empowerment of local organizations that are best positioned to advocate for change within their own contexts. Furthermore, she emphasized the importance of drawing strength from past achievements: "Ultimately, it’s about remembering everything that the movement has achieved so far—gains that endure despite rollback attempts—and continuing to connect global norms with real change on the ground."

Looking Ahead: Sustaining Momentum Beyond CSW70

While CSW70 has concluded, the fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights is an ongoing endeavor. The session served as a potent reminder that the global community is deeply invested in SRHR and is prepared to actively defend these rights. Recent legal victories provide tangible evidence of this progress and underscore the enduring possibility of advancement, even amidst significant opposition.

The landmark Celia Ramos v. Peru decision by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which recognized reproductive violence as a form of gender-based discrimination, represents a significant step forward in establishing legal accountability for violations of reproductive rights in the region. Similarly, the recent freeing of Violet Zulu in Zambia, a single mother who had been unjustly jailed for obtaining an abortion, demonstrates the impact of sustained advocacy and legal intervention in rectifying injustices and ensuring access to essential healthcare services without fear of criminalization.

These victories, alongside the robust engagement and determined advocacy witnessed at CSW70, offer a powerful counter-narrative to the forces seeking to restrict reproductive autonomy. They highlight that progress is not only achievable but is actively happening, driven by the tireless efforts of activists, legal advocates, and policymakers committed to upholding the human rights of women and girls. As the Center for Reproductive Rights and its partners prepare for CSW71, the momentum generated by these successes and the lessons learned from CSW70 will undoubtedly fuel their continued efforts to advance SRHR on the global stage and in communities worldwide. The fight for reproductive rights is a marathon, not a sprint, and the commitment to justice and equality remains unwavering.