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A government delegation, led by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi, is set to participate in the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which is starting from March 10 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, it was announced on Sunday. 

The minister is slated to deliver the national statement at the Commission, and participate in the Ministerial Roundtable, wherein the transformative initiatives of the government under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the holistic development and empowerment of all women and girls, will be highlighted.

These will include initiatives for health and wellbeing, education and entrepreneurship, digital and financial inclusion, promoting women’s leadership and decision-making and reducing drudgery through a slew of initiatives.

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

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

CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, the rights and the empowerment of women.

A functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the forthcoming session of the Commission will be held from March 10-21.

This year’s session is momentous, as the year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the landmark global guiding instrument on empowerment of women and girls, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995.

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

The minister will also be the guest of honour at a high-level side-event at the UN Headquarters attended by ministers and senior level officials from various countries, along the sidelines of the Commission.