The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, is leading the South African delegation at the 68th Session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), currently underway at the UN headquarters in New York.

Taking place from 11 – 22 March, the largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment is instrumental in promoting women’s rights and shaping global standards on gender equality and women empowerment.

The CSW68 takes place under the theme, ‘Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective’.

‘During the commission, South Africa will demonstrate its commitment to addressing poverty, inequality, unemployment and social exclusion based on gender, race, disability or geolocation, using the country’s Constitution as the cornerstone for human rights and equality, which are clearly articulated in the legislative framewor
k,’ the department said in a statement.

Reducing poverty and inequality has been an overriding concern of South Africa’s development since the advent of democracy in 1994, as articulated in the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) to the present National Development Plan Vision 2030 (NDP).

South Africa remains committed to addressing gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening our institutions so that all women and girls are empowered and enjoy their human rights, as stipulated in the country’s Constitution, which is the Bill of Rights.

The country is also committed to financing women and girls’ empowerment and achieving gender equality.

On Tuesday, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu addressed the Commission during the high-level

Ministerial Roundtable on the theme, ‘Mobilising Financing for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of all Women and Girls: Strategies to End Women’s and Girls’ Poverty’.

The discussions aimed to mobilise fin
ancing for gender equality and empower all women and girls, with a particular emphasis on policies and strategies to end poverty among women and girls.

Source: South African Government News Agency