Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world will attend the session. The priority theme of the session will be: Women’s empowerment and its link to sustainable development. The review theme will be: The elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls (agreed conclusions from the fifty-seventh session).

The “agreed conclusions” adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women at the conclusion of its session (E/2013/27) cover all forms of violence against women and girls, in all contexts and settings. Emerging forms of violence, such as cyber stalking and cyber bullying, gender-related killings, or femicide, and the need for safety in public spaces, also receive attention. The agreed conclusions recognize that multiple forms of discrimination and other factors expose some women and girls to increased risk of violence, requiring targeted responses.

The active participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is a critical element in the work of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). NGOs have been influential in shaping the current global policy framework on women’s empowerment and gender equality: the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. They continue to play an important role in holding international and national leaders accountable for the commitments they made in the Platform for Action. – See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/ngo-participation#sthash.p2Oa6fbY.dpuf