The theme of this year’s 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was centered on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, through the lens of addressing poverty and financing with a gender perspective. This year’s CSW outcome report repeatedly emphasizes ‘strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.’ However, it fails to acknowledge that these are the same institutions that have resulted in the feminization of poverty, and the perpetual and widespread unfavorable status of women and girls. Eradicating gender-related inequalities that stem from poverty requires eliminating the systemic bias that has historically existed within societal structures and institutions that discriminate against women and girls, this requires transformation of institutions and structures, which the CSW outcome does little to address. According to a new report by United Nations (UN) Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), if trends continue at their current rate of progress, it will take at least 40 years to achieve gender parity in national parliaments, and up to 140 years for women to achieve equal representation in positions of power, reflecting that the road to achieving gender equality is already falling far behind leading up to 2030. This demands a transformation of our governing and financial institutions, an aspect inadequately addressed in the CSW outcome report.
The road to gender equity requires innovative and transformative restructuring of institutions and government in order to effectively produce policies that improve the economic status of women and girls. Acknowledging that institutions as they currently stand is not the answer to meaningful change, and this must be made a critical part of the gender equity discourse as we head toward 30 years since the Beijing Platform for Action in 2025.
According to UN Women, the majority of the 1.5 billion people living on 1 dollar a day or less are women, and extreme poverty is projected to deepen for women and girls globally. This phenomenon is known as the “feminization of poverty,” coined by American sociologist Diana Pearce in the 1970s, which describes the pervasive economic disparity between women and men. It broadly refers to the global inferior economic status of women compared to men. Investing in women begins with acknowledging that the widespread systematic oppression and intolerance of women is ingrained into society and our institutions. In 2020 Secretary-General António Guterres stated that “Male-dominated power structures underpin everything from national economies, to political systems, to the corporate world and beyond.” Despite the acknowledgment of current conditions, the advancement toward enhancing women’s economic status has been gradual. Over a decade ago, The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women similarly discussed the issue of women and poverty at its 40th session in 1996, including the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in all poverty eradication policies, a pressing issue that continues to be critical on the agenda 28 years later.
The feminization of poverty exists today due to the systems in place that lead to the inequitable status of women. In the 68th CSW outcome report, the Commission recognizes the “urgency of eliminating persistent historical and structural inequalities” and “discriminatory laws, policies, and negative social norms, unequal power relations” as just a few of the root causes of the feminization of poverty. The report fails to acknowledge that governing institutions and their past policies are to blame for the historical and systemic inequalities that reinforce the feminization of poverty and that strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective requires an element of structural systems’ transformation that is long overdue.
Institutional transformation can begin by addressing long-standing discriminatory practices, policies, and social norms that have resulted in systemic economic inequality of women. Governments and institutions can begin to find solutions by targeting failings within our society and economy where women are subject to unequal treatment, unequal pay, and limited opportunities for advancement. Workplace gender discrimination (for example, when women are paid less for the same work as their male counterparts) exemplifies one facet of institutional and systemic characteristics that have contributed to the global economic disadvantage of women. The UN Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace envisions dismantling the patriarchy and oppressive power structures hindering progress toward gender equality. Addressing these institutional barriers, abolishing discriminatory laws, and expanding women’s participation in leadership are all integral components of systems’ transformation essential for advancing the economic status of women and girls.
The UN itself has a notable opportunity to set the standard in gender equity in global governance by appointing a woman as the Secretary-General for the upcoming 2026 term. Electing a woman to the highest position of the UN would send a powerful signal to member states about the unwavering commitment that the UN has towards gender equality. Women in leadership positions at the multilateral level remain critically low. Of the 193 member states, only 13 women currently serve as the head of government (with 7 of those in Europe), and less than a third of UN countries have ever had a woman serve as head of state. In their report, the CSW recognizes that “agency and leadership are among key factors in breaking the cycle of gender inequity”, and yet it neglects to address how systemic barriers such as gender discrimination hinder women from acquiring the experience required to qualify for leadership positions.
The CSW must highlight the discriminatory frameworks responsible for perpetuating the unequal economic status of women, provide new policy guidelines to restructure existing institutions, and offer solutions by advocating for new gender-based frameworks. Furthermore, by recommending the appointment of a female Secretary-General in 2026, the CSW can signal a significant step forward for the role of women in global governance institutions. Addressing the feminization of poverty necessitates dismantling the systemic biases ingrained within our societal structures that perpetuate discrimination against women, and requires setting a new standard, and creating entirely new frameworks that are structured with the intention of advancing the economic rights of women and girls.
Charting a New Course to Advance Women’s Economic Rights
By Asena Johnson
International & Regional Organizations
The theme of this year’s 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was centered on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, through the lens of addressing poverty and financing with a gender perspective. This year’s CSW outcome report repeatedly emphasizes ‘strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.’ However, it fails to acknowledge that these are the same institutions that have resulted in the feminization of poverty, and the perpetual and widespread unfavorable status of women and girls. Eradicating gender-related inequalities that stem from poverty requires eliminating the systemic bias that has historically existed within societal structures and institutions that discriminate against women and girls, this requires transformation of institutions and structures, which the CSW outcome does little to address. According to a new report by United Nations (UN) Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), if trends continue at their current rate of progress, it will take at least 40 years to achieve gender parity in national parliaments, and up to 140 years for women to achieve equal representation in positions of power, reflecting that the road to achieving gender equality is already falling far behind leading up to 2030. This demands a transformation of our governing and financial institutions, an aspect inadequately addressed in the CSW outcome report.
The road to gender equity requires innovative and transformative restructuring of institutions and government in order to effectively produce policies that improve the economic status of women and girls. Acknowledging that institutions as they currently stand is not the answer to meaningful change, and this must be made a critical part of the gender equity discourse as we head toward 30 years since the Beijing Platform for Action in 2025.
According to UN Women, the majority of the 1.5 billion people living on 1 dollar a day or less are women, and extreme poverty is projected to deepen for women and girls globally. This phenomenon is known as the “feminization of poverty,” coined by American sociologist Diana Pearce in the 1970s, which describes the pervasive economic disparity between women and men. It broadly refers to the global inferior economic status of women compared to men. Investing in women begins with acknowledging that the widespread systematic oppression and intolerance of women is ingrained into society and our institutions. In 2020 Secretary-General António Guterres stated that “Male-dominated power structures underpin everything from national economies, to political systems, to the corporate world and beyond.” Despite the acknowledgment of current conditions, the advancement toward enhancing women’s economic status has been gradual. Over a decade ago, The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women similarly discussed the issue of women and poverty at its 40th session in 1996, including the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in all poverty eradication policies, a pressing issue that continues to be critical on the agenda 28 years later.
The feminization of poverty exists today due to the systems in place that lead to the inequitable status of women. In the 68th CSW outcome report, the Commission recognizes the “urgency of eliminating persistent historical and structural inequalities” and “discriminatory laws, policies, and negative social norms, unequal power relations” as just a few of the root causes of the feminization of poverty. The report fails to acknowledge that governing institutions and their past policies are to blame for the historical and systemic inequalities that reinforce the feminization of poverty and that strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective requires an element of structural systems’ transformation that is long overdue.
Institutional transformation can begin by addressing long-standing discriminatory practices, policies, and social norms that have resulted in systemic economic inequality of women. Governments and institutions can begin to find solutions by targeting failings within our society and economy where women are subject to unequal treatment, unequal pay, and limited opportunities for advancement. Workplace gender discrimination (for example, when women are paid less for the same work as their male counterparts) exemplifies one facet of institutional and systemic characteristics that have contributed to the global economic disadvantage of women. The UN Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace envisions dismantling the patriarchy and oppressive power structures hindering progress toward gender equality. Addressing these institutional barriers, abolishing discriminatory laws, and expanding women’s participation in leadership are all integral components of systems’ transformation essential for advancing the economic status of women and girls.
The UN itself has a notable opportunity to set the standard in gender equity in global governance by appointing a woman as the Secretary-General for the upcoming 2026 term. Electing a woman to the highest position of the UN would send a powerful signal to member states about the unwavering commitment that the UN has towards gender equality. Women in leadership positions at the multilateral level remain critically low. Of the 193 member states, only 13 women currently serve as the head of government (with 7 of those in Europe), and less than a third of UN countries have ever had a woman serve as head of state. In their report, the CSW recognizes that “agency and leadership are among key factors in breaking the cycle of gender inequity”, and yet it neglects to address how systemic barriers such as gender discrimination hinder women from acquiring the experience required to qualify for leadership positions.
The CSW must highlight the discriminatory frameworks responsible for perpetuating the unequal economic status of women, provide new policy guidelines to restructure existing institutions, and offer solutions by advocating for new gender-based frameworks. Furthermore, by recommending the appointment of a female Secretary-General in 2026, the CSW can signal a significant step forward for the role of women in global governance institutions. Addressing the feminization of poverty necessitates dismantling the systemic biases ingrained within our societal structures that perpetuate discrimination against women, and requires setting a new standard, and creating entirely new frameworks that are structured with the intention of advancing the economic rights of women and girls.
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