The 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) is underway at the UN headquarters in New York, to review and assess the progress attained in implementing the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The groundbreaking document adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing laid out a comprehensive agenda for women's empowerment and became the cornerstone of global gender policy, emphasizing that gender equality was not just a women’s issue but a fundamental human rights concern.

The review process discussed in New York includes a reflection on the current challenges that hinder the implementation of the Platform for Action, which addressed twelve critical areas of concern, ranging from poverty and education to health, violence, and political participation.

Representing the Holy See is Professor Gabriella Gambino, Under-Secretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

Addressing  the session on 13 March, Professor Gambino reaffirmed the equal dignity of men and women as a fundamental principle that transcends circumstances and is rooted in the recognition of human rights.

However, she argued, equality cannot be realized merely through legal recognition but must be supported by tangible social and economic conditions that ensure equal opportunities for women.

A major obstacle to achieving true equality, she asserted, is poverty, which disproportionately affects women and undermines their dignity. Without addressing this fundamental issue, development and peace remain unattainable.

“Poverty eradication is key, especially because it affects women most: there can be neither development nor peace if the dignity of women is undermined by poverty.”

Closely tied to this is education, which she described as an essential tool for gender equality. Education not only empowers women and girls but also fosters an environment where both genders can reach their full potential while maintaining freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and belief.

Another crucial aspect addressed by Professor Gambino was the importance of political action to bring about a cultural shift regarding family and motherhood.

In this regard, she noted that despite commitments made three decades ago, the role of the family has been increasingly neglected and policies have failed to provide women with adequate support to balance their professional and family responsibilities.

“Women have not been provided with the support they need to balance family life and their responsibilities at work, ignoring the fact that both contribute to society,” she said.

Moreover, the Under-Secretary pointed to the failure to protect the right to life, which she reiterated, is a fundamental human right.

“There has been a failure to protect the most basic human right, the right to life.”

Concluding her statement, Professor Gambino acknowledged that progress has been made but insisted that “much needs to be done," recalling Pope Francis’ words advocating for full equality of opportunity for women as a means to foster a more inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable world.