UN Holds First-Ever High-Level Meeting on Violence Against Women at CSW70

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous emphasised that eliminating violence against women is essential to achieving broader global development goals.

In a landmark step to strengthen global action against gender-based violence, world leaders, policymakers, survivor advocates and civil society organisations gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 12 March 2026 for the first annual High-Level Meeting on Violence Against Women and Girls during the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70).

The meeting marked the launch of a new initiative under the revitalised mandate of the Commission on the Status of Women, designed to elevate cross-cutting gender equality issues and accelerate progress in implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the world’s most comprehensive framework for advancing women’s rights.

More than 100 governments, alongside experts and advocacy groups, participated in the historic session to share policy solutions, evidence-based strategies and commitments to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.

Violence Against Women Remains a Global Crisis

Speakers at the meeting highlighted the alarming scale of violence against women globally. According to international estimates, at least one in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence during her lifetime.

Participants stressed that the consequences extend far beyond individual victims, affecting entire societies through economic loss, weakened institutions and entrenched inequality.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous emphasised that eliminating violence against women is essential to achieving broader global development goals.

“This meeting is a direct result of CSW revitalization and recognition to elevate opportunities for exchange on issues that intersect all our efforts and permeate all of society,” Bahous said.

“Ending violence against women and girls is its own imperative and an accelerator for all other goals under the Sustainable Development Agenda and the Beijing Platform for Action.”

Digital Abuse and New Forms of Violence Emerging

A major focus of the discussions was the evolving nature of gender-based violence, particularly the rapid rise of technology-facilitated abuse.

Experts warned that violence now increasingly occurs across both online and offline spaces, with digital harassment, threats and surveillance often translating into real-world intimidation and control.

Women in public life—including journalists, activists and political leaders—have been particularly vulnerable to such attacks.

Participants stressed that legal systems, prevention strategies and support services must evolve quickly to keep pace with these emerging threats.

Countries Share Successful Prevention Strategies

Representatives from Belgium, Brazil, Solomon Islands, Tunisia and Ukraine, speaking on behalf of the five UN regional groups, opened the discussions by presenting examples of successful national initiatives to combat violence against women and girls.

Key policy approaches highlighted included:

• Comprehensive legal reforms and policy frameworks

• National action plans with dedicated budgets

• Multi-sector coordination between health, justice and social services

• Addressing technology-facilitated violence

• Strengthening responses to conflict-related sexual violence

Following these presentations, 84 countries shared their own experiences and strategies for preventing violence and supporting survivors.

Many highlighted the importance of gender-responsive budgeting, integrated support services and prevention programmes aimed at changing harmful social norms.

Experts Call for Survivor-Centred Justice Systems

An afternoon panel featuring experts from international human rights bodies, academia and civil society examined practical solutions to improve justice systems and survivor support.

Experts emphasised the importance of survivor-centred approaches that prioritise safety, dignity and choice.

They also highlighted the need to recognise and track gender-related killings of women—often referred to as femicide—separately from other homicides, ensuring appropriate legal responses and better data collection.

Lara Aharonian, co-founder of the Women’s Fund of Armenia, said many survivors remain silent not because they accept violence, but because they fear how institutions will respond.

“I’ve met too many women who don’t stay silent because they accept violence,” she said.

“They stay silent because the justice system feels unsafe—because they fear being judged, not believed or punished for speaking up.”

She stressed that coordinated, confidential and timely support services are essential for restoring survivors’ trust in justice systems.

Civil Society and Women’s Organisations Key to Progress

Participants repeatedly highlighted the critical role of women’s rights organisations and grassroots movements in reaching survivors and driving policy reform.

However, many speakers warned that these organisations face significant funding shortages, threatening their ability to provide services and advocacy.

Experts called for governments to ensure long-term, sustainable funding for civil society organisations working to end gender-based violence.

From Commitments to Action

The meeting concluded with a strong call for governments to move beyond commitments and ensure effective implementation of policies.

Participants identified several priorities for closing the gap between policy and practice:

• Fully funded national action plans

• Gender-responsive budgeting

• Stronger data collection and evidence-based policymaking

• Partnerships with women’s rights organisations and survivor advocates

Belgium’s Federal Minister for Equal Opportunities Rob Beenders emphasised that legislative reforms alone are not enough.

“Belgium is firmly committed to ending violence against women and girls,” he said.

“We have adopted landmark legislation, including on femicide, but we know progress requires moving beyond legislation.”

The historic high-level meeting concluded with a shared message: ending violence against women and girls is achievable—but only if governments treat prevention, survivor protection and accountability as core governance priorities backed by political commitment and sustained resources.