Days after the first United Nations General Assembly meeting in February 1946, female delegates led by Eleanor Roosevelt read an open letter that called governments to encourage women to take more active role in national and international affairs and to actively participate in “work of peace and reconstruction” following the World War II.

Yielding to demands channelled through the Sub-Commission on the Status of Women, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) passed a resolution 11(II) on 21s June 1946 elevating the sub-commission to the Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW).  

Over decades, the UNCSW has shaped international standards, monitored progress, and advanced transformative commitments such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA).

As the world approaches CSW70, the Commission’s focus on access to justice, leadership, and the elimination of discrimination offers a pivotal moment to deepen collective impact.

In response, AfriAus iLEAC, Thimlela-STREAM, Temple of Understanding, Foundation of Child Rights (Malawi), and Lead Integrity are co-hosting a UNCSW70 parallel event titled: Changing Narratives – From Survival to Leadership: A Holistic Women’s and Girls’ Co-Empowerment through Legal Reform, Education, Economic and Eco-Friendly Participation.

This session reframes women and girls not merely as survivors of injustice, but as leaders shaping inclusive, sustainable futures.

The event highlights integrated, community-driven approaches across legal reform, quality education, economic co-empowerment, and eco-friendly participation, addressing intersecting barriers such as legal discrimination, gender-based violence, human trafficking, educational exclusion, economic marginalisation, and environmental vulnerability.

Through evidence-based models and lived experience, the event will amplify voices of intergenerational women and girls who have transitioned from survival to leadership, generate actionable policy recommendations aligned with CSW70 outcomes, and strengthen cross-regional, interfaith, and community-based partnerships.

Together, the co-sponsors invite global stakeholders and partners to engage in advancing justice, dignity, and sustainable leadership pathways for women and girls worldwide.