Australia has reinforced its commitment to gender equality on the global stage at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City from 9 to 19 March 2026.
CSW is the world’s leading forum for advancing gender equality, bringing together governments, experts and civil society to drive coordinated international action.
A global focus on justice and equality
This year’s priority theme focused on strengthening access to justice for all women and girls – a critical foundation for safe, fair and inclusive societies.
Discussions highlighted the need for:
- inclusive and equitable legal systems
- the removal of discriminatory laws, policies and practices
- action to address structural barriers that prevent equal access to justice.
The review theme examined women’s participation in public life and the elimination of violence against women – both essential to achieving lasting gender equality.
Why this matters for Australians
Australia’s participation in CSW ensures our policies are informed by global best practice and emerging challenges.
The outcomes of CSW70 will help shape how Australia:
- improves access to justice for women and girls, including those experiencing violence
- responds to emerging harms such as technology-facilitated abuse
- strengthens legal and policy frameworks to better protect vulnerable communities
- supports women’s participation in leadership, decision-making and public life.
It also provides an opportunity for Australia to share its own progress and learn from international partners facing similar challenges.
Australia’s national statement
Australia’s national statement was delivered by Padma Raman PSM, Executive Director of the Office for Women.
The statement highlighted Australia’s commitment to justice systems that are accessible, survivor-centred and culturally appropriate. It also acknowledged the additional barriers faced by:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
- migrant and refugee women
- women with disability
- LGBTQI+ communities.
Australia showcased key national initiatives supporting this work, including:
- Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality
- national plan to address violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children – Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices
- National Access to Justice Partnership
- online safety legislation
- age-restricted social media platforms.
Tackling technology-facilitated abuse
Australia also helped lead global discussions on emerging forms of gender-based violence.
On 10 March, Australia co-hosted the side event Beyond the Screen: Addressing Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence, alongside Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The event focused on the growing impact of online abuse and the need for coordinated international responses.
Speakers included Nina Larsson, Sweden’s Minister for Gender Equality, and Alex Davies-Jones, the United Kingdom’s Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls.
Panellists represented governments and organisations from across the region and globally, including the United Nations Population Fund and Australian advocacy organisation Teach Us Consent.
Agreed conclusions set the global agenda
A key outcome of CSW70 was the adoption of Agreed Conclusions by member states.
These provide a practical roadmap for countries to:
- strengthen access to justice
- reform discriminatory laws and systems
- remove structural barriers to gender equality.
For Australia, these outcomes will help inform future policy development and strengthen ongoing efforts to improve safety, equality and opportunity for women and girls.
Watch Australia’s national statement
Watch Padma Raman deliver Australia’s national statement at CSW70.
I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional lands on where we are gathered today, the lands of the Lenape people.
I am honoured to be here on behalf of Australia’s Minister for Women and the women and girls of Australia.
Australia remains committed to the UN multilateral system, including CSW. We support the Commission’s mandate to actively work towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
Australia welcomes this year’s priority theme to consider the multiple and intersecting barriers experienced by women and girls in their access to justice, which is fundamental to achieving gender equality. Without it – rights cannot be realised and impunity prevails. With it, women and girls are safer, more empowered, and better able to participate fully in society.
Australia underlines our support for the agreed conclusions. Words matter. The agreed conclusions set global expectations by member states around how women and girls around the world access justice.
In Australia, we understand that justice extends beyond courts and laws. It includes the systems, services and institutions that shape women’s daily lives – both online and offline.
Justice must be accessible, survivor-centred, culturally appropriate and responsive to diverse lived experiences.
We must also address the multiple and compounding barriers to justice faced by Indigenous women, migrant and refugee women, women with disabilities and LGBTQI+ communities.
Our National Access to Justice Partnership – provides nationally consistent funding for essential legal assistance services, ensuring women can access early advice and representation – particularly at times of crises.
Australia is also expanding specialist trauma-informed sexual assault legal services to support victim-survivors’ engagement with the justice system.
And we have established a world-first global Gender Justice Practitioner’s Hub to ensure better outcomes for survivors of international crimes, including conflict-related sexual violence.
Access to justice is fundamental to women and girls’ safety.
Australia is making record investments to end gender‑based violence in one generation.
Australia recently launched our first national plan to address the high and disproportionate rates of violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children. Called Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices, this landmark plan was co-designed in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, communities, and organisations.
Australia acknowledges the urgent need to improve online safety – recognising the disproportionate harms being experienced by children and young people – particularly girls.
Australia’s Online Safety legislation empowers our eSafety Commissioner to rapidly remove cyber-abuse and illegal and restricted content from online platforms, ensuring they are held accountable.
We are also protecting young Australians. In a world-first, age-restricted social media platforms are now required to take reasonable steps to prevent children under the age of 16 in Australia from creating or keeping an account.
Our National Strategy for Gender Equality is underpinned by our enduring vision of an Australia where people are safe, treated with respect, have choices, and have access to resources and equal outcomes no matter their gender.
As we meet here at CSW70, we must continue to work together to safeguard progress in the face of backsliding and resistance to gender equality.
Now, more than ever, we must continue to emphasise that everyone benefits from gender equality.
Australia is committed to ensuring that women and girls – in all their diversity, everywhere – are respected, safe, and empowered to access all forms of justice.
Thank you.