On 26 July 2019, following a two-year complex and rigorous application process coordinated by former IWC business manager Karen LaFrance, IWC was granted special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The special status bestowed upon IWC confirms that the activities of the IWC are relevant to the work of the UN and invites the organization to actively engage with ECOSOC and its subsidiary bodies, as well as with the UN Secretariat, programs, funds, and agencies.
As an international women’s organization in special consultative status with ECOSOC, IWC contributes to the accomplishment of the goals and mission of the United Nations, advancing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal #5 (SDG5): "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
At the same time, the special consultative status carries responsibilities and obligations: IWC commits itself to complying with the UN Charter and its principles, actively participating in UN meetings and events, and submitting a report on its activities in support of the work of ECOSOC and the UN once every four years.
IWC intends to have a sizeable presence at the annual sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York City in March.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 session of CSW took place virtually. IWC was represented by 15 delegates. The IWC CSW65 Report (21 pages) presents the experiences of IWC representatives at the two-week event, including summaries of the three parallel events hosted by IWC. Click HERE to access the CSW65 Report.
In March 2022, more than 15 women from our IWC community attended virtual sessions and events related to CSW. Please read about the experiences of one of the members of the delegation here. In addition, IWC offered two parallel events:
“Misogyny Goes Viral: Protecting Women from Digital Violence,” available for viewing at https://youtu.be/9XsrFN36KvU
"Women Tending the Forests and our Planet’s Future," available for viewing at https://youtu.be/WYKBfHjQ844
Next year’s CSW (6-17 March 2023) priority theme addresses “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.” Join us!