Fresh YORK – Amnesty International is calling for a renewed global commitment to protecting women’s rights as the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) convenes in New York, March 9-19. The organization’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, warned that gender justice is under “attack across much of the globe,” coinciding with the release of the “Epstein Files” which expose a network of abuse and impunity.
Callamard, a French human rights activist who assumed the role of Secretary General in 2021, will lead a delegation engaging with UN member states, officials and civil society partners to advocate for strengthened access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence, accountability for perpetrators, and the safeguarding of sexual and reproductive rights. The delegation will also push for stronger protections for women human rights defenders, many of whom are facing increasing restrictions, including barriers to attending CSW70 itself.
“This year’s Commission on the Status of Women comes at a particularly urgent time,” Callamard stated. “Well-funded, highly coordinated anti-rights movements, directly supported or emboldened by the United States, Russia and too many other governments, are working to roll back decades of progress.” She accused powerful states of “weaponizing gender” to justify repression and the adoption of punitive laws, even as non-state actors spread disinformation to fuel moral panics.
The call for action comes as the “Epstein Files” continue to reveal the extent of sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by powerful individuals. Callamard highlighted the systemic inequalities and impunity that shield abusers and impede access to justice for survivors, mirroring the broader challenges facing women’s rights globally. She condemned the barriers survivors face in seeking truth, remedy, and redress, as well as the further victimization caused by non-consensual data disclosures.
Amnesty International’s new briefing, “Humanity Must Win: and it does when we stand together for gender justice,” details examples of resistance to these setbacks. The briefing highlights a landmark ruling in Malawi in 2025, where the High Court affirmed a 14-year-old rape survivor’s right to a safe abortion, setting a precedent in a country where abortion remains largely criminalized. It also cites the adoption of reforms in Burkina Faso in 2025, setting the minimum age of marriage at 18 and requiring consent for marriage.
The briefing also spotlights ongoing struggles in Afghanistan, where women journalists like Zahra Joya, founder of Rukhshana Media, continue to report despite sweeping restrictions imposed by the Taliban. Their work provides visibility to women whose voices are otherwise silenced. In Gaza, the report acknowledges the work of human rights organizations in exposing what the UN Commission of Inquiry concluded were “genocidal acts” by Israel, including systematic sexual and reproductive violence against Palestinians and the destruction of healthcare facilities. The commission’s findings were released in March 2025.
Further examples of resistance detailed in the briefing include a large-scale defiance of authorities in Hungary, where approximately 300,000 people participated in a Pride march despite a government ban, and continued activism in Latin America to defend sexual and reproductive rights against attempts at rollback.
Callamard emphasized the importance of recognizing gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under international law, a concept initially proposed by Afghan women human rights advocates in response to Taliban policies and gaining traction among UN experts and Iranian rights advocates. However, she also acknowledged the challenges faced by activists and organizations attempting to participate in CSW70, citing safety concerns, border violence, visa restrictions, and funding cuts as limiting meaningful access to multilateral spaces.
