US Stands Alone Against UN Women's Rights Conclusions as States Battle Over Abortion

The United States cast the sole vote against the Agreed Conclusions adopted by the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) on March 19, breaking a near seven-decade streak of consensus at the annual gathering. Washington objected to language on abortion rights, AI regulation, and what the White House termed "gender ideology," while 44 other member states voted in favour of the document focused on access to justice for women and girls.

The EU blocked a separate US proposal to narrow the definition of "gender" in UN documents to mean strictly "men and women." Belgium, representing 26 EU members, introduced a no-action motion that succeeded, leaving the American draft text dead on the table.

CSW70: A Historic Fracture

The two-week conference at UN headquarters in New York drew representatives from governments, civil society, and international organisations. Its theme -- ensuring access to justice for all women and girls -- produced Agreed Conclusions that call for reviewing discriminatory laws on child marriage, family law, and property rights, along with stronger protections against online and offline violence.

Six countries that initially abstained on March 9, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, ultimately voted in favour. Their shift left the US entirely isolated. "Without women's equal, meaningful participation, without their equal access to justice, our nations will not progress," said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous in her closing remarks.

The recorded vote itself was unprecedented. In previous years, CSW conclusions had been adopted by consensus among the 45 elected members. Washington's insistence on a formal vote marked a departure that observers say could set a new procedural norm.

Reproductive Rights Under Pressure in the US

Domestically, the fight over abortion access is intensifying at both the federal and state levels. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has introduced a bill that would revoke the FDA's 25-year approval of mifepristone and criminalise its distribution nationwide. In Kansas, Senator Mike Thompson is pushing a state constitutional amendment establishing that life begins at conception -- listed on official Senate calendars as an "equal rights amendment," a framing critics call deliberately misleading.

Virginia offers a contrasting trajectory. Governor Spanberger signed legislation on February 6 placing a Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment on the state's ballot, though legal challenges filed on March 3 have introduced uncertainty about whether voters will see it.

Meanwhile, red states are moving to shield crisis pregnancy centres from regulation using model legislation developed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, the same legal organisation that helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Kansas are among states considering such bills.

California Pushes Back With 15-Bill Agenda

On March 19, the Stronger California Advocates Network -- a coalition of 70 nonprofit and advocacy organisations chaired by Equal Rights Advocates -- announced its 2026 legislative agenda. The package of 15 bills and 6 budget requests targets protections for immigrant workers facing employer threats of deportation, expanded access to abortion by broadening who can provide services, a ban on AI bias in hiring tools, and 14 weeks of paid parental leave for public school teachers.

"As the federal government attacks our rights as women, workers, LGBTQI+ people, and parents, California must continue to lead with bold, innovative policies," said Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates. The agenda also seeks to crack down on forced arbitration that employers use to block sexual assault and harassment claims.

Belgium: A Doctor's Dilemma on Femicide Prevention

In Namur, Belgium, a physician broke patient confidentiality to alert authorities about a potential femicide case. Her decision led to the conviction of a man for nearly two decades of domestic violence against his wife. The tribunal correctionnel of Namur sentenced him to 45 months in prison.

The case has sparked debate across Belgium and the EU about where medical ethics meets the duty to prevent gender-based violence. It arrives as investigative journalists across Europe and Latin America are increasingly focusing on femicide. In Brazil, homicide data shows rates dropped from 21 per 100,000 in 2024 to 19.2 in 2025, with femicides counted alongside homicides, police killings, and manslaughter.

Global Regression and the Equality Now Report

Equality Now's latest "Words and Deeds" report, released during the CSW70 session, documents what it calls a "perilous moment of global regression in women's rights." Budgets for gender equality programmes are being cut in multiple countries. Ministries dedicated to women's empowerment have been merged, marginalised, or dismantled in several nations -- a pattern the report describes as deprioritisation rather than reform.

The findings align with the broader CSW70 consensus that no country has achieved full legal equality. UN officials emphasised that access to justice extends beyond laws on paper -- it includes the ability of women and girls to navigate institutions, obtain remedies, and be protected in practice.

Different Regions, Different Pressures

The CSW70 debates reflected deep regional divides. The US position drew rhetorical support from some Middle Eastern and African delegations who shared reservations about specific provisions, but none followed Washington into a formal vote against adoption. European delegations, led by Belgium, actively countered the US on gender definitions. Latin American and Caribbean nations focused on connecting gender equality to climate resilience, with Canada announcing support for water-resilience projects in the Caribbean designed with gender-sensitive approaches.

In Haiti, the Rasin organisation held its annual Fanm Djanm programme celebrating International Women's Day, planning 13 gender equality training sessions for 2026 after reaching 662 women across nine regions in 2025. The contrast between grassroots empowerment work and high-level diplomatic battles illustrates how the fight for women's rights operates simultaneously at vastly different scales.