CDWD Women and the Beijing+30 Review: Persistent Gaps in National Reports
The 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. As governments and stakeholders meet to assess global progress on gender equality, the continued exclusion of women from Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) remains a concern. To highlight this gap, GFoD reviewed 43 national reports on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration, focusing on countries where caste- and descent-based discrimination remains prevalent (Africa is currently not included in the draft).
The review found that many national reports fail to acknowledge the unique and multi-layered form of discrimination CDWD women face. Their political participation, economic status, and access to essential services are rarely addressed, leaving them largely invisible in policy discussions. The absence of disaggregated data is another key concern that makes it difficult to design effective interventions. Even where CDWD women are mentioned, references are often superficial, lacking substantive commitments or targeted initiatives. This omission reflects a broader failure to recognize their struggles as a priority within the global gender equality agenda.
In Europe, nearly 38% of the reviewed countries do not mention Roma women at all, though some, like Albania and Czechia, include them with specific measures. Austria and Türkiye provide no references, highlighting inconsistent recognition of their challenges. In South Asia, despite Dalit women being among the most marginalized, their struggles are barely acknowledged. Nepal is an exception, with over 18 mentions and targeted measures like scholarships and financial support. In contrast, India omits Dalit women from its list of marginalized groups, while Bangladesh and Sri Lanka offer only passing references. Similarly, Japan does not mention Buraku women, continuing a pattern that prevents meaningful policy action. In Latin America, Brazil and Colombia stand out for recognizing the challenges faced by Quilombola, Palenquera, and Roma women in the region. Brazil launched the Atlânticas Call program to increase women's participation in science, explicitly including Roma and Quilombola communities. Colombia strengthened its Program for the Protection of Social Leaders, benefiting Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, Raizales, and Palenquera women. These examples show that with political will and targeted policies, the inclusion of CDWD women in national gender equality strategies is possible.
As the world marks 30 years since the Beijing Declaration, governments must take decisive steps to ensure CDWD women are not left behind. An intersectional approach must be incorporated into national policies, and CDWD women must be explicitly included in gender equality frameworks like CEDAW recommendations and SDG indicators.
Read further about the analysis and targeted recommendations in our report.
Centering CDWD Women and Girls in Global Gender Justice: A Call to Action at CSW69
Three decades after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, women and girls from Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) remain among the most excluded from global gender justice efforts. As the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) reviews the progress of the Beijing+30 framework in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is clear that the international development agenda has failed to integrate an intersectional approach that fully recognizes the structural oppression CDWD women and girls face.
GFoD's review national reports submitted for the Beijing+30 review reveal a stark omission of CDWD women's realities. Many governments fail to acknowledge the unique forms of discrimination these women face in political participation, education, economic empowerment, and access to justice. The absence of CDWD perspectives in key UN mechanisms, such as CEDAW, CERD, and UPR processes, further exacerbates this exclusion. Without dedicated frameworks to address the distinct challenges faced by CDWD women and girls, global gender policies remain incomplete. The lack of disaggregated data, underrepresentation in decision-making spaces, and insufficient legal protections hinder progress, allowing systemic discrimination to persist. The international community cannot claim to advance gender equality while leaving millions of CDWD women and girls behind.
At CSW69, we demand urgent, systemic, and structural changes to correct this exclusion. Our Call to Action urges the recognition of CDWD in the Commission's Outcome Documents, the establishment of a UN Special Mechanism to address caste- and descent-based discrimination, and the adoption of a UN Declaration on the Rights of CDWD. We call for stronger legal frameworks, inclusive economic policies, and mechanisms that ensure meaningful participation of CDWD women in global and national policymaking.