UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF THE

WOMEN

AGENDA: HOW IS GENDER PAY PARITY DEALT WITH IN FIRST WORLD

COUNTRIES?
 Page | 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

2. ABOUT THE COMMITTEE

2.1. Introduction
2.2. History
2.3. Journey of UNCSW
2.4. Bureau of the commission from 2015-2022

3. ABOUT THE AGENDA

3.1. What is Gender pay parity
3.2. Why does the gender gap persist
3.3. Why is it important to bridge the gender gap
3.4. How do some of the first world countries deal with bridging the gender pay
gap
Graph

4. DOCUMENTATION ( RESOLUTION )
4.1. Perambulatory Clauses
4.2. Operative Clauses

5. SOURCES
 Page | 2

1. LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Greetings to the leaders of tomorrow!

Congratulations on getting the opportunity to participate in AWSMUN 2022.

It is our absolute honour to be nominated to the Executive Board of UNCSW at AWSMUN 2022. In this
session, you shall not be striving for winning, instead, it should be about learning and discovering the
power of your words.
This year’s MUN will be gruesome and memorable because it’s going to be really ‘Unexpectedly Good’.

I think that being part of MUNs helps us realize and analyze the need of the hour to address the issue
from the perspective of various unacceptable developments, and problems, to achieve peace and security
with ourselves and around the world. The following guide sequentially touches upon the different aspects
that are relevant in cases and will lead to progenitive debate in the Council. It will provide you with a
comprehensive view of the core of the issue. The pages ahead intend to guide you with the fine distinction
of the agenda as well as the council. At AWSMUN 2022, we will discuss and negotiate the important and
open-minded agenda.

There would be various first-timers joining us this year. YES, experience matters, but our internal
power and determination matter more! What we desire from you is not how experienced you are. Rather,
we want to see how you can respect alikeness and differences of opinion, how you work around such
situations, around the people without compromising your stand.
So, gear up leaders!
You are now going to experience something big, something thrilling and a scholastic path ahead!
LET’S DISCOVER THE POWER OF UNITY!

We have prepared this study guide to get an in-depth understanding of the issue that will be discussed in
the committee. I genuinely hope that this guide gives you emphasis on openings to elaborate your
research. Do not limit or stop your research to the guide and study the further cases.
And try to solve and analyze the QARMA(Questions A Resolution Must Answer)!
All the delegates should be prepared well to make the debate and the council’s direction productive.

Looking forward to an Outstanding and Wonderful debate!

Details for position paper : to be submitted by wednesday,26-10-2022, 11:59pm

Email- [email protected]

HAPPY LEARNING!

Executive Board(UNCSW) :
Chair - Ms. Diya
Vice chair - Ms. Anvitha
Repertoire- Ms. Thejasvi
 Page | 3

1.1. INTRODUCTION
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is one of the main UN
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is
one
of the main organs of the United Nations. It is the
principal global intergovernmental body exclusively
dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the
empowerment of women. A functional commission of
the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was
established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) of 21 June
1946.

The Commission consists of one representative from

each of the 45 Member States elected by the
Economic
and Social Council based on equitable geographical
distribution: 13 members from Africa. 11 from Asia. 9
from Latin America and the Caribbean. 8 from
Western
Europe and other states and 4 from eastern Europe. In
April 2017, ECOSOC elected Saudi Arabia which has
been criticized for its treatment of women and 12 other
members to CSW for a four-year term 2018-2022.

2.2. HISTORY
The UNCSW was established in 1946 to promote,
report
on and monitor issues related to the political,
economic,
civil, social and educational rights of women. The
UNCSW’s first meet-up was in 1947, Lake Success,
New
York. The Commission was supported by a unit of the
United Nations that later became the Division for the
Advancement of Women (DAW) in the UN
Secretariat.
Page | 4

2.3. JOURNEY OF UNCSW:

● One of UNCSW's first tasks was to contribute to the drafting of the UNIVERAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS. The commission successfully argued against references to “men” as a synonym for humanity and
succeeded in introducing a new, more inclusive language.
● the Commission was supported by a unit of the United Nations that later became the Division for the
Advancement of Women (DAW) in the UN Secretariat.
From the year 1947 to 1962, the Commission focused on setting standards and formulating
international conventions to change discriminatory legislation and foster global awareness of women’s
issues.
The Commission began working after its founding in 1946 to directly introduce women's rights to the
international arena. This was most commonly achieved by the attempts to collect data that showed
discrimination occurring against women and through many other means.

● When the CSW received the evidence/data about the poverty of women in the 1960s, the
commission centred on women’s needs in the community and rural development, agricultural
work, family planning, and scientific and technological advances.

● In 1972, to mark its 25th anniversary, the Commission recommended that 1975 be designated
International Women’s Year—an idea endorsed by the General Assembly to draw attention to
women’s equality with men and their contributions to development and peace. The First World
Conference on Women took place this year in Mexico City.

● In the concurrence of the emerging global women’s movement, the UN and the CSW named 1976
through 1985 the United Nation’s Decade of Women. The reproductive rights of women were
included in the Central Action of the Commission during the decade of women.

● In 1963, efforts to consolidate standards on women’s rights led the UN General Assembly to request
the Commission to draft a Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which
the Assembly ultimately adopted in 1967. The legally binding Convention on the Elimination of
All forms of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW), also drafted by the Commission, followed
in 1979.

● The reproductive rights of women were included in the Central Action of the Commission during the
decade of women. This convention stipulated that with regards to reproductive rights, reproduction
"should not be a basis for discrimination".

● CEDAW is the only international human rights treaty that overtly references family planning.[10]It
states that it is a human right for women "to decide freely and responsibly on the number and
spacing of their children and to have access to the information, education and means to enable them
to exercise these rights", and any state party to the treaty is required to provide education on family
 planning and reproductive rights, including various forms of contraception.

Page | 5
● New UN offices dedicated to women were established, in particular the UN Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM) and the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of
Women (INSTRAW).
An additional UN office for the promotion of gender equality was established: the Office of the
Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women (OSAGI) during the Beijing
Declaration and Platform of Action.

● In 2011, the four parts of the UN system mentioned on this page—DAW, INSTRAW, OSAGI and
UNIFEM—merged to become UN Women, now the Secretariat of the Commission on the Status of
Women.

2.4. BUREAU OF THE COMMISSION FROM 2015-2022

Fifty-ninth session (2015)
Chair: Kanda Vajrabhaya (Thailand)
Vice-Chairs:
Pille Kesler (Estonia)
Rubén Ignacio Zamora Rivas (El Salvador)
Christine Löw (Switzerland)
Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur:
Mohamed Elbahi (Sudan)
Sixtiethsession(2016)
Chair:
Antonio de Aguiar Patriota (Brazil)
Vice-Chairs:
Fatma Al Zahraa Hassan (Egypt)
Jun Saito (Japan)
Andreas Glossner (Germany)

Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur:
Šejla Đurbuzović (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Sixty-first session (2017)
Chair:
Antonio de Aguiar Patriota (Brazil)
Vice-Chairs:
Fatma Al Zahraa Hassan (Egypt)
Jun Saito (Japan) Andreas Glossner (Germany)
Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur:
Šejla Đurbuzović (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Sixty-second session (2018)
Chair:
Geraldine Byrne Nason (Ireland)
Vice-Chairs: Mauricio Carabali Baquero (Colombia)
Rena Tasuja (Estonia)
Shah Asif Rahman (Bangladesh)
Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur:
Koki Muli Grignon (Kenya)
Sixty-third session (2019)
Chair:
Geraldine Byrne Nason (Ireland)
Vice-Chairs:
Koki Muli Grignon (Kenya)
Mauricio Carabali Baquero (Colombia)
Mohammed S. Marzooq (Iraq)
Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur:
Rena Tasuja (Estonia)

Sixty-fourthsession(2020)
Chair:
Mher Margaryan (Armenia)
Vice-Chairs: Jo Feldman (Australia)

Page | 7

Ahlem Sara Charikhi (Algeria)

Devita Abraham (Trinidad and Tobago)
Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur:
Zahraa Nassrullah (Iraq)

Sixty-fifth session (2021)

Chair:
Mher Margaryan (Armenia)
Vice-Chairs:
Ahlem Sara Charikhi (Algeria Na Sang Deok (Republic of Korea)
Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur: Shilpa Pullela (Australia)

Sixty-sixth session (2022)

Chair:
Mathu Joyini (South Africa)
Vice-Chairs:
Antje Leendertse (Germany)
Māris Burbergs (Latvia)
Hye Ryoung Song (Republic of Korea)
Vice-Chair-cum-Rapporteur:
Pilar Eugenio (Argentina)
 Page | 8

3.1. WHAT IS GENDER PAY PARITY?

Gender Pay Parity, in simpler terms, is the Gender Pay Gap—referring to the average difference
between the earnings of working men and working women. On average, women globally are
paid 20 per cent less than men. For every dollar men earn, women earn 77 cents.
Close the gender pay gap is an elusive goal. It is evident that over the years, women have
become more continuous and better-educated members of the workforce, they often work to
the same extent as men when they work in organized sectors. Despite all this, the gap
persists.
3.2. WHY DOES THE GENDER GAP STILL PERSIST?
Here are some of the reasons why:
Jobs done by women are undervalued.
● Jobs done by women are undervalued, mostly by the value society places on them. A higher
percentage of women in the workforce means they tend to get paid lower, and over time as the
proportion of women increases—the average pay declines further. Women are under
represented in decision-making roles.
● Women working in the health and care sector earn nearly 25 per cent less than their male
counterparts – a larger gender pay gap than in other economic sectors, two UN agencies stated.

The efforts to close the gender gap are taking place in a changing environment.
This hampers the goal of achieving gender equality. As societies tend to move forward and
modernize—inequality is expected to decline, instead, it reinvents in new forms of Non-standard
forms of employment (NSFE) and in expanding activities (for instance, paid care work).

Page | 9

Requires a political will towards redistribution.

A political will towards redistribution is required for a more equal distribution of pay to both
genders. The wage share in societies has declined as more labour (mainly female labour) has
entered the market. Hence, this involves not only redistribution from men but also the capital.
The “Motherhood penalty”
● Women pay a “Motherhood penalty”. Let’s say that earnings for both men and women are equal
and steady, however, until the birth of their first child—most women’s pay gap starts from that point
and is never recovered.
● According to an ILO analysis, women with children can expect to earn less than women who
don’t have children, the gap increases for every child they have. Women carry out at least 2.5 times
more unpaid care work than men.

A slow rate of closing the gender pay gap.

● The UN states that: The income of female workers around the world will lag behind
men for another 257 years if the gender pay gap reduces at the present painfully slow
rate.
● According to a report from the “UN’s international labour Organization”: Even half
a century from when the United States passed the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and 45 years
after similar legislation in the United Kingdom (Equal pay act of 1970) —
working women earned a 77% of what working men earned. This figure only
improved by 3 percentage points in the past 20 years.
● “The overriding conclusion 20 years on from Beijing is that, despite marginal
progress, we have years, even decades, to go until women enjoy the same rights and
benefits as men at work,” said Shauna Olney, chief of the gender, equality and
Diversity branch of the ILO.

Page | 10
3.3. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BRIDGE THE GENDER GAP? ● Closing
the gender pay gap is about making sure men and women in the same workforce are paid fairly and
equitably for the work they do. When employees are paid fairly, stronger relationships grounded on
trust and respect for each other are built within the organization. According to the UN, estimates
show that closing the gender gap could increase global GDP by
35 per cent on average. Closing the gender gap is propitious for everyone, and is more
productive.
● However—If the gender gap persists, it prevents women from being economically independent
and secure, it also translates into lower lifetime pay, less income for families and higher rates of
poverty. Women will have higher odds of depression compared to their male counterparts.

3.4. How do some of the first-world countries deal with bridging the
gender pay gap?

JAPAN:
Under the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the
Workplace: From 2023, Japanese companies (with more than 301 employees daily) will
be
required to disclose the wage gap between men and women on their websites or by other
relevant methods. Japanese law already asserts that men and women must be offered equal pay
for equal work, action will be taken if the remuneration for both genders isn’t equal.

UNITED STATES:
The Equal Pay Act (EPA) of 1963, protects against wage discrimination based on gender. The EPA
protects both men and women. The EPAmade it illegal to pay men and women working in the same
place different salaries for similar work.

NEW ZEALAND:
● There are companies in New Zealand that have been collecting data and reporting the gender
pay gap. They also come with a commentary on what they will be doing to close the gap. EPA
1972 (legislated by New Zealand): Requires that men and women doing work requiring the same,
or substantially similar, skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions are paid the same. ●
MindTheGap Registry (https://www.mindthegap.nz/): New Zealand’s first pay gap registry, it has
been launched on International Women’s Day (March 8, 2022). The registry shows the
company’s name, CEO, board chair, and whether they are reporting their pay gaps, along with a
link
 Page | 11

to the organization's reports. MindTheGap registry aims to normalize reporting so that

everyone
is paid fairly for the work they do. The registry also calls on the Government to recognize how
effective it is to report and facilitate standardized measures and expectations on reporting, for
all employers.

AUSTRALIA:
● The Australian government takes a holistic approach to address the issue in their country. This
includes taking measures to support women to access industries where they are currently
underrepresented and increase their participation in paid work.
● The Government is taking certain measures to address the main causes of inequity in Australia,
the measures include:
● Paid parental leave.
● Flexible work.
● Childhood education.

To support more Australian women in work, the government is:

● Delivering landmark child care reforms — to provide a more affordable, accessible and
● flexible early education and child care system
● getting more women into science, technology, engineering and math under the National
● Innovation and Science Agenda
● setting a target of women holding 50 per cent of Government positions overall and
● strengthening the BoardLinks program
● shining the light on pay equity through the work of the Workplace Gender Equality
● Agency (WGEA) to narrow the gender pay gap.
Page | 12
3.5.THEGRAPH

Page | 13

Here is the graph of gender pay parity over the years 1970-2016:
4. DOCUMENTATION(RESOLUTION)
 Page | 14

A resolution is the documentation of the committee, it contains the

solutions and topics discussed in the committee in detail. A resolution
can consist of any number of solutions you like, a resolution is always
represented by 5 to 3 sponsors the maximum number of sponsors a
resolution can have is 5, but the signatories must two third of the
majority. The resolution must contain perambulatory and operative
clauses.

4.1 PERAMBULATORY CLAUSES:

A preambulatory clause, as its name suggests, is a clause that comes before the
actual resolution. The sole purpose of these clauses is to give context to the
operative clauses and remind the committee of the mood and framework in
which this resolution was produced.
Formatting guidelines:
● Underline each preambulatory phrase
● Skip a line between each preambulatory clause
● Each clause ends with a comma (,)
 Page | 15

4.2OPERATIVE CLAUSES:

These contain the policy statements, ie. how you propose to solve the problem.
They present in order of importance what the UN should do or what attitude it
should adopt. You must ensure your suggestions are workable and reflect the
actual views of your country. Use underlined operative clauses to begin each
point. Things to consider:
● You may propose, welcome or deplore new situations
● You may support, congratulate or refuse new proposals
Formatting guidelines:
● Underline each operative phrase
● Skip a line between operative clauses
● Each operative clause ends with a semi-colon (;)
● Number operative clauses, use a), b), c) for sub-clauses and i), ii), iii) for sub-sub-clauses. ●
Put a full stop (.) after your final operative clause to end your resolution.
 Page | 16

5. SOURCES:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/brief-history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Commission_on_the_Status_of_Women#:~:text=The%20U
NCSW%20was%20established%20in,and%20leadership%20within%20the%20UN.

https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/57sess.htm
https://research.un.org/en/CSW
Page | 17