An Account of United Nations Action to Advance the Status of Women

The foundation for United Nations action to advance the status of women was laid in the Charter adopted in San Francisco in 1945. The Commission on the Status of Women is the organ primarily responsible for United Nations work in this field. A number of international instruments have been adopted on the recommendation of the Commis sion, the most recent being the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, approved by the General Assembly on November 7, 1967, by a unanimous vote. Of all the areas with which the Commission has been concerned, the greatest progress can be seen in the field of political rights. Equal educational opportunities for women is perhaps the major problem of many developing countries. Employment of women raises the question of their dual role and how to combine successfully the responsibilities of a family and those of a profession or occupation. Family law, closely bound to custom and tradition, is the area where change is perhaps most difficult to effect. The United Nations sets international standards to be applied at the national level. It is therefore important to disseminate those standards widely. Consider able assistance in this task is given by nongovernmental organ izations and by interested individuals. The United Nations hopes to launch in 1968 a long-term program for the advance ment of women in which all United Nations agencies will participate.