Afghanistan has won a seat at the United Nations Commission on Status of Women for a four-year term, the first time the country is becoming a member of the commission, said, Adela Raz, Afghanistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. 

India, Afghanistan and the People’s Republic of China were among the main contenders for winning the seat. 

Even as India and Afghanistan won the ballot among the 54 members, China could not cross the half-way mark. 

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 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 CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.