As the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) unfolded at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the air was thick with a sense of historic urgency. On March 9, 2026, the G77 and Emerging Partners Ministerial Roundtable convened a high-level assembly of policymakers, activists, and financial experts to tackle one of the most persistent barriers to global progress: the systemic underfunding of gender equality. The message from the summit was clear—to achieve true parity, the world must not only find more money but must fundamentally redesign the global financial architecture to put women and girls at its very center.
The roundtable, co-hosted by the governments of Brazil, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Timor-Leste, and Uruguay in partnership with UN Women, served as a critical follow-up to the progress made during the previous year’s session. By bringing together the G77—the largest intergovernmental organization of developing nations in the UN—the event signaled a unified front from the Global South in demanding a financial system that works for everyone. The discussions were less about charity and more about the cold, hard logic of economic prosperity: when women are excluded from the financial and digital economy, the entire world pays the price.
Opening the proceedings, Ms. Kirsi Madi, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, presented a staggering vision of what the world stands to gain by bridging the gender divide. She noted that closing the gender digital gap alone could inject an additional US$1.5 trillion into the global GDP. Perhaps even more significantly, such a shift could lift 30 million women out of the cycle of extreme poverty. However, Madi was quick to point out that these gains remain out of reach because the current “architects” of global finance have historically ignored the specific needs of women. The challenge, she argued, is to move beyond merely identifying resources and instead focus on the “financial architecture itself,” ensuring it is built with gender equality as a core pillar rather than an afterthought.
The event was structured around two pivotal panels that bridged the gap between high-level political theory and on-the-ground economic practice. The first panel, a Ministerial Leadership Dialogue titled “Political Commitments to Action: Advancing Gender-Responsive Sustainable Finance,” provided a platform for national leaders to share how they are weaving gender equality into the fabric of their domestic policies. Moderated by Ms. Megan Gilgan of UN Women, the session emphasized that political will is the fuel that drives financial innovation.
From the perspective of Timor-Leste, H.E. Ms. Elvina Sousa Carvalho, State Secretary for Equality, highlighted the indispensable role of the private sector. She argued that governments cannot do it alone; instead, they must foster innovative partnerships with civil society and private corporations to create “inclusive economic empowerment.” This sentiment was echoed by Brazil’s Minister of Women, H.E. Ms. Márcia Lopes, who brought a constitutional perspective to the table. In Brazil, the fight for gender equality is not just a policy preference but a legal mandate. Lopes reminded the assembly that “there is no public policy without appropriate funding,” a principle enshrined in the Brazilian Constitution that ensures gender-focused initiatives are not vulnerable to the whims of changing political cycles.
Representing Kazakhstan, H.E. Ms. Elvira Azimova, Chairperson of the Constitutional Court, spoke to the necessity of international legal cooperation. She reaffirmed her nation’s readiness to work with Member States and UN entities to ensure that global standards for gender-responsive finance are upheld. Meanwhile, the perspective from Uruguay—this year’s Chair of the G77—added a layer of philosophical depth to the economic debate. Ms. Noelia Martinez, Deputy Director General of Political Affairs, challenged the notion that financing for gender equality is a complex “challenge” that we are struggling to solve. Instead, she framed it as a “choice.” “Gender equality is a matter of power,” she asserted, suggesting that the lack of funding is not a result of scarcity, but a result of political priorities.
The second panel, “Strengthening Financial Systems for Gender Equality: From Policy Frameworks to Instruments at Scale,” shifted the focus toward the technical mechanics of money. Moderated by Robyn Oates, Head of Sustainable Finance at UN Women, this session explored how niche financial instruments can be scaled to reach millions. The Maldives provided a compelling case study of targeted investment. H.E. Mr. Ali Naseer Mohamed, Permanent Representative to the UN, detailed a 2024 initiative where the Maldivian government allocated US$6.47 million specifically for startup loans for women entrepreneurs. Crucially, 25% of these funds were earmarked for women with disabilities—a group often doubly marginalized in the business world. To date, over 16% of these funds have already been disbursed, providing a roadmap for how small island nations can lead the way in financial inclusion.
The discussion also highlighted the revolutionary potential of “gender bonds.” Ms. Carmen Correa of Pro Mujer shared how her organization became the first non-traditional issuer of gender bonds in Latin America. While Correa acknowledged that “financial innovation is very powerful,” she cautioned that it cannot operate in a vacuum. It requires a supportive ecosystem of policy and social change to be truly effective. The success of these bonds in Latin America proves that there is a high appetite among investors for products that deliver both financial returns and social impact.
However, even with innovative tools and political will, systemic bias remains a formidable foe. Mr. Roy Swan of the Ford Foundation delivered a sobering analysis of the “psychological hurdles” that women face when seeking capital. Despite mountains of research showing that women-led startups are more capital-efficient and deliver higher revenue returns per dollar than those led by men, they still receive only a tiny fraction of global venture capital. Swan argued that this discrepancy is not based on data, but on “isms”—the subconscious biases that lead investors to see women as “riskier” despite evidence to the contrary. “This is an important reality that we must confront head-on,” Swan noted, calling for a dismantling of the patriarchal tropes that govern Wall Street and other financial hubs.
As the CSW70 continues through March 19, the insights from the G77 Roundtable are expected to inform the final “Agreed Conclusions” of the session. UN Women remains at the forefront of this movement, working to standardize “gender-responsive sustainable finance” so that it becomes the global norm rather than the exception. The goal is to move from a world where women have to fight for a seat at the financial table to one where the table itself was designed with them in mind.
The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women serves as the UN’s largest annual gathering dedicated to gender equality. This year, the focus on financing underscores a growing recognition that rights without resources are merely words on paper. By mobilizing capital at the scale and speed required, and by fostering a global financial system that rewards equality, the leaders at CSW70 are not just dreaming of a fairer future—they are literalizing it. For the millions of women entrepreneurs, digital innovators, and community leaders represented by the G77, the shift from “challenge” to “choice” could not come soon enough.
