Executive Summary

The founding of the United Nations after the Second World War and the emergence of independent States following decolonization were important events in the political, economic and social liberation of women. Commitment to the advancement of women began with the signing of the United Nations Charter in 1945.

In 1946 the Commission on the Status of Women was established to promote the advancement of women throughout the world. By the mid–1960s, the Commission had begun to address women’s role in economic and social development.