The fifty-eighth session of the Commission for Social Development  (CSocD58) will take place from 10 to 19 February 2020 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Commission is the advisory body responsible for the social development section of international development.

This year, CSocD is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Commission and the 25th anniversary of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, and the priority theme will be ‘Affordable Housing and Social Protection Systems for all to Address Homelessness’.

Soroptimist International will be hosting a side event ‘The Rise of homelessness in Ageing Women’ on Wednesday 12 February, at 11.30 am, where  SI President Sharon Fisher and SI’s United Nations Representatives will discuss the intersection between homelessness and ageing, taking into consideration both individual and structural drivers of homelessness.

SI recognises safe housing as a woman’s human right. Effective actions to lift women and girls out of homelessness require a nuanced understanding of the root causes of homelessness, including gender-based violence, economic instability, conflict, and climate change.

The SI written statement to the Commission for Social Development calls for States to ensure that homeless women and girls have access to essential services, including education at all stages of life, healthcare, legal and banking services, and have the ability to vote.

View the Flyer for ‘The Rise of homelessness in Ageing Women’ HERE

View the statement HERE

Find more information on CSocD58 HERE