Novice United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW)

Committee Profile

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is a body dedicated to promoting the interests of women and advancing gender equality on the international stage. At BruinMUN 32, the CSW will be tackling two pressing issues, both of which afflict many areas around the globe. The first issue is violence against women in least-developed countries; the second is legal and cultural barriers to women’s land rights and property ownership. Delegates in the CSW will be expected to discuss and debate these topics and ultimately form alliances with like-minded countries, delving into issues such as domestic violence, human trafficking, and economic exploitation. The CSW must work to both mitigate abuses against women on the individual level as well as revise institutional structures that continue to perpetuate harm. Policies constructed in committee will serve to create a more equitable world through making provisions for gender equality and women’s rights.

Chair Letter

Hey there, delegates!

My name is Madeline Abellera and I’m pleased to be serving as your chair for the Novice United Nations Commission on the Status of Women at BruinMUN 32. I’m a current sophomore at UCLA double-majoring in Political Science (with an emphasis on international relations) and Russian Studies. I’m from the Bay Area—though I was born in Chicago—and I love going on adventures with my friends, talking about cars, drinking coffee, and just generally frolicking. Other than participating in Model UN, I’m a staff writer and editor for UCLA’s foreign affairs magazine, and serve as an editor at a biotechnology consulting startup. I plan to go to law school after graduating.

My involvement in Model UN began when I was a freshman at UCLA and decided to try out for our competitive MUN travel team, since I’d competed in parliamentary debate and mock trial throughout high school. Since then, I’ve traveled with the UCLA team as a GA delegate to a number of different conferences across North America. Last year, I also staffed both BruinMUN and LAMUN (our collegiate conference) as a crisis backroom staffer. Hence, I’ve gained quite a bit of experience in all the different aspects of MUN, and I’m confident in saying that I truly love the activity. I’m committed to giving you guys the best experience possible at this year’s BruinMUN.

The Commission on the Status of Women holds a special place in my heart, as it’s a committee I’ve competed in on the collegiate circuit. As delegates, you will be tasked with working together to come up with concrete solutions for major issues facing women in the modern day. My hope is that this committee will enable you all to develop your public speaking skills, critical thinking abilities, and knowledge about global affairs. I also hope you make new friends in this committee, as meeting new people is one of my personal favorite parts of MUN!

Since this is a novice committee, I expect that BruinMUN 32 will be one of the first conferences that many of you have competed in. As such, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions! I look forward to reading your papers and meeting you all in November.

Best,

Madeline Abellera | Chair, UNCSW | BruinMUN 32

uncsw@bruinmun.org