NGO CSW/NY was founded in 1972 under the auspices of the Conference of NGOs (CoNGO). It was formed in preparation for the International Women's Year (1975), the UN Decade of Women (1975-1985), and the First World Conference on Women held in Mexico City in 1975.

Its mandate was to provide a forum for exchange of information, facilitating a corporation among its member organizations and later, assisting the international community in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action (after its adaption during the fourth International Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995) and other UN agreements. While NGO CSW/NY has developed and grown since 1972, it has been a key platform for international advocacy toward the promotion of women's human rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

This project documents the 50-year history of NGO CSW/NY in one place. The report captures the narrative of that history and how it connected and coincided with significant milestones in the history of the global women's movement, especially at the UN. Each chapter in this history represents a former Chair's tenure written in their own words. These chapters give a glimpse of what NGO CSW/NY was like during that time, including their experiences, challenges, and successes.Read our 50-year history!