Access Denied Campaign

Following many concerns and calls for support received from activists who were not able to come to New York, WO=MEN – jointly with members and partners - took the initiative to launch a campaign to call attention to the exclusion of defenders from meaningfully participating in the CSW: ACCESS DENIED!

“Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspective at all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved.” - Beijing Platform for Action

The ACCESS DENIED campaign seeks to address the stark contrast between Beijing’s call for participation of women back in 1995 already and the reality of exclusion faced by many activists who had wished to be here at this 30 year anniversary of Beijing. Particularly activists from the global South, black and brown women, women with disabilities, youth, trans and gender non-binary people, sex workers and undocumented migrants face exclusion. Denied access due to visa obstacles (no or postponed interview date, denial), costs, or other reasons (like safety).

In February 2025 we started seeing messages about visa being denied for people wanting to participate in the 69th UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in the USA. Not just the usual messages, but last minute cancellations or postponements of visa appointments and sudden delays in the process.

Getting a visa to access places like the EU or the USA is notoriously difficult. Especially if you are poor, unemployed, young, do not own a house, do not have a spouse and children in your country or have a disability. Or if you are excluded from getting a passport, for example because you are discriminated against or criminalized in your country due to your migration status or gender identity. Or  because you are explicitly excluded from being allowed to enter a country, like the US, because you are a sex worker or trans person.

But this time it was different. Talk on the street was that embassy staff was denying visa requests because the purpose of the visit was related to a topic not supported by the new US administration: women’s rights and gender equality. 

Whether this is factual or not doesn’t even matter as it would be consistent with actions taken in the last month by the new administration. Trump has already reinstated the Global Gag Rule, stopped USAID funding which immediately affected women’s access to medicine, maternal healthcare, and protection from violence, restricted access to safe (and life-saving) abortion services, deleted basic reproductive health and rights information from government websites, pardoned anti-abortion extremists who had intimidated women seeking reproductive health care, and fired women - particularly black women - from positions because of sexism and racism framed as ‘anti-DEI’ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion). On March 7, 2025, the New York Times published a list of hundreds of words that federal agencies have pointed out should be ‘limited or avoided’. This list includes, among others, “gender”, “trans”, “Black” (but not “white”), “disability” and “women” (but not “men”).

The ACCESS DENIED campaign installation is a wall with photos and messages from activists who have been excluded from the CSW in New York. During the first week of the CSW, the installation has already traveled to different sessions and locations to call attention to the importance of civic space and meaningful participation. Particularly for those structurally silenced and excluded. The campaign started at the Lesbian Tent on the first day of the CSW, with thanks to COC, and then moved to the ARTivism space organised by Our Voices, Our Futures, a debate about the revitalisation of the CSW at the CSW69 NGO Forum and diverse side events about topics sex worker's rights, bodily autonomy, resourcing and at the Blue Gallery. 

Also in the second week the ACCESS DENIED campaign will continue to visit different CSW sessions and spaces so come check it out, make photos, and share their messages. Make their voices matter - make their messages heard.

By Nadia van der Linde, WO=MEN


NOTE: Do you want to be included in the campaign, or know someone who might? You can still share your information (whatever information you are comfortable sharing publicly) and message here!