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CSW70 Reflections: New York Felt Different This Year

It’s been nearly three months since the CSW70, and the dust has settled — at least for me. When I think back to New York City in March 2026, I’m left with a lingering weight in my stomach. The feeling that something wasn’t quite right. And something wasn’t. Something was missing — or rather, someone. Many someones. We knew this would be the case. New York has never been an accessible city for most activists who need to travel. But this year, the barriers felt almost insurmountable. Shrinking civic space. Defunding across movements. Travel bans. Visa restrictions tied to social media activity. Administrative attacks targeting trans* travellers. A hostile political climate. New and ongoing wars disrupting major travel routes and making flights more expensive and unpredictable. Taken separately, each of these developments creates obstacles. Taken together, they create a reality in which fewer and fewer of our people can make it to New York, especially those from the Global South, trans ac...
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Reflections on the responsibility of being in the CSW70 space

This March, I joined the Dutch delegation to the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) as a representative of the Nederlandse Vrouwen Raad (Dutch Women’s Council) at UN Headquarters in New York. I arrived on International Women’s Day and I’m still reflecting on what it meant to be there.   I feel deeply aware of the privilege it took to even enter that space. Many representatives were unable to attend , whether due to financial barriers or visa restrictions. That reality stayed with me throughout the week. What made this year particularly significant was witnessing the adoption of the Agreed Conclusions; an outcome adopted for the first time without consensus . Throughout the week, I engaged across a wide range of discussions, at UN Headquarters, the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the UN, and events hosted by the European Union, UNDP, UN Women, UNFPA, the African Union, and the World Bank. I also had the opportunity to join an NGO bri...
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Women lawyers advancing access to justice: key reflections from CSW70

On 12 March 2026, Lawyers for Lawyers, in collaboration with its partners, hosted “Voices from the frontline: women lawyers advancing access to justice,” as side event during the 70th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70). The CSW priority theme this year focused on ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls.   The event, co-sponsored by the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), the American Bar Association (ABA), and the Governments of Mexico, the Netherlands, and Canada, brought together speakers from different regions to reflect on the critical role of women lawyers in advancing justice. The discussion highlighted the systemic barriers, specific risks, and discrimination they face, while amplifying their voices and fostering collaboration to strengthen accountability and promote gender equality within the legal profession. The event opened with remarks by Patricia Carranza Rodríguez, Director General of Intelligence, Innovat...
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Feminist Cross-Coalition Statement on CSW70

Defending Gender Equality in the Multilateral Space   We, the undersigned organisations, strongly aplaud the decisive demonstration by Member States, civil society and feminist movements defending multilateralism and negotiated norms and standards to advance gender equality that took place during the close of the 70th session of the Commission  on the Status of Women (CSW70). On the last day of the CSW70, the room witnessed two unprecedented actions by the United States. In a first for the normally-uncontroversial resolution on women, the girl child and HIV/AIDS, they called for a vote. Afterwards the United States presented a standalone resolution intending to define “gender” under a narrow, binary understanding of  “men and women”. Both initiatives were rejected by a majority of Member States. After failing to secure agreement during the Agreed Conclusion negotiations, and following the defeat of their amendment during their adoption, the United States introduced a stan...
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Women Weaving Regenerative Entrepreneurial Futures at the CSW

Across global conversations today, many people are arriving at a shared intuition: the future cannot be built through domination, extraction, and control. If we call that intuition “matriarchal,” we don’t mean a simple reversal of power. We mean a different system. A system in which an economy is organized around care, relationships, and collective responsibility. A system in which women’s and girls’ access to justice includes dignified livelihoods, decision-making power, and economic autonomy. Such a future can feel abstract, even impossible. We have strong language to critique what is failing but we have fewer shared practices that make alternative realities workable. Our contribution at CSW70 NGO Forum was to offer a grounded pathway: community-led, place-based regeneration through multiple value creation , in which ecological, social, cultural, aesthetic, and financial value are held together rather than traded off. This work builds on over five years of learning with circular ...
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Behind the scenes: a worldwide network of feminists defends women’s rights at CSW70

View of the UN flag in New York The tall glass skyscrapers of Manhattan turn gold in the light of dawn. It is 7 a.m. as I make my way to the UN Headquarters, while the sun rises behind Long Island on the other side of the East River. The nearly 200 flags in front of the main UN building hang still; no wind blows on this cold Monday morning. It is March 9th, and the 70th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) is about to begin in the General Assembly Hall. Delegates from member states around the world, along with civil society organizations, activists, and scholars, have flown into New York to take part in this yearly global gathering on gender equality and women’s rights. The buzz is palpable... Excitement fills the hall as attendees turn the aisles into an impromptu runway of photos and selfies. Finally, the lights dim, the music rises, and the moderator theatrically introduces the keynote speakers and high-level guests kicking off this year’s CSW: UN Goodwill Ambassador Anne Hatha...
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