At the door of the conference room...

In the blog post of Monday the 28^th titled ‘Youth Lobbying for amendments to Agreed Conclusions’, we explained how we started to work together with CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, and Youth Coalition to influence the Agreed Conclusions. This was only a drop of the numerous activities and developments that have followed.

A delicate equilibrium

This week is the most exciting week of the CSW, as during this week the delegations sit together to find consensus on the main topic. It is a tiresome process because every word (literally!) has to be discussed. For instance, some conservative countries do not agree with the terms ‘gender’ or ‘sexual and reproductive health and rights’. In that way, there is a whole list of terms that are controversial. On the other hand, there are more progressive countries, such as the Nordic countries, that are much more progressive. Since all will have to agree with what will be in the final documents, it depends on the willingness of the delegates to agree with certain words and sentences to get their own wish fulfilled at another place in the document. Basically, it’s an exchange of ‘favours’, a delicate equilibrium.

Lobby

Exactly here lies the entry point of our lobby activities: we need to get as many countries to prioritize the topics of sexual and reproductive health -and wherever possible ‘rights’ as well- and comprehensive sexuality education. Besides, there are some other amendments we wish to be fulfilled as we consider them crucial to the fulfillment of sexual and reproductive health and rights. An example is the reference to ‘gender stereotypes’, which is unacceptable to many conservative countries.

Linguistic support

Much of the proposed amendments are based on previously agreements –also called ‘agreed language’. Therefore, we look up the relevant agreed language to support what we would like to change and provide these to delegates. In that way, they stand very strong to bring this into the discussion. Armed with a number of copies, we stand at the door of the conference room (since we are not allowed inside) to talk to delegates whenever the go to the bathroom or get something to eat.

A long and tiresome process...

Today, the discussions took very long. It started at 1 pm in the afternoon and continued until late in the evening. Finally, the whole document was discussed and the exhausted delegates could go to their hotels. The moderator now needs to do his homework and include what is discussed in a new document. This document again will be discussed in the next two days… a new opportunity for lobbying!

To be continued…

Comments

Women’s Rights Caucus Statement – Protect Women and Girls by upholding the Beijing Declaration

The Women’s Rights Caucus, representing over 900 feminist advocates from around the world, urges you to oppose the proposed US draft resolution entitled “Protection of women and girls through appropriate terminology.” Despite the title, we do not feel protected nor represented by this initiative. Download this statement as pdf. Download this statement in Spanish. On the heels of the first-ever recorded vote on the agreed conclusions of the annual meetings of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and in complete disregard of the significant opposition their proposal got in the negotiation room, the United States has circulated a new resolution proposal which attempts to falsely state that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action agreed that “gender” was defined as “men and women”. It attributes to annex IV of the Report of the Fourth World Conference of Women a meaning that was never agreed by Member States, effectively rewriting th...

ARTivism for Change: Creativity as Resistance at CSW69

Artwork "Who can I trust with my story?" from ArtVism in Uganda During the 69th CSW, the Our Voices Our Futures (OVOF) consortium organised a creative ARTivism for Change space where bold protest sign-making, intimate film screenings, and thought-provoking feminist dialogues blended together. Over two days, March 12 and 13, 2025, artists, activists, and allies transformed the space into dynamic real-life canvases of empowerment, solidarity, and cultural and political resistance. In the main space of the Blue Gallery participants engaged with various stations, including Button Making , Journaling with Art , Drawing , and Protest Sign Making . Participants moved between activities, creating powerful messages of resistance and hope. The creativity extended beyond the activities themselves. Access Denied The ACCESS DENIED campaign , initiated by WO=MEN, was set up to be a photo installation. It highlights the deep gap between the inclusive vision set forth at the 1995 Beijing ...

Women in Politics: Choosing between Ambition and Safety?

At the CSW69 NGO Forum's session Accelerating Progress By Addressing Barriers To Leadership And Democratic Participation examples of barriers for participation and programs and policies that promote inclusion where shared by speakers from Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Evidence shows that barriers such as limited access to mentors and networks, lack of flexible work arrangements, and harassment and discrimination all limit women's participation and advancement in leadership roles. “In a democratic society, it is necessary to display a fair distribution of men and women at all levels of decision-making,” Jenny Gulamani-Abdulla, Co-Founder of the Canadian Federation For Citizenship (CFC), shared. CFC works to ensure that all residents of Canada are embraced, included and respected as all Canadians to participate in Canada’s progress. According to her “participation is what leads to opportunities to lead” . Furthermore, she shared success stories about mentorsh...

WO=MEN in New York

Search This Blog