On Friday 25th of March - the last day of negotiations during the CSW, the Women’s Rights Caucus (WRC) - a global coalition of over 200 feminist organizations, advocating for gender equality at the United Nations - organized a Press Conference to comment on the state of negotiations on the agreed conclusions. Particularly, the WRC wanted to express concern over the lack of commitment to climate justice during this year’s CSW. Feminist activists and CSO actors made powerful statements reflecting on critical issues, such as the central importance of the inclusion of “loss and damage” in the agreed conclusions. The WRC members also expressed concerns over the restriction of civic space during this CSW.
The speakers:
- Rachel Kagoiya, FEMNET
- Wanun Permpibul, Climate Watch Thailand and APWLD
- Lizbeth Quezada Hernandez, Balance
- Nadia van der Linde, WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform
- Alma Rondanini , National Gender Youth Activist (NGYA) to UN Women
- Ayshka Najib, Fridays for Future (FFP MAPA), Feminist Action for Climate Justice-Youth Lead
- Noelene Nabulivou, DIVA for Equality
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| Rachel Kagoiya, FEMNET |
Rachel is a feminist activist and the Head of Communications at FEMNET. Rachel advocates for meaningful inclusion and participation of African Women and girls in gender equality policies, processes, and practices.
In her statement, Rachel talked about the #AfricaDisruptCSW66 Campaign, a campaign that calls for a feminist rethinking of the UN, including the CSW. Rachel criticized how African women’s and girl’s voices were muted during the CSW.
"Do we really get heard in the final document? [...] After 66 years, the CSW is still not serving the majority of the women. Things need to be done differently!"
#AfricaDisruptCSW66 was a defining moment for many African activists. It provided them their own space to set an agenda, discuss crucial issues regarding gender equality, tell their stories, influence positions, and advance intersectional approaches to full and meaningful inclusive participation in the CSW. The outcome of the #AfricaDisruptCSW66 is the Nairobi Declaration, packed with commitments and demands.
Rachel also emphasized the importance of a decolonial approach to climate action; addressing trade and aid policies; the centrality of meaningful gender equality funding; the need to build public infrastructure, including care facilities; and holding leaders accountable to the agreed conclusions.
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| Warun Permpibul, Climate Watch Thailand & APWLD |
Wanun is the Executive Director of Climate Watch Thailand. Wanun has engaged in the discussions on climate policies and actions from local to global level. She has been challenging the systematic barriers obstructing the meaningful participation of women and local communities in climate policy planning and decision-making for over 25 years.
Wanun gave a powerful statement on the centrality of the CSW agreed conclusions committing to loss and damages in Asia and the Pacific. She expressed how disappointing the negotiations were and that the agreed conclusions do not reflect the urgency for climate action. Effects of climate change, such as draughts, floods, and fires are already being felt, and disproportionately affect women. Failure to address this is putting women’s lives at risk. Climate action is a matter of survival – especially for women.
The CSW has failed to address historical emissions. The negotiations have treated climate change as a shared responsibility. This is unfair, as certain countries have been disproportionately causing it. It is crucial that the agreed conclusions address loss and damages, as well as climate finance. We have no time to lose for real and effective climate action.
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| Lizbeth Quezada Hernandez, Balance |
Lizbeth coordinaes the program “Adolescents, autonomy and sexuality” in Balance Promoción para el Desarrollo y Juventud A.C. She specifically works on issues such as: sexual rights, progressive autonomy, sexual diversity, HIV and AIDS, violence against women, and abortion.
Lizbeth was part of a CSW delegation this year. She highlighted the importance of civil society voices to be heard. It is fundamental to include CSO experts. However, this year, most CSOs were unable to join the discussion during the CSW. The Covid-19 pandemic cannot be used as an argument to prevent CSO participation.
The Agreed Conclusions needs to have real commitments to gender equality and climate justice, and there needs to be comprehensive solutions. Moreover, the only way to prevent gender violence is to change power structures. The agreed conclusions need to respond to the increase in gender-based violence and emphasize how important all-encompassing education is to prevent gender-based violence.
It is women’s organizations that have created spaces for dialogue and listening. This dialogue has now been limited only to delegations. It is central to include young people and CSOs in the discussions, specifically in the delegations.
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| Nadia van der Linde, WO=MEN |
Nadia is the Program Manager of International Processes at WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform. Nadia coordinates Dutch civil society engagement in the CSW process. She was able to travel to New York last minute to follow, watchdog and influence the negotiations from the UN basement.
In her statement, Nadia talked about the importance of civil society participation. Member states need civil society and feminist actors to understand the urgency of the current situation. At the same time, the growing inequalities in access to the CSW are unacceptable. Not only have CSOs been excluded from meaningful participation during the CSW, but so have been experts. The lack of expertise in the delegations raises the question why climate experts have not been part of the delegations.
The CSW is the place to push for gender equality. Governments need to be held accountable. The climate crisis needs to be addressed now, and particularly the Global North needs to step up and acknowledge their responsibility in relation to loss and damage, among others. Yet, governments fail women and girls.
The EU missed the opportunity to strengthen the gender perspective in the upcoing COP27 by having clear commitments and actions in the CSW66 Agreed Conclusions in relation to climate. The countries in the Global North did not build bridges between gender and climate actions like they should have.
Moreover, climate financing is crucial. Yet, financing remains largely gender blind. It is also central to fund feminist organizations and ensure access also for structurally silenced women and girls in all their diversity.
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| Alma Rondanini, NGYA |
Alma is an Italian National Gender Youth Advocate (NGYA) to UN Women and co-founder of NO Molestie Di Strada (NO Street Harassment). She works at the intersections of gender-based violence and Women, Youth, Peace, and Security.
During her statement, Alma reflected on this year’s Methods of Work process. Alma called for a profound reform of the CSW. The CSW needs to meaningfully include NGOS and civil society in the commission. It is central to have representation of civil society within the bureau too.
Alma welcomed the explicit inclusion of youth in the Methods of Work, whilst criticizing the Methods of Work for failing short in many other ways.
“There can be nothing about us without us”
The inclusion of youth delegates is essential, not only just in the Global North, but also in delegations from the Global South. Youth are leaders and must be given space for meaningful engagement.
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| Ayshka Najib, FFP MAPA, FACJ Youth Lead |
Ayshka is a youth advocate who took part in making the Global Youth Recommendations on Youth, Gender, and Climate for the CSW66.
Ayshka made a passionate statement for the inclusion of girls, adolescents, and youth within the agreed conclusion, as well as the inclusion of loss and damages. She strongly supports all references to “all women and girls” in the text. Women and girls in all their diversity are at the forefront of facing consequences from climate change. This needs to be properly addressed within the agreed conclusions.
Ayshka emphasized that our lives depend on the agreed conclusions. Therefore, it is central that the agreed conclusions properly acknowledge loss and damages, harmful imperialism, the continuing harmful legacy of colonialism, the need for strong language on SRHR, and make climate justice a priority – not just a suggestion. The CSW is missing the urgency of the climate crisis and is thus neglecting the priority theme. Moreover, Asyksa called for the commission to be more inclusive and bolder in its ambitions. The commission, as well as the member states need to be reminded that: “We are people, not profit.”
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| Noelene Nabulivou, DIVA for Equality |
Noelene is a feminist community organizer, analyst, educator, and activist working for socio-economic, ecological and climate justice and universal human rights in urban informal settlements, rural and maritime Fiji, the Pacific, and globally for over 35 years.
Noelene addressed the importance of loss and damages in the agreed conclusions, as part of the Pacific feminist campaign (#CSW66Pacific). Noelene expressed how angering UN Women’s last-minute decision was to let NGOs into the UN building. They had been asking for access for months and been repeatedly advised by UN Women not to travel to New York. This made it impossible for most NGOs, specifically from the Global South, to attend the CSW in person.
Noelene also criticized how old systems that marginalize women are still not acknowledged or discussed in the CSW. Moreover, the climate crisis is creating humanitarian crises in all kinds of different contexts.
"Every aspect of life is touched by climate change"
Soon, we might have “an ocean where we might have more plastic than fish.” It is unacceptable that there is even a debate on whether to include loss and damages.
“We cannot wait anymore”, “the polluters cannot run” – we need stronger language in the agreed conclusions. Loss and damage, at its core, is about justice for local people, for indigenous people – a break away from chronic, radical capitalism and colonialism.
To conclude: So why is the CSW important?
To conclude the press conference, the speakers were asked what makes the CSW important to engage with, even with all this criticsm shared in this press conference. Panelists agreed that whilst a rethinking of the CSW in certain areas is needed, the CSW remains an important space to raise feminist issues. It is a space to share progress and contribute to knowledge building. The CSW brings together organizations, activists, researchers and governments for collective learning and unity building. It is a space where we can meet, recognize our achievements, and push for issues. It not only forces countries to make commitments on gender equality, but also offers the opportunity for CSOs to engage with their governments and advance their advocacy. The CSW builds international feminist solidarity. It also carves a space for more youth engagement. As Noelene said:
“CSW is a space for accountability for Beijing commitments. We will continue to dedicate time and effort until the desired changes are achieved.”
* This blog was written by Lea Niewerth, intern at WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform.
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