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The role of the CSW in times of militarisation

Nada de Murashkin gives an oral statement at the CSW69

There are so many times during the CSW that I have felt touched by fierceness and also care of women (including trans and non-binary babes). My experience has been of such support these days at the CSW. And I especially felt this on a personal level yesterday. 

Just the evening before, I was informed I would have an opportunity to give a civil society briefing at the High-Level Interactive Dialogue on Accelerating Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action: The Role of the Commission on the Status of Women. After some initial panic at the short notice, I mentioned it at the NGO briefing organised by WO=MEN with the Dutch delegation in the morning. Immediately numerous women jumped up to volunteer to share their wisdom and insight. 

A couple of hours later I had my statement ready and was sitting with other women from civil society, waiting for our turn to speak. Some were calm and chatty, sharing notes on what we would say, others were so nervous they were shaking. But each of us sitting there kept telling each other as we were called up one by one, “you got this”, “you can do it”, “just breathe”, “you’ll be amazing”. And when I got called up to the hot seat I could see my new friends and colleagues from the other Dutch NGOs on the sides cheering me on. I admit, it is slightly intimidating, but also actually a lot of fun. And just such a nice feeling, not just having the opportunity to make an intervention, but to do so while being cheered on by a hype squad of women I didn’t even know. This is the sistahood I love (*I mean that in the most inclusive way).

Below is my statement.

High-Level Interactive Dialogue on Accelerating Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action: The Role of the Commission on the Status of Women
Tuesday, 18 March 2025, 3:00 to 6:00 PM

I am speaking today on behalf of the Strengthening Civil Courage Alliance, representing PAX, ABAAD, Amnesty and Defend Defenders, as well as partners in 14 countries across Africa and the Middle East. I am also speaking from a seat of privilege. Many women who should be sitting here, are not. Due to visa issues linked to gender discrimination, economic reasons, status and safety concerns amongst others.

Having lived and worked in many conflict-affected areas, such as Darfur and Ukraine, I'm deeply concerned with the rising level of armed violence. There are currently more than 120 armed conflicts worldwide. It is women from these conflict-affected areas, most impacted that should be here. Together with indigenous peoples, and those with disabilities, minority sexual and gender identities, and others who are structurally and historically marginalised.

These women should be here, not just as observers and advisors to provide their civil society briefings, but as key decisionmakers. While Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) called for the participation of women back in 1995, the reality is, 30 years later, many are still excluded. As such, I call on CSW to reduce barriers and establish rotating regional hosting, prioritising hosting in the global majority.

Women and girls bear the brunt of conflicts worldwide, as well as continue to face systemic inequality, especially with the renewed efforts of various governments to reduce rights. Truly feminist leadership would require gender mainstreaming across all foreign policy commitments, and I call on the CSW to link the BPfA to investment in peacebuilding and conflict prevention rather than military expenditure.

We are seeing a devastating peak in conflict-related sexual violence and casualties. The current anti-gender backlash, rise in authoritarianism, increase in armed conflicts and highest ever military spending are interconnected and deeply gendered.

It is time to reclaim the roots of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. As such, I call on CSW to address the deeply entrenched structural issue of militarisation, driven by dominant masculinity norms and patriarchal power structures. One way to address this is to ensure more robust accountability mechanisms to track this commitment to “reduce excessive military expenditure, control the availability of armaments, and promote non-violent forms of conflict resolution” as identified in the BPfA as key areas to promote women’s rights and gender equality.

This would do justice to the BPfA and make inclusive feminist peace possible.

By Nada de Murashkin (she/her), PAX

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