CSW65 Reports
Commission on the Status of Women 65th Session
GWI Reports
Reporting is critical to the legacy of CSW65 and future advocacy work! All GWI representatives to CSW65 are encouraged to submit reports of sessions attended. A thematic summary of reports can be found HERE. This comprehensive summary is available worldwide with Calls to Action for governments, public and private sectors, educational institutions, and other NGOs stemming from CSW65.
Your reports are important! This year we will offer an easy-to-complete report template.
TerryOudraad
Ms.Oudraad GWI-NL Asia-Pacific young feminists at the forefront of the BPfA implementation Programme Manager Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW) This parallel even, 14 March 2025 The girl child, Education and training of women, Women and poverty, Women and health SDG3 – Good Health and Well-Being, SDG4 – Quality Education, SDG5 – Gender Equality, SDG13 – Climate Action Tolerance of Minority Groups (2016), Child Marriage (2016), Securing increased Domestic Funding for Education to include equal and safe access to Digital Learning (2022), Climate Change and Gender (2022) The issues need worldwide implementation. In Fiji, CEDAW implemented: law against child marriages upgraded from 12 years to 16. Also focusing on measurements against digital violence. In Mongolia BPFA remains crucial for women and girls to get their human rights. BPFA remains an symbol for hope, commitment is not enough need action in real life. The speaker did not know what feminism was. The speaker from Kyrgyzstan, puss for climate change, women and girls in rural areas do not know much about the issue. In China women and girls with disabilities need help. They are developing a mini app for hearing and visually impaired. Also, awareness-raising workshops on sexual and reproductive health services for person with disabilities, is a very good way of creating awareness and helping healthcare workers to provide more disability-inclusive healthcare. The speakers were all young women very dedicated. {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15}...
read moreAishaAlshawaf
Mrs.Alshawaf British Federation for Women graduate town hall CSW69+UN economic women empowerment +Women and peace 1Town Hall was in the main General Assembly at UN 2 UN economic empowerment sponsored by delegation from Saudi Arabia 3 Women and peace sponsored by the International Bahai Institute Women in power and decision-making, Women and the economy, Education and training of women, Violence against women, Institutional mechanisms SDG4 – Quality Education, SDG5 – Gender Equality, SDG16 – Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Diversity in Teacher Education (2019), Building Peace through Women’s Education (2019), Promoting and defending human rights of women in universities and other post-secondary forms of education (2022) Importance of learning solutions from civil society which provides information and feedback from the front line. Encourage leadership training at different levels in our society as it gives confidence to women to pursue their independence and progress further I Attended the General Assembly at United Nations for CSW town hall session. Discussing gender equality Secretary General Antonio Guterres gave a talk started by thanking the civil society standing with them on the front line and the Importance of learning solutions from civil society Stopping misogyny is one of the development goals yet it is still present not only in underdeveloped countries and conflict zones such as Sudan & Afghanistan, but also increasingly in the developed world as well. Equality should be at the heart of the matter. CSW Town Hall invited representatives to talk; one used poetry to talk about equality, a second discussed issues related to reducing violence against women. Young members wish to invest in the coming generation, the Secretary General agreed and commented on the pledge that civil society needs to keep lobbying even in these challenging times. I also attended a side event, Building Back Better discussing gender responsive and inclusive recovery in Ukraine. I attended a UN economic women empowerment parallel session, led by Moroccan and Saudi Arabian NGOs, where we listened to the Moroccan minster of solidarity, discussing leadership training and improving economic opportunities. Princess Aljohara from Saudi Arabia talked about steps toward changes in law and regulations to promote women as leaders, lawyer and judges; this is crucial in that society, where they see the importance of womens roles in helping them move the economy away from petroleum dependence, towards an economy more focused on IT and tech. Karima Makika from Morocco focused on work to improve sustainable development and lobby to reduce early marriage and violence against women by supporting law institutions; and reduce the gender pay gap in agricultural and care sectors. The event that I attended at the Baha’I International community was about women and peace, the main themes included gender equality, shifting mindsets and social norms; promoting inspiring examples. Attendees were from Germany, India ,Yemen and Lebanon. The session included frank discussion about cultural barriers in conflict zones. {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15} Working with international civil society even in countries that do not have NFAs in yet like Saudi...
read moreTerryOudraad
Ms.Oudraad GWI-NL Educating Women and Girls: Advancing their Empowerment and Equality Parallel event, co-hosted by the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) and Women Graduates-USA, panelists will discuss the progress made and ways forward to achieve gender equality, highlighting the importance of: – Opening doors to leadership through education – Supporting girls’ agency through a quality education – Fostering women's and girls’ innate critical thinking skills – Accelerating progress on the BeijingPlatform for Action: An intergenerational dialogue Women in power and decision-making, The girl child, Education and training of women SDG4 – Quality Education Securing increased Domestic Funding for Education to include equal and safe access to Digital Learning (2022), Post Pandemic Recovery for Women and Girls (2022) Reach out to your gouverments and instititions etc. 100 years ago, in 1925, in Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada) vote for women was achieved. There were ladies reading rooms where women could meet and discuss & push for the right to vote. The current climate changes is bad for girls especially after covid, they often do not go back to school however tablets/ cellphones are a way to help them get educated. Ofcourse do need electricity etc and the funds to obtain these phones. Critical thinking is also necessary, think out of the box, and as Soon-Young Yoon, she discovered that the UN is the most democratic institution institute in the world. Talk about the issues, and see how we in the developed world can help inspite of the cutbacks in funding by various countries. {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15} Fund...
read moreTerryOudraad
Ms.Oudraad GWI-NL Women in Power, Getting to 50-50 at the Table, March 12, 2025 Parallel event: International Council of Women ( ICW-CIF) The Korean Institute for Women and Politics (KIWP) The National Council of Women of France (CNFF) Women in power and decision-making SDG4 – Quality Education, SDG5 – Gender Equality, SDG 10 – Reduced Inequality, SDG17 – Partnerships to achieve the Goal Bullying (2016), Harassment (2016), Diversity in Teacher Education (2019), Building Peace through Women’s Education (2019), Workplace Harassment (2022), To end under representation of women in media as a positive contribution to improve the status of all women in the world (2022), Violence Against Women in Politics (2022) What if the future of power were truly balanced? As women continue to gain influence in decision-making spheres, achieving 50-50 parity in negotiations is not yet within reach. However, a transformation is underway, where equity and efficiency progress hand in hand. Rethinking power dynamics and shaping a future where women have a full and equal seat at the decision-making table. Many suggestions and actions as mentioned, see above. But also work with men to achieve parrity. We need that if women we want to succeed, start also by training your son, nephew to view the world in a more femminist way. Also make sure that women get positions such as as minister for Defense, Minning, Finance etc. Women need to believe in themselves, build confidence, women should support women. {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15} It is therefore imperative to implement policies and measures to overcome the challenges and barriers to women and girls’ political empowerment in order to increase their political participation and leadership, which are pivotal to achieving gender equality. – Such policies and measures include legislative quotas 50-50, – formal education and informal training, – mentorschip programmes – women’s caucuses and networks in parliament, – adequate budgeting for collection of gender-sensitive data, – parental leave and child care policies, – effective laws to prevent gender-based violence, etc. Meanwhile, ensuring access of women to political decision-making and leadership are pivotal to heightening awareness of women’s issues and adopting and implementing policies and measures that overcome the challenges and barriers to political empowerment and gender equality in all spheres of...
read moreTerryOudraad
Ms.Oudraad GWI-NL Empowerment for All Women through the Expression of Arts March 12, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Tony Yuan CEO Love-Tree Social Welfare Foundation Women and health SDG3 – Good Health and Well-Being, SDG5 – Gender Equality, SDG8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth Tolerance of Minority Groups (2016) Women and also disable persons need opportunities to express their abilities through arts. Create awareness. Many women composers through the centuries where not know, only now we are rediscovering them. ' Such as Hildergard von Bingen 1098-1179, Francesca Caccini 1587-1641, Clara Schuman 1819-1896, Fancy Mendelsohn 1805-1847, Ethel Smyth 1858-1944 . During the session we had some performances from a lady, Nafset Chenib who is blind but can sing beautiful, see photo's {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15} Assist members and others when and if...
read moreTerryOudraad
Ms.Oudraad GWI-NL Threats and Opportunities of Digital Technologies: Women in the Public Eye 10 Mar, 03:00 PM – 04:15 PM Luxembourg and Council of Europe Women in power and decision-making, Women and the economy, Human rights of women, Education and training of women, Violence against women, Women and the media SDG3 – Good Health and Well-Being, SDG5 – Gender Equality, SDG 10 – Reduced Inequality, SDG16 – Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Bullying (2016), Harassment (2016), Young Members (2016) National authorities, institutions, civil society and the private sector have a crucial role to play to keep all women safe and prevent the normalisation of this increasing type of violence. Although the number of female public figures is increasing, they bear the brunt of technology-facilitated violence because of entrenched gender biases which are as prevalent online as offline. Women in the public eye are prime targets and disproportionately bear the consequences, which include harm on their safety, mental health, dignity and reputation. Setbacks and challenges arising from/ during the Covid-19 pandemic Overall the pandemic has shed light on pre-existing gaps already identified by GREVIO in the area of specialist services, magnifying them and/or giving rise to new shortcomings. Technology-facilitated gender-based violence The Discrimination and Violence against Women Platform (EDVAW Platform) is highly alarmed at the increase in technology-facilitated violence, and what this means for pre-existing power hierarchies. The Platform released its first thematic paper on the digital dimension of violence against women in 2022, with many of the mechanisms also publishing individual studies and policies on the topic. The Platform is highly concerned with the emerging new digital dimension of violence against women and girls. A standard definition of technology-facilitated violence against women and girls is lacking, which contributes to a global dearth of comparable statistics. However, the data that has been gathered at the national and local levels supports high prevalence rates. The rapid expansion of digital spaces has not only mirrored but, in many cases, amplified the structural inequalities and patriarchal norms that perpetuate gender-based violence. Online harassment, cyberstalking, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and other forms of digital abuse have become pervasive, disproportionately targeting women and girls on intersecting grounds. This digital violence reinforces existing power imbalances and undermines women and girls participation in society. Digital platforms also fuel misogynistic and sexist attacks making it more difficult for victims to access justice and reparations and exacerbating their social and economic vulnerabilities. The Platform urges a comprehensive and coordinated response to this threat, emphasizing the need for stronger mandatory regulatory frameworks, increased digital literacy, and the development of effective mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable in the virtual realm. Thus, without concerted action, the unchecked rise of technology-facilitated violence threatens to undermine the progress made in advancing gender equality and could entrench the very hierarchies that the Beijing Platform for Action seeks to dismantle. {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15} The Council of Europe has been actively promoting gender equality, combating violence against women and girls, and preventing and combating sexism, including in the field of technology-facilitated violence against women and girls. Key instruments include Council of Europe Istanbul Convention, in particular its Article 3a, as interpreted by the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO)...
read moreTerryOudraad
Ms.Oudraad GWI-NL Nordic Council of Ministers: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden Nordic ministers’ panel: Join us in Pushing for Progress! A Side Event SPEAKERS Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Minister for Social Security, Finland Magnus Heunicke, Minister for Environment and Gender Equality, Denmark Sirið Stenberg, Minister of Social affairs and Culture, Faroe Islands Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir, Minister of Justice, Iceland Paulina Brandberg, Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life, Sweden Erlend Kaldestad Hanstveit, State secretary, Ministry of Culture and Equality, Norway Moderated by journalist and broadcaster Femi Oke. Human rights of women, Violence against women SDG3 – Good Health and Well-Being, SDG5 – Gender Equality Bullying (2016), Harassment (2016), Sexual Health and Reproduction Education (2019), Sexual Harassment in Workplace (2019), To end under representation of women in media as a positive contribution to improve the status of all women in the world (2022), Violence Against Women in Politics (2022) In The Netherlands we face the same issues as the Nordic Countries. Women & children in all the Nordic countries face a lot of online harressement. In Norway especially the girls, 3 times more than boys, also deep fake videos are a growing concern. We need to learn from history and although the laws have change, and all citenzens should be treaty equal this is not always the case. The laws must be implemented and upheld. Focus on security, women in Sweden are afraid to walk home at night thus also security needs to be implemented. Equal pay legisslation is in place just as childcare in most Nordic countries however not always propably impelmented. Also issues as menopause and hormone health should be an issue for women, this was put to the panel by a member of the Dutch Women's Council who was also at CSW69. Sweden was in total agreement women's health issues at any age should at the forefront. {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15} Point out the issues, discus and learn from each other, and see where progress is made and how that could be implemented in your own...
read moreMs.Patrice Wellesley-Cole
Ms.Patrice Wellesley-Cole BFWG AI and Digital Building an Inclusive Future Technology Virtual side event sponsored by 100 Davos women , A+Alliance , CEO network , GWI/ Graduate Women International and Women at the table Women in power and decision-making, Women and the economy, Education and training of women SDG4 – Quality Education, SDG5 – Gender Equality, SDG8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Diversity in Teacher Education (2019), Women and STEM (2019), Securing increased Domestic Funding for Education to include equal and safe access to Digital Learning (2022), Promoting and defending human rights of women in universities and other post-secondary forms of education (2022) BFWG has 2 educational charities that give out post- graduate scholarships to anyone once they are students in Britain Hegg Hoffett fund for migrant and refugee women is supported by BFWG A1 and Technology may have transformed the world but it is not a panacea for Society’s ills nor will it replace human creativity, judgement or common sense. It augments human capacity, does not replace it. The inclusive nature and market of AI and Technology means a quality education can be rolled out to the 4 corners of the earth through generative AI. I stressed GWI’s written statement to the 2024 HRC – Integrate AI digital skills into education programmes to prepare students for future challenges and promote responsible innovation. Promote cross- sector partnerships to enhance educational access and quality particularly in emergency and post- conflict situations ensuring that digital education and AI resources are included for equitable development. Recommit to equipping women and girls with the knowledge to navigate future job markets and understand the ethical imperatives of AI promoting responsibility, innovation and creating a culture of Peace in an increasingly digital World. {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15} Stronger together. Collaboration with other civil society organisations and international bodies like UN Women , lobby and write to Parliamentarians. Highlighting on Social media channels like...
read moreMaureenByrne
Dr.Byrne GWI Rep NY; WG-USA Power4Girls: Invest in girls, transform the world UNICEF – Executive Director Purposeful UN Women – Deputy Director Sierra Leone – Minister of Information & Civic Education Canada – Permanent Representative Global Girl Leaders Advisory Group Adolescent Girl Leader Additional Speakers: United Kingdom -Special Envoy for Girls & Women; Nepal – Minister for Girls, Women & Senior Citizens; Germany – Special Envoy – Feminist Foreign Policy; Wellspring Philanthropic Fund – Program Director; UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador The girl child, Human rights of women SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG4 – Quality Education, SDG5 – Gender Equality, SDG 10 – Reduced Inequality, SDG17 – Partnerships to achieve the Goal FGM (2016), Child Marriage (2016), Young Members (2016), Sexual Health and Reproduction Education (2019), Women and STEM (2019), Securing increased Domestic Funding for Education to include equal and safe access to Digital Learning (2022) UNICEF is very interested in partnering with civil society and grassroots organizations. NFAs should consider how such partnerships could be established. It is clear that adolescent girls have significant strengths as well as challenges. This session addressed the issues they are facing and successful programs that have resulted from collaboration between UNICEF, national governments, philanthropic foundations, grassroots organizations, and adolescent girls themselves. {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15} GWI has done a commendable job bringing in young women. This session suggests that reaching down to adolescent girls at the high school level could be very beneficial for them and their communities as well as for GWI. UNICEF has put out a 30-year review on Adolescent Girls. I will write a summary of the successes, challenges, and recommendations for the GWI...
read moreMaureenByrne
Dr.Byrne GWI Rep NY; WG-USA Explanation of Position on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Political Declaration (3/10/25) Statement Issued by the United States Mission on the BPfA+30 Political Declaration (3/10/25) Women and the environment, Women and the economy, Human rights of women, Violence against women, Women and poverty, Institutional mechanisms SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG5 – Gender Equality, SDG13 – Climate Action Tolerance of Minority Groups (2016), Human Rights for Refugee and Refugee Women and Children (2019), Climate Change and Gender (2022), Climate Emergency – Declarations and Action Plans (2022) WG-USA will need to advocate at all levels of government. In addition, GWI and its NFAs may see other Member States use the US position to slow or reverse human rights and gender equality for women and girls. The US rejects climate change, the right to development, temporary measures for parity, the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, CEDAW, government regulation of online platforms, and indicates that violence against women in the US is caused by migrants, foreign criminals, and an open-border ideology. {How can the session serve GWI members on local. national and/or international levels?:15} GWI and WG-USA need to continue to advocate for gender equality and fair, quality education for all by continuing to work with other Member States and civil society organizations. Prior to CSW70, GWI members should try to meet with negotiating delegates to advocate for our...
read more