Civil society and youth leaders engage with United Nations experts to push forward for gender equality

Opening the event, Ema Meçaj, Youth Activist from Albania, had a conversation with the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, on the impact of civil society in gender equality movements. “Gender Equality is not granted from above; it is demanded from below and it is seized with defiance, fought for with persistence; and won through collective power,” said the Executive Director, outlining the 6 +1 Action Agenda for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment and emphasizing the need for accountability, relevance and unity as key elements to achieving gender equality.

Cai Cai, Chief of the Gender Section at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) highlighted the importance of regional civil society steering committees in ensuring that the diverse perspectives of regional constituencies were reflected in intergovernmental decision-making forums. Cai Cai emphasized that Beijing+30 presents a pivotal opportunity to define concrete pathways forward. 

The event also featured a panel discussion, moderated by Cai Yiping, Executive Committee member of Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), where representatives from five regional civil society steering committees shared their insights from the Beijing+30 regional review processes. Speakers identified key barriers, including language limitations, restricted access to official consultations, and political resistance to gender equality commitments.

Oleksandra Harmash shared how AI-assisted translations were used to enhance grassroots participation in Ukraine. Wanjùhì Njoroge talked about the importance of intentional inclusion, with the participation of more than 300 young people and persons with disabilities in regional reviews in Africa. Randa Sinoira underscored how civil society consultations played a crucial role in shaping parallel reports and formal recommendations. Terry Ince Dale emphasized the importance of clear and strategic advocacy: “Women in civil society must be at the centre of any discussion on equality and parity.”

Prabhleen Tuteja called for a transformation of the feminist space, stressing the need to focus on intersectionality and historically marginalized groups through a bottoms-up approach.

Looking ahead, several speakers noted the critical need for expanding civil society representation in official negotiations, ensuring that grassroots organizations, young activists, and women’s rights groups play a central role in shaping global gender equality commitments. They underscored the importance of strategic engagement with the private sector, emphasizing that businesses and corporate actors must be active partners in driving sustainable and transformative gender equality initiatives. 

In the final segment of the event, youth activist Lucy Fagan of United Kingdom engaged Ambassador Gladys Mokhawa, Permanent Representative of Botswana to the United Nations and Co-Facilitator of the CSW Revitalization Process in a discussion on how civil society’s insights and recommendations will inform ongoing efforts to revitalize the CSW. 

Ambassador Mokhawa emphasized that many of the same key issues raised by civil society were also echoed by the Secretary-General and Member States, highlighting a strong alignment across stakeholders on the need for CSW revitalization. She said the role of young people in the revitalization of CSW at decision-making levels was critical and that their perspectives bring valuable insights on emerging issues such as technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and aging. Closing the event, Fagan stated: “It is our solidarity, our resistance and our care that sustains our movement.”