The sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York takes place from March 10 through 21. CSW representatives of Member States, UN entities, and accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world will convene to mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995).
While many of the events at CSW are reserved for registered attendees, there are many parallel events that are free and open to the public. Please find events that Equality Now and our partners will be involved in at CSW below.
For more up-to-date news about our CSW engagement, check back on this blog, and for a list of all open parallel events, please visit ngocsw.org to register.
Where to find us at CSW69
Thursday & Friday, March 6-7
Third Global Symposium on Technology-facilitated Gender-based Violence (TFGBV): Intersectional Challenges and Collective Action in a Shifting Digital Age
This pre-CSW hybrid event focused on “making all spaces safe” will bring together governments, UN agencies, and civil society organizations. Equality Now’s Global Lead on Ending Sexual Exploitation, Tsitsi Matekaire, is a member of the Symposium advisory group. In-person registration is full, but virtual attendance is still an option.
Time: 8:30 am (all day both days)
Location: In-person registration is full, but virtual attendance is still an option.
Hosts: UNFPA | Government of Canada | Association for Progressive Communications
Equality Now: Tsitsi Matekaire, Global Lead for Ending Sexual Exploitation, and Amanda Manyame, Digital Rights Advisor, Sandra Ramirez, Legal and Advocacy Advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean
Monday, March 10
The Equal Rights Amendment, Driving US Action on the Beijing Platform for Action
Join us in exploring the role the 28th Amendment (Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA) to the Constitution could play in ensuring the United States implements the Beijing Platform for Action. The panel will discuss the specific impacts of this constitutional amendment prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex and its potential to catalyze the United States’ implementation of the Platform as a whole, from issues of health, to poverty, to violence against women.
Time: 2:30 – 4:00 pm
Location: CCUN Church Center | 777 United Nations Plaza (44th St. and 1st. Ave.) | 11th Fl.
Host: ERA Coalition & Equality Now | CSW69 Parallel Event
Equality Now: S. Mona Sinha, Global Executive Director (welcome remarks)
Note: This is an official NGO CSW parallel event, so it is recommended to also register on the NGO CSW page.
Tuesday, March 11
Celebrating the Convention of Belém do Pará and the Beijing Platform for Action:
30 years eradicating violence and discrimination against women and girls / Celebrando la Convención de Belém do Pará y la Plataforma de Acción de Beijing:
30 años erradicando la violencia y discriminación en contra de las mujeres
High-level government officials, UN bodies, and civil society organizations will come together to celebrate and commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Convention of Belém do Pará and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the importance of these instruments and their contributions towards ending violence and discrimination against women and girls at the global and regional levels. We will recognize achievements and progress and reflect on the challenges in the current context. English/Spanish interpretation provided.
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: This event is by invitation only.
Convenors: Belém do Pará Articulation +30 and MESECVI – Follow-up Mechanism for the Belém do Pará Convention, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
Co-Sponsors: Government of Chile, Inter-American Commission of Women, UN Women LAC, Equality Now, Center for Reproductive Rights, CLADEM and with the support of: Government of Canada, Government of Sweden
Equality Now: Bárbara Jiménez Santiago, Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, on behalf of the Articulación Belem Do Pará + 30 regional coalition (co-moderating)
Annual IPU – UN Women Day
A parliamentary event organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women with the theme of “Parliaments and Beijing +30: Resisting the backlash and shifting paradigms towards gender equality”. Hyshyama Hamin, Campaign Manager of the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law (GCEFL) of which Equality Now is the Secretariat and a founding member, will speak at an afternoon session entitled “Pushing back against the pushback”.
Time: 10:00 – 17:30
Location: Trusteeship Council Trusteeship Council Room, UN Headquarters
Hosts: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) | UN Women
Equality Now: Hyshyama Hamin, Campaign Manager of the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law (GCEFL) (speaking)
Wednesday, March 12
The Rise of ‘Family Values’ and Rights-based Strategies for Family Law Reform
Speakers will set the global context of anti-rights pushback, including the rise of ‘family values’ and impacts on equality for women and girls within families. They will challenge the definitions of “family values” and “traditional” that have been pushed by anti-rights groups, and provide examples of how equality is also traditional. Speakers will also discuss how family law reform and movement-building are key strategies to counter the pushback and transnational mobilization by anti-rights groups and advocate for why reforming family laws and practices must be prioritized by States and amplified and resourced by all actors working towards gender equality.
Time: 8:30 am – 10:00 am
Location: Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave. (between 37th and 38th St.)
Hosts: Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law (GCEFL), Equality Now, Act Church of Sweden, Musawah, CLADEM, FEMNET (representing the SOAWR Coalition), Muslims for Progressive Values, Women’s Learning Partnership, and ACT Alliance
Co-Sponsors: Government of Sweden, Government of Zambia, UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls and UN Women
Equality Now: Hyshyama Hamin, Campaign Manager of the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law (GCEFL) (moderating)
Empowering Women, Protecting Futures: Tackling Online Sexual Exploitation Through Technology and Legal Frameworks
This side event will bring together diverse stakeholders to explore practical strategies and initiatives to prevent and combat sexual exploitation in the digital space while leveraging technology and audacious legal frameworks. Central to these efforts is ensuring that the voices of survivors and frontliners are heard and that their experiences and perspectives shape the solutions for current and future generations.
Time: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Location: UNHQ, Conference Room A
Co-Sponsors: Governments of Romania, Mongolia, and Sweden, eLiberare, and Equality Now
Equality Now: Tsitsi Matekaire, Global Lead for Ending Sexual Exploitation (speaking)
Beijing +30, la contribución de los Mecanismos Nacionales de la Mujer y la agenda de las mujeres
The aim of this panel is to share strategies, best practices, and lessons learned from National Mechanisms in their work to advance the equality agenda, how they have affected the major advances that can be celebrated since the adoption of the Beijing Platform, and how we can continue to leverage these achievements through concrete instruments such as the Declaration of Rural Women. English/Spanish interpretation provided.
Time: 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Location: Instituto Cervantes, 211-215 E 49th St, New York, NY 10017
Hosts: Ministry of Women of Panama | CIM-OEA | CAF-banco de desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe | UN Women | International Organization for Migration | Global Gateway
Co-host: Permanent Mission of Panama to the United Nations
Equality Now: Bárbara Jiménez-Santiago, Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean (speaking)
Screening of Oscar-nominated documentary film To Kill a Tiger
Join us for a screening of this impactful film. Post-screening discussion to follow, featuring protagonists from the film, Director Nisha Pahuja, Executive Producer and Global Executive Director of Equality Now, S. Mona Sinha, and co-founder of Malala Fund Ziauddin Yousafzai. Moderated by Gary Barker, President and CEO of Equimundo. Reflecting on the policies dismantling women’s rights and security around the globe, we also explore pathways leading to impactful change, including the power of storytelling and the pivotal role that men and boys can play in ensuring gender equality.
Time: Step & repeat begins at 5:00 pm, Screening begins at 6:00 pm
Location: Paris Theatre, 4 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019
Hosts: UN Women | Equality Now | Equimindo | Men Engage Alliance
Equality Now: S. Mona Sinha, Global Executive Director (speaking)
Thursday, March 13
Advancing Justice for Women and Girls Survivors of Sexual Violence: Addressing Barriers in the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and regional human rights instruments
Round table discussions will address current challenges affecting access to justice for sexual violence survivors with a particular emphasis on positive and steps taken to address barriers faced by women and girls survivors of sexual violence, proposals to accelerate and embed change to ensure access to justice. Speakers will explore concrete, multilateral approaches to addressing sexual violence through an intersectional lens, look at what has worked so far and the gaps that remain, and identify actionable recommendations for governments to advance efforts in this area. English/Spanish interpretation provided.
Time: 8:30 am – 9:45 am
Location: This event is by invitation only
Host: Mexican Mission to the United Nations
Co-sponsors: UNFPA, Government of Mexico and Equality Now
Equality Now: Jacqui Hunt, Global Lead on Ending Sexual Violence; Tamar Dekanosidze, Regional Representative for Eurasia; Bárbara Jiménez-Santiago, Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean
Reframing FGM/C through an Intersectional Lens
This session will spotlight the urgent need to reframe female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) as a global crisis with significant health risks, including potential life-threatening complications. It will also raise awareness of additional forms of FGM/C such as labia pulling and the husband stitch, weaponizing FGM/C in anti-rights and xenophobic narratives, and the role of framing in shifting perceptions and driving action. Speakers will highlight inclusive, renewed framing to prioritize and accelerate efforts to eradicate FGM/C by 2030.
Time: 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: Chapel Room, Church Center of the United Nations (CCUN), 777 United Nations Plaza
Hosts: Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C (of which Equality Now is a member) | Government of Canada
Note: This is an official NGO CSW parallel event, so it is recommended to also register on the NGO CSW page.
Friday, March 14
The Big Family Breakfast: For All Families, in All their Diversity
An uplifting, positive, breakfast networking event to introduce the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law (GCEFL) and our intention to work on popularising ‘diversity of families’ in conversations and campaigns about family law reform. The importance of family law reform as a conduit to achieving other gender equality and human rights and SDG goals will also be discussed.
Time: 8:30 am – 10:00 am
Location: Register interest here, seat not guaranteed
Host: Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law (GCEFL), of which Equality Now is the Secretariat and a founding member
Equality Now: Hyshyama Hamin, Global Campaign Manager, Lisa Van Wyk, Comms Officer of the Global Campaign for Equality in Family Law (GCEFL), Antonia Kirkland, Global Lead Legal Equality at Equality Now
Women’s Struggle for Equality
This event, hosted by the Women’s Information Center in collaboration with UN Women, will analyze the current political crisis across the Europe and Central Asia region and its impact on women’s rights and gender equality. Challenges faced by women activists and women’s organizations amid shrinking civic space in ECA countries will be discussed. International experiences of women’s resistance to political and gender backlash will be examined to foster international solidarity and strategies to counteract gender equality regression.
Time: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Location: Millennium Hilton, One UN Plaza (44th St. and First Ave.)
Host: Women’s Information Center, supported by UN Women
Equality Now: Tamar Dekanosidze, Regional Representative for Eurasia (moderating)
Beijing +30: Strengthening national, regional, and international responses of Tech-facilitated sexual exploitation and abuse
This side event aims to advance the development of frameworks to prevent, address, and eradicate technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) against women and girls. The discussion will create a space for collaboration among civil society organizations, governments, and international agencies to address the challenges posed by digital platforms and technologies while showcasing successful strategies and comparative experiences from global to regional contexts. The event will begin with civil society organizations providing insights into the scope and dimension of the problem, highlighting the specific challenges faced by women and girls in the digital realm. Panelists from Member States and international and regional bodies will then showcase successful approaches to combating TFGBV and contribute insights into political and legal challenges. English/Spanish interpretation provided.
Time: 4:45 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Conference Room A, United Nations Building
Convenors: Equality Now | Alianza Regional por la Libertad de Expresión
Sponsors: Government of Colombia | Government of Uruguay
Equality Now: Amanda Manyame, Digital Rights Advisor (speaking) and Tsitsi Matekaire, Global Lead for Ending Sexual Exploitation (closing remarks)
Wednesday, March 19
The Time is Now: Launch of Updated Global Report on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
This event will highlight that FGM/C is a global practice that requires a global response. It will illustrate that while there has been significant progress since 2020 in countries like Sudan, Indonesia, Finland, Poland, the United States, France, and Somalia, there is also growing pushback against women’s and girls’ rights. This backlash has challenged existing anti-FGM/C laws in countries like Kenya and The Gambia. Utilizing examples from the report, the event will demonstrate why it is crucial that governments scale up global political commitments, introduce and implement laws and national policies, and increase resources and support. To achieve worldwide eradication by 2030, we must measure FGM/C prevalence in every country and accelerate global efforts to end this harmful practice.
Time: 8:30 am – 10:00 am
Location: 8th Floor, Church Center of the United Nations (CCUN), 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017
Hosts: Equality Now | End FGM European Network | US End FGM/C Network I Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum
Equality Now: Divya Srinivasan, Global Lead – End Harmful Practices (speaking)
Note: This is an official NGO CSW parallel event, so it is recommended to also register on the NGO CSW page.
No Child Left a Bride: Successes & Setbacks in the Global Effort to End Child Marriage
Join representatives from Sierra Leone and the Dominican Republic, as well as Unchained At Last, the Clinton Global Initiative, Equality Now, UN Women and African Child Policy Forum to talk about multi-stakeholder successes and setbacks in the global effort to ban child marriage and achieve gender equality by year 2030. Ending these human rights abuses cannot wait another 30 years. The event will feature experiences from countries which have made recent progress towards prohibiting child marriage under the laws (such as Sierra Leone and Dominican Republic) as well as analyze contexts where countries are lagging behind (such as the United States of America) or are debating proposals to erode women’s and girl’s rights (as in Iraq). English/Spanish interpretation provided.
Time: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Location: United Nations Conference Building, Economic and Social Council Chamber 405 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017
Hosts: Government of Sierra Leone | Government of the Dominican Republic | UN Women | African Child Policy Forum | Clinton Global Initiative | Equality Now | Girls Not Brides | NGO CSW | Unchained At Last
Equality Now: S. Mona Sinha, Global Executive Director
Register here or watch live on UNTV here
If you cannot attend CSW events in person, follow our social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook) or sign up to our email list to receive our CSW Digest. We hope that you will join us for an exciting two weeks of exploring ways to globally advance equality and the empowerment of women and girls! We look forward to connecting in person and virtually.