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🔥 From Buenos Aires to the UN: A First-Timer’s Journey at CSW & the Power of Feminist Diplomacy 💜

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🔥 From Buenos Aires to the UN: A First-Timer’s Journey at CSW & the Power of Feminist Diplomacy 💜

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For the past ten years, I have been obsessed with the decision-making processes at CSW. When I first delved into International Law at university, I became fascinated by how global gender policies are shaped. As the first generation in my family to attend university in Argentina, I never imagined that one day I would be here—not as a delegate of a government, but as part of feminist civil society. Being at CSW69 has reaffirmed my commitment to working for gender justice from this space.

One of the most valuable things I’m taking from this experience is the incredible women I have met through the Feminist Foreign & Development Policy Fellowship. Learning from their work, experiences, and journeys has pushed me to think more creatively about strategies and opportunities in critical times. This fellowship has also reinforced something essential: we are not alone.

For those from the Global South, I encourage you to stay tuned and pay attention to these opportunities. I am committed to sharing my thoughts and being helpful to anyone interested in these programs. Let’s make sure more voices from our regions take up space in these global conversations. 🚀✨ #CSW69 #FeministForeignPolicy #GlobalFeminism

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FAO together with the minister of Gender Hon. Jean Sendeza from Malawi where I come from and Minister for Family in Nepal had a side event “Towards Right based and Gender Justice Food Security and Nutrition: pathway to ending hunger and leaving no one behind”. Access to finance for women and mechanization being some of the issues that hinder achievement of the goal. 



Working in the energy sector I know the impact that energy has in the productive of agrobased countries like Malawi where I come from. The labor burden that 70% (who are women) go through during production. They end up producing less and waiting for rain to do rainfed farming. Access to solar water pumps means giving a lot of money which they cannot afford. Pay as you go modality works well for the vulnerable groups. 



There are a lot of post harvest losses due to lack of cooling, value addition and good post harvest handling that can be resolved with energy as well. Solar fridges, solar driers, solar mills. Especially since most of the population has no access to electricity. Poor nutrition because of our cooking ways and lack of diversification. 



Transporting goods using electric tricycles to reduce cost and burdens as well. But all this needs investing in women and youth. Creating programs like the Putting energy to work under Energising Development which is currently being implemented by GIZ with support from the EU. 

Result based financing for the private sector to strengthen the market and push them to sell to women with good modalities. 



I believe energy plays a vital role and with Climate action. We need to work more on renewable energy and have women have rights to access resources that will uplift them and be present in the decision making

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Productive Use of Energy for less labor burden

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Productive Use of Energy for less labor burden

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Reimagining Feminist Foreign Policy: A call for radical, intersectional, and decolonial justice beyond Beijing+30

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Reimagining Feminist Foreign Policy: A call for radical, intersectional, and decolonial justice beyond Beijing+30

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Thirty years after the historic Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: for countless women, girls, and gender-diverse persons across the Global South, the promises of equality, justice, and dignity remain unfulfilled. As a Feminist Foreign Policy Fellow, I have borne witness to how our struggles for justice and equity are not only sidelined but actively undermined by entrenched systems of power that masquerade as universal norms. We live in a world where patriarchy, colonial legacies, economic exploitation, and cultural fundamentalism continue to dictate who is seen, who is heard, and who is valued. It is our moral and political duty to dismantle these systems through bold, intersectional, and decolonial approaches.

Coming from Africa and the SIDS, I speak from the intersection of multiple marginalities, where the overlapping crises of climate change, economic precarity, and political exclusion disproportionately impact women and marginalised groups. Our communities bear the brunt of climate-induced disasters, yet our voices are often drowned out in global policy spaces. Feminist foreign policy must be more than a mere slogan, it must be a transformative tool for justice that acknowledges and addresses the unequal power relations that define our realities. As we look beyond Beijing+30, let us acknowledge our victories, but also confront our failures with humility and resolve. Let us reframe feminist foreign policy as a tool for radical, intersectional, and decolonial justice that leaves no one behind.

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UN-Women FOR ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS: THE BEIJING+30 ACTION AGENDA12 Mar

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 You can't expect women to turn peanuts into diamonds!

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 You can't expect women to turn peanuts into diamonds!

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Last week, I had the privilege of attending the side event “For ALL Women and Girls: The Beijing+30 Action Agenda” at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, as part of CSW69. Among the many international gatherings I have participated in, this event stood out as particularly impactful.

The session marked the launch of the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, which calls for the advancement of women’s and girls’ rights across critical areas such as digital transformation, poverty reduction, the right to live free from violence, participation in decision-making, peace and security, and climate justice.

Yet, the moment that resonated with me most deeply came during the discussion on peace and security. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and feminist leader Leymah Gbowee delivered a speech that went beyond the room, addressing not only the women present but also challenging the power dynamics that shape global structures.

“30 years ago, women had to beg for money to attend CSW, and today, we are still begging for money to be here.”

With this stark statement, she laid bare the enduring funding disparities and structural imbalances that continue to hinder women’s full participation in global spaces.

She closed with a striking metaphor that still echoes in my mind:

“You give women peanuts and expect them to turn them into diamonds.”

Her words made me question, once again, practices such as gender-washing, performative allyship, and linguistic elitism that I witnessed within this very UN forum. Can we all pause and listen to this statement again?

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Some thoughts and reflections from my first ever CSW

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Some thoughts and reflections from my first ever CSW

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As a first timer, I realised very early on that CSW is a place for diplomacy and complex negotiations, which can become somewhat frustrating, and rightly so, given all the challenges we continue to face on an every day basis at the grassroots including lack of resources and rising anti-rights sentiments. While it’s not new for many of us in the global south, especially queer, disabled, caste oppressed people and religious minorities, our reliance on funding opportunities from the global north has put us in a challenging spot.

At CSW this year, there was a section of people wanting to celebrate their leaders as this was the year to understand what we have achieved and what we haven’t as per the Beijing +30 agenda. Then there was another section that focussed on the rising anti-gender rhetoric and systemic attack on bodily autonomy, which was important.

What was sad to see was the silence or limited response to the humanitarian crises happening in many places in the world like Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Ukraine, Kurdistan. There was one particular moment, where I got the opportunity to engage with the UN Office of Disarmament, and I was shocked to understand that disability justice hadn’t been a key lens through which the rise in military expenditure was studied and how that deters us from achieving the SDG goals.

We don’t live single issue lives. Palestine is as much a disability justice issue as it is a feminist issue. It was even concerning to witness that participants who carried tote bags with the Palestinian flag were stopped at the security checks.

CSW continues to be a space of privilege, and there are innumerable barriers for those of us hailing from the global south when it comes to accessing these spaces. These challenges get amplified when we have other vulnerabilities. We deliberate on power dynamics on this platform and yet this continues to be an extremely exclusionary system. The visa process, the travel plan, there hasn’t been a single step in this entire procedure, which didn’t leave me anxious, and I almost wanted to give up.

I used to think I’m not doing much, but engaging in the diplomatic process made me realise the work we do at the grassroots to keep our stories alive is crucial to change the dominant narratives and challenge the power structures that try to exclude and silence us.

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Not funding feminists is a risky business 

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Not funding feminists is a risky business 

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Yesterday the Global Unit for Feminism hosted a side event on „Beijing+30  Ensuring Financing for Feminist Futures“ co-created with Miriam Mona Mukalazi and moderated by Xenia Kellner.

We discussed with our panelists how we can move the money more directly to feminist movements and actors on the ground, especially in current times of defunding and rapidly shrinking spaces for civil society.

in her key note, Inken Denker, head of the feminist development division at the German Federal Ministry for International Cooperation and Development pointed out that bureaucratic barriers in Germany make it difficult to channel development aid directly to the civil society organizations on the ground.

That is why the German organization medica mondiale, which often serves as an intermediary between public or private funds and their sister organizations on the ground, stresses their strategy of limiting public funds to max 45% in order not to make themselves too dependent on it and in order to have enough flexible funding ready in cases of emergencies that they can give out without complicated application or reporting requirements. Medica mondiales head of international Programms, Jana Ongoma, uses the metaphor of penguins to describe feminist and women’s rights grassroots. They have wings but they cannot fly because the conditions and barriers of funding are limiting them. “We don’t need more Penguins”, she says.

An alternative to conventional funding and Philanthropy is implemented by the Black Feminist Fund, that uses a trust-based approach allowing black feminist groups and movements to access core and flexible funding. This is key, says their program manager Vanessa Thomas, since under 2% of all ODA goes to women’s rights NGO and of those only 0,13% reach Black feminist NGOs.

Lakshita Kanhiya, Feminist Foreign and Development Policy Fellow of hbs underlines how important trust based funding is and shared that her NGO, involved in strategic litigation in Africa, chose not to receive any public funding, but rather builds on trusting relationships with their donors to overcome difficult situations, like when USAID defunding affected their work.

During the discussion it became clear that the recent US aid freeze and the rise of authoritarianism worldwide will decrease the accessibility of funding for those organizations fighting on the frontlines of democracy even more and competition between organizations -especially also intermediary organizations - will intensify. Hence what is needed are more erobist alliances between feminist organizations and funds that move money and resource sin solidarity and with accountability. Also, one participant points out: we need to make sure that just because certain wording is now being canceled by Trump and his allies, like „LGBTQI“, SRHR and so on, funders and intermediary organizations shall not water down their language and programs out of fear.

Ruth Aciro from the Uganda women’s network closes with the question: „How can we make governments understand that ignoring feminists is a risky business?“

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While on my way to a meeting with Girls Opportunity Alliance I met a member of Women waging peace who have a network of over 1000 women across the globe engaged in peace and conflict. This is a topic that before the fellowship and my first ever CSW I had not been engaged in. But meeting the fellows from different countries and listening into their experiences I want to engage.

When I saw this opportunity I did not think of myself, I thought of my friends who were fit for it and shared with them. “Nothing for us without us”. Many are times we try to be experts on topics that we have never lived the actual experience and leave out those that have expertise and lived experience.

Let the women of Congo, Niger, Mali, Ukraine, Palestine, Afghanistan and all the women in countries that have conflict and war or have lived and experienced it, civil unrest, be part of the discussions and make decisions on issues that affect them and in ways that benefit them.

Here is one of the opportunities https://krocresources.sandiego.edu/wpm-application-2025-2026

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[KROC] IPJ WPM Fellowship Application 2025-2026

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Application for the 2025-2026 Women PeaceMakers Fellowship.

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For peace, security and development 💁🏾‍♀️🗺️

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For peace, security and development 💁🏾‍♀️🗺️

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Yesterday, the International Peace Institute (IPI) welcomed the FFDP fellows for an inspiring exchange on global peace and feminist diplomacy. Sitting in their office with a stunning view of the UN Headquarters, we reflected on how international governance can better center gender justice and human rights. Looking forward to deepening these discussions at CSW69!

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From Numbers to Narratives: Unlocking the Power of Gender Data through Data Storytelling and Visualization

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From Numbers to Narratives: Unlocking the Power of Gender Data through Data Storytelling and Visualization

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An incredibly insightful and interactive side event highlighting the importance of transforming gender data into meaningful stories. Data should not just be disseminated—it must communicate effectively.

Today, our challenge is no longer the lack of data; rather, we are drowning in an overflow of information, including misleading and fake data. We are facing data pollution. Gender data must be a tool for truth, not a vehicle for agendas.

We must critically ask ourselves: Is this data used accurately? Is it being interpreted correctly?

Data should be accessible, understandable, and actionable. Only then can it drive real change. Let’s ensure gender data tells stories that inform, empower, and inspire progress.

#GenderData #DataStorytelling #TruthInData #FromNumbersToNarratives

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FFDP talks of Rights, Resources and Representation, the 3Rs. Rights of women keep being infringed in war and conflict, climate crisis, body autonomy. The Resources that support equity have now started dwindling and it is getting scary. Representation from even the places that were doing well has started going down.

Yesterday was so enlightening. When the mention of that we need data and then moving to an organisation that is solely there for data and research in peace. And hearing the story of Suyen Barahona which is basically the type of data Feminist researchers need to be looking at. Feminist research shares stories. It moves from just coded numbers and statistics but verbatim of the realities of the struggle of the minorities. The data we actually need.

If we tell stories the usual way. We lose out on the experience of women. Let women who have experienced and lived in conflict zones tell their stories, survivors of climate crisis tell their stories, politically exiled women tell their story. The change we want will only come when development is done with us and not for us

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CSW69: We Need  Feminist Foreign Policy!

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CSW69: We Need  Feminist Foreign Policy!

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The 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) could be a turning point for the global feminist movement but only if we refuse to confine our struggle within the narrow boundaries of the system and demand radical transformation. The discourse of “representation” has long been reduced to empty promises, non binding declarations, and neoliberal solutions that fail to address the root causes of oppression.

Will this year be any different?

Today, feminists worldwide are not just fighting for equal representation or inclusive diplomacy but for a fundamental shift in the patriarchal capitalist and imperialist structures that sustain inequality. We know what migration policies and authoritarian regimes bring to women: deepening poverty, displacement, gender-based violence, and intensified patriarchal oppression.

What Do We Demand?

Policies with Real Accountability: Agreements signed by states must not remain symbolic; they must be implemented and monitored through independent mechanisms.

A Decolonial Feminist Foreign Policy: We reject the instrumentalization of feminist policies for imperialist agendas. A truly feminist approach must be anti-colonial.

Financial and Political Independence: Women’s rights organizations should not be dependent on funding controlled by powerful states’ political agendas. Feminist movements are not bargaining chips!

LGBTQ+ Rights Are Non Negotiable!

Feminist policies must be intersectional and inclusive, rather than centering only specific identities while excluding others.

At CSW69, it is not just decision makers who should be heard, but also grassroots activists, feminist organizations, and those directly impacted by policies. We must reclaim feminist foreign policy as a tool for global justice, not an instrument of power.

My head is held high, and I will keep it high until is truly inclusive and anti-colonial!

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Ensuring meaningful youth participation remains an ongoing challenge in international forums such as CSW.

Too often, young people are invited to the table but not given the space, resources, or influence necessary to drive real change.

Today, at a side event hosted by Plan International and the German Ministry for Development, youth activists Sadeen and Solange Ingabire shared key insights on what must be done to ensure that young people are recognized as what they truly are—active architects of change.

Both activists emphasized that meaningful youth participation cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. It must be deeply shaped by the local realities and challenges that young people face, particularly those from the Global South. Many youth are not lacking capacity or motivation—they are lacking access. Without addressing these structural barriers, participation remains superficial.

They also stressed the need to move beyond tokenism. Too often, youth representation is reduced to a symbolic presence rather than genuine engagement. To achieve equal participation, young people must have real decision-making power and be integrated into these forums not as a checkbox but as equal stakeholders in shaping policies and solutions.

True youth inclusion means dismantling barriers, amplifying diverse voices, and ensuring that international spaces reflect the realities of all young people—not just those with the privilege of access.

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After our first day at CSW 69, discussions, panels, and meetings I want you to share with you guys some basics about where I come from. Yesterday, I realized how much I can learn from the experiences and journeys of all the fellows here.

Argentina is a country sited at the end of the world in Soutamerica. We are more than 40 million people and more than 18 million of them live in the province and the City of Buenos Aires. This year we are celebrating 42 years of democracy without interruptions. (Spoiler alert!: the terms and conditions of this democracy have shaped in an unexpected way for my generation).

During this last more than forty years, after the last civil and military dictatorship in Argentina, we the people built strong institutions and rules in order to stop the tyranny forever and because we wanted that the next generations never have to feel terror and violence perpetrated by authoritarianism and the state machine: NUNCA MAS.

After the last presidential elections and since december 2023 we have a national government elected by the people that deny the rights of women, deny the existence of human beings, establish that the abortion (which is legal in Argentina since 2020 and as a result of decades of feminist campaigns) is a bloody agenda, deny the existence of gender-based violence against women, girls and LGBTIQ+, deny the contributions of women and carework to the national economy and deny the constitutional framework and structures for human rights. This is a very brief summary of what we have been facing in the last year.

Nowaydays, I have seen things and changes that I never thought I was going to see. We, the daughters of democracy in Argentina, will not stay quiet. I found this experience in the CSW the most supporting spaces and solidarity in many ways that give me new approaches to face the challenges in my hometown. ❣️💜🫶🏽🤞🏽

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La decisión de eliminar el delito de femicidio les daría a los condenados por este delito el derecho constitucional a que se revisen sus condenas y se reduzcan sus penas

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In the side event titled, “Gender Equality in the Platform Economy: Developing a Policy Agenda for Beijing+30,” by Germany, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), IT for Change, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), the speakers spoke about the many facets of platform economy and how it puts women workers in a vulnerable position in the neoliberal and capitalist society.

The speakers foregrounded the importance of having global policies to safeguard the rights of women gig workers and building cross-national partnerships to collectivise women workers.

The discussion also explored the feminisation of platform economy and how women gig workers put twice as much labour to manage both work and personal life that disadvantages them further in comparison to their male counterparts.

One of the speakers emphatically stated that digital rights is the future of gender equality and why AI should be used in a way that it reduces gender inequality and doesn’t exacerbate it.

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Gender Justice 30 Years After Beijing 🗣️

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Gender Justice 30 Years After Beijing 🗣️

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Had an amazing time at Gender Justice 30 Years After Beijing: Transregional Perspectives for Our Future, hosted by the Ford Foundation! As we get closer to the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, this space was a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come and how much work is still ahead. Loved connecting with brilliant advocates, together with my fellow FFDP fellow from Malawi, and diving into real conversations about gender justice across regions. The fight for equality is far from over, but together, we keep pushing forward! ✊🏾

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Sexual and Reproductive Rights, a cornerstone of Women's Rights 💪🏻

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Sexual and Reproductive Rights, a cornerstone of Women's Rights 💪🏻

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On our first day here at the 69th CSW I have already attended 2 side events where sexual and reproductive rights have been the center of the conversation.

The first one was hosted by the Colombian and French governments, La Mesa por la Vida y la Salud de las Mujeres and Fos Feminista. Additionally, the WHO was also a speaker at this event.

In this event, we learned how sexual and reproductive rights are deeply connected to the guarantee of the right to health for women and children.

And, that the protection of sexual and reproductive health services is in our recent social, legal, and political contexts, the center of the conversation as one of the first goals of anti choice and anti democratic movements is to establish regressive standards in regards to SRHR because this diminishes women's possibilities to make choices about their own lives and reproduction.

Here's a link to a support document by La Mesa por la Vida y la Salud de las Mujeres (ENG/ESP) https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qM7g6HT9lE542BfJTzMEE7BoPelNC5e-

The second event was hosted by FOKUS and Humanas (Colombia). It was centered around the guarantee of Sexual and Reproductive Rights in complex contexts. The speakers told us about the barriers faced in their particular contexts to guarantee SRHR, they approached the current risks regarding SRHR derivated from the international context and the current advancement of anti democratic movements at national level.

Particularly, La Mesa por la Vida y la Salud de las Mujeres gave an insight on the strategies used to guarantee abortion services for women in the contexts of internal armed conflict and victims of forced displacement.

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…said the Secretary General today at the opening ceremony of the 69th CSW.

The rise of neo fascist and fundamentalist movements is a topic repeatedly discussed on the first day of CSW.

But instead of loosing hope or backing away from feminist demands, the panelists and activists that speak at the panels of the civil society forum are more fierce and loud than ever.

The joint attitude seems to be: patriarchy fights back because we have been winning, because we were successful and they are scared.

At a panel discussion organized by the National Council of German Women’s Organizations, the executive director Judith Rahner said, The antifeminsit backlash is so extreme because we were so successful as a feminist movement.

Marta Lempart, from the Polish women’s strike presented 3 strategies that worked for the polish feminist movement to get rid of the pro life right wing  government:

1.use normal language:  when we talk about abortion rights we need to use a language that everyone understands. We cannot use reproductive rights because no one understands what that means. 2. Connect the fights: build alliances between feminists and other movements despite disagreements on certain topics

3. Be brave.

What became apparent already on day one: anti rights and anti abortion actors not only infiltrate the multilateral negotiation spaces at the UN but also the civil society spaces. In several parallel and side events on the topic of reproductive rights and anti gender movement individual actors from Christian fundamentalist and other anti rights movements infiltrated the spaces and instrumentalized the q&a session to reproduce their pro life propaganda.

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I have participated on my first side event here. It was organized by the G-QUAL campaign: “The tipping point: why women’s leadership in international decision-making spaces can’t wait”.

It was very encouraging to hear experts feminist women from UN bodies and feminist civil society sharing their experiences and ideas to face the nowadays challenges for women in power. We need to spread the message of the importance of data not only to the design of public policy but also to re-shape the terms of the aggressive conversations that we are facing as a movement.

I was very refreshing to start this sessions talking about the GR40, carework, families and the role of private actors/partners in this new era of our mission for real equality.

I am really and feel grateful for being here 💜🫶🏽.

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Hey all! Its increíble here, feminists, women from all ver the world are here at UN HQ in NYC, becuse we all believe women have human rights, that must be guaranteed and enforced!

It's amazing to meet with like minded people, that share with me a passion for women's rights, altough we all live in such different realities and contexts.

I'm excited to learn from everyone here about their stories and and strategies to fight for our rights, to enforce legal and adcovacy strategies that attend their respectiv circumstances, and to create alliances that allow us to keep this conversations going despite time and distance, as we, the feministas, are everywhere 💚

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With the words of Ms. Michelle Bachelet, the former President of Chile, what we should celebrate in the CSW69 is the idea of Women United. But we should also remember that women’s participation in the political parties or in the parliaments isn’t limited with only women. We should remember that quotas is not enough. Providing women’s rights are the right thing to do but not the only thing to do. It is the structure that we need to build. But never forget. Leadership is not built alone.

Solidarity is the word we should all work for.

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The opening ceremony of CSW69 witnessed powerful statements from the UN General Secretary, President of ECOSOC, representative of CSOs along with women activists and young people. The speakers highlighted the growing intolerance towards rights-based work, including reduction in funding opportunities and how that would setback the progress we have been striving to make towards gender equality. The statements foregrounded the challenges of women and girls from conflict regions like Afghanistan, the deliberate attack on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and how anti-gender movements are trying to put women and girls down. But in the words of the President of ECOSOC, “women belong here, there and everywhere.” We also heard powerful voices of young girls from indigenous community and those working in STEM who insisted on the importance of learning and education for young girls, and why it’s important to have our voices included while working on gender equality and inclusion.

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30 years after Beijing patriarchy fights back

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30 years after Beijing patriarchy fights back

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From today on like every year in march, government representatives, civil society delegations and feminist and women’s rights activists gather in New York for the commission on the status of women (CSW). For two weeks they will discuss, negotiate and strategize about gender equality and justice.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, a resolution adopted by the UN at the end of the Fourth World Conference on Women on 15 September 1995 and one of the most important international milestones for gender equality to this day. Governments committed to specific strategic objectives and actions for gender justice. So the focus of this years CSW is to review its implementation and agree on actions to accelerate it.

However, 30 years after the Beijing Declaration, anti-democratic and anti-gender actors and government are infiltrating multilateral spaces to push their agenda and dismantle human rights and feminist achievements.

While the trump administrations executive orders on trans rights and the US foreign aid freeze make it even more difficult for civil society actors, especially from the global south, to participate, it is now more important than ever for feminist and women’s rights actors to connect and build alliances.

This is exactly while we are here with our fellows and partners so stay tuned.

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In solidarity with women, girls, and youth in all their diversity who are missing from the conversations at CSW69!

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In solidarity with women, girls, and youth in all their diversity who are missing from the conversations at CSW69!

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We are Ivette and Lena, the German Youth Observers at CSW69.

Yesterday, we had the honor of participating in the Youth Forum organized by UN Women—an inspiring space where young voices, ideas, and demands took center stage. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of youth-led advocacy and the urgent need to ensure that all voices are heard in shaping global policies on gender equality.

However, we need to recognize that many activists, advocates, and changemakers are missing from these conversations —not because they lack the passion or expertise, but because of economic barriers, visa restrictions, and other systemic obstacles that prevent them from being here. Their absence is a loss to the dialogue, and their perspectives, struggles, and aspirations must not be overlooked.

As we step into CSW69, we carry their voices with us and stand in unwavering solidarity with all those who are unable to be present. We will continue to advocate for truly inclusive and accessible spaces where no one is left behind.

Together, we push for a future where every voice is heard!

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While I’m here to attend my first ever CSW after facing challenges of different sorts, I want to acknowledge the fact that many from my community weren’t able to reach here because of the rising anti-gender sentiments all over the world.

I envision this to be a space where we can strategise and collaborate on how we can collectivise further to continue doing our work and advocate for inclusion and gender equity across intersections.

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Growing up I could only hear and admire women that kept mentioning CSW. I could have never dreamed that I would ever be here. I so want to be at every session but that is humanely impossible. The Beijing Platform for Action has been on my mouth and to be there 30years after others created it, I am so overjoyed.

To the women that fought for our rights to vote, to get educated. I am grateful. Let us now be part of the history that others will speak of in a good way. Now more than ever the rights of women in all our diversities need to be protected. Rights, Resources and Representation for all women across the world.

Looking forward to meeting women in the energy sector. Women who are passionate about flexible working modalities, women in climate action, food systems, health and agriculture finance.

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CSW69 Kicks Off – And I’m Here for it! 🇲🇺

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CSW69 Kicks Off – And I’m Here for it! 🇲🇺

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It’s finally happening—CSW69 opens today, and I couldn’t be more excited (and maybe just a little overwhelmed)! The weather in New York is brisk but buzzing with energy, and I’m all layered up, ready to dive into this incredible space of advocacy, learning, and solidarity. As a FFDP Fellow from Mauritius and the Global South, this moment feels surreal. Weeks of preparation: reading up, strategising, and gearing up for intense discussions have led to this. Now, it’s time to show up, speak up, and connect with amazing changemakers from across the world.💐💐

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Exploring innovative approaches to conflict resolution through FFP

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Exploring innovative approaches to conflict resolution through FFP

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Dear colleagues,

I am sharing my latest article on “Foreign Policy as a New Approach to Peaceful Resolutions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia Conflicts in Georgia” which explores the potential application of feminist foreign policy (FFP) principles in resolving territorial conflicts in Georgia. It analyzes how FFP’s focus on inclusivity, equality, and gender-sensitive strategies can align with Georgia’s National Security Concept to address the disputes over Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Let’s talk about how feminist foreign policy principles can contribute to peaceful solutions for ongoing conflicts.

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Feminist foreign policy as a new approach to peaceful resolutions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia conflicts in Georgia | Scholarly Insights

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The paper explores the current strategies and peaceful resolution processes as well as the state response to territorial conflicts in Georgia and democracy, the rule of law, and the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Conflicts over the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia resulted in two full-scale wars in 1991 and 2008, with the demand for secession from Georgia and international recognition of independence. The peace talks negotiated by the different international organizations over decades have not achieved any significant solution to resolve the issue. Therefore, there is a need for a new approach to investigate the benefits of Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) directions in conflict resolution to look at Georgian territorial conflicts from a different perspective. The purpose of this research is to analyze the potential application of FFP in addressing the conflicts over Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia. By examining FFP’s principles and their alignment with Georgia’s National Security Concept (NSC) and engagement policy, the study seeks to uncover innovative approaches to conflict resolution that prioritize inclusivity, equality, and gender-sensitive strategies. The analysis illustrates that the Georgian National Security Concept encourages only peaceful solutions to the conflict, and there is a possibility of including the FFP features in the foreign policy strategies of Georgia. The research investigates peace and security matters in the context of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, such as human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in the perceptions of IDPs to answer the questions of the applicability of FFP to the resolution of violent clashes in Georgia.

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I am Gunel Madadli and I am very excited to participate in the CSW69.

I am doing and PhD in Political Science and my thesis focuses on the Swedish model of Feminist Foreign Policy and its applicability to Georgia. My research carries on the framework of peace and conflict resolution, migration, IDPs and multilateral relations within the complex nature of the South Caucasus region. Below is my LinkedIn account, lets connect ☺️

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750 million+ members | Manage your professional identity. Build and engage with your professional network. Access knowledge, insights and opportunities.

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Getting ready for CSW... What a whirlwind! ✨

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Getting ready for CSW... What a whirlwind! ✨

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Hey everyone! My name is Sara Méndez Niebles, I'm colombian, a feminist and a human rights lawyer. Currently, I'm at the forefront of the legal fight to guarantee safe and legal abortions for women, children, trans men, and nonbinary people in Colombia.

The last few weeks have been so hectic that the most trivial details of the trip have caught me by suprise. I am writting this on my way to buy some clothes that help me fight the cold in NYC this time of the year.

As for other preparations, the last few weeks we've had a few meetings with the other fellows, UN Women and different offices of the Heinrich Boll Foundation. I'm really excited to meet you all in person!

Also I'll be a speaker at one of the side events, alongside @Agustina. So we've been getting ready for that 😌.

Lastly, on February 21st we celebrated the third anniversary of the Causa Justa Ruling, the judicial decision that decriminalized abortion up to the 24th week of pregnancy in Colombia, and as part of my job I've had to do many interviews for the press on this issue, it's scary to talk in front of a TV camera but is a important skill for advocacy so I'm happy to learn.

Here is a pic of the celebration, it was a beautiful day 💚.

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Hello, everyone! I am Agustina Correa, from Argentina.

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Hello, everyone! I am Agustina Correa, from Argentina.

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I work for an NGO named ELA - Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Género (Latinamerican Team for Justice and Gender). My work focuses on feminist foreign policy, gender-based violence, and their intersections with political violence, access to justice, and care work.

As CSW69 approaches, I feel both excited and deeply committed. This year’s session is particularly significant as it marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, a milestone in the global feminist movement. Preparing for CSW has been intense—analyzing policy shifts, mapping advocacy strategies, and coordinating with feminist networks to ensure that key gender and human rights issues remain at the forefront. It is overwhelming at times, but the collective strength of women worldwide makes it a moment of opportunity rather than despair. I look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions and contributing to strategic advocacy efforts.

Finally, I would like to share with you some side events organized by the biggest coalition of feminist civil society from Argentina:

March 12 6:30 pm: Evento Alianza Argentina OSC “Milei’s Argentina from a feminist viewpoint”. Blue Gallery, 222 east, 46 street. . Registration here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVzs4Q0ay5Pe2PSftVytRS2bEMvDMFasOVTeIYGYKIagAb4A/viewform

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Meet the selected feminists/fellows to participate in the 69th Session of the CSW!

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Meet the selected feminists/fellows to participate in the 69th Session of the CSW!

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After reviewing an extensive, competitive pool of applications, 11 outstanding feminists from around the world have been selected to participate in the 69th Session of the CSW at the UN Headquarters. It's time for you to meet them!

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Heinrich Böll Stiftung | Washington, DC Office - USA, Canada, Global Dialogue

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Feminist Foreign and Development Policy Fellowship at the CSW69 | Heinrich Böll Stiftung | Washington, DC Office - USA, Canada, Global Dialogue

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After more than 1,000 applications, we are proud to announce our Feminist Foreign and Development Policy Fellows for 2025

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Feminist Foreign and Development Policy Fellowship at the CSW69!

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Feminist Foreign and Development Policy Fellowship at the CSW69!

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The Heinrich Böll Foundation, Washington, DC, is pleased to announce its third cohort of the Feminist Foreign and Development Policy Fellowship. Like last year, the fellowship program will bring feminists from the Global South to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York to advance intersectional gender policy that benefits the Global South and North.