Acknowledging prevention as key to combating gender-based violence and poverty, Ms. Meçaj emphasized that efforts must focus on reaching the most vulnerable populations and recommended a comprehensive approach to fulfilling international commitments for gender equality.
Advancing Equality
The dialogue concluded a busy first week of the conference, which saw thousands of delegates from around the world adopt a landmark declaration on Monday. They continued to assess the status of women and girls’ rights, identify challenges, and map out paths toward achieving gender equality while comparing progress to the historical 1995 Beijing Platform for Action.
During the afternoon dialogue, youth leaders from Canada, Nepal, Nigeria, and Panama discussed challenges and proposed concrete solutions to pressing issues such as violence against women and equality for all, including Indigenous Peoples and women and girls with disabilities.
They also articulated the significance of the Beijing Platform for Action in their lives, viewing it as everything from a blueprint for equal rights to a call to action against injustice.
Learn more about the UN Commission on the Status of Women here
Justice for All
Eva Chiom Chukwenele, an amputee peer counselor at the Mobility Clinic Limited in Nigeria, conveyed how the Beijing Platform for Action motivated her as a child, envisioning a world where all girls have access to education, healthcare, and leadership.
“However, gender justice is incomplete when women with disabilities are excluded,” she said, highlighting the lack of data on women with disabilities, which renders them “invisible”. She advised on comprehensive actions including accessible data collection, inclusive education, and stories in the media.
“How will history remember us? As champions of change or as those who preserved barriers?” she questioned. “It’s time to act.”
How will history remember us? As trailblazers of change or as guardians of the status quo?
Men and Boys as Essential Allies
Ahdithya Viseweswaran, the coordinator of the Young Diplomats of Canada, articulated the critical role of men and boys in efforts to advance gender equality. He called for a strategic approach to challenge patriarchal systems and presented a vision of an alternative masculinity that values partnership and justice over hierarchy and oppression.
Indispensable Agents of Change
If we remain idle, future generations will judge us for letting barriers persist.
Laura Dihuignidili Huertas, a youth leader from Panama, underscored the urgency in collective action, noting the unfinished business of the Beijing Platform for Action, particularly in rural areas. As an Indigenous woman in Latin America, she detailed the everyday challenges of forced displacement and poverty, calling for concrete action and solid commitments to make the platform’s ideals a reality.
“We will not realize the Beijing dream without our efforts; we stand at the crossroads of history, and there’s no future without us.”
Vanguards of Change
Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of UN Women, commended the participants for their dedication to gender equality and urged them to continue fighting against the erosion of rights.
“Your involvement in change is crucial. Young feminists are the catalysts for a future free of violence, inequality, and poverty,” she affirmed.
Solidarity with Afghan Women and Girls
A side event at CSW69 focused on the plight of Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule, featuring discussions on international support and strategies for upholding their rights within the framework of women, peace, and security.
Explore the full line-up of side events here, and watch the event via UN Web TV here.
Source: https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2025/03/1161156
