Promoting gender equality for all at CSW in New York: Ensuring no young person with disabilities is left behind
Thirty years ago, countries gathered in Beijing for the fourth United Nations World conference on Women in Beijing. During this conference the Beijing declaration and platform of action was adopted. This declaration is the leading road map for international cooperation on gender equality and is still considered the most comprehensive and transformative global agenda for gender equality today.
A new gathering: CSW in New York City
Thirty years after this transformative milestone, countries, civil society, women groups and organisations representing people with disabilities are gathering once again. This time, the meeting takes place not in Beijing, but in New York City during the 69th annual United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), held from March 10th to March 21st . Together, they will review and discuss implementation of the Beijing declaration, looking at challenges and achievements for gender equality.
Negotiating the political declaration
Member states, as countries are called in the United Nations, are expected to adopt a political declaration in which they declare their willingness and commitment to gender equality, the platform of action and to implement measures for gender equality. Like always with this commission, it’s outcome documents, such as a political declaration, are strongly negotiated, where opponents and advocates for gender equality try to weaken or strengthen the political declaration.
Challenges in current discussions: Pushback on gender equality
This year due to shifts towards anti-gender foreign policies of different governments, such as Argentina and the United States, discussions have been fierce with a big push back on gender equality, human rights and women in all their diversity. Liliane Fonds has been advocating for the adoption of women with disabilities, disability inclusive data, gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). After many different versions and long negotiations, the political declaration was adopted. It mentions women with disability, disaggregated data based on disability and gender-based violence, but not sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Liliane Fonds partners in organising parallel event
Liliane Fonds will be present at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from March 15th to March 21st. As part of the Make Way program, we are hosting a parallel event titled “Decolonizing Disability and Queerness: Realizing the Beijing+30 Agenda.”
This interactive session will bring together feminist advocates, queer women, and women with disabilities to explore the process of decolonizing both queerness and disability, with a focus on the intersections of gender equality. Through storytelling and discussion, the panellists will share their knowledge and delve into the colonialist frames that have underpinned their experiences.
Sign up here for the NGO CSW69 Forum: Registration
Concrete recommendations for inclusion
Liliane Fonds actively advocates for the inclusion of women, young girls and young people with disabilities in international policy discussions, such as those taking place at the CSW. In this process, we push for the recognition of the specific needs of persons with disabilities, including the collection of disaggregated data that combines gender and disability, combating gender-based violence, and ensuring sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR)
We furthermore urge Member States, UN Women and civil society organizations to:
- Collect and disaggregate data: To collect and disaggregate data and evidence on the situation, needs, and rights of women and girls with disabilities, and use them to inform and monitor policies and programs.
- Include (young) women and girls with disabilities: Include (young) women and girls with disabilities within all programs. Especially within the design process because this is the most efficient way to make programs more inclusive.
- Inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health Services: Make sure all sexual and reproductive health services are inclusive and accessible for young people with disabilities.
- Intersectionality and holistic inclusion: Ensure that women and girls with disabilities are seen as whole human beings and the intersectional nature of their lives is taken into consideration when working towards disability inclusion and justice.
- Community-Based care and support agenda: Create an ambitious community-based care and support agenda that includes children and young people with disabilities and gives people with disabilities ownership and control of their needs.