KSK70 Diaries - 6*
*This is a series of articles consisting of assessments by Gülfer Kırbaş, who attended the 70th meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on behalf of ÇemberDE.
Today, as part of CSW70,
For the first time, I watched sessions that were truly at the heart of the field we work in:
🚺 The role of women's organizations in crises,
👩🏻💼The importance of feminist crisis management,
💵 funding of women's organizations
While listening to these sessions, I actually encountered a very familiar picture. Examples from different countries were given, but most of what was described coincided exactly with what we saw on the ground after the 2023 earthquakes.
The session was primarily focused on women peacebuilders. This shouldn't seem like a separate topic; the most constructive approach to any crisis comes from women. The session clearly stated that women are often the first to act in crises and conflicts. Women's organizations mediate between communities, build solidarity networks, and reach areas where humanitarian aid is inaccessible. Yet, despite all this, the international system often fails to recognize them as official actors.
This reminded me of the first days after the earthquake.
The women quickly came together, formed solidarity networks, identified needs, and created support mechanisms. But much of the humanitarian aid system either ignored these efforts or didn't take them seriously enough.
One of the speakers at the session stated that the biggest problem for women's organizations is not project ideas, but access to funding. Moreover, she emphasized that this funding is often extremely bureaucratic and subject to strict rules. It was even mentioned that at one point, funding applications were almost as complicated as applying for a mortgage.
Only 0.01% of the world's funding goes to women's organizations. There's nothing left to say about that.
In other words, women bear the brunt of crises but have virtually no access to resources.
Another important discussion centered on the disconnect between field experience and policy-making. Women peacebuilders are carrying out crucial work in the field, but this experience is often not reflected in decision-making mechanisms. It was particularly emphasized that local experience needs to be transformed into knowledge and methodology.
In fact, this is the same issue that we thought about most after the earthquake and that ultimately led us to prepare the Feminist Solidarity and Support Guide in Disasters: making visible the feminist solidarity practices that emerged in the field and turning this experience into a method.
Crises in different geographical regions may differ, but the roles women play and the obstacles they face during crises are very similar. You can read everything that has been said on this subject in our guide. It was good to see how much we are aligned with the rest of the world on this issue.
Women often build the invisible networks that keep the system afloat. But the system is still very slow to recognize and support this labor.
Supporting women's organizations is not only a matter of equality, but also a necessity for peace and resilience.
Guide to Feminist Solidarity and Support in Disasters: https://lnkd.in/ggCk_S39
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