Notes from the CSW69 Experience: Common Struggle in a Global Village*

*This is a 2025 CSW69 experience sharing article by Gülfer Kırbaş, Co-founder and Co-General Coordinator of ÇemberDE.

I attended the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meetings for seven days with the support of UN Women Turkey . During this time, I had the opportunity to speak with women activists from Turkey who have been following the CSW process for many years. These conversations helped me to evaluate my own observations within a broader context.

The Limited Space of Civil Society in General Sessions

One of my initial impressions was that government representatives dominated the general sessions and main events, with civil society having very little say. I also heard comments suggesting this has become increasingly pronounced in recent years. Country representatives, usually at the ministerial level, spoke at the sessions, and only pre-selected individuals were given the floor.

Several questions during these sessions caught my attention. For example, the question posed to the United Nations Secretary-General, “When will we see a woman in your position?”, a question regarding the UN’s policies on menstruation, and the intervention by the Permanent Representative of the Maldives, criticizing the fact that it took over 50 years for someone from her country to hold this position, were particularly impactful.

However, I observed that the number of strong and thought-provoking questions was quite limited overall. I heard similar assessments from other participants regarding the sessions I couldn't attend. This led me to reflect on the real impact of civil society in the CSW process.

Common Struggle in a Global Village

The participant profile at CSW was incredibly diverse. The excitement of women from countries I'd never even heard of to attend this meeting was quite impressive.

A strong feeling emerged in my conversations with them: although we live in different geographies, we actually live in a small global village and fight similar battles in similar ways.

As frequently mentioned at CSW, we are living through a period of rising anti-women policies. Wherever we live, we face similar forms of oppression. Despite this, women continue to resist and fight.

It was incredibly empowering to see this solidarity. However, it was also worrying to consider the implications of this global downturn in Türkiye.

Side Activities: Hearing a Wide Variety of Sounds

Therefore, I preferred to attend more side events and parallel sessions , because it offered a wider variety of voices.

Government representatives and civil society actors from Ukraine described the impact of the war on women and the roles women are playing in reconstruction processes.

In a session attended by feminist activists from Iraq, Palestine, Mexico, and Taiwan, experiences of feminist organizing during times of crisis were shared.

This session was particularly noteworthy because the speakers' names were not revealed, and participants were asked not to share photos or videos. This was necessary for the speakers' safety. It was quite thought-provoking that even speaking at a CSW event in New York could pose risks for some activists in their own countries.

The speakers shared their experiences of organizing under conditions of migration, war, and authoritarian regimes. Their determination to persevere despite all these challenges was inspiring.

The Intergenerational Transmission of Feminist Solidarity

One of the events I attended was a session titled “Intergenerational Peace.” This event brought together young activists and the organizers of the NGO Forum held at the 1995 Beijing Conference.

It was quite impressive to hear the experiences shared after thirty years.

The conversations frequently came back to the same point: the most fundamental step towards change is to create women's circles where we can talk to each other.

Listening to these discussions once again demonstrated how correct our work at ÇemberDE is.

Transnational Women's Solidarity

A valuable resource has emerged from the collaborative efforts of feminists from Türkiye who participated in CSW69: The Transnational Women's Solidarity Book. The book beautifully recounts both the history of CSW and what is happening specifically in 2025, while also allowing participants to share their own experiences. If you would like to take a closer look at the process and the experiences of the participants, you can examine the book:

Localization and Women's Leadership in Humanitarian Aid

One topic I was particularly interested in was gender equality in the field of humanitarian aid .

At an event featuring speakers from Sudan, Yemen, and Sweden, the importance of localization and the active roles women play in the field were strongly emphasized.

It was particularly emphasized that women should be seen not only as victims of crises, but also as actors who create solutions and rebuild their communities.

Power, Locality, and Representation within the Feminist Movement

In another session addressing the impact of the 1995 Huairou NGO Forum on local organizing, the power relations within the feminist movement itself were also critically discussed.

“How is power distributed within feminist organizations?”, “Whose name are we speaking for?”

The discussions surrounding these questions have once again highlighted the importance of centering the experiences of local women and recognizing them as key actors in solution processes.

Discussions on Care Economics

Care economics and care labor emerged as key topics in these sessions.

I had the opportunity to learn about initiatives such as the Global Grassroots Women Community Caregivers Summit and the Global Alliance for Care.

Listening to these discussions, viewed through the lens of Türkiye's experiences with the pandemic and earthquakes, was quite meaningful for me.

The Existence of Non-Feminist Civil Society

It was also important to see that not all civil society organizations participating in CSW had a feminist perspective.

As in Türkiye, groups from some countries organized events centered on "family values" and deliberately avoided feminist discourse.

This situation clearly demonstrated the ideological struggle that the feminist movement faced internationally.

The Limited Visibility of the Palestinian Issue

I observed that the Palestinian issue received very limited coverage in the CSW program.

As the Turkish delegation, we had a large turnout at an event where Palestinian women activists were speakers. However, it was noteworthy that current events were not addressed and participants were not given the opportunity to speak.

Economic Literacy: A New Arena in the Feminist Struggle

At some events I attended, the importance of increasing macroeconomic literacy among women was particularly emphasized.

Access to economic information is critical for understanding global policies and developing alternative solutions, it was stated.

This topic caught my attention as an area that deserves more discussion in Türkiye.

Participation from Türkiye and International Solidarity

The participation of organizations from Türkiye such as the Women's Human Rights Association and the Women's Coalition, as well as academics and activists, was important in conveying the current situation in Türkiye to the international public.

During CSW, I also had the opportunity to connect with AWID , a feminist network, and attended one of their events. I learned that the Feminist Humanitarian Network was unable to participate in CSW this year due to financial constraints, but we were still able to connect.

I participated in a march that included AWID. I observed that CSW (Counter-Strike Welfare Party) did not generate much visible interaction citywide in New York. Conversely, it was thought-provoking to notice that anti-CSW and misogynistic messages were more visible in the city.

An Empowering Experience for ÇemberDE

This entire experience has been incredibly empowering for me and the organization I represent.

Seeing Türkiye's participation in the process firsthand, observing its advocacy efforts, and closely following global developments was very educational.

I believe that the relationships established will strengthen our connections with feminist networks and key actors.

The Importance of Sharing Experiences

Another important observation I have is that the low number of participants in CSW over the years has had a limiting effect on the women's movement in Türkiye.

Of course, the regular participation of experts who closely follow these processes is invaluable. However, sharing this experience with a wider audience is also extremely important.

As first-time participants, I believe we can play an important role in spreading this experience.

Indeed, my participation in CSW had a powerful impact on ÇemberDE members, supporters, and followers; they said they felt represented. Now many women want to talk about and discuss this experience.

I believe this will strengthen the feminist struggle in Türkiye.