Webinar Report – ‘From Words to Action: Reviewing CSW69’

Overview

In 2025, the global community is commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995). In this vein the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 21 March 2025. The main focus of the session was on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly. The review assessed ongoing challenges hindering the realization of gender equality and women's empowerment and examined how these efforts contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At CSW69 countries adopted the Political Declaration recommitting to the global agenda of gender equality and empowerment. In addition, various side events organized by CSOs and partners addressed some of the most critical issues on gender inclusion,empowerment and representation.

In this vein iKNOW Politics held three webinars in Arabic (09/05/2025), English (29/04/2025) and Spanish (25/04/2025) on the topic of ‘From Words to Action – Reviewing the CSW69’. These webinars explored the following key questions stemming from the discussions and outcomes of CSW69.

• What were the salient themes discussed during the CSW69 that address some of the most pressing issues for Women in Politics?

• What are the salient features of the Political Declaration that has been adopted?

• Reflections/Impressions on the sessions by speakers of the webinar.

• There is a significant global backlash against democracy and gender equity. Do you think the perspectives/commitments you heard at CSW69 meet the challenges of our time?

• Strategically speaking, what were your key lessons learnt, and how can they be implemented in your context.

• What was missing in the discussions, what direction can future agendas of CSW take?

• What lies ahead for Women’s Political Participation based on the commitments at the CSW69?

Key Takeaways 

1. Declarations Must Lead to Action: High-level declarations alone are not enough. There must be concrete national and multilateral frameworks, budgets, and accountability mechanisms to drive real change that are cross-cutting to drive grass-root change. The difficult negotiation process at CSW69, particularly considering emerging anti-gender rhetoric and its impact on previously agreed language within the UN frameworks was also highlighted.

2. Effective Youth Inclusion is Essential: For sustainable change, the lived experiences and voices of youth must take center stage at events like CSW. Moreover, the intergenerational aspect of the CSW must be expanded to ensure dialogue in all spaces is representative of experience and representation of different generations of stakeholders.

3. Funding Challenges:  The current wave of political regression concerning gender equality is creating unprecedented funding challenges for women’s rights CSOs and forcing many to rethink their future strategies and operational models. 

4. Realigning Power & Responsibility: The movement must shift from organization-driven mandates to people-centered responsibility. Activism should reflect the realities of those most impacted.

5. Engaging Men and Boys: Fostering a supportive environment for women’s political participation demands a shift in cultural attitudes by engaging men and boys in discussions on gender equality, leadership, and respectful public discourse.

Full report accessible here.

Click here to view the full Arabic session.

Click here to view the full English session.

Click here to view the full Spanish Session.