CSW68: Better Understanding and More Effective Participation

In accordance with our consultative status at the UN, ICUUW fielded a large delegation at this year’s meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68). We continue to increase our knowledge of the workings of this enormous event. This year Ellen Barfield, Carmen Capriles, Marjorie Davidson, Tina Huesing, Carol Huston, Bruce Knotts, Karen Kortsch, Phyllis Marsh, Beth O’Connell, Genia Peterson, and Julie Steinbach attended in-person sessions at the UN Headquarters; a former Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO), Fran Mercer, was with us for dinner and some parallel events.

For our part, we organized two parallel events: a webinar featuring organizations that provide solar lighting and solar cookers in Africa, and another that reported on ICUUW’s micro-finance program in Uganda and a young women’s business program in partnership with Tunawiri Pamoja in Kenya. It was good that these events were virtual. They attracted listeners in Africa, who declared that they really needed this information for their own livelihood.

We attended daily briefings and many sessions on Gaza, Ukraine, and climate change. At a workshop on Ukraine, we discovered an organization that is supporting a Ukrainian language school in Romania – much like our work in partnership with Gondviselés (Providence), the charity arm of the Hungarian Unitarian Church. And when Carol asked a question about it and identified our UU identity, we made contact with a Canadian UU. Networking is important!

We are monitoring the development of Draft Articles on Crimes Against Humanity as UN consideration of a Crimes Against Humanity Treaty continues. Marjorie, Beth, and Genia attended a Civil Society Workshop held by the Global Justice Center during CSW. The Workshop provided an overview of the Draft Articles and the ongoing process of deliberation. There was also discussion on how to advance gender justice in the Draft Articles.

Carmen, Bruce, and Genia have attended CSW sessions for more than a decade and others of us have been there since 2018. We can begin to recognize changes in the annual event. It seems like there were more men there this year – which could be a good thing, but it was also noticeable that men were often leading sessions, and this is troubling. It also seems like conservative forces are making more inroads, often blocking discussion of reproductive rights and making the word “family“ mean only the traditional nuclear sort.

CSW is still a massive, confusing event, but more of us are figuring out how it works and how to be in coalition with other groups, including the US Women’s Caucus. We plan to get more involved in writing and adding to statements made in these sessions.

ICUUW’s work does not end as CSW ends. Eight members of our delegation hold annual grounds passes for the UN and we can attend sessions throughout the year. In April, Beth and Carol attended a Civil Society Town Hall, and Carmen attended meetings of the Indigenous Peoples Forum and sessions on Funding for Development.

Our work at the UN is important and exciting. The UN Advocacy Committee meets each month, usually on the first Friday.

Join us! Send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if interested.