Next Steps For Rural Women After #CSW62: Enabling Gender Conflict Analysis And #MeaningfulParticipation
By Ines Boussebaa, Communications and Research Fellow
WILPF members and friends at the annual CSW62 dinner (Photo: WILPF)
In the last two weeks, WILPFers from Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Japan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Syria, and elsewhere joined more than 4,000 women activists at the 62nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62) to mobilise action around the situation of rural women and girls, including in conflict.
During the session, WILPF International advocated behind the scenes, strengthened feminist movement and amplified the experiences and work of our partners and sections. They brought attention to the impact of Israeli Occupation on women’s security and rights in Palestine, the experiences of women under siege in Syria, the impact of the Fulani herdsman violence in Nigeria, and historical challenges to inclusivity within social justice movements in the U.S. They showed how women peace activists are breaking the silence in male-dominated media platforms in Egypt and called to ensure an inclusive peace process in the Koreas with women at the table.
The documents adopted at the CSW62 provided some hope for change. The Agreed Conclusions, the first agreed language on the situation of rural women in CSW’s 62-year history, strongly address structural barriers to the empowerment of rural women, including the lack of access to land rights, economic resources and justice, and welcome the work of feminist groups and women human rights defenders. Member States also decided that the 25th Anniversary of Beijing in 2020 will take the form of a High Level Meeting on the margins of the 75th Session of the General Assembly’s General Debate, preparations for which will be accompanied by a civil society push for strengthened accountability and action.
Read WILPF’s reflections on the CSW62 here>>>
Read WILPF US’ reflections on the CSW62 here>>