DAY 6 at CSW69: Women Will Save the World

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s my hubby’s name day, and as a native Chicago girl, it’s one of my favorite holidays (Google some pics of the Chicago River if you don’t know what I mean)! Though it was a good day for corned beef and cabbage, it was a really emotional one for this gal. Come along with me on a journey…

Weaving Stories from the Margins

The WEAVE (Women Engaged Against Violence Everywhere) Collective launched a groundbreaking research project documenting feminist movements in India, South Africa, Nicaragua, and Australia. These powerful narratives reveal how women's organizations fight systemic violence, challenge power structures, and create transformative change.

**Also, they win the award for best swag — canvas totes, bookmarks and beautiful books with all the data they presented!

Key Takeaways:

• Progress is never linear, but persistent resistance creates change

• Women's organizations face a "triple burden" of advocacy, service, and survival

• Indigenous and marginalized women are often erased from historical narratives

• Digital and underground activism become critical under repressive regimes

• Intersectionality is key to understanding complex forms of violence

• Community-based organizing is more powerful than top-down interventions

• Documenting women's resistance is itself an act of political empowerment

My Reflection/Question:

As a survivor and a creative, I’m not sure how my art helped me process the abuse I experienced, but I do know my daily practice of dance (even if in secret) kept me grounded emotionally and helped me resist the mental impacts of domestic violence. I’m realizing this story of resilience matters… how can my narrative be used for transformation and healing?

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Girls' right to education and a healthy environment: a lever for health, well-being and equality in society

(Or How I Truly Tested My Mastery of Diplomatic French)

I don’t think I’ve ever been so flummoxed as when I realized that my potential opportunity to attend a session with a moderator from France meant that the entire panel was not only French, they also SPOKE French the entire 90 minutes!

Forgive me if this is more general — I’m proud of my ability to follow most of the conversation.

This was the only pic I snapped because I was scribbling translated notes as fast as I could!

Summary:

A group of experts dove into how environmental health, education, and girls' rights are all tangled up together. Spoiler alert: we've got work to do.

Here are some direct quotes (translated as best I could)!

Jean-Baptiste Renard (Air Pollution Expert):

"More than 90% of children in the world breathe polluted air every day"

"Pollution changes its nature, but it remains dramatic"

Marie-Claude Bertrand (Education Advocate):

"Two-thirds of illiterate adults are women"

"Education must go beyond basic reading and writing skills"

Dr. Monique Martinet (Disability Rights):

"Stop looking at people's deficiencies and start looking at what they are capable of doing"

"We must look positively and give opportunities to develop"

Christiane Fricot (Women's Rights Leader):

"Chance only favors prepared minds"

"We must prepare girls through educational pathways to help them build a better society"

Alice Benhamou (Environmental Rights):

"Each country should develop an action plan to improve prevention and mitigate impacts related to a healthier environment"

Paul Nathan (Nutrition Expert):

"Scurvy has reappeared as an indicator of poverty and inequality in health"

(Yes, I had to look up the translation for scurvy 😂)

Key Takeaways:

1. Air Quality Matters:

- 90% of kids breathe polluted air!

- This isn't just an environmental issue, it's a health crisis that includes asthma, allergies, and other respiratory problems

2. Education Gaps are Real

- 129 million girls are still out of school

- Two-thirds of illiterate adults? Women.

3. Disability Inclusion is Key

- Stop seeing limitations, start seeing potential

- EVERY person can contribute to society

4. Nutrition is a Fundamental Right

- Scurvy is making a comeback in France (yes, really)

- Food insecurity is more than a statistic - it's people's lives. And it clearly effects a child’s ability to learn if they are hungry all day.

5. Systemic Change Needs Teamwork

- No single solution fixes everything

- We need multi-pronged approaches

My Question:

How can I use this info to support learning environment improvement in my own community?

The Ambassador's most compelling call to action resonates: "Without women, neither peace nor development is conceivable."

My Questions:

How do we create tools that help change mindsets? Is this a creative project or challenge?

The path to equality is collective, persistent, and absolutely necessary… how can I create opportunities for other people to participate?

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Women Leaders from Countries in Armed Conflicts: Peacebuilding Strategy & Humanitarian Mandate

At the end of an already full day, I was not ready for the powerful image that struck me as I walked in the room for this session:

The women of Ukraine weren’t playing games.

By the time they finished going down the line and sharing their personal stories of losing their husbands to land mines and risking their own lives to go a father’s funeral, I was a weepy mess. Then an 18-year-old explained that the four or five circles in the room were actually “working groups” that were going to solve problems together.

At last! I felt like I finally could roll up my sleeves and take action! My group was delightfully complex - a Russian couple (he had worked for the Ukrainian government), a woman from war-torn DRC, an NGO director, and more. Our assigned problem was how to develop and put in place an advisory committee to the Secretary General of the UN consisting of women advisors from active conflict zones.

When our group was done, we had an exhaustive “to do” list that didn’t require tons of money or resources, just exceptional creativity and networking.

Key Takeaways:

1. More working groups at CSW means more problems solved sooner. Why was this the only one?

2. Women are brilliant. Give them problems to solve and they will find the solution.

My Questions:

How can we actually make this committee happen? Who is on board?

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I went back to my room and cried. This one hit me hard. 300 schools blown up and thousands of little kids trying to do school in camps. The waves of trauma conflict doles out will take generations to heal. My heart breaks for them.

And with that, I’m going to call it a weepy, emotionally exhausted night. I’ll be back for tomorrow.