In 1995, global leaders gathered at the 4th World Conference on Women held in Beijing, making a historic commitment to gender equality. They adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a comprehensive policy agenda focusing on 12 critical areas of concern for women. With this, they pledged to advance equality, development and peace for women everywhere, declaring this goal to be “in the interest of all humanity”.
Now, 30 years later, the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York reviewed progress and addressed ongoing challenges.
CSW is a pivotal event—not only for its negotiated outcomes but also for raising Soroptimist International of Europe’s (SIE) visibility within the UN and ECOSOC. With nearly 140 Soroptimist delegates from all Federations, we reinforced our advocacy work on the global stage and engaged in important discussions, bringing back a suitcase full of energy and knowledge.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a powerful message, emphasising persistent gender gaps, including the 20% wage disparity, stagnant labour force participation, and widespread violence against women and girls. He also highlighted emerging issues, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, both of which threaten to deepen inequalities.
CSW69 – Townhall Meeting with UN Secretary-General and the Civil Society
SIE actively contributed to CSW69 through two parallel events showcasing:
- Financial Literacy for Women’s Empowerment, SI Club Aarau (Switzerland), a winner of the 2024 Best Practice Awards;
- READ THE SIGNS to Prevent Cyberviolence, a Europe-wide campaign demonstrating grassroots advocacy and mobilisation in our Federation.
Additionally, European Soroptimists co-led a high-level side event on AI, digital ethics, and gender safety, ensuring that these pressing issues remain at the forefront of international advocacy. Key figures, including the President of ECOSOC, representatives from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women contributed valuable insights.
From left to right: Siew Yong Gnanalingam (SI President), Rita Nogueira Ramos (SIE Vice-President of Advocacy), Ginger Cole (SIA President)
CSW69 provided an invaluable platform for SIE delegates to meet global leaders, exchange expertise, and strengthen our collective voice. Looking ahead, here are the key action points for Soroptimists:
- Combat Cyberviolence & Enhance Digital Safety – Promote tech skills, ethical AI, and access to digital tools. Defend international women’s treaties like the Istanbul Convention.
- Advocate for Equal Pay & Employment Opportunities – Support salary transparency and flexible work policies.
- Redistribute Unpaid Care Work – Champion policies for affordable childcare and fair domestic responsibilities, following the ILO’s 5 “Rs” framework: recognise, reduce, redistribute, reward and represent care work.
- Strengthen Political Representation – Provide leadership training to increase women’s decision-making roles.
- Advance Education and Economic Participation – Support education and training for women and girls, STEAM, lifelong learning, skills training, and entrepreneurship.
Guterres urged civil society to resist setbacks and demand action. As Soroptimists, we accept the challenge—advocating for policies, funding, and global cooperation across all 12 critical areas.
We will not back down!