Dear Global Community,
Every Woman Treaty just spent a week in Geneva with hundreds of other Civil Society Organizations discussing how we can further women’s rights and safety and ensure civil society’s concerns and expertise are heard. It was a great honor to be part of such important conversations.
We had the privilege of speaking at a two-day seminar hosted by Widows Rights International. Widows often remain invisible. Widows of all ages can face eviction, loss of inheritance rights, loss of property, loss of their homes, and in some cases they can lose custody of their children. Some may be forced to perform harmful mourning practices. Their rights and protection must be central to our global agenda.
The NGO CSW Geneva hosted the Beijing +30 Consultation, a powerful review and critical analysis of the Beijing Platform for Action thirty years on in the UNECE region (56 countries including Europe, Türkiye, Russia, Canada, and the USA). Over the past year, civil society groups reviewed the successes and areas for improvement of the Beijing Platform — known as a blueprint for women’s rights — in 12 critical areas and presented their findings at the consultation.
The group remarked that the simple fact of us being there was extraordinary progress on women’s rights. Thirty years ago, women’s rights were not widely recognized and domestic violence had only recently been viewed as a human rights violation. Today, gender equality is in the mainstream. More and more women are engaged in the dialogue. Women’s rights and the need to address violence against women and girls are covered more in the media. Data collection on gender equality has increased. Gender equality was included as a critical area when the Sustainable Development Goals launched in 2015. Five years later, the UN passed landmark legislation on women, peace and security, known as 1325. These are huge leaps forward from where we were decades ago.
At the same time, progress on women’s rights has been met with a backlash. Many voices of marginalized groups go unheard. Funding remains extremely low. Resolutions and other soft law documents on women’s rights are not binding on States. And there’s been a reduction in the ability of civil society to have their voices heard at the United Nations.
These facts were presented on Day 2 in a mock courtroom that put “Beijing on Trial” — a unique, interactive and powerful way to see how far the Beijing Platform for Action has taken us and how far we still have to go to achieve women’s equality.
I had the pleasure of serving as the trial’s Counsel for the Prosecution, where I was able to honor the extraordinary progress the Beijing Platform has made, but also provide a snapshot of women’s and girls’ lives in the areas of poverty, violence, power and decision-making, education, the economy and armed conflict and discuss how a new Optional Protocol to CEDAW on violence against women and girls can help.
Every Woman Treaty Patricia Elias representing the Prosecution at “Beijing on Trial”
Throughout the week, the spirit of collaboration and commitment to women’s rights was palpable. During workshops and panels, women’s rights activists were bringing up the Optional Protocol to CEDAW as a necessary solution, inviting others to join the call. It was suggested that the outcomes of the Beijing +30 document include the Optional Protocol alongside a call for a Fifth Conference on Women.
A special and heartfelt thank you and congratulations to Widows Rights International, NGO CSW Geneva and Soroptimist International for putting on these important events, and to all civil society organizations for their ideas, engagement and enthusiasm.
Together, we are pushing for stronger protections and lasting change.
Patricia Elias
Chief of Global Diplomatic Campaign
