GH5050 reflects on the state of global gender equality from New York
At the 69th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), the Global Health 50/50 health and justice teams joined global leaders in New York to mark 30 years since the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, while also pushing forward with renewed determination to advance gender equality.
In this article, we reflect on what it meant to be present at CSW69 during this moment: what we heard, what we saw, and how GH5050 is thinking about its role in a shifting global landscape.
Adapting to Shifting Political and Funding Realities
We found ourselves at CSW during a period of significant political, economic and social upheaval: the near halt of USAID operations, US government funding cuts to UN agencies and civil society organisations, and anti-gender rhetoric that framed long-standing human rights work as radical ideology.
One of the clearest themes emerging was how the shifting political landscape is reshaping funding priorities. Foreign assistance pauses and restrictions are having profound consequences for many of the organisations we spoke to. They reported significant staff cuts and programme losses.
The Trump administration, though rarely mentioned in speeches, cast a dark shadow over the proceedings, as did the ongoing impact of gender inequality in conflict settings around the world. In a session on countering regression in Africa, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, led a moment of silence for the women lost to gender-based violence in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo: a reminder of the human cost of systemic inequality and global indifference.
The event created space for honest reflection and strategy. We explored how organisations are adapting, where solidarity is most needed, and how we can build resilience in the face of increasing hostility.
A full summary of the discussion is coming soon.
Women’s Leadership: Progress, Setbacks, and the Path Forward
CSW69 offered moments of hope, and a reminder that progress is possible. At the side event Women in Power: Getting to 50-50 at the Table, Ambassador Delphine O shared France’s success in enshrining the right to abortion and boosting women’s leadership through quotas, resulting in an increase of women leaders in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 12% to 46%.
Yet the global picture remains uneven. Irene Natividad pointed to the stark reality of the global shortage of women leaders, with women holding only 27% of parliamentary seats worldwide. Beyond this leadership gap, the systemic challenges we face are deeply structural: the lack of affordable social and child care, the misogyny and sexism that keeps women out of decision-making spaces, and the continuous undermining of reproductive rights.
We heard similar messages at GQUAL’s side event, The Tipping Point: Why Women’s Leadership in International Decision-Making Spaces Can’t Wait. While data-driven strategies like GQUAL’s have contributed to a 52% increase in women candidates across monitored international bodies, systemic change is still needed. As Rea Abada Chiongson of IDLO emphasised, it’s not enough to increase numbers; we must dismantle male-centric institutional cultures that hinder women’s ability to thrive.
Ambassador Carla Serazzi of Chile offered a hopeful example, sharing her government’s transparent, gender-balanced approach to nominating candidates for international bodies. Her message was clear: structural change is possible, but it requires intention, transparency, and collective action.
The Political Declaration: Gains — and Glaring Omissions
The Political Declaration adopted at the close of CSW69 reaffirmed global commitments to gender equality, gender mainstreaming, and intersectionality. It included some notable wins: recognition of adolescent girls, the acknowledgment of violence against women and girls, and a call for fair remuneration for care work.
However, these gains were overshadowed by alarming setbacks. In a deeply troubling political compromise, references to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) were removed from the final text. This is not a minor omission. Bodily autonomy is fundamental to gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights should not be up for negotiation. Women’s ability to make informed choices about their bodies is central to achieving equality, influencing whether and how women and girls access and stay in education, in employment, and engage in politics and public life. Without SRHR, these opportunities are constrained, and the broader conditions for gender equality are significantly weakened.
Disappointingly, the Declaration also failed to address the climate crisis with the urgency it demands. It reverted to outdated language from 2020, overlooking the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls, particularly those in vulnerable and marginalised communities. Key areas such as climate finance, just and equitable transitions to sustainable and climate-resilient systems, and the critical links to the care economy were conspicuously absent. This oversight severely limits the potential for meaningful action on these interconnected crises.
Read our 2024 Report ‘Gender justice for planetary health’ here.
The Path Forward: Unity and Resilience
Across the globe, anti-rights and anti-gender movements are gaining ground. The progress made over decades, through tireless feminist organising and advocacy, is now under threat from powerful forces determined to roll it back.
CSW69 made it painfully clear: collective action is not just necessary, it is urgent. We at GH5050, stand in solidarity with feminist advocates, gender equality activists, global health campaigners, and those Member States who continue to defend gender equality despite relentless opposition.
We must demand accountability from all institutions, organisations, and power structures, ensuring that commitments translate into real, measurable change. Global convenings must shift from merely identifying problems to creating actionable solutions that drive impact. The fight for gender equality and universal SRHR is far from over. Now is the time to rise, unite, and push forward with unwavering resolve, focused on creating the future we want.
