The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development Participates in Town Hall Meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Civil Society on the occasion of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women-CSW69
New York - March 11, 2025
As part of its commitment to supporting Palestinian women's rights and enhancing their role in international forums, the Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development, represented by Ms. Lara Ramadan, participated in an important open meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), being held at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
This annual consultative meeting serves as a strategic platform to enhance dialogue between the UN Secretary-General and feminist civil society. It aims to discuss current challenges in gender equality and women's rights issues, and highlight global priorities in this context. This year, discussions focused on enhancing women's role in decision-making processes, addressing gender-based violence, and ensuring economic and social justice for women amid escalating global crises.
In his moving speech, Guterres emphasized the ongoing threats to achieving gender equality, noting that women and girls still face unequal challenges, while human rights defenders face threats, violence, and shrinking civic space. Guterres said: "Inequality is a matter of power, and power is not given but taken, and we must take it together," calling on civil society to lead the change toward equality. He affirmed that civil society is the primary driver of this change, as human rights defenders demand justice and equality.
During the session, civil society representatives raised the need to revitalize the role of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and enhance a more inclusive process that allows broader civil society participation in direct negotiations. Participants also suggested decentralizing the commission to ensure effective participation of civil society organizations with governments at the global level.
Participants called for providing unconditional funding for young feminist groups. It was also emphasized that wars, conflicts, and colonial occupation disproportionately affect women and girls, and therefore these issues must be central and prioritized in discussions and policies.
During her participation, Lara Ramadan highlighted the numerous challenges facing Palestinian women, especially amid the systematic violations practiced by the Israeli occupation, emphasizing the need to strengthen international protection for women in Palestine, enable their access to fair economic and social opportunities, and enhance their active participation in decision-making processes at local, regional, and international levels.
