How Pacific feminists respond to global backlash against women’s rights
By Jane Alver
Let’s talk about the shrinking of civil society space. There is a global backlash against diversity, and feminist civil society voices at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations are being squeezed out.
Civil society organisations have been part of the CSW meetings and played a crucial role since its inception.UN Women acknowledges on its webpage that civil society is one of UN Women’s most important constituencies. It sees it as a dynamic source of ideas and policy perspectives, partnerships and support. ‘Civil society plays a vital role in advancing shared strategic objectives to promote gender equality, and women’s rights and empowerment.’ UN Women states that it supports civil society participation in a number of intergovernmental processes. By being part of the civil society coordination and knowledge-sharing networks of the UN system, UN Women says it helps find additional opportunities for civil society to engage around key issues on the global agenda.
However things have started to change. Voices for civil society actors are being excluded. Spaces for progressive feminist civil society advocacy are being restricted. Women’s organisations are being defunded. In 2020 CSW64 was scaled down to a one-day meeting to move the Political Declaration, and all civil society side events cancelled (UN Women, 2020). This was due to the advent of COVID-19, but it also meant the further silencing of civil society voices. Indeed an alternative Political Declaration was drafted by the Women’s Rights Caucus.
Civil society groups are locked out of negotiations on the CSW Working Methods. UN Security staff remove NGOs from the building after 6pm while negotiations continue late into the night. Women’s rights and gender equality organisations are disproportionally affected by UN pass restrictions. Despite CSW being the primary forum for the promotion of gender equality and women’s rights, it is full of contested areas and efforts to roll back advances.
‘It remains deplorable that the Committee on the Status of Women is negotiating a text of ‘Agreed Conclusions’ that, once again, don’t make a single reference to Women’s Human Rights Defenders, their work, their challenges and their protection needs. Meanwhile, activists working on women’s rights, sexuality and gender justice are facing worsening attacks around the world’.
Ways forward
As a result, feminists globally have calling for a transformation to make the UN more feminist and came up with practical steps to achieve this; the 100 day agenda for the Secretary General..
Pacific feminists are part of this call for change. Stronger voices are being amplified through building alliances, forums, networks, and resourcing the ability of feminist NGOs from across the region to meet and caucus ahead of international forums, The Pacific Feminist Forum and the We Rise and Shifting the Power Coalitions are innovative examples. They are concerned about ‘putting at risk the gains we have made for women’s rights’:
“For too long, the CSW has failed to recognise the human rights associated with sexual orientation and gender identity. It’s time for the CSW to uphold these critical human rights.”
Pacific feminists have also expressed disappointment that the text of the Agreed Outcomes at CSW continually fall short, being used to try to restrict women’s bodily autonomy, movement, sexuality and decision-making over their lives.
To counter this, Pacific feminists are forging strategies for influencing government stakeholders at CSW. They are strengthening Pacific civil society to engage and influence at global forums. They are negotiating agreed language and advocating for its inclusion in Pacific state delegates input to global forums. They are insisting on greater engagement with Pacific decision makers, enabling greater coordination and continually lobbying to influence CSW outcomes on protections for gender identity. They are pushing on with feminist activism even in the midst of a pandemic and cyclones recognising crisis exacerbates inequalities.
If you too are concerned about the voices not being heard at CSW and at other UN forums, what can you do? Support these coalitions. Keep an eye on shrinking spaces and changing arrangements. Propose alternatives to the current CSW model where civil society is corralled into the furthest away parallel sessions which are not attended by states and government officials.
Include civil society delegates inside government official delegations so they have access to the room and can inform language debates. Advocate for and support for civil society to continue their vital role at the UN. This includes being involved in virtual meetings being held during the pandemic, and better funding for gender equality at the UN. Lobby to hold the CSW in places other than USA where visa restrictions are denying civil society from many parts of the world access. Reject holding closed meetings prior to CSW, before civil society have travelled to USA. Join feminist caucuses and networks to champion voices who have experienced exclusion to ensure marginalised women are not left behind.
** Jane Alver, PhD Candidate at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra, Australia.
