Participants Shared their Reflections about the 69th CSW (Commission on the Status of Women)
During the university’s 2025 spring break, we traveled to the United Nations Headquarters in New York to participate in the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The CSW is a global forum that meets annually to evaluate progress on gender equality and promote women’s rights worldwide. This year, we contributed meaningfully to the conference by presenting a student-led Parallel Event titled “Confronting Gender-Based Violence to Promote Peace & Justice.” The event brought together academic research and grassroots insights from women in conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other settings in Nigeria.
Under the guidance of Global Affairs Professor Allen Pietrobon, our delegation partnered with Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS), conducting in-depth research during the fall and spring semesters on international human rights systems, global governance, and gender policy. We participated in workshops focused on topics such as the Universal Periodic Review, policy writing, and UN peace processes, which helped prepare for their involvement in this high-level international forum on gender equality.
Our Experiences and Contributions
Nicole Mayo, a CGS Fellow, reflected on her experience attending the CSW as a delegate: “As a CGS Fellow, my role has been researching gender-based violence and mechanisms like the Universal Periodic Review. Being in those rooms, engaging in discussions, and hearing from global leaders was surreal. “Two fellow students, Cinthya Calderon-Hernandez and Lauren Woodhouse, served as Trinity’s official presenters on the panel. Calderon-Hernandez, a junior double-majoring in Political Science and Global Affairs with a minor in Communications, expressed the weight of presenting such sensitive material: “My biggest concern was to deliver a respectful and considerate presentation for the women in the DRC. I have to find a way to share research that will not undermine these women or take a part of their voice.”
Woodhouse, a junior in Global Affairs with a minor in Latin American Development Studies and Philosophy, echoed the pressure of presenting on a global stage. “I feel incredibly grateful…but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” she said, acknowledging the difficulty of managing her academic workload while preparing for the event. Woodhouse found support in her family, particularly her mother and sister, who helped her rehearse and offered feedback. For Calderon-Hernandez and Woodhouse, presenting at the UN was a moment of personal transformation. “I think I blacked out!” joked Woodhouse, reflecting on her nerves during the opening. To ensure effective communication with interpreters, she kept a digital reminder open that read, “SLOW DOWN.” Calderon-Hernandez found solace in the feedback from mentors and peers, which helped her overcome imposter syndrome. “There is a reason why I am doing this,” she said, feeling empowered by the encouragement she received.
Behind-the-Scenes Impact
While Mayo did not present at the event, her behind-the-scenes work in research and engagement was just as impactful. She noted that many attendees highlighted the importance of intersectionality in addressing gender-based violence. “It was a full-circle moment to walk into the General Assembly Hall, a place that had been on my vision board,” she said, underscoring the profound significance of the event.
Professor Pietrobon’s Perspective
Professor Allen Pietrobon, who facilitated the fellowship program, emphasized the importance of student-led participation. “This is the second-largest annual event the UN hosts, and the students are not just attending; they’re working as delegates,” he said. “They’re grappling with very high-level topics and doing so with impressive insight.” The Trinity delegation’s involvement at the CSW is a testament to the university’s commitment to empowering students to contribute meaningfully to global conversations on gender equality and human rights. Their research, preparation, and presentations highlighted the importance of grassroots perspectives in tackling complex international issues, especially gender-based violence in conflict zones.
Mary Morris
My sister, Sister Joan Burke, SNDdeN, had the privilege of serving as the first NGO representative of the Roman Catholic Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur twenty years ago. When her successor, Sister Isabelle Izika, invited my friend Nancy Feve and me to attend some sessions of the recent Commission on the Status of Women at the UN, we jumped at the opportunity. Our first session was conducted by women leaders from Kenya, a country I had the privilege of visiting while my sister was stationed there. It was thrilling to listen to women elected to numerous offices there, describing their accomplishments and exciting plans for the future. Our next session dealt with how American women used fashion to gradually take a larger role in the life of their country. Since both Nancy and I sew, she, clothing, and me, costumes, we were fascinated to see how they used pockets and shorter hems to play a role in the country. We ended our time there with a fascinating session on the need to help the women of Ukraine rebuild after the war. We were also fascinated to see the women at the conference wearing the fabulous native dress of so many nations worldwide. We were especially impressed by a young Ukrainian woman wearing a 100-year-old Ukrainian blouse gorgeously embroidered by one of her ancestors. We, too, glowed with pride as we rode the train back to our Washington D.C. homes.
NANCY FEVE
I was thrilled to be invited to attend the UN Conference on the Status of Women. In my late seventies, accompanied by my friend Mary in her mid-eighties, we were not the sprightliest conference-goers, but we must surely have been among the most enthusiastic. It was invigorating to see all the native dresses from around the world and to hear the many different languages excitedly spoken. There seemed to be a wide variety of national representation, age, and gender. I was surprised to see how many men were in attendance. We only attended two days of meetings, but they were full and extremely interesting. From women’s political gains in Kenya to micro-loan entrepreneurship worldwide, we learned a lot about progress, often presented in relation to the thirty-year anniversary of the Beijing conference. A program about Ukraine (with the familiar slogan Build Back Better) discussed ideas for improving the role of women in post-war Ukraine. I dearly hope we will soon see such a scenario! A program on the relationship between fashion and politics was also fascinating, correlating changes in women’s attire with increasing freedom and status. It seems that if you can run or ride in your clothing and don’t have to carry a bag, you can do a lot more of what was traditionally reserved for men! A discussion of the problems of indigenous and trans women in Canada and elsewhere was fascinating but did illustrate one slight fault I found with most of the presentations. It seems to me that the presenters focused almost exclusively on persistent problems and progress made so far, particularly since Beijing, without offering suggestions for new or different approaches to try. In other words, their talks were descriptive rather than prescriptive. I was hoping to hear some fresh ideas for furthering progress, although, of course, it was gratifying to hear how much has already been accomplished. Clearly, there is still much to be done, but it is invigorating to hear how countries around the world are trying!
Kathryn Yanick
In early March, the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation team joined Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Isabelle Izika, Maria Delaney, and Ann Howard at the United Nations for the Commission on the Status of Women. We attended presentations at the UN, along with side events hosted by delegates and NGOs promoting equitable structures to advance the role of women in leadership. For me, one of the most powerful parts of the meeting was the experience of meeting women from all over the world and gaining some perspective on the challenges women face on an international level. During the week, we attended sessions on human trafficking, gender-based violence, youth movements, gender-responsive infrastructure, climate change, sustainable development, and more. The Holy See also hosted a panel on motherhood, which featured perspectives from the United States and Poland, outlining how we can better support women in our communities and workplaces. I look forward to attending CSW next year and joining Sr. Isabelle for the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development later this summer! This was a great opportunity to engage with communities across the world in advocating for justice.
Sabrina Harper
As a result of my attendance at this conference, I learned what governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and religious congregations are doing to eliminate gender-based violence, provide greater economic and educational opportunities for women and girls, and empower women to assume their rightful place in societies. For instance, I learned that India’s government has implemented a digital biometric identification system that has enabled the distribution of welfare funds free of fraud and has worked to reduce the barriers to financial literacy through digital and technological advancements. They have enrolled 1.4 billion people in the new ID system, established over 500 million bank accounts in 600 banks that process 11 billion transactions monthly. This open-source software is made available, free of charge, to the global south. This buildup of technology is helping to lift urban and rural women out of poverty by empowering and training them to take advantage of the financial marketplace.
On Thursday, March 13th, the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdowns, a silent protest in support of Gaza took place at noon near the US Mission Building across the street from the UN with signs supporting a permanent ceasefire and a just and lasting peace. We learned that at the same time, the group “Jewish Voice for Peace” had begun a non-violent sit-in at Trump Tower. The same day, activists gathered around the Federal Court Building in Lower Manhattan to demand the release of former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, who was being unlawfully detained because of his involvement in the Free Palestine movement. My short time in NY very much brought to me the importance of ordinary people believing in their power of grassroots advocacy.
Sister Ann Howard, SNDdeN
This year’s Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations was particularly interesting because I was able to achieve three things: attend a plenary session on Violence Against Women, stand in silent solidarity and march for Human Rights for Palestinian people in the Middle East, and participate in the Parallel Event directed by Dr. Allen Pietrobon of Trinity Washington University. None of this could have been accomplished without the assistance of our office at the United Nations, which guided me in my efforts to acquire a UN Ground Pass for this year’s 69th CSW, resulting in a successful three days at the UN. The panel presentation on Gender-Based Violence was conducted on Zoom and featured four main speakers: two Trinity students and two women working with women in crisis in Africa, specifically from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their presentations highlighted the statistics of human suffering in regions where women’s freedom and safety are at risk. The students reported various forms of violence, including early child marriage, female genital mutilation, and sexual violence in conflict. The women spoke from experience, having aided and guided women in their regions, one of whom survived a war. Dr. Pietrobon and his colleagues from CGS- Citizens for Global Solutions produced a video that is now available for public viewing. Thank you to Sr. Isabelle Izika, our NGO representative at the UN, speakers Lauren and Cinthya, Amaka and Chantal, our translators, and Sr. Emily Mullen and Mayo. It was a memorable experience working with this intergenerational, international panel. Regarding the plenary session on Women’s Rights, it is regrettable that, 30 years after the Beijing Movement (1995) focusing on Violence Against Women, while awareness is increasing, the safety and empowerment of women are diminishing. This year, let us strive to eradicate violence against women and promote justice and peace on Earth.