By Virginia Pratt, WILPF Boston Branch member
It was both a pleasure and an honor to serve as a WILPF representative at this year’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations. The CSW is dedicated to advancing women, peace, and security.
The U.N. was founded on the principle of preventing war. At the event, a U.N. diplomat shared that the organization rose from the aftermath of World War II to unite conflicting parties and avert future wars. The U.N.’s mission has expanded to include sustainable development, poverty eradication, and the elimination of all discrimination against women.
Nearly 30 years ago, the Beijing conference famously declared that women’s rights are human rights. Just, democratic societies demand equal rights for women. We now recognize that equal rights are essential for all gender identities.
Global Efforts and Challenges: Country Reports on Women’s Rights
Many CSW programs and reports measured progress on women’s rights—reproductive rights, access to education, healthcare, legal services, poverty eradication, political participation, and protection from violence and sexual abuse. Outcomes vary—some countries excel, others lag far behind, and many fall somewhere in between. Women in Afghanistan endure what some call gender apartheid. Black, brown, and Indigenous women remain marginalized globally. Trafficking of women is rooted in poverty. CSW participants acknowledged that we are living in a time of backlash.
Without peace, no nation can advance its standard of living. Conflict devastates entire societies, and women and girls face outsized harm. Funds that could build schools, enhance healthcare, improve the environment, and provide homes are instead diverted to war. In nations facing war, women suffer immeasurably, conditions decline, and progress stalls. Conflict zones breed displacement, starvation, and daily survival challenges.
The U.N. defines security not by military strength or large war budgets, but by meeting human needs and raising living standards—what we know to be “real security.” Studies show that when women participate in peace talks, agreements are more likely to foster lasting peace and real security.
Diplomacy in Action: Grassroots and Global Collaboration at CSW
During a formal session reviewing five years of progress, representatives from over 30 countries delivered reports. Notably, no US representative spoke. I heard many sincere efforts to improve women’s status: reforming domestic violence laws to protect women, enforcing quotas for women in parliament, changing inheritance laws, expanding public education and gender equality, and combating online harassment.
The CSW provided a unique space to observe diplomacy in action—both in formal sessions and through grassroots and civil society groups’ engagement. Attendees from these groups delivered presentations, shared ideas, and connected with others driving change. Throughout the two-week CSW, participants engaged in more than 700 events, both official U.N. meetings and gatherings organized by grassroots and nonprofit groups.
The United Nations: Challenges, Critiques, and Hopes for Reform
While I left the CSW with deep respect for the United Nations and its mission, I recognize its flaws. Like many, I wish it would do more to prevent war and genocide. Many believe the U.N. should not reside in the US due to current travel bans affecting over 70 countries, militaristic tendencies, and insufficient investment in the U.N., and I agree. The US often votes against U.N. resolutions advancing peace and security, weakening the organization’s mission. We also do not recognize the Declaration of Human Rights, despite it being drafted by our own Eleanor Roosevelt.
The CSW and WILPF’s Vision: Advancing Feminist Peace and Justice
At WILPF, we remain committed to advancing our vision of a feminist peace—one that rejects military solutions and champions human rights and environmental justice. The United Nations and the Commission on the Status of Women stand as powerful allies in this vision.
