From Grassroots to Geneva: Reflections on Delivering an Oral Statement at the UN Human Rights Council

The United Nations is one of these crucial decision-making venues. To amplify the lived realities of lesbian, bisexual, and queer persons in South Africa, FEW submitted a joint thematic report to the United Nations Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, in response to a call for country-level information on violence and discrimination experienced by LBQ women. FEW documented the barriers that queer women in South Africa face in accessing justice, healthcare, and equal treatment. The submission was an opportunity to ensure that the experiences of our communities informed an international human rights process that has the potential to influence governments and strengthen accountability. Contributing evidence directly to a UN mandate affirmed that local voices belong within global human rights conversations and that international mechanisms can become powerful tools for advocacy at home.

FEW was able to further elevate South African LBQ women’s voices by participating in LBQ Advocacy Week in Geneva, co-organized by Outright International. LBQ Advocacy Week brought together 11 activists from across the world to strengthen our collective engagement with the UN human rights system through strategy sessions, advocacy trainings, meetings with UN experts, and participation in proceedings of the Human Rights Council. For many of us, it was our first time navigating these spaces, making the learning both practical and transformative. It reinforced that while our contexts may differ, the struggles for equality, bodily autonomy, safety, and justice are shared across borders.

One of the highlights of the week was participating in the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Independent Expert during the Human Rights Council session. The Human Rights Council is the principal UN body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights globally, and an Interactive Dialogue is a formal session where UN-appointed independent human rights experts and special rapporteurs present thematic reports and share their findings and recommendations. UN member states and civil society organizations have an opportunity to engage through oral statements. These statements provide civil society with a unique opportunity to place community perspectives directly into the official UN record and to influence international human rights discussions.

I had the honor of delivering an oral statement, developed by our collective of LBQ activists, on behalf of Outright. I understood that I was representing far more than my own organization or my own voice; I was carrying the collective analysis, experiences, and advocacy of activists from multiple countries who had contributed to shaping our message.

The process of writing the oral statement was a learning experience. We came from different countries, different movements, and different advocacy traditions. Each of us brought our own experiences, political analysis, and understanding of what mattered most to our communities. Yet through an incredibly rich and collaborative process, we created something that reflected all of us. 

Standing before state representatives, UN officials, and civil society organizations was a privilege that I do not take lightly. The oral statement itself lasted only one minute and thirty seconds, but I recognized its weight, knowing I was carrying the voices, experiences, ideas, and labor of every LBQ activist who had contributed to creating that statement. The experience reminded me that advocacy is rarely about individual recognition. While one person may stand behind the microphone, effective advocacy is almost always built collectively. Behind many oral statements are countless conversations, consultations, lived experiences, and moments of solidarity that make them possible.

This experience reaffirmed that LBQ feminist advocacy is as much about how we work together as it is about what we say. The participatory process of drafting our statement embodied the very values we advocate for: shared leadership, collective decision-making, respect for diverse perspectives, and the belief that those most affected by injustice must shape the narratives that speak to their own realities.

As someone who has spent more than ten years building a grassroots organization, I found this experience deeply affirming. It demonstrated that grassroots activism and international advocacy are not separate worlds but interconnected spaces that strengthen one another. The stories we hear in our communities deserve to be heard in Geneva, and the commitments made in Geneva must ultimately translate into meaningful protection, equality, and justice for the LBQ communities we return to.
Leaving Geneva, I carried more than memories of speaking at the United Nations. I left with stronger partnerships, greater confidence in engaging international mechanisms, and a renewed understanding of the importance of bringing grassroots voices into global human rights spaces. 

The experience reinforced my belief that organizations like FEW have an important role to play in shaping international human rights conversations and that when we advocate collectively across borders, we amplify not only our voices but also our impact.