‘We Are Winning Even in Difficult Times’ – Outright’s Latiyah Orneill’s Bold Speech at CSW69

New York, New York - March 12, 2025 -  Good morning, afternoon, and evening, everyone wherever you are on the globe.

I am Latiyah, UN Program Advisor at Outright International (one of the co-conveners for the Women’s Rights Caucus). My remarks will focus on human rights, as well as our losses and wins in the Beijing+30 political declaration.

In 1995, governments, civil society, media, academia, and other stakeholders were in Beijing to discuss the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Thirty years later, we are here at the UN to discuss its implementation by member states and to see member states recommit to achieving Gender Equality and its implementation in a global landscape where we witness constant pushback against all women's and girls' human rights.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a blueprint for the achievement of Gender Equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Its 12 critical areas call for us to focus on practical strategies undermining its implementation and realization. Critical area 9, Human Rights of Women, has been contested so much that it is hard to believe the realization of universal human rights for all women and girls.

On March 10th, the first day of the 69th session of CSW, marking the 30th anniversary of the BPfA, member states adopted a Political Declaration after weeks of negotiations. We have seen a lot of pushback on Gender Equality and inclusion in Intersectional languages and a loss of meaningful languages on Sexual and Reproductive rights, comprehensive sexual education, gender transformative approaches/strategies, and the protection of human rights defenders. This shows how far we are from the realization of the core objective of the BPfA, which reaffirms the fundamental principle outlined in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, and that the human rights of all women and the girl child are an inalienable, integral, and indivisible part of universal human rights, and that as an agenda for action, the Platform seeks to promote and protect the full enjoyment of all human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all women throughout their life cycle.

However, given our amazing Advocacy work, we can consider the Beijing+30 Political Declaration another strong tool we as civil society can use to push members of the Commission to be more effective and hold member states accountable. 

Let me highlight some of our wins.

For the first time in the history of political declarations, we have Gender-based Violence being adopted as a sentence in a Political Declaration; in the previous PD, we were only able to have violence against women and girls, minimizing the multi-intersectional forms of violence faced by women and girls in all their diversity. Human rights and fundamental freedoms language, with reference to full equal and meaningful participation; loud and clear references to CEDAW and the Pact for the Future; Structural barriers, discriminatory laws and practices, gender stereotypes, and negative social norms have been recognized and adopted in the declaration, equal pay for work of equal value is in the document; universal health coverage is in the document; menstrual health and hygiene is in the document in addition to multi-intersectional forms of discrimination (MIFD)

This is to say that we are coming from far, and we are winning even in difficult times where gender equality and women’s rights are under attack. 

Solidarity, Collaboration, Passion, Advocacy, Diplomacy, and Multilateralism are our tools, and we will keep marching on!

Thank you,
Latiyah Orneill
 

-  Good morning, afternoon, and evening, everyone wherever you are on the globe.

I am Latiyah, UN Program Advisor at Outright International (one of the co-conveners for the Women’s Rights Caucus). My remarks will focus on human rights, as well as our losses and wins in the Beijing+30 political declaration.

In 1995, governments, civil society, media, academia, and other stakeholders were in Beijing to discuss the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Thirty years later, we are here at the UN to discuss its implementation by member states and to see member states recommit to achieving Gender Equality and its implementation in a global landscape where we witness constant pushback against all women's and girls' human rights.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a blueprint for the achievement of Gender Equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Its 12 critical areas call for us to focus on practical strategies undermining its implementation and realization. Critical area 9, Human Rights of Women, has been contested so much that it is hard to believe the realization of universal human rights for all women and girls.

On March 10th, the first day of the 69th session of CSW, marking the 30th anniversary of the BPfA, member states adopted a Political Declaration after weeks of negotiations. We have seen a lot of pushback on Gender Equality and inclusion in Intersectional languages and a loss of meaningful languages on Sexual and Reproductive rights, comprehensive sexual education, gender transformative approaches/strategies, and the protection of human rights defenders. This shows how far we are from the realization of the core objective of the BPfA, which reaffirms the fundamental principle outlined in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, and that the human rights of all women and the girl child are an inalienable, integral, and indivisible part of universal human rights, and that as an agenda for action, the Platform seeks to promote and protect the full enjoyment of all human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all women throughout their life cycle.

However, given our amazing Advocacy work, we can consider the Beijing+30 Political Declaration another strong tool we as civil society can use to push members of the Commission to be more effective and hold member states accountable. 

Let me highlight some of our wins.

For the first time in the history of political declarations, we have Gender-based Violence being adopted as a sentence in a Political Declaration; in the previous PD, we were only able to have violence against women and girls, minimizing the multi-intersectional forms of violence faced by women and girls in all their diversity. Human rights and fundamental freedoms language, with reference to full equal and meaningful participation; loud and clear references to CEDAW and the Pact for the Future; Structural barriers, discriminatory laws and practices, gender stereotypes, and negative social norms have been recognized and adopted in the declaration, equal pay for work of equal value is in the document; universal health coverage is in the document; menstrual health and hygiene is in the document in addition to multi-intersectional forms of discrimination (MIFD)

This is to say that we are coming from far, and we are winning even in difficult times where gender equality and women’s rights are under attack. 

Solidarity, Collaboration, Passion, Advocacy, Diplomacy, and Multilateralism are our tools, and we will keep marching on!

Thank you,
Latiyah Orneill