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I landed at 7:30am (a little late) after 24+ hours travelling. The drive from Newark Liberty International Airport into Manhattan took just under two hours, but thankfully the hotel let me check in early so I could shower before heading straight to the UN to collect my grounds pass. 

When I arrived, Wendy Logan (SISEAP CSW scholarship winner) from NZ kindly gave me the Opening General Assembly ticket for SISEAP (only one allowed per NGO), so I was able to sit in the UN General Assembly Hall for the opening session. I sadly missed hearing from Malala Yousafzai and Anne Hathaway, but it was still incredible to listen to a number of world leaders speak.

I then had lunch with the SISEAP group and caught up with Joanne, Donnell, Cherrie and Filomena. After that we queued for tickets to the Townhall, where NGO representatives can ask questions directly to António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General. 

In the afternoon I attended a parallel event hosted by the International Network of Liberal Women on “Women driving Judicial and Policy Reform in Southeast Asia”. It focused heavily on how internal conflicts across the region are displacing women and girls, particularly in Myanmar and along the Cambodia/Thailand border. There was also discussion about how some large foreign infrastructure and investment projects (often as part of the China Belt and Road initiative) are displacing communities, with women and girls often bearing the greatest impact. 

 On a positive note, attention was drawn to Malaysia and the Philippines where, despite more authoritarian political environments, women hold around 30% of seats in the respective national parliaments. This session was a good reminder that, as Australians, we should not forget about our Southeast Asian neighbours, and the conflicts and displacement taking place in countries close to home. 

 I finished the day back in the General Assembly where I managed to secure an afternoon ticket just in time to see the Agreed Conclusions voted and passed. It was quite a tense session after the USA proposed several amendments (linked to Donald Trump’s policy positions) which one SI delegate described as “retrograde”. Member states ultimately voted not to consider those amendments individually, and the Agreed Conclusions were adopted - with the US the only state voting against them. This marked the first time in the 70-year history of the Commission that the Agreed Conclusions were not adopted by consensus! After the vote, several countries spoke, including Germany, expressing disappointment about how the process had unfolded.

On the second day, I started with the SI debrief where SI Advocacy Advisor (Research/Violence), Linda Witong, explained what had unfolded in the General Assembly the day before, and what the USA’s proposed amendments would have meant for women and girls – including a definition of “gender” which would have only included biological women. 

 I then attended the Townhall Meeting, which was an amazing experience listening to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres answer tough questions from the NGOs . Before it began, I met SI Americas President, Sue Riney, and her husband -who is also a Soroptimist member (and even their son is a member!).  

His Excellency applauded civil society groups such as SI for “shaking the foundations of privilege” in a male-dominated world. He emphasised the important role civil society plays in the decision-making processes, noting that participation of civil society enriches those discussions because we often have a deeper understanding of the issues affecting women than governments alone. 

Some of the memorable quotes included: 

Another highlight of the day was meeting fellow youth Soroptimist representatives at CSW70 and having a productive meeting with Berthe De Vos-Neven, SI Director of Advocacy, about how we can better engage young members and publicise the fact that SI does have a strong youth presence. We are now working towards a goal of young members delivering a side event at CSW71 – so watch this space!

It was inspiring to meet youth members from across the world: from eClubs in Italy, a club on the border of Mexico and California (El Centro), a young woman who is a member of both a Toronto club and a Kenyan club, and another who has just established a club for young members in London.

Following that meeting I attended a side event hosted by Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Sierra Leone, UN Women and KADEM on “Future of Justice: Technological Pathways for Women’s Access”. It was very interesting to hear how these countries are using technology to improve women’s access to justice.

For example, in Türkiye there is a free hotline for domestic violence victims, and in Azerbaijan they are moving toward an electronic court system that allows women to appear remotely, making the process easier for those with caring responsibilities. However, there are still challenges to address, including:

• Removing harmful online content targeting women more quickly; and
• Ensuring government legal and regulatory websites are available in local languages to make justice systems more accessible.

The Australian debrief, led by the Australian Human Rights Commission Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Anna Cody, was very insightful and provided an excellent opportunity to meet other Australians representing NGOs. Representatives shared what they had been attending at CSW70, and there appears to be a common theme emerging across many events: the prevalence of gender-based violence and the urgent need for action to eradicate it.

On a positive note, Australia is being recognised internationally as a leader in online safety, particularly because of the work of the eSafety Commissioner.

I finished the second day with the SI Reception, which was a wonderful opportunity to meet Soroptimist members from around the world.