Young Feminists Demand Transformative Action at CSW69: A Call for Accountability, Inclusion, and Systemic Reform

Across multiple high-level dialogues, youth-led forums, and strategic roundtables, young feminists articulated an urgent need for systemic change.

As the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) convened in New York, a powerful movement of young feminists and girl leaders took center stage, demanding not just a seat at the table but a fundamental restructuring of global decision-making processes. Marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the conference became a critical space for reflection, strategy, and mobilization towards gender equality.

Youth Leadership at the Forefront: Voices Shaping the Future

Across multiple high-level dialogues, youth-led forums, and strategic roundtables, young feminists articulated an urgent need for systemic change. They underscored the necessity of recognizing young activists as co-leaders rather than token stakeholders and emphasized their pivotal role in shaping policies that directly impact their lives.

During a High-Level Interactive Dialogue on March 14, young representatives shared their insights, challenges, and proposed concrete solutions to gender-based violence, education accessibility, and economic empowerment. The discussion highlighted the significant progress made since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration while also exposing persistent gaps in policy implementation and the urgent need for actionable solutions.

CSW69 Global Youth Forum: Redefining Leadership and Power

On March 9, over 180 young activists convened at the CSW69 Global Youth Forum, a groundbreaking event that provided a platform for youth-led strategic planning. Through regional roundtables, intergenerational dialogues, and policy drafting sessions, young feminists laid out bold demands for:

• Power Redistribution: Shifting decision-making power from international organizations back to local and national levels to ensure community-centered accountability.
• Institutional Reforms: Creating mechanisms that institutionalize youth leadership rather than relegating young feminists to consultative roles.
• Gender-Responsive Governance: Holding global institutions accountable for ensuring gender inclusivity in leadership roles.

Maitree Muzumdar, a young feminist leader, reinforced these priorities: “Our call to action is to decenter some of the power that is here and shift it back to the local, national, and regional levels. We must institutionalize young feminists’ leadership where we are leading processes, not just being consulted.”

Aligning the Beijing Platform with the Pact for the Future

A solutions-oriented dialogue on March 12 focused on integrating the Beijing Platform for Action with the Pact for the Future to ensure the continuity of gender equality efforts. Youth delegates emphasized:

• Transparency in Policy Implementation: Advocating for clear and trackable roadmaps to achieve gender parity.
• Intersectional Data Collection: Developing research frameworks that reflect the lived realities of marginalized communities, including young women with disabilities and Indigenous youth.
• Youth Participation in Governance: Ensuring that young feminist voices shape negotiations at key decision-making bodies, from local councils to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Empowering Adolescent Girls: Prioritizing Education, Digital Equity, and Safety

On March 13, the “Rights, Equality, and Empowerment for All Girls” session provided a platform for young activists to outline their most pressing concerns and propose direct solutions, including:

• Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE): Advocating for CSE as a fundamental tool in combating sexual violence and gender discrimination.
• Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV): Calling for legal protections and social accountability in the digital space.
• Economic and Digital Literacy: Pushing for investments that provide young women with the skills needed to thrive in modern economies.

UN Women’s Comfort Lamptey and UNICEF’s Lauren Rumble expressed commitment to ensuring that these recommendations translate into real-world action. “We recognize the transformative power of investing in adolescent girls,” said Rumble. “Their leadership development must be prioritized, not sidelined.”

Beijing+30: Strengthening Feminist Movements for Lasting Change

The March 14 High-Level Interactive Dialogue: Beijing@30 reaffirmed the critical role of young people in bridging generational divides and advancing systemic change. Youth speakers, including Eva Chukwunelo and Sanjana Chhantyal, challenged outdated economic structures that perpetuate gender inequality, calling for radical financial reforms that ensure equitable resource distribution.

Austrian Youth Delegate Jana Berchtold delivered a powerful message: “We must reform institutions at all levels—from local governments to international bodies, including the UN Security Council—and guarantee that women’s participation remains the foundation of peaceful and inclusive societies.”

Sustained Advocacy for a Gender-Equal Future

As CSW69 enters its final phase, young feminist leaders remain unwavering in their commitment to holding global institutions accountable. Their advocacy extends beyond the conference, with continued mobilization at key platforms such as the ECOSOC Youth Forum, the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), and the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80).

With bold demands, strategic planning, and a unified call for transformative change, young feminists are turning promises into action. Their vision for the future is clear: gender equality must be a lived reality, not an aspirational goal.