No to the pushback: global spotlight on gender equality

Australia’s work towards gender equality is being closely watched by other countries as women and girls around the world face a rollback of hard-won rights.

The 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the UN’s largest annual meeting on gender equality and women’s rights.

The two-week conference, held annually in New York, began in an unusual fashion with member states holding a contentious vote on agreed outcomes.

This has not happened for 70 years because consensus is generally accepted at the beginning of the event.

While the majority of member states supported the vote, only one, the United States, was noted to be against it.

The US voted no after proposed amendments to language opposing gender identity, reproductive health and artificial intelligence regulations.

It set the tone for a conference this year dedicated to discussing global access to justice.

Legal equality remains out of reach for the majority of the world’s women and girls, who have only 64 percent of the legal rights of men, according to a UN report published in January.

Thousands of delegates representing governments, charities, non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups from the UN’s 193 member countries have been accredited to attend CSW.

These included the official Australian delegation, including Office for Women chief executive Padma Raman, Gender Equality Ambassador Michelle O’Byrne, Gender Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody, Lowitja Institute director Jahna Cedar and Teach Us Consent founder Chanel Contos.

Other nations are closely monitoring Australia’s actions on gender equality, particularly the work of eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant, Dr Cody told AAP.

Australia’s eSafety Commission is the world’s first government regulator committed to keeping people safer online.

“Australia is a medium-sized power, but we are a much more active member of the international community in human rights, respect and enforcement,” Dr Cody said.

“But we also agree with the majority of member states in recognizing the full diversity of women, including First Nations women and girls, the LGBTQ community, and women with disabilities.”

A clear theme throughout many of the sessions was the backlash against gender equality efforts around the world.

UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous called on delegates to continue to “push back against pushback.”

“The fact that the commission went to a vote for the first time in its history tells us about the negativities we are all facing,” he said at a town hall meeting with the secretary-general.

“Civil society, you are the engine behind pushing back against pushback and moving forward; you are the drivers of conflict resolution, climate action and changes that are at the forefront of progress and sustainable development.”

Having attended CSW as part of the Australian delegation for the last three years, Dr. The theme of backlash and erosion in gender equality efforts is very evident this year, Cody said.

“This year it feels a little more real and a little more active,” he said.

“Actions against immigrant women are absolutely very harmful (because) immigrant women who are going to be deported will not leave their partners if they are in a violent relationship.

“So we have more hurdles to deal with.”

In official statements to the general assembly, Australia committed to ensuring women and girls everywhere are respected, safe and have access to justice.

“We must continue to work together to protect progress in the face of regression and resistance to gender equality,” Ms Raman said in presenting the Australian National Declaration.

“We must continue to emphasize, now more than ever, that everyone benefits from gender equality.”

Hundreds of sessions held on the sidelines of the conference revealed challenges and efforts around the world when it comes to justice, economic equality, gender data collection, violence against women and girls, and health outcomes.

UN Women Australia chief executive Simone Clarke said the funding challenges facing advocacy groups and charities working for gender equality were being felt more acutely this year than before.

A report by UN Women last year calculated that half of women’s organizations would go bankrupt within six months due to funding cuts around the world.

“The conversations I’ve had this week are very much about organizations and advocacy groups feeling threatened, but there’s also a great sense of optimism and hope,” Ms. Clarke said.

“Our history is full of dark moments, and I am not oblivious to the fact that we are in a particularly difficult situation right now, but if we focus only on the negative, it becomes a self-perpetuating prophecy.”

In his final speech to the commission before the end of his term as UN Secretary-General, António Guterres addressed power gaps as a natural cause of gender inequality.

He called out AI technology, the patriarchy among the workforce that built it, and the “bitter wind” blowing across the world.

“This wind is hardening attitudes and fueling a backlash against women’s rights,” she said.

“It is a response that feeds on disinformation, exploits fear and distrust, weaponizes culture wars, and aims to silence women.

“Keep shaking the foundations of privilege… no pushing back, no retreating, no turning back, no surrendering. Because we will never, ever give up.”