These last two weeks I’ve been UN Women UK delegate at the UN #CSW68. 

I didn’t know what to expect. But I’m so glad I took part.  I recommend you do as well, next year, if you care about global equality for women.

There were some insightful moments at official, side and parallel sessions.

Three standout moments are:

• A powerful workshop about a creative journey to becoming change agents, called: Ecofeminist Embodied Workshop for Activating Systems of Protection for Women. Wow! It was a brilliant experience of how fighting for equality can also be a creative collaborative journey at times, drawing on the analogy of caterpillar and butterfly, with somatic activities, reflection and guidance. All set within the context of equality for women in theatre and climate change too. Thanks to Beth Osnes Sarah Fahmy, University of Colorado Boulder.  I was on the train from London to Bristol experiencing this compelling workshop!

• The opening speeches at the official session: 4-5 minutes from each UN member about the progress or not that has been made in each country on the journey towards equality for women. Including a focus on poverty, education, healthcare, fighting crime,  in and out of the workplace and home. I was struck by how much campaigning and grassroots work goes on  – yet how far we all still have to go. The need to be resilient is so vital. 

• An intense talk: Empowering Women Cooperatives in India. With a theme of how cooperatives and women leading on them and owning assets can and does reduce poverty in families. But that this must be underpinned by addressing gender violence.

Next steps 

Overall the two weeks – despite a sense of shock and sadness – also gave me hope and optimism for our future, as women and people who care about equality.

Clearly we are not there yet – there is so much to do. For me, there’s also a potential project on resilience and female founders here in the UK and more work on supporting female leadership programmes. 

I’m sending thanks to for the opportunity to UN Women UK and the delegates #CSW68 your online presence and input.