When the United Nations’ 70th annual Commission on the Status of Women, the key global body dedicated to promoting gender equality, rights and the empowerment of women, met earlier this month, many of its usual audiences were absent.
This was for a few reasons. First, many feminist activists and organisations feel increasingly disenchanted with the UN. It is disheartening to watch this multilateral institution seemingly unable to preserve peace and stop the genocide and wars ongoing in Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Ukraine and Iran, to name a few.
The location of the meeting – New York – was also a problem for many. The United States was already inaccessible to many due to its stringent visa restrictions, and it has become even more so with concerns around ICE detainment or illegal deportations, as well as flight disruptions as a result of the US-Israel war on Iran. Many activists rightly question the value of critical meetings being held in a country where the people most impacted by the issues being discussed are unable to bring their concerns to the policymakers and government representatives making life-changing decisions.
