Spain promotes a space for global dialogue at the 69th CSW in order to advance towards an International Feminist Alliance

The Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, speaks at the 69th Commission on the Legal and Social Status of Women

In the framework of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), the Ministry of Equality has organised the event "Dialogues for an International Feminist Alliance", a space for reflection and collective construction to strengthen international cooperation on gender equality and define a shared roadmap for the coming months.

In a context of growing resistance to advances in women's and girls' rights, the meeting, held at the Cervantes Institute in New York, has made it possible to generate strategic alliances between governments, international organisations, civil society and other key actors, with the aim of consolidating a common vision and laying the foundations for a coordinated response to the current challenges in the area of gender equality.

The Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, has raised the need for a global feminist alliance to confront "a conservative wave that is sweeping the world and endangering the rights that have been won." The minister insisted that "now is not the time to stand still, but to steadily move forwards. We owe it to our predecessors."

Redondo assured that Spain is proposing "an open alliance, a proposal to begin a dialogue, which all countries committed to equality can join." Furthermore, she stressed that such a union needs a multi-level impetus, i.e. the support of civil society, local governments and the European Union. "In the face of divide and rule, together we are stronger," she concluded.

The event has involved UN Women as an essential partner in this process. At the closing ceremony, the organisation's deputy executive director, Kirsi Madi, stressed the importance of promoting multilateral commitments to advance a shared agenda and strengthen global action in favour of equality.

A key dialogue towards a common roadmap

The meeting brought together prominent leaders and experts on gender equality, such as Antonia Orellana (Chile), Aparecida Gonçalves (Brazil), María Fernanda Espinosa (Global Women Leader Voices) and Zahra Joya (Rukhshana Media, Afghanistan), among others. Throughout the different interventions, the main challenges and opportunities for strengthening international cooperation and expanding advocacy opportunities at the global level were addressed.

During the session, key messages and commitments were shared in the context of the review of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Political Declaration for the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. On the basis of this dialogue, the first foundations have been laid for the definition of a shared roadmap, with the aim of identifying strategic priorities and mechanisms for joint action in the coming months.

Spain has reaffirmed its commitment to the construction of a space for plural and proactive dialogue to articulate efforts and join forces in favour of gender equality. Equality is not just a principle, but a collective responsibility that requires cooperation, determination and political will to achieve sustainable and effective progress at the global level.

Non official translation