In March, six passionate delegates represented us at the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69)—a global gathering committed to advancing gender equality. Our delegation embodied the power of intergenerational collaboration: girl advocate Ruby, youth leaders Jenalle Anthonypillai and Ana Paula Mantegazza Mori, IBVM Sisters Brenda Eagan and Leonida Kwamboka Oriki, and Mary Campbell, Chair of Women for Women in Africa, where Leonida also serves.
Their experiences, insights, and hopes are shared in the video above—each voice a testament to the courage and clarity of purpose that defined these two powerful weeks.
This year marked the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—the world’s most visionary blueprint for gender equality. Yet, despite decades of progress, we were reminded again: not a single country has achieved full gender equality. Over 600 side and parallel events brought together people of all backgrounds, reaffirming that true justice and wellbeing for societies everywhere depends on the full participation and equal rights of women and girls.
Our delegation co-hosted a powerful parallel event with other Catholic Religious Congregations, exploring the vital role of women of faith in achieving gender justice. In a standing-room-only session filled with shared conviction, Brenda and Leonida spoke on the charism of our congregation and the visionary legacy of our foundress, Mary Ward—a woman ahead of her time, whose voice still calls us forward.
Ruby, with wisdom and eloquence beyond her years, played a key role in several events. She helped moderate the Teen Orientation organized by the Working Group on Girls, guiding peers from around the world. At a UN Women event and two NGO-led forums, Ruby delivered powerful testimony on the lived experiences of girls in her community—raising urgent issues and offering solutions. Her message was clear: access to quality education and inclusion in decision-making are not optional; they are essential.
Those two weeks were alive with energy, hope, and unstoppable momentum. We met extraordinary people from across the globe—each one working tirelessly, each story a reminder that progress is hard-won and never guaranteed.
As UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous so powerfully said, now is the time to “embrace bold, urgent, and transformative action.” To stand strong, to move forward, and to never settle for less than full equality, dignity, and empowerment—for every woman and every girl.
Let us be the ones who push forward when others push back. Let us be the generation that turns possibility into progress.
Together, we can make gender equality a lived reality.
Auteur: Janet Palafox ibvm, IBVM/CJ Representative to the United Nations
