by Julien McKinney Young, AWG Paris
I attended Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) at the United Nations in New York City for the first time. As a FAWCO delegate, I attended sessions given by women’s groups from around the world, as well as volunteered with the NGO CSW Forum NY to help with directing conference attendees and speakers.
One morning I had an 8 am–12 pm shift where I helped at the door of a presentation by the Nepalese government about women’s rights in Nepal. I checked people in, made sure there were chairs for attendees and made sure the number of attendees did not exceed room maximum. The next morning I didn’t have a shift, but a girl texted over the volunteer WhatsApp group asking for help at the front door of the church building. So I walked over and helped out with directing attendees for an hour until more volunteers showed up.
There were over 400 simultaneous sessions in three buildings over a two-week period between the UN CSW events and the NGO CSW Forum events. I attended sessions in the first week, mostly NGO Forum events. Speakers presented information on all topics: from the needs of female farmers, online violence targeting women, advancements in women’s rights in Nepal, creating more equitable legal frameworks for women in developing countries, to the UN Development Program evaluating their successes over the past five years.
In between attending and/or volunteering at sessions, the FAWCO delegation met for meals or for drinks after the sessions closed.
My advice for future attendees: Buckle up and dive in!