ORU Fogar Promotes the Regional Equality Agenda at the UN CSW70

Within the framework of the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), held from 9 to 30 March in New York, ORU Fogar further consolidated its role as a key international actor in advancing gender equality policies, reaffirming that regions are indispensable in closing inequality gaps and advancing justice.

The delegation—comprising Claudia Martínez (Americas, Secretary for Women of the Province of Córdoba, Argentina), Miren Elgarresta (Europe, Director of Emakunde – Basque Institute for Women), and Miriam Issa Sidibé (Africa, President of the Regional Coordination of Women’s NGOs in Mopti, Mali)—opened its agenda with a high-level strategic meeting with Sarah Douglas, Deputy Director of the Policy Division at UN Women. The meeting provided an opportunity to deepen collaboration between ORU Fogar and UN Women, with a focus on strengthening the capacity of regional governments to implement the 2030 Agenda and ensuring that global gender equality commitments translate into effective policies at the local level.

Elevating the Role of Regions at CSW70

The delegation subsequently participated actively in the Day of Local and Regional Governments. In this context, the contribution of the Malian delegate was particularly significant. Miriam Issa Sidibé addressed a global audience on the critical challenges faced by women in the Sahel region, shaped by conflict, humanitarian crises and climate change. Her intervention underscored how, despite these challenges, African women are leading community resilience efforts within their territories.

Alongside her, Martínez and Elgarresta advocated for the systematic integration of a regional perspective into multilateral processes, highlighting multilevel governance as a key mechanism for ensuring the protection and advancement of women’s rights globally.

The session concluded with remarks by Martínez, who drew attention to the persistent political violence faced by women across different contexts, warning of emerging setbacks that threaten hard-won progress in gender equality. She called for a strengthened collective response, grounded in coordinated action among governments, international organizations and civil society, to safeguard and advance these gains. Her closing remarks emphasized the need for unity and sustained political commitment to ensure full and violence-free participation for all women.

Regional Strategies for the Implementation of Beijing+30

For the first time within the official CSW70 programme, ORU Fogar organized the side event “Bridging the Justice Gap: Regional Strategies for the Implementation of the Beijing+30 Mandates,” broadcast from the Basque Government Delegation in New York.

The agenda also included a series of strategic meetings with authorities and representatives from various countries and international organizations, aimed at strengthening partnerships and advancing a shared agenda on gender equality. Notable contributions were made by Alejandra Mora Mora (Executive Secretary of CIM–OAS), Elizabeth Theiler (Vice-Rector of the National University of Villa María), and Silvina Jurich (Provincial Legislator of Córdoba, Argentina), who offered key insights into the challenges of fostering coordination across different levels of government, academia and multilateral institutions.

The webinar became a mosaic of diverse voices extending beyond the work of the three ORU Fogar delegates. Particularly noteworthy was the contribution of Luz Haro, a rural women’s leader from Ecuador and member of the Ibero-American Union of Municipalists, who highlighted the long-standing struggle for the recognition of rural women’s role in production and food security.

The session was further enriched by additional territorial experiences showcasing best practices in the integration of justice, health and social protection systems. It also highlighted how public policy models—such as the Comprehensive Women’s Centre of Córdoba and the Euskadi 2030 Strategy—can serve as valuable references for governments seeking to eradicate gender-based violence and strengthen women’s empowerment.

The event concluded by reaffirming ORU Fogar’s commitment to continue promoting the exchange of these territorial practices, grounded in the conviction that regional action—across the Americas, Europe and Africa—is essential to building a path towards real, effective and lasting equality for all women.