Commission on the Status of Women 2025
New York, USA | March 10, 2025
Key Documents
The Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (Call to Action), led by Norway, convened a technical-level side event during the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York. The event brought together partners from states and donors, international organisations, NGOs, and women-led organisations to discuss protection challenges in humanitarian settings and the role of the Call to Action in addressing them.
Context and Purpose
The event took place against a backdrop of:
Increasing global instability and humanitarian crises
Reductions in humanitarian funding
Growing risks of gender-based violence for women and girls
Participants examined how these trends impact GBV prevention and response, and explored how to sustain progress despite declining resources and political challenges.
Key Focus Areas
Prioritising GBV in a Changing Global Landscape
Discussions aimed to assess:
Current global trends in GBV and protection risks
The impact of shifting political and financial priorities
Gaps in existing response efforts
Participants highlighted the importance of maintaining GBV as a life-saving priority within humanitarian action.
Strengthening the Role of the Call to Action
The event emphasised the role of the Call to Action as a multi-stakeholder platform for:
Collective advocacy and accountability
Coordinated action across humanitarian actors
Promoting prioritisation of GBV prevention and response
Discussions explored how the partnership can continue to drive action and maintain relevance in a constrained global environment.
Funding, Political Will, and Accountability
A central theme was the need to:
Secure sustainable and predictable funding for GBV programming
Strengthen political commitment and leadership
Ensure accountability across the humanitarian system
Participants explored how to address funding gaps and prevent further deprioritisation of GBV in emergencies.
Collaboration and Forward-Looking Dialogue
The roundtable format aimed to:
Foster open dialogue among partners
Identify practical and innovative solutions
Strengthen collaboration with other platforms and actors
The event created space for participants to exchange ideas and explore how to translate commitments into action.
Summary
The CSW69 side event provided a platform for partners to reflect on emerging challenges in GBV prevention and response and to explore how the Call to Action can strengthen collective action, advocacy, and accountability in a rapidly changing humanitarian context.