Soroptimist Ann Beatty’s First-Time Experience of CSW in New York
On Monday 27 April 2026 we heard first-hand about the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 2026, CSW70, with the theme “Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls”.
Ann Beatty is a member of Soroptimist International St Albans & District and also the Chief Executive of the education charity the Steve Sinnott Foundation. Ann attended CSW69 on-line last year, and this year attended CSW in person for the first time (see photo) as one of the delegates from Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland.
Barbara Saunders OBE welcomed everyone to the meeting which coincided with the Club’s 69th Anniversary. She said it was wonderful to have so many guests from far and wide. Barbara introduced Ann with much anticipation and emphasised the importance of gender equality and education.
Ann then shared with the audience her 10-day experience of attending the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York in March. Ann attended as part of the Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland delegation and also represented the Steve Sinnott Foundation. She described the overwhelming nature of the event with hundreds of parallel events and side meetings. She discussed the political debates around women’s rights, particularly regarding US attempts to roll back agreed conclusions, and highlighted her participation in events focusing on education, Haiti, and intersex issues. The discussion included questions about the effectiveness of CSW, the representation of different voices, and the influence of various organisations at the UN. Participants shared insights about the challenges of navigating the complex UN system and the importance of networking with other like-minded organisations working toward gender equality and education for all.
You can click here to view Ann’s slides Ann Beatty SIGBI CSW70 2026 and click here to watch the recording of the event on Youtube: https://youtu.be/cxYQM2d0waA
Ann said how positive it was to network with other women and organisations working on various UN Sustainable Development Goals and she has been in contact with many subsequently. She discussed the debate around the proposal to merge UN Women and UNFPA which was negatively received by delegates. Ann highlighted the importance of networking and collaboration among attendees, and mentioned specific events she attended, including a session on barriers to education. She also touched on the challenges of the conference, including the overwhelming number of events and the high costs, while emphasising the value of connecting with like-minded individuals to further their shared goals.
Barbara and Ann discussed the differences between attending UN events in person versus online, with Ann stressing that the in-person experience provides much richer interaction and networking opportunities despite being more costly and exhausting. Ann shared her observations about the CSW (Commission on the Status of Women) discussions, particularly noting tensions around US efforts to roll back women’s rights agreements from 1946, though she cautioned about the complexity of the situation and recommended reading the official CSW conclusions for a complete understanding. Jane added context about the specific issues at stake regarding diversity, gender, and reproductive rights.
Ann shared insights, including learning about intersex issues and the challenges faced by individuals whose gender assignments were incorrect at birth (1.7 % – nearly as many as twin births). When asked about CSW’s effectiveness, Ann expressed that while there are gaps in representation, particularly for less resourced organisations, the presence of diverse voices is important for progress. St Albans Soroptimist Liz Tillett, who had worked with the UN in the past, noted that the real test of CSW’s impact would come at the UN General Assembly in September, where decisions made at lower levels get filtered up for potential implementation by heads of government.
The group also discussed the complexity of coordination among different women’s organisations and across the delegates from the different Soroptimist Federations.
There were lots of appreciative gestures and comments from everyone who attended.
Barbara Saunders closed the meeting, thanking Ann for agreeing to share her experiences with such candour. She said it must have has taken Ann time to synthesise the experience of the chaos, and turn it into an event which has been very memorable, informative and enlightening. Barbara said she understood the value of mixing with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, different levels of development and ways of working, bringing benefits in understanding that can’t be measured in financial terms. She ended by saying to Ann “Keep up your amazing work!”.
Soroptimist International has consultative status at the United Nations – click here to find out more https://sigbi.org/what-we-do/soroptimists-and-the-un/
The seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place from 9 to 19 March 2026. The priority theme of the session was: Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and addressing structural barriers. The review theme was: Women’s full and effective participation and decision making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
Click here to read more: https://www.unwomen.org/en/how-we-work/commission-on-the-status-of-women/csw70-2026
