Global Voices

💜 That’s a wrap on CSW69 💜 A week that has been inspiring and exciting, while also at times heartbreaking and concerning. Debriefing today with the wonderful Helen Dalley-Fisher, we reflected that, now more than ever, multilateralism is essential and we don’t fully realise what we have to lose. The fellows are excited to return home and get to work on their policy papers improving the lives and participation of women in Australia 💪🏼 and our team can’t wait to see what they all do as incredible young leaders... but not before a bit of fun in New York City! A huge thank you to our partners Menzies Leadership Foundation, Curtin University and Calleo for making this program happen! If you want to be involved next year, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram and subscribe to our mailing list for updates. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gyTxHwi5 - Mary Pilkinton, a very proud Delegation Manager! Myra Ugle Maggie Khan Jordyn Gray Omi Koulas #CSW69 #womensrights #humanrights #multilateralism #youth

Day 4 of Global Voices at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women - what an emotional day💕 🔹 First stop was our daily breakfast routine with the CSW crew at Comfort Diner. 🔹 First side event was a conference was An Interactive Dialogue with Afghan Women from inside Afghanistan and in Exile. 🔹 Then we attended an event presented by the European Union which focused on Ending the Violence against Women. 🔹 Third side event of the day emotional. This was presented by the Government of Italy and focused on ending FGM around the world and protecting young women and girls. 🔹 We finished our official order of business for Day 4 with a bilateral meeting with Office for Women Executive Director Padma Raman. This was an amazing opportunity to sit with Padma and discuss all things women. 🔹 last but not least we ended on an Australian Delegation photo opportunity outside the UN. Excited and extremely sad for our last and final day of CSW tomorrow. Make sure you follow along to see how we finish our time here. - Myra Ugle #csw69 #unitednations #unwomen #newyork #youth #politics

Day 3 of Global Voices at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women - what an amazing day! 💓 🔹 First stop was our daily routine of an Aussie coffee followed by an American diner breakfast ☕️🥞 🔹 First official order of business was a bilateral meeting with United Nations Youth Office and the Arab States UNYO Office delegation about how we can all join forces 💪🔥 🔹 I went to my first side event of the day! A high level dialogue on Digital Gender Violence, hearing from UN Assistant Secretary General Michelle Muschett 💻 🔹 European Union panel on the activism of girls with awesome young girls making some change across the world! Hearing from the high-level people in the EU supporting them in their work gave hope 🔹 The UN Women CSW NGO Briefing where they spoke about how the UN works with NGOs and how they can improve 🌍 🔹 A stop at Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations in New York talking about how institutional mechanisms can combat violence against women and girls 🔹 Last official stop of the day, a daily briefing with fellow Aussies including reps from the Australian delegation! Other fellows went on their own adventures for the day as an exciting part of our fellowship is choosing our own events and schedules! The whole experience has been amazing, the energy in the HQ is buzzing ⚡️ Can’t wait for the next day! Make sure to follow along for Myra’s journey on day 4. - Maggie Khan  #csw69 #unwomen #globalvoices #newyork #nyc #unitednations #womensrights #humanrights

Day 2 at CSW69 with Global Voices! 🌍✨ What a whirlwind of a day! I blinked, and somehow, we’re already wrapping up another fulfilling, insightful, and emotional experience here at the United Nations. One of the best parts of our policy fellowship is the flexibility—each of us can curate our schedule based on our passions and policy interests. Today, I had the privilege of attending: 🔹 A Town Hall with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, where he spoke candidly about feminism and the urgent need to dismantle the patriarchy. Hearing from grassroots leaders doing incredible work worldwide was beyond inspiring! 🔹A panel celebrating intersectional feminist leadership featuring Michelle Bachelet! 🔹 A UN Women youth dialogue focused on empowering young leaders to take up space and be a part of the change. 🔹 A meeting with Yunei Kim, First Secretary of the Australian Mission to the UN, where we discussed Australia’s role in global gender policy. 🔹 And a fantastic catch-up with fellow Australians attending CSW—Tim Tams included! 🇦🇺🍫 Other fellows explored topics like ending child marriage, women in politics in 2025, and celebrating intersectional leadership. The conversations have been powerful, the connections invaluable, and the energy here is electric. Another huge day down, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be here! - Jordyn Gray 💜 #csw69 #GlobalVoices #GenderEquality #UNWomen

🌍✨ Global Voices at CSW69 – Day 1 Wrap-up! Today, our Fellows stepped into the iconic halls of the United Nations for our first day at the Commission on the Status of Women in New York City. From powerful discussions on women, conflict, and peace led by incredible voices like Ruth Messinger, to exploring Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 for gender equality (featuring Princess الاميرة لمياء ال سعود (Lamia bint Majid Al Saud) and UN Women’s Dr. Sima Bahous), we engaged with global changemakers shaping the future of gender equity. We also dived into Ukraine’s gender-responsive recovery, with a compelling address by Deputy Prime Minister Stefanishyna Olga. We also sat in on a deeply moving discussion on Palestinian women in conflict, shedding light on urgent issues and the resilience of women in the region. With so many perspectives and challenges shared, today reminded us why change and collaboration matter more than ever. Our CSW Fellows, Myra Ugle, Jordyn Gray, Maggie Khan, and Ayesha Ibrahim have already had a wealth of experience making new connections and hearing from world leaders to inform their policy ideas and careers. A special thank you to our partners, the Calleo, Menzies Leadership Foundation and Curtin University for supporting this program and championing emerging leaders in policy and gender equality. Ready for Day 2! 🔥 #GlobalVoices #CSW69 #GenderEquality #WomenLeadingChange #UNWomen #NewYorkCity

🌍 New Policy Paper - Read now! Trust in Australian democracy has plummeted—from 85% in 2007 to just 43% today. How can we rebuild it? Global Voices Y20 India 2023 Fellow Alexander Titus explores a solution: empowering local governments to restore trust and strengthen communities. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ghrZ9gpp Text in image two reads: "Executive Summary: Over the past two decades, Australians’ trust in democracy has been in freefall. Between 2007 and 2018, the number of Australians who say they trust Australian democracy decreased from 85.60% to 40.56%, representing a more than 40% decline (Karp and Evans, 2018). The loss of trust has deeply affected local Australian communities. Although trust in local councils has always remained higher than in the federal government, a loss of trust in the democratic system affects local council’s capacity to function because people can disengage. Local governments have thus languished and failed to foster engagement (Biddle and Gray, 2023). Although trust in government recovered marginally after the last election, now resting at around 43%, it is still less than 50% and is again on a downward trend (Biddle and Gray, 2023)..." #GlobalVoices #Democracy #LocalGovernment #CivicEngagement #Australia

🌍🍽️ A massive thank you to everyone who joined us for our World Food Forum event, hosted by the amazing team at United Nations Association of Australia - Victorian Division! Our incredible WFF Fellows, Laura C., Lucinda G., Danai Jedrzejczyk, and Malachai Clements, shared their journeys, insights, and the exciting policy papers they’re working on. The room was buzzing with energy, thought-provoking discussions, and big ideas for the future of food policy. 🚀 But here’s where it gets even better… The Fellows are launching a National Australian Chapter of WFF/FAO! If you’re passionate about food security, sustainability, or global policy and want to be part of something BIG, we’d love to hear from you. 📩 Drop us a message or at info@globalvoices.org.au or comment below to get involved! Let’s build something amazing together. 💡🌏 #WorldFoodForum #FutureOfFood #GetInvolved

🌍 New Policy Paper - Read now! How can Australia rethink its approach to peacebuilding in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region? Y20 India 2023 National Scholar Rooan Al Kalmashi explores this question in a newly published Policy Paper in the Global Voices Journal. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gkAfu3bt Text in images two reads: "Australia's involvement in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has historically been shaped by its strong alignment with the United States, guided by the principles of liberal internationalism. The belief that transforming fragile states into stable democracies would lead to lasting peace, known as the 'democratic peace' hypothesis, has steered peacebuilding efforts. However, despite significant commitments of resources and personnel, the application of neoliberal approaches, coupled with inadequate 'exit strategies,' has exacerbated tensions and resulted in security vacuums. The failure to achieve set objectives has subsequently diminished Australia's appetite for intervention in the region." #GlobalVoices #Y20 #ForeignPolicy #Peacebuilding #WomenPeaceSecurity #Australia

💡 How do we build a more prosperous Australia by 2050? Yesterday, staff, alumni, and current Global Voices Fellows had the privilege of attending the Progress 2050 launch event with CEDA - Committee for Economic Development of Australia. It's a critical conversation about the long-term prosperity of Australia. The discussions on sustainable economic growth, innovation, and inclusion resonated deeply with our Fellows. It was inspiring to hear from experts and leaders committed to making a tangible impact. Learn more about Progress 2050 below. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dCc9H5Mn Eliza Chaney, Roman Davas-Fahey, Kira Todd, Elina Forsyth, Flabia O. #GlobalVoices #FutureLeadership #CEDA #Progress2050