From Participation to Power: Reflections from CSW70

Attending CSW70 reminded me that global advocacy is not only about being present in important rooms. It is about what we choose to carry into those rooms, whose voices we remember, and how we turn conversations into action.

As a young woman, a PhD student in criminal justice, and a UNA-USA Youth Delegate, I came into CSW70 thinking deeply about justice. Not only justice as a legal concept, but also justice as dignity, protection, access, and opportunity. Many of the conversations at CSW70 centered on women and girls, leadership, equality, and the need to build systems that leave no one behind. For me, these conversations are directly connected to my research and advocacy on reintegration, gender, and the experiences of people impacted by the criminal justice system.

One of the biggest lessons I took from CSW70 is that gender equality cannot be separated from justice reform. When we talk about women’s empowerment, we must also talk about women in prisons, women returning home after incarceration, survivors of violence, girls affected by poverty, and communities where opportunity is limited. True equality requires more than access. It requires safety, accountability, healing, and systems that recognize the full humanity of women and girls.

CSW70 also reminded me of the importance of youth voices in global decision-making. Young people are often invited into advocacy spaces as participants, but we must also be treated as contributors, leaders, and partners. Our ideas are shaped by the realities we see in our communities, our schools, our families, and our fields of work. As young advocates, we bring urgency, creativity, and lived understanding to global conversations.

My experience at CSW70 strengthened my commitment to connecting local justice work with global advocacy. In my community work with reentry, I see how policy affects real lives. A person coming home from prison needs more than encouragement. They need housing, employment, family support, dignity, and a society willing to believe in second chances. These same values are reflected in the global goals we discuss through the United Nations: peace, justice, equality, and strong institutions.

CSW70 was a reminder that advocacy does not end when the session ends. The real work continues when we return to our communities, classrooms, organizations, and policy spaces. For me, that means continuing to speak about justice in a way that includes women, girls, survivors, justice-impacted people, and communities too often left out of global conversations.

I left CSW70 with a deeper belief that young people should not wait for permission to lead. We already carry stories, knowledge, and solutions that matter. The challenge is to keep showing up, keep learning, and keep turning our advocacy into meaningful action.