Loretto at the UN & CSW69: Community partners help us move toward just & sustainable future

At a recent talk to the Bioneers group in San Francisco, Indigenous poet Joy Harjo noted that “it’s always in those times of great disruption, chaos and disturbance that creativity steps forth.” 

It was a true joy to witness the immense creativity that emerged this year at the 69th gathering of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (#CSW69).  Nearly 30 students attended parts of the CSW meetings at U.N. Headquarters in New York City March 6-21. These young leaders — each selected by her school — represented Loretto Academy in  El Paso, Texas; St. Mary’s Academy in Englewood, Colo.; Nerinx Hall High School in St. Louis; and Wahlert Catholic High School in Dubuque, Iowa. 

They each had the opportunity to attend several inspiring events, such as International Women’s Day, U.N. side events hosted by member states, parallel events organized by NGOs from around the world, orientation and networking events, a site visit with Irish Diplomats and our own event entitled Accessing Economic and Civic Power: Women in the Global South.

This intergenerational collaboration between Mary’s Pence and Loretto at the UN was generously hosted by Altagracia: Faith & Justice Works in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan.  

It lifted up the work of ESPERA, a unique program focused on economic autonomy and civic engagement of rural women in Central America and Mexico. The wisdom that was shared by our keynote speaker Mabel Martinez was also reflected in the questions and reflections raised by the teen representatives on our panel of respondents. Through a connection with the Baha’i International Community, we were also fortunate to hear from Leslie Stewart, Representative from the Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de la Ciencia (FUNDAEC).

The common denominator among all of these opportunities was the #CSW69 theme: reviewing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA). Even though the BPfA was adopted 30 years ago at the Fourth U.N. World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, it is still the most progressive global framework for women’s and girls’ rights today.

Our young leaders engaged with a wide range of topics, from ending gender-based violence to the power of youth-led climate activism to global movements to end female genital mutilation and child marriage. They connected with other feminist advocates of all ages, genders and cultures, and engaged in critical conversations, challenging norms and discovering their purpose. They left not just as participants but as changemakers — ready to build the world they want to see.

In the words of our 2024-25 intern, Grace Broome, “At CSW69, I saw firsthand how powerful intergenerational dialogue can be. Our strength lies in storytelling and in the lessons we carry from those stories. When we weave our narratives together, we can move toward a just and sustainable future. That’s when real progress begins.”

This journey would not be possible without our community partners: the BVM Community, Mary’s Pence and Sisters Rising Worldwide, whose unwavering support empowers students to find their voice and take action. Together, we are fostering the next generation of leaders who will drive meaningful change. 

This week on Loretto’s Facebook page we will feature reflections from Loretto-connected participants at CSW69.