Date: March 20, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:45 AM ET (New York Time)
Location: Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN
Register for online or in-person attendance here.
As we mark 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, addressing GBV has never been more critical. Despite global commitments to end GBV, progress remains slow, and survivor voices continue to be excluded from decision-making spaces.
At CSW69, the ICGBV and the National Observatory on Violence Against Women and Girls, chaired by the National Women’s Council of Ireland, will co-host side event with the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN to reaffirm the relevance of the Beijing Platform for Action and explore new opportunities for survivor-led accountability.
This event will feature perspectives from Member States, NGOs, and survivor-led organisations, highlighting the need to elevate the role of the survivor in GBV initiatives. The ICGBV will present our “Survivor-Led Accountability” research, which examines the transformative nature of survivor-led initiatives. The National Observatory on Violence Against Women and Girls will present findings on survivor-centred structures in government policy formation and implementation in Ireland, exploring how lived experience can be embedded into policymaking through co-design processes and meaningful survivor participation.
Key objectives:
- Reaffirm global commitments to ending GBV and supporting survivors.
- Champion survivor-led initiatives that drive systemic change.
- Advocate for survivor-centred policy and programming, ensuring that survivors shape responses at national and international levels.
Event Details
Opening Remarks:
- Fergal Mythen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN
Keynote Speaker:
- Katrien Coppens, Executive Director, Mukwege Foundation
Research Presentations:
- Róisín Gallagher, Coordinator, ICGBV
- Ivanna Youtchek, Violence Against Women Coordinator, National Women’s Council of Ireland
Panel Discussion Featuring:
- Tinebeb Berhane, Country Director, ActionAid Ethiopia
- Iryna Dovgan, Leader, SEMA Ukraine
- Alisa Kovalenko, Board Member, SEMA Ukraine & Documentary Film Director
- Ruth Quinn, Senior Advocacy & Policy Officer, Global Survivors Fund
Closing Remarks:
- Dr. Isata Mahoi, Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Sierra Leone
This event offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from survivors and advocates who are leading the fight for justice and accountability. Attendees will gain insights from groundbreaking research on survivor-led initiatives and explore strategies for embedding lived experience into policy and programming. By bringing together key voices from government, civil society, and survivor-led organisations, this discussion will push for real and lasting change in the global response to GBV.
Join us in New York or online for this important discussion. Spaces are limited—secure your spot today.