This March, as global leaders, civil society and advocates gathered in New York for the 70th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), Aisling Maloney and Carla Fusciardi Wallace travelled to represent young people living in Ireland on the global stage as Ireland’s UN Youth Delegates 2025-2026. Below, they reflect on their experience.
SETTING THE SCENE: ADVANCING GENDER EQUALITY
How can the United Nations ensure and strengthen access to justice for all women and girls? This question shaped our engagement throughout CSW70, the largest global gathering dedicated to gender equality and women’s rights. At a time when women worldwide have access to just 64% of the legal rights available to men, CSW70 provided a critical space to reflect on progress, address growing pushback on gender equality and identify concrete actions to advance the rights of women and girls globally.
YOUTH VOICES IN GLOBAL DECISION-MAKING
Throughout the week, we engaged in over 30 events, ensuring that the voices and experiences of young people in Ireland were represented in global discussions. We participated in a high-level briefing on the Gender Equality Acceleration Plan with the UN Deputy Secretary-General and UN Women, as well as ministerial roundtables exploring financing strategies to advance gender equality.
Ireland’s leadership was reflected in its national statement delivered by Minister Emer Higgins, alongside a side event focused on gender equality through education hosted by the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN. A key highlight was presenting the outcomes of our national youth consultation to Ambassador Fergal Mythen and Maria Walsh MEP, who represented the European Parliament’s Gender Equality Committee at CSW.
We also witnessed the adoption of the CSW70 Agreed Conclusions and attended the High-Level Meeting on Violence Against Women and Girls, alongside a range of side events addressing issues such as countering gender disinformation, sustainable transport, agrifood systems and justice for women farmers. These moments reinforced the importance of connecting local youth perspectives with global policy processes.
ACCESS TO JUSTICE: BEYOND THE COURTROOM
During CSW70, Aisling spoke at the Interactive Dialogue with Youth Representatives, focusing on how to ensure and strengthen access to justice for all women and girls. In this dialogue, one message was clear: access to justice goes far beyond courts and legal systems. It begins with education, awareness and the ability to understand and claim one’s rights. For millions of girls worldwide, barriers such as poverty, conflict, discrimination and harmful social norms continue to limit access to justice. Human rights education is often the first step in empowering girls to challenge inequality, seek support and participate fully in society. This conversation highlighted the critical role of youth in shaping inclusive legal systems, addressing structural barriers and ensuring that justice systems work for everyone.
FROM YOUTH PRIORITIES TO LOCAL ACTION
Carla spoke on a panel, hosted by the FAO on Youth Priorities to Local Action, where she highlighted the role of youth participation and engagement in spaces such as CSW and the role of UN Youth Delegates in making sure that young people are aware of and engaged in UN mechanisms. Carla shared outcomes from our Youth Consultation on Human Rights, with a focus on gender equality and spoke about how, as youth delegates, our advocacy is guided by three pillars: engagement with young people across Ireland, representing and amplifying the voices of young people at the UN and bringing what we have learned back to the young people of Ireland. The panel heard from a diverse range of voices and was a clear demonstration of why the voices of young people must be heard, and acted upon, in spaces such as CSW.
STRENGTHENING MEANINGFUL YOUTH PARTICIPATION
A defining moment of the week was the launch of the Core Principles of Meaningful Youth Participation in Intergovernmental Processes and UN Work by the United Nations Youth Office. These principles set out a clear vision for what meaningful youth participation should look like in practice: inclusive, representative, accessible, safe and properly resourced. They represent an important shift from consultation towards co-creation and shared decision-making with young people. We were proud to join this moment alongside Ireland’s Deputy Permanent Representative, Dónal Cronin, reflecting Ireland’s continued leadership in championing youth participation in multilateral spaces.
LOOKING AHEAD
As CSW70 concluded, one message stood out: progress on gender equality cannot be taken for granted. Ensuring access to justice for women and girls must remain a global priority, particularly in the face of ongoing challenges and setbacks. Looking ahead, we will continue to bring the insights, energy and commitments from CSW70 back to Ireland, working to ensure that the voices of young people help shape more just, inclusive and equal societies at both national and global levels.