Week 2 at the UN CSW70

By Elena Kerr

16/03/2026

CSW70 Parallel event: Authoritarian Power, Gendered Body, and Politics of Autonomy

Today I attended this informative and very important event moderated by Hafza Girdap representing Advocates of Silenced Turkey. This event brought together an impressive panel of experts: Rachel Miner, Dr Shilan Fuad Hussain, Cindy Morris, Prof Manisha Desai, and Sevinc Ozarslan. Rachel presented data regarding the core issue genocide, which occurs approximately every 2 years. Although the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide does not include gender and political ideologies as part of the definition, Rachel suggested genocide to be a working definition and a developing term. Despite the UN referring to the situation in Afghanistan as gender apartheid, Rachel urged this as gendered genocide. Men are killed in genocide, but women are raped and sexually trafficked disproportionately more than men. Around 2900 women are currently held captive in ISIS sexual slavery, and families are unaware of their location. The lack of tangible legal frameworks for this was exemplified with the Epstein files. Rachel also referred to genocide as a cycle, as countries who have experienced genocide in the past are 3 times more at risk of this happening again, exemplified with Palestine, Sudan, and Israel. It is therefore not random, but predictable, as the cycle becomes a trap. The earliest warning sign for genocide is the treatment of women’s bodies, and we must therefore ask women what is missing. We must centre and give power back to women. Women are the experts in their own communities and families, and at the centre of their own narratives. Rachel is the CEO of Bellwether International where they take action to disrupt the cycle of genocide. This through working with women’s trauma healing. Connecting body and mind heals trauma, and through their 8-week workshop with women they managed to reduce trauma scores from between 40-60/60 at the beginning, to 12/60 at the end of the 8 weeks. Women’s bodies are therefore not only at the centre of genocide, but also key in the prevention of genocide through trauma healing.

Dr Shilan continued the discussion on women’s bodies through her research on child marriage, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and honour killings, in Iraq. In this context, tradition is weaponised, and the past is used to continue control over women. FGM begins in early years, with the idea to be pure and acceptable for future husbands. Despite all diseases, FGM is the largest cause of death amongst women in the Middle East. Pain is hereby sacrificed for protection and moral duties, where marriage means years of silence. Honour killings are used to maintain patriarchal order. However, Dr Shilan reflected over the way women are also agents of their own oppression as mothers also participate in honour killings, which demonstrates how patriarchy is understood as a mindset. To disrupt this, education was argued to be the key and most forceful factor. These practises do not only happen in the Middle East, but travel with the diaspora, changing one’s geography does not change ones constrains. Culture must not become a shield for inequalities, and for this pandemic of violence that hides behind the words respect, family, and honour. We must therefore challenge minds through education and ensure economic independence so women can make their own choices. Tradition never asked women what they want, and we must therefore not let culture and tradition reinforce systems of inequality.

Cindy Morris contributed to the panel with optimism and action for women, presenting her work with the organisation Women who Change the World. Emphasising that we must come together to make change fostering collective efficiency. It is important to keep the sense of community and not become isolated. Women must refine success themselves, self-determination was presented as a strategic approach to wellbeing. With the ability to create change through beliefs, and thereby make an impact, as participation fuels change. The continuity of trauma is central to oppression as one is then not able to move beyond. This amplifies the importance of the trauma healing work presented by Rachel. Professor Manisha Desai added to the conversation with a different point on oppression. She discussed the way upper caste Hindus in the US have captured identity politics to define a Hindu American as opposed to Indian American to decry Hinduphobia. In this sense mobilising through social media and using this as a tool and strategy to create a multiracial alliance with American Republican supremacy. However, there are also the Hindus for Human Rights that work against these racist narratives.

Following this conversation, Servic, as a journalist from Turkey, presented cases of women in Turkey who have been deprived their rights, voices, and freedom. Intimidation is used as a weapon of war, as women who have been raped are afraid to speak up. Servic presented examples of women’s experiences in Turkey, some who had been sexually assaulted during strip searches in prison, some who had been arrested for teaching English, playing bowling, had a picnic in the park, or studying together. She also shared stories of mothers who are seeking justice for their sons who have been imprisoned. Servic emphasised how women cannot have justice if they cannot speak of their experienced judicial and physical violence. We must therefore protect women’s bodies, prevent torture, and ensure that mothers seeking justice are not treated as criminals, but respected for women’s rights.

Overall, this was an important event that gave platforms for these expert women to share their important and empowering work, inspiring action for justice.

16/03/2026

CSW Parallel Event – Child Sexual violence in Mexico: Justice Pathways in the Digital Era

Today I attended this event on child sexual abuse in Mexico, which brought together an excellent panellist of Mexican feminist human rights organisations. The speakers included Ingrid Guerrero from “Yo te Creo”, Claudia Doroteo from “Las Sabinas”, Ayelén Amigo from “Hispanics in Philanthropy”, Mónica Reynoso from “Luminas”, and Ericka Cancino from “Spes Viva”. This event facilitated a space to interchange ideas and share experiences across organisations placing child sexual abuse as a human rights crisis at centre of conversations on justice.

Please note that this event was held in Spanish and may therefore not reflect the speakers’ exact words due to translation.

Ericka started the discussion by presenting the work of “Spes Viva”, of which some includes work against cyberstalking. It was emphasised that digital violence translates into offline violence, where men not only distribute and engage with child pornography online, but also approach children and parents to meet children offline. Ericka also raised the complexities with the justice system, as they experienced illegal treatment by the DA office on reporting crimes. In this context, members of the organisation were turned away and not taken seriously, with claims that the parents of the children had to report the crimes, when legally any person who know of a crime have the right to report the crime. This demonstrates the difficulties of accessing justice and echoes the need for survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches. Claudia also raised the importance of working in parts of Mexico that are suburban raising the question of who are exposed to violence and who has access to justice. We must therefore ensure that suburban communities are not abandoned in the pursuit of justice. Claudia also discussed sexual manipulation with Artificial Intelligence (AI), grooming and how to understand security online. These forms of digital violence create a hyper-sexualisation of children. Digital spaces must therefore not replace our social interactions. Claudia contributed to Ericka’s discussion on suburban communities living outside of cities where there is less knowledge and understanding of technology, lacking the correct tools on how to respond to the risks they are facing in online spaces. The world is moving faster online than the ability to understand the developments. People living outside of cities but working in cities spend much time on commuting, and the time spent on getting home also constrains parents from being present when children are spending time online.

Mónica from “Luminas”, a human rights NGO working to prevent child sexual abuse, added to the conversation the importance of giving children a space to speak and for producers of law to listen to children in order to protect them. She mentioned that the most pressing issues stated by children between 11-17 years old in Mexico, contains early pregnancy, rape, exploitation, image manipulation by AI, and sexual harassment by teachers, and that social media has made it easier for perpetrators. Ingrid contributed to the discussion by raising the issue of barriers, stigma, and judgements which restricts reporting of sexual and digital violence. Specifically referring to Mexico being a country where women and girls disappear. Ingrid also emphasised the issue of parents checking children’s online activity, especially when having to commute for a large amount of time due to work and living in suburban areas, as well as working schedules from 6am to 8pm. Any commercial worker with these schedules who suffer sexual violence in private also struggle navigating complex justice systems, as previously mentioned by Ericka.

Another important part of the conversation is how tech companies make money off children online, and how technology is masculinised. Therefore, this panel called for tech companies to defend children on platforms, such as children must be defended to safely go to the park, as we cannot expect children not to go to the park and not to participate online. These platforms must therefore research and respond as there cannot be justice when children are not safe online. The panel called for more professionalism in legal systems and better protocols that are well-informed, with participation of citizens, as people speak up when they feel accompanied. Protocols must be trauma informed. Different people respond differently to trauma, and this must be addressed in the response to as well as in the prevention of child sexual violence. Parents of children who experience violence must not be criminalised and left with guilt but supported in seeking justice and informed about the processes.

Other action points by the organisation involved the creation of an app which does not require access to internet so that parents who commute to work can take the time on transportation to read on the app about the issue of online violence and start conversations on children in online spaces. This because it is important to work with parents who take care of their children.

Play is another action taken where “Las Sabinas” inspired the idea of skating with children to work with the body as this is the first place affected by sexual violence. This is used as a tool to understand what the body is saying by teaching children to fall and to get back up, as well as skating with other people. Play is another dimension and state where children can understand what scares them. Claudia raised the question of how can a child tell another child what grooming is? Through skating and socialising children can become defenders of the violence that is happening. We must therefore create and construct spaces for children to speak and take the political power from children’s voices into legislative powers towards responsibilities for tech companies. Children know what they want, and they know what they are watching online, we must therefore let them guide based on their needs.

Overall, this panel provided insights to the situation of child sexual violence in Mexico, and the complexities and difficulties that arise from navigating the justice system, as well as providing action points and inspiring solutions to the issue.

17/03/2026

CSW70 Side Event – How Systems Fail Survivors: the Role of Justice and Financial Institutions in Causing – and Combating – Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking

Today I attended this event hosted by FAST (Finance Against Slavery & Trafficking), World Without Exploitation, and the UNDP (UN Development Programme). The panel included the inspiring expert speakers Rebecca Zipkin, Sharlene Rochard, Liz Stein, Jill Hunder, and Rehab Al-Sanabani. The event was moderated by Dahlia Edidin Locke and included welcome remarks from the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem. The event was concluded and summarised by H.E. Andrea Mocano, Deputy Permanent Representative of Romania to the UN.

Reem opened the event with the importance of survival centred approaches. Survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking are often minimised and dismissed by policy systems that should protect them. Survivors must not be criminalised for crimes they were forced to commit. Another important part of the justice system is confidentiality, which is an obligation, survivors should not live with the fear of their traumas being exposed. The exposure of survivors’ trauma deters others to come forward and undermines the rule of law. Reem therefore called for data protection. Referring to the Epstein files, Reem exemplified how perpetrators of crimes against humanity are shielded by power. Poorly managed disclosure undermines law, and accountability cannot be negotiated by financial and power systems. Reem questioned why the red flags in the case of Epstein were not acted on, in consideration of financial systems that were allowed. Thereby calling for the closing of legal and policy gaps that allow abuse and exploitation. Reem also emphasised in this discussion that no one can consent to their own exploitation, and that prevention must therefore address demand. Trafficking is a transnational process and requires sharing knowledge systems. Reem called for systematic change, where the focus is survivors at centre, rather than men in power and institutions.

Rebecca contributed to the conversation with language and terminology awareness. In this context, Rebecca encouraged moving from the term “sex work” to “sex trafficking” and “prostitution” due to the exploitation involved, “sex work” is not work but a form of gender-based violence. The commercial sex market is growing, especially regarding buying children. Child or minor sex worker is neither used as this is considered trafficking. The largest risk factor for human trafficking is vulnerability and instability, where the buyers are men with greater economic and social power. Also exemplifying with the Epstein files, wealthy and powerful men bought vulnerable girls. However, there were many involved such as pilots, drivers, housekeepers, and doctors. This requires accountability, who facilitated and who profited from the abuse. Rebecca emphasised what Reem mentioned, that demand drives trafficking. Commercial sex buying is also moving online, where the access to pornography and social media is normalising sex buying, and grooming is seen as flattering. It is easier to buy sex online as one can stay anonymous. Another distressing issue raised by Rebecca is how buyers are becoming younger and younger. Boys get addicted to pornography at a young age due to the easy access, and thereby become buyers through this normalisation. When discussing solutions and strategy, Rebecca also referred to a survival centred approach, bringing in the survival model into the conversation. This model was first implemented in Sweden in 1999, and holds buyers accountable, whilst supporting women with social services when exiting. In this model, the buyer is criminalised, not the survivor. Prostitutes are decriminalised, and buyers are exploiters, not considered legitimate buyers. This model has proved to increase the criminal investigation into sex trafficking. Rebecca therefore highlighted that justice should not expire, and we must address all parts of systems and legal frameworks that are failing to listen to survivors. We must not let survivors be held back by trauma, coercion, or fear.

Liz, as a survivor of Epstein, provided a brave and strong message through her contributions to the conversation, as a current human trafficking specialist. The criminal behaviours in the Epstein files illustrate a crime, not a political issue. This case shows how systems protect powerful men, men who are willing to buy access to vulnerable women and girls. This is a business model of exploitation. Liz also contributed to the discussion of the language around this issue, when the term “sex work” is used, public policy normalises buying sex. Therefore, the survival model, as Rebecca mentioned, provides a better framework where the buyer is criminalised. By criminalising the buyer, the demand reduces, and these incentives can make trafficking less profitable. Liz also shared how trafficking is designed to distort a person from reality, and systems fail to understand the psychology of abuse. Networks and financial institutions must therefore be held accountable, and survivors must be included in creating policies aimed to tackle the issue.

Sharlene is also a survivor of Epstein and contributed with a strong statement and important contributions to the discussion. Emphasising the intersection of power imbalances, weak justice systems, and gender, and how this constitutes crimes against humanity. Sharlene also raised the important argument that children cannot consent when the perpetrator is in a position of power over them. We must not delay, deflect, or let evidence disappear. We must provide trauma informed, survivor centred approaches, where women are not seen as evidence, but human beings.

Rehab added to the conversation that survivors are not only harmed by traffickers, but by systems that do not listen, and when response is not designed. In relation to this, Jill echoed the importance of engaging with people who have lived experiences. H.E. Andrea Mocano summarised this conversation with the main take aways which included the importance of access to justice, placing survivors at centre in policies, courage to speak up, cross-national collaboration, and to follow the money to find who is benefiting, thereby who must be held accountable.

Overall, this panel provided important information and awareness of the issue of sexual exploitation and trafficking, as well as consisted of courageous and powerful testimonies.