From Our Territories to CSW70: Indigenous Women Advancing the Implementation of CEDAW’s General Recommendation No. 39

The 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) is a key political space to advance global commitments on access to justice, the elimination of discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and the full and effective participation of women in decision-making. In this context, the participation of organized Indigenous Women is central to demanding that States comply with their international obligations.

For Indigenous Women, Girls, and Youth, these commitments remain urgent and, in many cases, unmet. Across all regions, they systematically face structural barriers to accessing justice, high levels of violence and discrimination, and persistent exclusion from political and public spaces. Although international human rights standards exist—such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)—their implementation at the national and local levels remains limited and uneven.

In this context, CSW70 cannot be reduced solely to the reaffirmation of commitments. It must also be a space to promote concrete actions that help close the gap between international standards and the everyday lives of Indigenous Women, Girls, and Youth.

From International Standards to the Fulfilment of Our Individual and Collective Rights

The adoption of the CEDAW Committee General Recommendation No. 39, specifically dedicated to the rights of Indigenous Women, Girls, and Youth, constitutes a historic milestone within the international human rights system and in the collective struggle of Indigenous Peoples. GR39 provides an integral and structural recognition of the multiple forms of discrimination they face, articulating gender, age, Indigenous identity, collective rights, territory, self-determination, and Indigenous worldviews.

However, its adoption does not, in itself, guarantee real transformation. GR39 becomes meaningful when it is transformed into a tool for accountability and effective implementation, capable of guiding public policies, legal reforms, budget allocations, and accountability mechanisms.

CSW70 as a Political Space to Advance GR39

CSW70 represents a concrete opportunity to strengthen demands for the implementation of GR39. For the International Indigenous Women’s Forum (FIMI), this session is a strategic moment to coordinate Indigenous Women’s political advocacy at the global level, engage in direct dialogue with States and UN agencies, and position GR39 as a key instrument within the global gender and human rights frameworks.

FIMI’s participation in CSW70 is part of an ongoing political process, built from the territories, articulated at the regional level, and projected into international spaces, following a logic of monitoring, alliances, advocacy, and the enforcement of rights.

Strengthening Political Participation and Global Coordination

Within the framework of CSW70, FIMI advances an agenda aimed at strengthening the political participation, coordination, and collective advocacy of Indigenous Women, with the objective of advancing the implementation of the Five-Year Action Plan for GR39 and promoting the fulfilment of the rights of Indigenous Women, Girls, and Youth.

Among the strategic objectives of this process are:

• Convening a global coordination space for Indigenous Women to foster interregional and intergenerational dialogue, the construction of collective strategies, and the strengthening of joint political action.
• Facilitating working spaces with regional networks of Indigenous Women to share advocacy plans and align international action priorities throughout 2026.
• Identifying key advocacy entry points and collective actions to demand the implementation of GR39 within UN spaces and other multilateral forums.
• Strengthening the visibility and influence of Indigenous Women’s voices in global decision-making spaces through coordinated participation in side events, bilateral dialogues, and meetings with strategic allies.
• Building and agreeing on political positions that articulate demands for justice, equality, cultural rights, climate justice, and self-determination.

From Recommendation to Sustained Action

Speaking about implementation means speaking about State responsibility, political will, and historical justice. GR39 provides a solid framework; its impact will depend on States assuming concrete commitments and on organized Indigenous Women continuing to demand its fulfilment.

On the road to CSW70, the message is clear: without implementation there are no rights, and without the participation of Indigenous Women, there can be no justice for Indigenous Women, Girls, and Youth.

At FIMI, we continue walking together—from our territories to global spaces—so that GR39 translates into real, sustained, and deeply rooted transformations. Indigenous Women, Girls, and Youth walk together for the implementation of GR39: From recommendation to sustained action.