The Power of Showing Up

As we close out 2025, it’s a perfect moment to celebrate one simple truth: every act of leadership starts with showing up. Whether you step into a meeting, turn on your camera for a virtual panel, or walk into a room where you are not yet sure of your place, showing up is the first act of courage that makes everything else possible.

This is especially true at the Commission on the Status of Women.

CSW will gather voices from around the world – activists, diplomats, educators, innovators, and women just like you who chose to be present. You don’t need to be an expert or a seasoned advocate. You just need to show up.

Why Showing Up Matters

One of the most impactful presentations this year was title “Stand Up and Speak Up.” The message was clear: when women stand up, speak up, and lean into their leadership, they transform every space they enter. But there is one part we sometimes overlook:

You cannot stand up, and you cannot speak up, if you never show up.

At CSW, being present, virtually or in person, is more than attendance. It is participation. It is visibility. It is claiming your space in the global conversation about women’s rights and equality.

Even as a spectator, you are learning the language of international advocacy, witnessing global collaboration, and becoming part of a movement much larger than any single club or country.

Your Invitation to Participate

This December, as we celebrate victories, connections, and community, consider how you can show up for CSW70:

• Attend sessions virtually or in person. NGO CSW/NY offers a full virtual platform, accessible, flexible, and designed for global participation.

• Experience the energy. Watch a briefing, sit in on a panel, or explore a grassroots presentation. Every session opens new doors.

• Be inspired by allies in action. CSW is full of partnerships, collaborations, and women helping women succeed.

And if you feel called to do more, this is the moment to begin shaping your own parallel event idea. NGO CSW/NY accepts virtual proposals from NGOs like ours. Your club’s work in technology, leadership, financial literacy, or community empowerment could be showcased on the global stage.

How to Start Strong

• Visit ngocsw.org to explore the details, schedules, and deadlines.

• Brainstorm program ideas with your club or committee.

• Partner with another club, federation, or organization to co-host an event.

• Connect with Emily VanVleck, VP Advocacy. She has the most current information and can help guide you through the steps.

Celebrate Your Strength

As you reflect on 2025, celebrate the moments when you showed up – for your community, for your club, for yourself. And then let that momentum carry you into CSW70, where your presence matters just as much as your contributions.

Showing up is leadership.

Showing up is advocacy.

Showing up is how change begins.

We invite you to show up for CSW70. Show up proudly, boldly, and ready to be part of the global movement for gender equality.

Some relevant resources: https://ngocsw.org/ https://www.facebook.com/unwomen https://www.facebook.com/NGOCSWNY https://indico.un.org/event/1020223/ https://www.unwomen.org/en/how-we-work/commission-on-the-status-of-women/csw70-2026

By Barbara J. Bozeman
National President