Civil society voices from the Arab States bring women’s rights priorities to UN80 discussions

Civil society organisations and feminist networks from the Arab States came together with UN Women on 15 September to discuss the ongoing UN80 reform process and what it could mean for women and girls in the region.

The dialogue brought together 88 civil society representatives, who shared their perspectives on safeguarding women’s rights, maintaining strong partnerships with civil society, and ensuring that the realities facing women and girls across the region are reflected as the reform process moves forward.

Opening the dialogue, UN Women Regional Director for the Arab States Dr. Moez Doraid underscored the importance of ensuring that civil society perspectives inform discussions about the future of the UN system.

“Civil society has always been a vital partner in driving progress, raising voices that must be heard, and ensuring that the needs and priorities of women and girls remain at the centre of our collective efforts,” said Dr. Doraid.

UN Women Chief of Staff Mohamad Naciri briefed participants on the UN80 process and the institutional and operational options currently under consideration. He emphasised that discussions are ongoing and that no final institutional outcome has been determined.

Civil society as a partner in shaping change

Throughout the discussion, participants emphasised the importance of maintaining strong partnerships with civil society, particularly women-led and women’s rights organizations. They also called for civil society engagement in UN80 to continue throughout the reform process, with opportunities to contribute as discussions develop.

 “Women and civil society should not be considered only as beneficiaries or participants in consultations, but as partners who actively contribute to shaping policies, programmes and change,” said Hala Bugaighis of the Jusoor Center for Studies and Development in Libya.

Bringing reform closer to local realities

The dialogue also focused on what changes to the way the UN operates at country level could mean for its relationships with national and local organisations.

Participants discussed how the UN80 process could provide an opportunity to strengthen localisation and build more sustainable partnerships with national and local civil society organisations. Among the ideas raised were moving beyond predominantly short-term, project-based relationships towards partnerships that allow for joint priority-setting, clearer roles in implementation, and shared monitoring and accountability.

“We see the UN80 reform process not only as a challenge, but also as an opportunity to rethink the way the UN works and builds partnerships in the region,” said Vian Hussain Nader, Director of Humanitarian Development Academy (HDA) in Iraq.

Ensuring women and girls with disabilities are not left behind

The inclusion of women and girls with disabilities emerged as a strong theme during the dialogue.

Representatives working on disability rights stressed that programmes and policies targeting women do not necessarily address the specific barriers faced by women and girls with disabilities. They called for their meaningful participation in consultations, programme design, policy discussions and decision-making, as well as stronger engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities, particularly women with disability organisations.

Accessibility was also raised as an important consideration, alongside the need to better reflect the priorities of women and girls with disabilities in policies, programmes and resources, and in how progress is measured.

“The representation of women with disabilities should not only be symbolic. It requires representation across the organisation, capacity building, and accountabilty on disability inclusion across UN Women,” said Sylvanna Lakkis, Co-founder and Chairperson of the Lebanese Union for People with Physical Disabilities.

Responding to a region affected by conflict and humanitarian crises

Participants also situated the UN80 discussion within the realities facing women and girls across a region affected by conflicts, displacement and humanitarian crises.

They emphasised the importance of ensuring that any reform strengthens the UN system’s capacity to respond to women and girls affected by crises and safeguards the continuity of essential programmes and partnerships, including work to end violence against women, protection and humanitarian response.

Participants also stressed the importance of maintaining partnerships with organisations working directly with affected communities, particularly in conflict and humanitarian settings.

Keeping women’s rights at the centre

Participants stressed the importance of maintaining clear accountability for commitments on equality between women and men and women’s rights, regardless of how the UN80 process develops.

They highlighted international commitments, including CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action, and the importance of ensuring that women and women-led organisations continue to have meaningful opportunities to contribute to decisions that affect them.

Closing the dialogue, Dr. Doraid emphasised that civil society voices should continue to inform the UN80 process and that the rights and priorities of women and girls should remain central as discussions move forward.

The regional dialogue forms part of UN Women’s continued engagement with civil society in the Arab States as the UN80 process develops. A further regional dialogue with civil society organisations is planned for the first quarter of 2027.