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This March, Hadassah took the global stage at the 70th session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) to discuss the urgent need to hold Hamas accountable for conflict-related sexual violence and speak out against those at the UN and beyond who deny Hamas’ weaponization of sexual violence on October 7.
Hadassah’s delegation, as pictured above, included Rachel Rosen, UN Team member; Tracey Drayer, Philanthropy Division co-coordinator; Elizabeth Cullen, Hadassah Government Relations director; Sharon Goretsky, Zionist Affairs chair and co-chair of Hadassah Nurses and Allied Health Professionals Council; Jill Bernhardt Goldstone, Member Outreach and Engagement Division co-coordinator; Cheryl Sperber, UN Team chair; Joyce Laiter, Member Outreach and Engagement Division co-coordinator, Luisa Narins, Member Outreach and Engagement Division co-coordinator. Other UN Team members, including Frieda Rosenberg, Ruth Cole and Dana Fine not pictured above, also attended in-person and virtual sessions.
Meeting With Global Leaders to Demand Accountability
During the CSW, Hadassah leaders held productive talks with international officials from Albania, Argentina, Cyprus, France and Romania to discuss deeply disturbing statements made by UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls Reem Alsalem denying Hamas’ weaponization of sexual violence on October 7, 2023 and questioning the UN’s own investigations. Meetings were held with Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to the UN Suela Janina; Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN for Argentina Jose Luis Fernandez Valoni and Third Committee Counselor Bibiana Best; Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cyprus Second Secretary Antreas Panagiotou and Women’s Rights Attaché Panagiota Toumazouto; Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights Isabelle Rome of France and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN for Romania Andreea Mocanu.
Additionally, advocates met with Avital Mimran-Rosenberg, Counsellor for Human Rights at the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN, to discuss the lifesaving innovation of Hadassah Medical Organization and its important work to build bridges to peace. Mimran-Rosenberg is pictured above with the Hadassah delegation, fourth from the right.
Engaging to Advance Justice for All Women and Girls
This year’s CSW meetings sought to ensure and strengthen access to justice for all women and girls. Hadassah leaders attended several events to discuss the vital work happening around the globe to advance this mission.
At a CSW side event, "Roadmap to Accountability: Breaking the Cycle of Impunity for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Across Nations," Hadassah joined Jewish organizations, universities and foreign leaders to examine how legal systems can better address conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).
At "Across Digital and Physical Worlds: The Fight Against Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery, AI Deepfakes and Human Trafficking," a powerful event focused on ending sexual violence across new digital frontiers, expert speakers shared deeply personal stories of exploitation and the challenges of seeking justice in an evolving digital landscape.
The Justice, Protection and Health Policies for Women and Girls seminar hosted global medical and mental health experts to explore support strategies for survivors of violence. Innovative mental healthcare approaches include enlisting AI tools that identify and address challenges among young people.
Hadassah remains committed to ending the silence around conflict-related sexual violence and advancing justice for all women and girls.
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