Without the grassroots, the tree cannot stand - Huairou Commission

Women from grassroots organisations all across the globe arrived in New York this week for a five-day summit dedicated to bolstering female and community-based representation at all levels of political decision making.

Following on the heels of this year’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the Grassroots Summit on Women’s Leadership and Governance, hosted by the Huairou Commission, attracted individuals from a range of institutions, spanning village healthcare advocates, to international scholars.

The event offered a chance for participants to share local success stories and challenges, while creating a platform for grassroots organisations to strengthen their partnerships with entities such as the newly formed UN Women.

Relinda Sosa and Nereide Segala-Coelho explained how participating in a global network and global meetings at the UN has helped create openings for them for national level participation, because it increases their legitimacy and influence with national authorities. Haydee Rodriguez claimed credit for having taught the local authorities in their area to understand and implement the Hyogo Framework for Action, an intergovernmental agreement on disaster mitigation.

Jan Peterson, chair of the Huairou Commission, told IPS the women were challenging traditional decision-making structures at both the country and global levels.