GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT and ADVOCACY
Connecting frontline experience with broader efforts to influence social change.
Image: UN Women
Ilitha Labantu plays an active role in advancing national, regional and global dialogue on gender equality, the prevention of violence against women and children, and women's rights.
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CSW Participation
As an organisation with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Special Consultative Status, Ilitha Labantu contributes to international policy discussions that seek to advance gender equality, human rights and sustainable development. Through its participation in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the organisation brings community perspectives, survivor experiences and practical lessons from South Africa into global conversations on preventing violence, strengthening access to justice and advancing the rights of women and girls.
Through community dialogues, national consultative forums and civil society engagements convened in advance of CSW, Ilitha Labantu works with women's organisations, community activists, legal experts and government stakeholders to identify priorities, document emerging challenges and develop recommendations that inform South Africa's participation in these global processes. In doing so, the organisation helps ensure that international commitments are grounded in the realities experienced by women and girls at community level.
Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals for Women and Girls
Ilitha Labantu's work is closely aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls, while also contributing to Goals 1 (No Poverty), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Working alongside government institutions, including Statistics South Africa, and international partners, the organisation contributes to tracking and reporting on progress towards SDG 5 by documenting the economic, social, legal and structural barriers that continue to affect women and girls. Ilitha Labantu also advocates for meaningful civil society participation in the implementation, monitoring and review of the Sustainable Development Goals, recognising that lasting progress depends on inclusive partnerships and community-driven accountability.
Driving international knowledge exchange
We regularly contribute to international conferences, policy dialogues, publications and multi-stakeholder forums that bring together governments, civil society, academia, development partners and practitioners to exchange evidence, innovations and good practice on gender equality and women's empowerment.
We also convened our own international conferences, creating platforms for dialogue on issues such as access to justice, gender-responsive policy and the role of civil society in advancing sustainable development. These engagements strengthen partnerships across sectors and countries, while ensuring that lessons from South African communities inform and benefit from global knowledge and experience.