CanWaCH delegation at CSW69: Five questions with Metasebia Balcha

The largest annual global gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, CSW69 brought together governments, civil society organizations, experts and activists from  March 10 to 21. CanWaCH was pleased to join the session and support the attendance of youth and delegates from organizations across our membership. The following Q&A is part of a series of interviews with members of the CanWaCH delegation. Read all of the delegation’s insights on Write to Thrive.

Why did you want to attend CSW69?  What drew you to being part of the CanWaCH delegation? 

Attending CSW69 was an opportunity I truly valued, both professionally and personally. I was motivated by a strong desire to contribute to and learn from global conversations that shape gender equality, particularly around adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Much of my work focuses on advancing adolescent SRHR through education and community engagement, often in settings where cultural and religious dynamics are complex. I was eager to engage in dialogue that connects policy with practice, especially in areas like child marriage, comprehensive sexuality education and social norm change.

What drew me to the CanWaCH delegation specifically was the chance to be part of a Canadian network that values intersectional approaches and global-to-local connections. It wasn’t just about attending sessions. It was about contributing to a collective voice while learning from others doing important work in different corners of the world.

Being part of this delegation gave me a deeper appreciation for the strength of collaboration. I left CSW69 not only with new insights and tools but also with a renewed sense of purpose to ensure that evidence-based, community-led and youth-centred solutions remain central in our collective efforts to advance gender equality globally.

What was a moment at CSW69 that made you stop and think differently about an issue? Did you hear a perspective that challenged your assumptions or changed your mind?

There were many powerful moments at CSW69, but one that shifted something in me was hearing a survivor of child marriage say, “They buried us alive when they married us at that age.” It was not just moving, it was transformative. I have spent years working on child marriage prevention, but hearing survivors speak in their own voices, and not as victims but as advocates, added a new dimension to my understanding of what meaningful participation truly looks like.

It reframed the way I think about power and voice in global spaces. These women, some of whom were married off at 13 or 14, are now leading movements, influencing laws, and changing the minds of traditional and religious leaders. Their stories weren’t told for sympathy, they were told for impact, and it worked.

I also reflected on how often programming decisions are made in rooms that exclude those with lived experience. The survivor advocates at CSW weren’t guests, they were experts. That distinction is crucial. Their leadership not only brings moral authority but also practical solutions grounded in reality. This moment deepened my commitment to making space for survivor-led work and amplifying their leadership, not as a gesture of inclusion but as a necessity for lasting change.

If you had to describe CSW69 in three words, what would they be?

Powerful. Urgent. Grounded.

If you could have added one more topic or session to the agenda, what would it have been?

If I could add one session to the CSW69 agenda, it would focus on scaling up Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), particularly in contexts where resistance is high and adolescent health outcomes are worsening. While CSE was mentioned in several sessions, a deeper conversation around implementation challenges and opportunities was missing.

CSE is one of the most evidence-backed interventions in reducing early pregnancy, HIV, STIs and gender-based violence. Yet in many countries, myths persist that CSE promotes promiscuity or undermines cultural values. The result is that adolescents are left without accurate information. The consequences, such as unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and early marriage, are far too common.

What inspired me during CSW were examples from countries that have found innovative ways to introduce CSE through collaboration with local and faith leaders. These stories challenge the idea that CSE is inherently controversial. They show that, with the right approach, CSE can be community-owned and culturally grounded.

A session on this topic could have explored how to scale CSE in humanitarian settings, how to engage parents and teachers as allies, and how to secure sustainable financing amid shifting donor priorities. As the global community pushes for adolescent health and gender equality, we need to prioritize CSE as a cornerstone, and we need to learn from those doing it well.

Based on your experience at CSW, what advice would you give someone else attending their first large global event?  

CSW is a powerful opportunity, but it’s also a big event. Being strategic makes a huge difference. I started by identifying the core themes I was most interested in, like child marriage, adolescent SRHR, and social norm change. I then registered for sessions that aligned with those priorities about 1–2 weeks in advance. Most required registration, so planning was essential.

My advice is to treat CSW as both a learning opportunity and an investment in your advocacy. Think about what you want to bring back to your team or your community. Keep track of promising practices, compelling arguments, and examples that might inform your own work.

Even though I had a full schedule, I built in time for reflection, whether that was reviewing session notes in the evening or jotting down ideas for how to apply what I’d learned. Also, don’t underestimate the power of structured connections. Reach out to others attending the same sessions, follow up with speakers or panellists whose work you admire, and use CSW as a platform to expand your network in purposeful ways.

Connect with Metasebia on LinkedIn here.