INTERNATIONAL HELVI SIPILÄ SEMINAR 2026 AT CSW: ADVANCING WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP
Time: 11 March 2026 at 16.00 – 17.30, followed by a reception
Venue: Ukrainian Institute in America, 2 E 79th Street, New York, NY 10075
Helvi Sipilä (1915-2009) was one of Finland’s first female lawyers and the first woman to run for president of the nation. She made her most significant career as Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations – as the first woman in the world.
To commemorate Sipilä’s trailblazing legacy, five Finnish women’s organizations, The Finnish Federation of Graduate Women, the Finnish Confederation of Women’s Organisations, UN Women Finland, YWCA Finland and the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Association NYTKIS have organised the International Helvi Sipilä Seminar annually during the UN CSW weeks (United Nations’ Committee on the Status of Women). 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the Helvi Sipilä Seminar and it will be organised on Wednesday, 11 March 2026 in New York as a parallel event to CSW. 2026 is also the 70th edition of the CSW (CSW70). The seminar will be organised in cooperation with the Ukrainian Institute in America.
In 2026, CSW70 will focus on ensuring access to justice for all women and girls, by promoting inclusive and fair justice systems, eliminating discriminatory laws and practices, and addressing structural barriers.
The theme of CSW70 is at the core of Helvi Sipilä’s legacy – and is critical to the empowerment of women around the world. This year, the Helvi Sipilä seminar will address the growing disparity in gender equality which is happening world-wide at a worrying rate. It is also reflected in the decline in women’s leadership positions globally. The seminar will promote full and effective participation of women in public life and decision-making and highlight the role of women as political leaders in times of instability and uncertainty. The seminar will also highlight the significance of global political participation among young women, minorities, and other women in vulnerable positions. Furthermore, it will seek to identify and promote effective measures to address obstacles to women’s political engagement, including hate speech and harassment. The event will also ask whether the time has come to elect a woman as the next UN Secretary-General.
The event will take place during the first week of CSW70 when the city is filled with international experts and decision-makers. The seminar’s specific target audience, in line with its theme, includes political leaders and representatives within the UN system and its member states, as well as civil society organizations that advance women’s political participation. The event will serve as a significant platform for Finnish civil society to contribute to global discussions, share best practices, and promote human rights-based policies at all levels of decision-making.
BACKGROUND TO THE SEMINAR THEME
UN Women’s recent publication, Women Political leaders 2025 from June 2025 reveals that women’s political leadership in executive positions has not only stalled – it is declining. The continued underrepresentation of women leaders in state or government leadership and in key ministerial positions is a testament to widespread barriers and insufficient and uneven commitment to gender equality in political leadership. As representatives of Finnish civil society we strongly believe that this backlash has to be tackled together locally, nationally and globally.
The programme of the event will be published in early February. Registration to the event will start in mid-February.
