A Global Conversation That Is Already Shaping Workplaces
Spending a week inside the United Nations at CSW70 gives you a very different perspective on what is happening in the world.
Not in a theoretical sense, but in a way that makes it clear these conversations are already shaping how people show up, what they expect, and what they are willing to tolerate in the workplace.
CSW is the UN’s principal global forum on gender equality. Each year, countries come together to agree on priorities and direction. This year, however, the tone felt different. Less about building forward momentum, and more about holding ground.
When Consensus Breaks, It Signals Something Bigger
One moment in particular captured that shift.
For the first time, the outcome document could not be agreed by consensus. It went to a vote.
Within the UN system, that is highly unusual. These documents, known as the Agreed Conclusions, typically represent a shared global position. They influence policy, funding, reform and advocacy across countries.
This year, that alignment broke.
The document itself focused on access to justice for women and girls, including strengthening legal systems, removing discriminatory laws and addressing structural barriers. These are foundational elements of gender equality that have been built over decades.
The fact that this language became contested is what made the moment so significant.
The United States ultimately voted against the document. While it still passed, the process revealed something deeper. What many assumed to be stable is now being actively debated again.
Why This Matters for Organisations
For organisations, this is not a distant policy issue. It is a shift in context.
Employees are not insulated from global dynamics. They are influenced by them, shaped by them, and increasingly bringing them into the workplace through expectations, conversations and behaviour.
Across the week, the themes that kept surfacing were familiar. Power, access, voice and inclusion. These are not abstract ideas reserved for global forums. They are the same dynamics playing out in organisational systems every day.
When systems are not intentionally designed, they default. And when they default, they often reinforce inequity.
The Risk of Stepping Back
We are already seeing tension emerge more clearly in organisations. Conversations around inclusion are becoming more nuanced and, at times, more polarised. Leaders are feeling less certain about how to respond. Some organisations are leaning in. Others are quietly stepping back.
Stepping back does not remove the tension. It simply leaves it unmanaged.
From Policy to Practice
One of the strongest threads at CSW70 was the gap between policy and lived experience.
Globally, many protections for women exist on paper, yet access to those protections remains inconsistent.
The same pattern exists in organisations. Policies are written. Frameworks are in place. Values are articulated. But the lived experience does not always match.
This is where HR leadership becomes critical, not simply as custodians of policy, but as designers of how work is experienced in practice.
What Organisations Need to Focus On Now
For organisations that want to show up more powerfully in this environment, the shift is not about doing more. It is about going deeper.
Interrogate Your Systems: Look beyond intent and examine outcomes. Who is progressing, who is not, and where barriers exist.
Build Leadership Capability: Leaders need the confidence to navigate complexity, hold different perspectives and make decisions aligned to both values and performance.
Align Values with Behaviour: What you say about inclusion must be visible in how decisions are made and experienced day to day.
A More Intentional Approach to People Strategy
At Reimagine HR, this is exactly the work we are partnering on with organisations.
Through DEI resets that move beyond performative activity, people strategy reviews that align systems with business and human outcomes, and leadership development that builds confidence in complexity, we help organisations move from intention to meaningful impact.
The organisations that will lead in this next phase are not the ones doing the most activity. They are the ones doing the most intentional work.
Final Reflection
CSW70 was a reminder that progress is not guaranteed.
For organisations, the opportunity is not just to respond to that reality, but to lead within it.
