Dear UFI Friends:
We want to begin with a giant “thank you” to all of you who made donations to help finance UFI’s efforts at CSW this year. As always, we can’t do what we do without your support at other critical times throughout the year! We wanted to provide a report on UFI’s recent efforts; so here we go….
Radical Feminists are “Back on their Heels”
After months of intense preparation for the annual UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the United Families team, along with students from two universities, hit the ground running. Literally!
CSWF – Conference of the State of Women & Family
On the first morning after the main body of the UFI team arrived in New York, UFI as lead organizer opened this global two-day conference which featured world- renowned speakers on topics such as:
- The hidden side of surrogacy and IVF
- Digital trends and solutions
- Restoring respect between men and women
- What is a woman?
- Justice & equality beginning in the womb
See the entire 2-day CSWF schedule here.
UFI, along with Universal Peace Federation, had the privilege of having our 1.5-hour event “Architects of Humanity: Why Motherhood is a Global Priority” sponsored by the Republic of Burundi. Our outstanding presenters included Erica Komisar and Jenet Erickson – both highly sought-after speakers.
All this was being done right under the nose of some of the world’s most radical feminists gathered to champion abortion, transgenderism, prostitution (“sex work” as they refer to it), equity (not equality of opportunity), and deconstructing the family and gender roles.
As we’ve noted before, CSWF has not gone unnoticed by the anti-family/anti-life groups. The liberal British newspaper, The Guardian, provided two articles in 2025 about the impact of CSWF, including one stating the CSWF was one of “Five key moments in the assault on rights of women & girls in 2025.” Of course, we view our efforts as bringing true equality to women and girls, but we were honored the CSWF was mentioned by our feminist friends. The CSWF has seen numerous “mentions” from media sources. Here. Here. Here.
Amazing Students
UFI arranged for, and trained, 56 people to attend CSW. A large share (25 students + 7 professors) came from two different universities. These volunteers were instrumental in making UFI’s two-week presence at CSW happen! They attended and monitored CSW side and parallel events – taking notes on what they were seeing for later sharing, often speaking boldly on the issues, went on mission visits, assisted with the implementation of CSWF, and they even had some time left over to visit some of the sites of New York City!
The two universities jointly sponsored a CSWF event where some of the students gave presentations. The title of their event: “The Protective Power of Parental Rights in Securing Justice for Girls” and the United States Mission sponsored. The U.S. sponsorship was a first! These sponsorships (Burundi and the U.S.) are the beginning of something very important in terms of visibility for UFI and for the CSWF, as a whole.
UFI wishes you all could have seen the students in action! It would increase your confidence in the future. They are talented, smart, nimble in challenging situations, and bold – truly a force for good! We at UFI express deep admiration and gratitude to each one of them and to the professors who help train and support.
Negotiations on CSW Outcome Document
The usual CSW negotiations of the annual “Agreed Conclusions” took place in the weeks preceding the start of CSW, with the adoption of the outcome document taking place on the first day of CSW. This is a new pattern evolving at the UN – completing the negotiations before the Commission even begins. Prior to arriving at CSW, UFI had been busy analyzing each of the Agreed Conclusion’s drafts, as they became available and sent our customized “recommended-language grids,” each time, to a long list of our mission contacts. Then we shifted our attention to the final “Statements of Positions” and “Reservations” that missions had the opportunity to deliver on the last day of CSW.
UFI worked to keep out phrases like “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights” (abortion, sexual orientation & gender identity), and “multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination” (also sexual orientation & gender identity). We continually recommended the inclusion of language on “family” and the “right of religious freedom and personal belief,” as well as other phrases providing “sovereignty.” This is just a partial list.
But an interesting set of circumstances developed as the two weeks of CSW progressed as the U.S. delegation prepared to define the word “gender” via an amendment to the Agreed Conclusions. The foundational 1995 Beijing document includes a definition of “gender” as “according to its ordinary, generally accepted usage.” The U.S. proposed amendment, however, added a specific definition of gender “as referring to men and women.”
Although the U.S. amendment was blocked, last minute, by the EU and its allies, the dialogue around the amendment served to bring the issue of defining “gender” to the forefront and exposed the radicalness of the anti-family forces. We expect that a similar battle will develop at next month’s UN Commission on Population and Development.
As an important side note, the UFI team was able to sit down with delegates from 17 UN missions, all in less than a week in NY.
Global Funding cuts
In January 2025, the Trump administration announced it would be defunding much of US AID and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that were receiving funding (cuts become permanent in July 2025). UFI had long suspect that much of our opposition at the UN (and abroad) was being funded with U.S. tax dollars. During CSW 2026 we saw this play out as there was a marked decrease in the number of participants attending CSW and a decrease in anti-family/anti-life NGOs sponsoring side and parallel events.
As we heard repeatedly during CSW, these NGOs didn’t have the money to come to the UN nor to run their organizations. Additionally, in January 2026, Pres. Trump defunded 66 UN agencies. Needless to say, there was much talk about how the UN, as presently constituted, would survive – with discussions of combining UN agencies and/or relocating to less expensive parts of the world.
But all this didn’t stop the usual charges and attacks on pro-family NGOs who were called “anti-gender,” “anti-rights,” “far-right ideologues,” as we sat through numerous discussion and events that referred to us as “the rising backlash.”
We at UFI are just fine with the name calling. It shows how threatened these groups are and that our efforts continue to yield results. UFI has no intention of changing our plan to civilly and positively defend and support family, life, and religious freedom at CSW – and at every other opportunity. We once again thank you for joining us in our efforts!
Boldly supporting family,
Wendy Wixom, President
United Families International