The Center for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL) organised a panel on women human rights defenders at the 50th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, USA. The panel focused on highlighting the experiences of women human rights defenders working in different areas, such as fundamentalisms, sexual rights and State violence. The panelists included Charlotte Bunch, CWGL; Anissa Helie, Women Living Under Muslim Laws; Thin Thin Aung, Women's League of Burma; and Susana Fried, a sexual rights activist based in USA. Cynthia Rothschild, CWGL, moderated the session.

About 50 participants attended the session. One of the participants from Pakistan said that she was moved to tears listening to what was shared. Another young Australian woman said the experiences shared by the panelists "really spoke to her". After a rich question and answer session, participants left with a good, and some new, understanding of the concept of women human rights defenders.

Copies of the proceedings of the International Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders held in Colombo, Sri Lanka last year were distributed at the event.