Too empowered to recognize that the UN was closing the doors in their faces, women from NGOs accepted somewhat disconcertedly when they were told without any explanation that only fifty of them would be given the opportunity to assist the Special Session of the General Assembly. If they raised their voices, though, it was only to question this act rather than to protest it. The political participation, however, can be found in the key words of the women's speeches, and, in some cases, among the actions' priorities. Participation forms an inherent part of democracy, and in its absence authoritarianism lures and bureaucratic structures intensify. It is well known that in the last 25 years, women have procured powerful positions at the local level, and of those, many proceeded to influential international institutions.
Access comprises another crucial aspect of a functioning democracy.
That is, access to information, of course, but also simple, physical and material access, to spaces of power, such as the General Assembly, from which many women were effortlessly excluded yesterday. It is not so much a question of going to the show of governmental speeches, but rather an issue of having first-hand access to the information in the moment in which the pronouncement is made. This issue relates directly to the right to communication and a right to information. Another topic is that of producing opinions and ideas and circulating them. It is also a question of freedom of thought and expression, in which a good number of the NGOs that attend the session look to express their points of view, that they communicate these to the international community through lobbying, contacts and others of importance, especially in cases where individuals are unable to do this in their own countries.