UN Women Statement on Sudan: A year of suffering for Sudanese women and girls

PRESS STATEMENT

07 MARCH 2024

A year of suffering for Sudanese women and girls  

New York City  — Sudan’s current conflict, which marks its one year point this week, is having a devastating impact on the people of Sudan, particularly women and girls. The conflict has reversed the gains made toward democracy and stability, leaving the country in suffering and insecurity, while facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. UN Women calls on the international community to ensure that the conflict in Sudan does not become a neglected crisis.

Sudanese women and girls are paying a heavy price for this violence, bearing the brunt of a humanitarian crisis that remains largely invisible to the world. Sudan is among the largest internal displacement crises in the world. 53 per cent of internally displaced are women and girls, and there is a growing risk that the violence will soon create the world’s largest hunger crisis. More than 7,000 new mothers could die in the coming months if their nutritional and health needs remain unmet. 

Over 6.7 million people are at risk of gender-based violence and reports of intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, and trafficking in persons are widespread and increasing. Survivors report rarely able to access services or report to authorities. The economic impact of the conflict has further marginalized women, stripping them of livelihood opportunities and pushing many towards extreme measures and the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse as they seek to support their families.

Women and girls, often the first responders in crises, are not only victims of this violence but also pivotal to the survival and resilience of their communities. UN Women salutes the courage and bravery of Sudanese women and women’s rights organizations, who continue to advocate for peace and a return to democratic governance at different fora. Their participation in peace processes and humanitarian responses is not just beneficial but necessary for creating lasting peace and security. 

Immediate steps must be taken to ensure the protection of women and girls, support their economic empowerment, and include them in peace negotiations and decision-making. We urge international partners and donors to invest in local, women-led organizations and prioritize resources to address the gender dimensions of this crisis. 

UN Women stands with the people of Sudan during this difficult time and reiterates the Secretary-General's call for an immediate halt to the fighting and a return to dialogue. Respect for human rights and international law must prevail, with perpetrators of human rights violations held accountable. Only then can we hope to restore democracy and build a peaceful and secure future for all in Sudan.

For more information, please contact: media.team@unwomen.org

1 in every 10 women in the world lives in extreme poverty

PRESS RELEASE

07 MARCH 2024

New York — On International Women’s Day, UN Women calls for the world to “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress” as the best way to accelerate economic growth and build more prosperous, equitable societies.

This is particularly urgent when war and crisis are eroding the achievements of decades of investments in gender equality. From the Middle East to Haiti, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, women pay the biggest price for conflicts that are not of their making. The need for peace has never been more urgent.

Climate change is accelerating persistent poverty gaps. As competition for scarce resources intensifies, livelihoods are threatened, societies become more polarized, and women bear an increasingly heavy burden: 

• 1 in every 10 women in the world lives in extreme poverty.

• The number of women and girls living in conflict-affected areas doubled since 2017, now, more than 614 million women and girls live in conflict-affected areas. In conflict areas, women are 7.7 times more likely to live in extreme poverty. 

• Climate change is set to leave 236 million more women and girls hungry by 2030, twice as many as men (131 million). 

• At prime working age, only 61 per cent of women are in the labour force versus 90 per cent of men.

We cannot continue to miss out on the gender-equality dividend. More than 100 million women and girls could be lifted out of poverty if governments prioritized education and family planning, fair and equal wages, and expanded social benefits.

Almost 300 million jobs could be created by 2035 through investments in care services, such as provision of daycare and elderly care. And closing gender employment gaps could boost gross domestic product per capita by 20 per cent across all regions.

The current reality is far from this.  Programmes dedicated to gender equality represent only 4 per cent of official development assistance. An additional USD 360 billion in developing countries is needed per year to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. This is less than one fifth of the USD 2.2 trillion spent globally on military expenditure in 2022, for example.

The areas needing investment are clear and understood. First and foremost there must be an investment in peace. Beyond this, the investments needed include: laws and policies that advance the rights of women and girls; transformation of social norms that pose barriers to gender equality; guaranteeing women’s access to land, property, health care, education, and decent work; and financing women’s groups networks at all levels.

UN Women is also calling on Member States at the Commission on the Status of Women, starting in New York on 11 March 2024, to back up their commitments on gender equality with resources.  The world’s leaders have this opportunity to develop concrete and progressive agreed conclusions that reflect the crucial need for financing gender equality, women’s empowerment, and women´s organizations. They must seize it for the sake of equality, our planet, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Media contacts:

For more information, please contact UN Women: media.team@unwomen.org

 On International Women’s Day, UN Women calls on investing in women as the best solution to face growing crises 

PRESS RELEASE

04 MARCH 2024

United Nations, New York — In a year where almost half of the population lives in a country undergoing an election, this International Women’s Day on March 8 is a crucial opportunity to define the future we want.

As conflict, climate change and polarizing societies are eroding decades of progress in gender equality, UN Women is calling on “Invest in women: Accelerate Progress” to realise the gender equality dividend for all.

Following International Women’s Day, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will address the issue of poverty hundreds of millions of women and girls are facing and solutions to accelerate the progress on gender equality. More information on CSW is available here.

Members of the media are invited to attend the following events:

International Women’s Day (IWD) official UN commemoration: “Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress”
8 March 2024, 10:00 – 11:30am ET
ECOSOC Chamber,  UN Headquarters

The event will bring together the UN system, Member States, civil society organisations, youth groups and others to emphasize the critical actions required to bridge gender gaps, highlight the urgent need for strategic investment in gender equality and women’s empowerment, and showcase and celebrate key successes and best practices.  The opening remarks will be followed by a high-level panel discussion. The event will also feature   live musical performance by Broadway singers.

Expected participants include, amongst others (subject to change):

• António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General

• Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General

• Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly 

• Antonio Manuel Revilla Lagdameo, Chair of the Bureau for the 68th session of the CSW

• Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director

• Diene Keita, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director 

• Cristina Duarte, UN Special Adviser on Africa 

• Anne Hathaway, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Actor and Activist

The event is open to UN Headquarters grounds pass holders and the UN accredited press corp. Registration is required for the in-person event, and it will be webcast on UN Web TV.


Ring the Bell for Gender Equality events at stock exchanges
From 4 March 2024, opening/closing bells 

For the 10th year, over 100 stock exchanges around the world are hosting bell ringing ceremonies around International Women’s Day (March 8), to raise awareness of the pivotal role the private sector can play in advancing gender equality. The initiative is convened by UN Women in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation, United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, UN Global Compact and the World Federation of Exchanges. 

In these 10 years of collaboration, participating stock exchanges have also taken the opportunity to make public commitments to gender equality through signing the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), encouraging listed companies to advance women’s representation on boards; or developing sustainability-linked bonds with gender criteria or gender-focused bonds. 

UN Women Deputy Executive Director Kirsi Madi will participate in person at the closing bell at Nasdaq, New York, on 8 March. 

A list of Ring the Bell events around the world can be found here. For additional information contact weps[at]unwomen.org. 

CSW68 opening ceremony
11 March 2024, 10:00am – 1:00pm ET
General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters

The official opening session of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place in person in the General Assembly Hall at UN Headquarters in New York. The CSW68 priority theme, “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”, represents a unique chance to address the gender-poverty gap and solutions, such as designing and delivering inclusive, gender-responsive economic policies. The event will be broadcast on UN Web TV.

More information about CSW68: https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw68-2024


UN Secretary-General’s Town Hall with CSOs
13 March 2024, 10:00am – 11:15am ET

The active participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) is a critical element in the work of the Commission of the Status of Women. The virtual town hall will be the UN Secretary-General’s António Guterres annual consultation with women’s civil society. It will provide an opportunity for women’s and youth civil society organisations to engage with the UN Secretary-General on the session’s priority theme. UN Women Executy Director Sima Bahous will moderate the conversation.

The event will be web streamed live on UN Web TV.


Side event: Generation Equality: Driving feminist financing and accountability for women’s economic justice and eradicating women’s poverty
14 March 2024, 11:30am - 12:45pm ET
Conference Room 1, UN Headquarters

This event will explore innovative approaches for financing women’s economic justice and rights and for eradicating women’s poverty. It will highlight how Generation Equality’s multistakeholder model is driving concrete feminist financing and accountability strategies and policies for gender equality. An Accountability Report will be launched focusing on results from the Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights, pointing out progress made on this area.

To attend in person, please RSVP here or follow online on UNWeb TV.


CSW68 Youth Forum
15 March, 4:45 - 6:00pm ET, UN Headquarters
16 March, 9:00am - 4:00pm ET
17 March, 10:00am- 1:00pm ET

The in-person Youth Forum will host between 200 to 250 youth and adolescent participants, featuring a diverse and international assembly of young individuals, who will  critically examine the impacts of current socio-economic crises on women and girls and commit and provide their recommendations for strengthening accountability mechanism, and present a declaration of commitments for advocating gender-responsive reforms in public institutions.

As seating is limited, attendance is by invite only. For inquiries please contact: youth.engage[at]unwomen.org


Side event: Financing social protection and care systems for the fulfilment of human rights, gender equality and poverty reduction
18 March 2024, 3:00 – 4:15pm ET
Conference Room 6, UN Headquarters

The event will bring together speakers to discuss how social protection can be harnessed to realize human rights, promote gender equality and eradicate poverty, especially in the context of multiple crises and repeated shocks. It will highlight good practices, lessons learned and country examples on how we can accelerate progress to expand social protection over the life course towards realizing rights, strengthening resilience in the face of shocks, and alleviating poverty through links with employment and livelihoods.

This event is open to UN Ground Pass holders.


Side event: Multistakeholder Partnerships and Practices to Push Forward for Gender Equality, Human Rights and Democracy
20 March 2024, 3:00 – 4:15pm ET
Conference Room 4, UN Headquarters
This event will explore innovative approach.

UN Women is convening a high-level side event, in partnership with Member States, UN agencies and civil society partners to highlight how multistakeholder, issue-based coalitions at the country level, can accelerate and safeguard gender equality gains. This high-level side event will highlight good practices from countries. Examples will focus on intersectional, intergenerational and multistakeholder partnerships and issue-based coalitions that stakeholders across governments and civil society have developed to achieve change in their local and national contexts to uphold democracy and safeguard gender equality and women and girls’ rights.
This event is open to UN Ground Pass holders and participation is on a first come, first served basis.

 

For more information, editorial content, and assets on CSW68:

• Website: https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw

• Social media: Join the online conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #CSW68 and following @UN_Women.

• Photos: https://www.flickr.com/unwomen/

For interviews with senior UN Women officials, civil society representatives, and speakers at the events, please contact media.team@unwomen.org.

UN Women calls for bold investments to end violence against women in light of new report showing prevention is severely underfunded

PRESS RELEASE

22 NOVEMBER 2023

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Press Release: UN Women calls for bold investments to end violence against women in light of new report showing prevention is severely underfunded  

In 2022, countries around the world spent USD 204 billion in overseas development assistance—of that sizable sum, only one-fifth of one per cent was spent on preventing gender-based violence (GBV).  

New York — Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, a report “What Counts? The state of funding for the prevention of gender-based violence against women and girls” by UN Women partners the Equality Institute and the Accelerator for GBV Prevention, working together under the Collective Commitment of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on GBV reveals a concerning reality: gender-based violence, an issue of alarming proportions, garners only 0.2% of global aid and development funding.  

The report comes as the world kicks off the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, from 25 November to 10 December, under the global theme set by the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE campaign, “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls”. 

As the world marks the halfway point to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the urgency to end violence against women and girls has never been greater.  UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2023 report reveals that 245 million women and girls continue to face physical and/or sexual violence from their intimate partners each year. A staggering 86 per cent of women and girls live in countries without robust legal protections against violence, or in countries where data are not available.

Additionally, the impacts of economic crises, conflicts, and climate change have heightened the vulnerability of women and girls to violence.  

“It is time to get serious and fund what we know works to stop violence against women and girls.   Invest in reforming and implementing laws and multisectoral policies.  Provide services to survivors.  Scale up evidence-based prevention interventions. With the will and contributions of all stakeholders and sectors, we can unlock financing, track budget allocations, and increase gender-responsive budgeting. We have the solutions and resources to end violence against women and girls in our lifetimes.  It is our choice,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous at the official commemoration event for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in New York.

A strong and autonomous feminist movement is also a crucial part of the solution. Women’s rights organizations play a pivotal role in preventing violence, advocating for policy change, and holding governments accountable. However, as per the Action Coalition on GBV’s Accountability Report, they remain severely underfunded, and significant efforts are needed to increase financial support for women’s rights organizations working in this space. 

Also, launched today, a new research brief with estimates on gender-related killings of women and girls, produced jointly by UNODC and UN Women, shows that globally, nearly 89,000 women and girls were killed intentionally in 2022, the highest yearly number recorded in the past two decades, indicating that the number of female homicides is not decreasing. Most killings of women and girls are gender motivated. In 2022, 55 per cent of the intentional killings of women (around 48,800) were committed by intimate partners or other family members. This means that, on average, more than 133 women or girls were killed every day by someone in their own family.


16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AROUND THE WORLD 

Through the 16 Days of Activism campaign, UN Women will be calling for increased long-term, sustainable investments from states, private sector, foundations, and other donors to women’s rights organizations working to end violence against women and girls in all their diversity.

On November 22, the official commemoration event for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in New York will feature an opening address by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and remarks by UN Women’s Executive Director, and will bring together voices of Member States, women’s civil society organizations, United Nations agencies, and Leaders and Commitment Makers of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence. In line with this year’s theme, the event will highlight best practices of investment to prevent violence against women, gaps and challenges and the way forward.  

UN Women will be also leading a global social media campaign to speak up against gender-based violence using #NoExcuse and #16Days.

From a film festival in Rwanda, to a dialogue for young women in Sri Lanka, and film screenings in Egypt and Morocco, dozens of events organized during the 16 Days of Activism will aim to rally action to ensure a violence-free future for women and girls, symbolized by the colour orange.

As in previous years, iconic buildings around the world are expected to be lit in orange during the 16 Days of Activism, including the Grand Place City Hall Hôtel de Ville in Brussels, Belgium, the UN House in Dakar, Senegal, the Tbilisi TV tower in Tbilisi, Georgia, and other landmark buildings across Sweden, Pakistan and other countries. 

'We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire' - Inter-Agency Standing Committee Statement

STATEMENT

06 NOVEMBER 2023

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‘We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire’

Statement by principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory

New York City/Geneva/Rome  — For almost a month, the world has been watching the unfolding situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory in shock and horror at the spiralling numbers of lives lost and torn apart.

In Israel, some 1,400 people have been killed and thousands have been injured, according to the Israeli authorities. More than 200 people, including children, have been taken hostage. Rockets continue to traumatize families. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced. This is horrific.

However, the horrific killings of even more civilians in Gaza is an outrage, as is cutting off 

2.2 million Palestinians from food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel.

‘We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire’ – Statement by principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory

In Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health, nearly 9,500 people have been killed, including 3,900 children and over 2,400 women. More than 23,000 injured people require immediate treatment within overstretched hospitals.

An entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship. This is unacceptable.

More than 100 attacks against health care have been reported.

Scores of aid workers have been killed since October 7 including 88 UNRWA colleagues – the highest number of United Nations fatalities ever recorded in a single conflict.

We renew our plea for the parties to respect all their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

We renew our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians held hostage.

Civilians and the infrastructure they rely on—including hospitals, shelters and schools—must be protected.

More aid—food, water, medicine and of course fuel—must enter Gaza safely, swiftly and at the scale needed, and must reach people in need, especially women and children, wherever they are.

We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now.

Signatories:

• Mr. Martin Griffiths, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

• Ms. Sofia Sprechmann Sineiro, Secretary General, CARE International

• Ms. Jane Backhurst, Chair of ICVA Board (Christian Aid)

• Mr. Jamie Munn, Executive Director, International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)

• Ms. Anne Goddard, Chief Executive Officer and President a.i., InterAction

• Ms. Amy E. Pope, Director General, International Organization for Migration (IOM)

• Ms. Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps

• Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

• Ms. Janti Soeripto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children

• Ms. Paula Gaviria Betancur, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (SR on HR of IDPs)

• Mr. Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

• Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

• Mr. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

• Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat)

• Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

• Ms. Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women

• Ms. Cindy McCain, Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP)

• Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)

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Women are increasingly at risk in conflict and underrepresented in peace processes, according to a UN report

PRESS RELEASE

25 OCTOBER 2023

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

media.team@unwomen.org

Women are increasingly at-risk in conflict and underrepresented in peace processes, according to a UN report

Women´s rights advocates and UN organizations brief the UN Security Council on the main issues and challenges on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda

New York City  — More than 600 million women and girls lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022, a 50 per cent increase since 2017. Civilians around the world need greater humanitarian aid than ever before—but countries are instead increasing military spending, which topped USD 2.2 trillion in 2022. 

That is the picture painted by the new UN Secretary-General report on women, peace, and security, issued annually coinciding with the UN Security Council Open Debate taking place today in New York, titled “Women’s participation in international peace and security: from theory to practice”. United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres; UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous; President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric; Ambassador Glivânia Maria de Oliveira; as well as a civil society representative are the anticipated briefers. 

“These negative trends are setting back both gender equality and global peace. However, this dire picture is not inevitable. We can reverse it by investing in women’s organizations in crisis settings; increasing the meaningful participation of women in mediation and peace processes; promoting parity in political and electoral processes; and using accountability tools to strengthen the protection of women in conflict-affected countries”, said Ms. Sarah Hendriks, UN Women Deputy Executive Director ad interim.

The report puts a spotlight on the global security humanitarian situation, which has become more grim, with a disparate impact on women and girls.  In Afghanistan, for example, the Taliban have issued more than 50 edicts to suppress women’s and girls’ rights; and when fighting broke out earlier this year in Sudan, widespread sexual violence returned to Darfur, reminiscent of the conflict in the region two decades ago. Further, the report shares a picture of decline in several countries for women to participate in decision-making on peace and security.  Events of political violence targeting women increased by 50 percent in conflict-affected countries between 2020 and 2022.

A key recommendation presented in the report is for at least one-third of all participants in mediation and peace processes to be women, but the reality shows that women remain sidelined from the main negotiations. While women participated in 80 per cent of UN-led or co-led peace processes, their actual numbers remained low, at only about 16 per cent of total participants—a proportion that has decreased for two years in a row. Women were almost completely absent from many other peace processes and political talks on situations on the agenda of the Security Council, including in Ethiopia, Kosovo1, Sudan, Myanmar, and Libya. 

Additional recommendations from the report include:

• Investing $300 million in new funding pledges for women’s organizations in crisis settings over the next three years; 

• Setting ambitious targets for women’s direct participation on delegations and negotiating teams, and appointing women as lead mediators in peace processes;

• Reducing military expenditures and increasing funding to women’s peacebuilding efforts which have repeatedly shown to be effective and sustainable;

• Ensuring women human rights defenders can work safely in their home countries or relocate as necessary. 

The UN Secretary-General report on women, peace, and security is issued annually coinciding with the UN Security Council Open Debate on resolution 1325, which calls for all parties to conflicts to ensure the safety of women and girls, and for women’s full involvement in peace processes. 

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Women Peace and Security

MEDIA ADVISORY

23 OCTOBER 2023

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

media.team@unwomen.org

Media advisory: Women Peace and Security

New York City  — On Wednesday, 25 October, the UN Security Council will convene its annual Open Debate on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, the landmark resolution that recognized the impact of conflict on women and girls and the importance of women’s leadership in peacebuilding and peacemaking.

As the international community marks the 23rd anniversary of the resolution, the participation of women in peace processes around the world remains low, despite the continuing disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls. Today, more than 600 million women and girls lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022, a 50 per cent increase since 2017. Civilians around the world need greater humanitarian aid than ever before—but countries are instead increasing military spending, which topped USD 2.2 trillion in 2022.

In the context of the Open Debate, UN Women together with partners will host a number of events that will bring together women leaders, peacemakers, activists and women human rights defenders to advocate for conflict prevention and – resolution and for building and sustaining peace.

SELECTED EVENTS

UN Security Council Debate

When: Wednesday, 25 October 2023| 10 a.m. EDT

Where: United Nations Headquarters, Security Council Chamber, and online: UN Web TV.

The Security Council is scheduled to hold its annual open debate on WPS under the theme, “Women’s participation in international peace and security: from theory to practice”.

The Secretary-General’s report on Women, Peace and Security is expected to be launched ahead of the Security Council Debate. More information will be available here.

Peace Begins with Her | Inside Out Project |

When: Wednesday, 25 October 2023| 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT

Where: United Nations Headquarters, New York - public entrance (46th street and 1 avenue).

An interactive event as part of the “Peace Begins with Her” campaign with the Inside Out Project, a public art initiative created by award-winning street artist JR. In front of the UNHQ public entrance (46th street and 1 avenue), 50 large-sized portraits of women peacekeepers and peacebuilders will be on display to highlight their courage and commitment. There will be a photo booth where the public can have their portraits taken to show solidarity for lasting peace and gender equality. 

More information on the event is available here and digital assets can be downloaded here. 

Invest-In-Women Global Summit: Interactive Civil Society Dialogues - Turning Commitment into Action

When: Thursday, 26 October 2023| 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. EDT

Where: United Nations Headquarters (registration needed), and online via UN Web TV and across WPHF social media channels.

The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is holding its Invest-In-Women Global Summit on the sidelines of the UNSC Open Debate on Women Peace and Security to scale up financial commitments for women and their local civil society organizations on the front lines.

Documentary screening: When the Waters Flow as One: A women and peace security story.

When: Thursday, 26 October 2023| 6.30 p.m. EDT

Where: Cinema 123 by Angelica, 1001 3rd Ave, NY 10022. Free registrations here.

‘When the waters flow as one: A women and peace story’ was developed by UN Women in Colombia, thanks to the support of the Swedish Embassy and in coordination with the recently completed Truth Commission in Colombia.

Media contacts:

For more information, press requests or the full list of events, please contact: media.team@unwomen.org

UN Women

Kiri Jo Ginnerup| kiri.ginnerup@unwomen.org

Ines Esteban Gonzalez | ines.esteban.gonzalez@unwomen.org

Additional press contacts for Peace Begins with Her | Inside Out Project | 

UN Department of Peace Operations

Sophie Boudre | boudre@un.org | +1 917 691 5359

UN Department of Global Communications

Devi Palanivelu | palanivelu@un.org | +1 917 495 5424

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UN Women at UNGA78

MEDIA ADVISORY

14 SEPTEMBER 2023

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

media.team@unwomen.org

Media Advisory: UN Women at UNGA78

New York City  — The 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) will feature the High-Level General Debate from Tuesday, 19 September to Saturday, 23 September (and on Tuesday 26 September) – under the theme, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.”

The 78th Session represents a crucial milestone in the journey towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), since it marks the halfway point to their deadline. At the SDG Summit, leaders will review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs, providing high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions. The outcome will be a negotiated political declaration. 

In preparation for the SDG Summit, the Generation Equality Midpoint Moment, organized by UN Women and the Governments of Iceland and Tanzania, will be showcased as part of the SDG Acceleration Day on 17 September. Generation Equality is the world’s leading initiative to boost investment and implementation of gender equality. The event will bring together organizations from all corners of society to catalyze progress, push for change and take bold actions together.  

Through side-events, intergenerational and intergovernmental conversations, UN Women will call for urgent action towards gender equality.

Note to media: Events held on UN premises are open only to UN-accredited media. More information at: https://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/unga.shtml 

Generation Equality Midpoint

When: Sunday, 17 September 2023, 10:00am – 2:45pm

Where: United Nations Headquarters, Trusteeship Council Chamber and online: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1e/k1ek09vhph

The Midpoint will put a spotlight on accountability for gender equality and will launch a call to action to contribute to the UN Secretary-General’s vision for the 2030 Agenda: “Let’s be clear: no country can afford to see this fail.” An opportunity to mobilize new commitments and momentum, inspire investment and leadership for impact at scale, and demonstrate how Generation Equality’s multi-stakeholder methodology is driving concrete progress on gender equality. The Governments of Iceland and Tanzania will co-host the Midpoint Moment with UN Women, and stakeholders will be invited to commit and re-commit political, programmatic and financial support through the Generation Equality multistakeholder platform and methodology. 

Register here 

Spotlight Initiative 

When: Sunday, 17 September 2023, 3:00pm – 4:30pm 

Where: United Nations Headquarters, Trusteeship Council Chamber and online https://media.un.org/en/asset/k11/k11mkyuqzv 

Spotlight Initiative is a global United Nations initiative in partnership with the European Union and other partners aiming to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. The Spotlight Initiative event on 17 September will showcase its impressive results on ending violence against women and girls and as an accelerator for all the SDGs – proving that gender-based violence is not only preventable, but that we already have the tools we need to ensure every woman and girl lives a life free from violence. This high-level event will feature statements and conversations with Heads of States, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, actress and UN Global Advocate Cecilia Suárez; actress, filmmaker and philanthropist Natalie Portman; actress and UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Ashley Judd; as well as leaders from the European Union, Governments, civil society, the private sector and other partners.  

Register here  

SDG Summit:

When:  18-19 September 2023. 

Where: United Nations Headquarters

The 2023 SDG Summit will mark the beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals with high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to 2030. Convened by the President of the General Assembly, the Summit will mark the half-way point to the deadline set for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. It will be the centerpiece of the High-level Week of the General Assembly. It will respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world and is expected to reignite a sense of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm for the 2030 Agenda. UN Women and UN DESA recently released the “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023” providing a comprehensive analysis of gender equality progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

HeForShe Summit 

When: Thursday, 21 September 2023, 10:00am to 12:00pm 

Where: Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway, New York NY 10018) and online.

The HeForShe movement, one of UN Women’s flagship partnership initiatives, partners with men and boys to advance gender equality through transformative commitments and actions. The Summit is a gathering of HeForShe partners with representation at the highest level and acts as a progress reporting platform with the aim to inspire others to follow suit and take concrete action for gender equality. The event will feature HeForShe Champions including H.E. the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo; the CEO of HSBC, Michael M. Roberts; and the CEO of Movember, Michelle Terry as well as thought leaders from the Washington Post and Bloomberg. 

Register here 

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UN Women to launch flagship report “Turning promises into action: gender equality in the 2030 Agenda”

feb. 8, 2023

What:

Two and half years after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Women looks at what it will really take to achieve the 2030 Agenda in its new flagship report, “Turning promises into action: Gender equality in the 2030 Agenda”. In a first-of-its-kind comprehensive assessment of global and regional trends in achieving the SDGs from a gender perspective, the report demonstrates through concrete data evidence and analysis the pervasive nature of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.

The report takes a look at all 17 SDGs and shows their impact on the lives of women and girls. It highlights how the different dimensions of well-being and deprivation are deeply intertwined: A girl who is born into a poor household and forced into early marriage, for example, is more likely to drop out of school, give birth at an early age, suffer complications during childbirth and experience violence—all SDGs targets—than a girl from a higher-income household who marries at a later age. It puts forth recommendations on how to tackle the existing structural inequalities and what is needed to move from promises to action.

Highlights from the report include:

• Data snapshots and case studies that take an in-depth look at the United States, Colombia, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa and Uruguay;

• Analysis beyond national averages to uncover the yawning gaps between women and girls who, even within the same country such as the United States, are living in worlds apart, because of their income status, race/ethnicity, or where they live;

• Wide-ranging, concrete recommendations to move SDG implementation, including the roll-out of integrated approaches that leverage policy synergies.

• The report looks at two specific areas; unpaid care work and ending violence against women, where urgent action is needed.

When and Where:

14 February at 12 p.m. EST

UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, will brief the press on the Report as the Guest at the United Nations noon briefing. Room S-0237 of the UN Secretariat, New York.

UN press accreditation is required to attend the noon briefing. Please find more information at:

http://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/accreditation.shtml

 The briefing will also be webcast live on: http://webtv.un.org/media/

14 February, 1.30 – 3.30 p.m.

 The Report will be launched at the Japan Society (333 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017).

Speakers at the event include:

• Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women

• Shahra Razavi, Chief of the Research and Data Section of UN Women and report lead author.

• Fernando Filgueira, Senior Researcher at Centro Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Igualdad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC), Argentina, and Associate Researcher at Centro de Informaciones y Estudios del Uruguay (IESU)

• Adebayo Olukoshi, Regional Director for Africa and West Asia, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)

• Gita Sen, Distinguished Professor & Director, Ramalingaswami Centre on Equity and Social Determinants of Health, Public Health Foundation of India, and Adjunct Professor, Global Health and Population, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University

• Nermeen Shaik, Producer and co-host of Democracy Now! (Moderator)

If you are interested in a copy of the embargoed report or would like to interview one of the authors of the report, please contact: media.team@unwomen.org.

To attend the event, please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/launch-of-un-womens-sdg-monitoring-report-turning-promises-into-action-tickets-42767603052

Follow the online conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #PromisesToAction #GlobalGoals, and follow us @UN_Women.

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