This January, the United Nations made history as it officially launched an organization called UN Women (UN Women), dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. This new and ambitious organization consolidates and elevates the UN's activities aimed at achieving gender equality and offers hope for accelerated progress in realizing women's rights around the world.
Officially called the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, the organization UN Women was created as a result of the agreement of UN member states - with the strong support of the global women's movement - that more needs to be done so that women can demand equal rights and opportunities.
"UN Women will significantly strengthen the UN's efforts to promote gender equality, expand opportunities and address discrimination around the world," said the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon.
"This is a time of great hope," said the UN executive director. Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile. "We have been given a historic opportunity to accelerate the achievements that gender equality champions have been working towards for years."
UN Women was established by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in July 2010 and began its work on 1 January 2011. It is based on and encompasses four departments within the UN system:
- Department for the Advancement of Women
- International Institute for Research and Education for the Advancement of Women
- Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women
- UN Development Fund for Women
UN Women, as a champion for the global protection of women, will work with UN Member States to harmonize international standards for gender equality and assist them in their implementation. It will also assist other UN agencies working on a wide range of development issues in integrating gender equality priorities into their work. In implementing its programmes, UN Women will work closely with civil society partners.
Gender equality is a fundamental human right and has enormous socio-economic implications. Empowering women supports successful economies and, for example, boosts productivity and growth. Many countries have made significant progress in improving the position of women, but gender discrimination remains deeply rooted in every society. Women continue to be victims of extreme forms of violence and are still excluded from many economic opportunities. Only a small number of women participate in politics.
The United Nations has consistently supported progress in addressing these gaps but has faced obstacles, including inadequate funding. UN Women is budgeted at a minimum of $500 million per year.
Text by Jadranka Musa, taken from the Libela website
