The effective participation of women and equal leadership opportunities are recognized globally as key drivers to achieving sustainable development. Although much progress has been made to increase women’s representation in all areas of public life since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), change has been incremental and slow. Gender equality and women’s full and equal participation in all areas of life, especially decision-making, are integral to the Decade of Action and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
In response, UN teams around the world have marshalled forces not only to stop the spread of the disease, but to deal with its many secondary effects—from massive job losses to increases in gender-based violence. Here are five ways the UN is combating the pandemic.
Women are in public decision-making roles more than ever before, but equality is far off: women hold only about 21 percent of ministerial positions globally, and only 22 countries are headed by a woman. At the current rate of progress, gender equality will not be reached among Heads of Government until 2150, another 130 years.
Yet, women persist, and continue to prove that when they lead, they bring transformative change to their communities and the world. Such change is vital in an era of COVID-19, climate change, deepening inequalities, conflict and democratic backsliding.
UN country teams across the world are playing a critical role as they support local and national authorities to rollout vaccination efforts. They are also taking immediate and proactive measures to curtail the rise of Ebola cases in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea.
From deploying robots to procuring and delivering vaccines worldwide, UN country teams are tirelessly supporting local and national authorities in the fight against COVID-19.
The fight against COVID-19 continues and so does the work of our UN country teams worldwide. Teams are delivering medical and personal protective equipment, aiding authorities in national vaccination roll-outs, and helping with overall recovery and response. Today, we highlight some of those efforts.
COVID-19 threatens the health and nutrition of almost two billion people in Asia and the Pacific alone. The pandemic is devastating already fragile circumstances for billions worldwide. UN teams across the globe are aiding to address some fundamental challenges to people’s safety, and health and food security. Today, we highlight some of the coordinated efforts.
Since COVID-19 changed our world forever, expressions of alarm and fear have comingled with optimism and hope. Across our planet, our global community has adapted to new social norms, suffered extreme losses and braces for the medium to long-term impacts of a drastic economic crisis.
