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The United Nations & Decison Making: The Role Women

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The role of women in decision-making was central to the advancement of women around the world and to the progress of humankind as a whole, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said this morning at the Headquarters’ observance of International Women’s Day, whose theme this year was “Women in decision-making: meeting challenges, creating change”. Addressing those gathered for the annual celebration, he said that, more than 10 years after the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), there was still far to go in ensuring that half of the world’s population took up its rightful place in the world’s decision-making. But, the international community was finally beginning to understand that women were every bit as affected as any man, by the challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century -- in economic and social development, as well as in peace and security. Often, they were more affected. Therefore, it was right and, indeed, necessary that women should be engaged in decision-making in every area, with equal strength and in equal numbers. Noting recent achievements, he said that, in January, the proportion of women in national parliaments had reached a new global high. And in recent elections and re-elections to the highest positions in Government, women leaders had made a quantum leap by increasing their representation by more than 30 per cent. There were now 11 women Heads of State or Government, in countries on every continent, he said, adding, “I think we should also see a clear message in the overwhelming success of women in presidential elections over the past year; the world is ready for a woman as Secretary-General of the United Nations”. There had also been advancements in the United Nations Secretariat, he noted. A quarter of a century ago, the proportion of women in D-1 positions and higher, was less than 4 per cent. Today, it was 26 per cent. Yet, he would be the first to admit that progress towards gender-parity in the United Nations was nowhere near what it should be. “Clearly, we have far, far more to do – both in the UN and the world as a whole.”Opening the panel discussion that followed, Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communication and Public Information, said undeniable progress towards equality had been made, including the representation of women in parliaments and the recent election of women leaders in Liberia, Chile and Germany. That was good news, but not good enough. Much more needed to be done. Women were underrepresented in the legislative, justice and economic decision-making areas, and in too many other areas, not least peace and security.

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Availability

KP.1 000300

KP,11 NIC u

My Library

Available

Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

KP,11 NIC u

Publisher

New York : UNITAR., 1978

Collation

335 hlm;24 cm

Language

Indonesia

ISBN/ISSN

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Classification

KP.11

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

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Subject(s)

Women

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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