INTERNATIONAL: UN Women All Set For Launch

UN Women, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, will come into operation from January 1, 2011.

UN Women was created by the United Nations General Assembly on July 2, 2010 to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide.

UN Women is formed by merging Division for the Advancement of Women, International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women and United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

Sangita Thapa, programme coordinator at UNIFEM, said the UN Women would focus exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Addressing a press conference, Thapa added that UN Women was formed as a result of years of negotiations between UN member states and advocacy by the global women's movement.

UN Women aims to work as the lead driver and lead voice advocating for gender equality and empowerment of women globally, she emphasised.

The programme coordinator also informed that UN Women is a part of UN reform agenda, amassing resources and mandates for greater impact. The body will also support inter-governmental bodies such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in the formulation of policies, global standards and norms. UN also aims to help member states implement the standards, provide suitable technical and financial support to the countries that request it and to forge effective partnerships with civil society.

Thapa further added that the formation of UN Women will also enable member states to hold the UN system accountable for its commitment to gender equality, including regular monitoring of system-wide progress. The UN body will work towards the elimination of discrimination against women and girls, empowerment of women, achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security, said the programme coordinator.

UN Women will work with UN partners at the regional and country level to meet the demands of technical assistance to national partners and regional organisations.

At the country level, it will provide technical and financial support to national partners, helping them develop the ability to address their priority challenges. Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile has been appointed as the Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of UN Women.