By Haruna Gimba
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.
The UN Women in a statement invited members of the media to attend the International Women’s Day (IWD) official UN commemoration: “Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress” to be held at ECOSOC Chamber at the 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, 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 and Antonio Manuel Revilla Lagdameo, Chair of the Bureau for the 68th session of the CSW.
UN Women Executive Director, Sima Bahous, 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.
According to the statement, a registration is required for the in-person event, and it will be webcast on UN Web TV.
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 March 8.
