The 78th United Nations General Assembly is just around the corner, and GWL Voices will be in New York from September 1th to the 23rd. During the General Assembly High-level week 2023, there will be three crucial actions from the organization:
1. Advocating for Gender alternation at the UNGA Presidency Now:
This past April GWL Voices started the campaign #GenderAlternationUNPGA because gender equality in multilateralism must be guaranteed. As a new United Nations General Assembly approaches, the efforts to have a woman as the next UNGA President are crucial. The data shows the inequalities in multilateralism and this must change now from the top by ensuring a new election system that guarantees representation of women in leadership.
Throughout history, the United Nations have had only four women president of the General Assembly: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1953), Angie Brooks (1969), Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa (2006), and GWL Voices’ Executive President, María Fernanda Espinosa (2018). No woman has ever been selected as UN Secretary-General. Women’s participation cannot continue being anecdotal, which is why GWL Voices is taking action and asking for support to make gender alternation UNPGA happen now.
2. Discuss the importance of women leaders in geopolitics:
On September, 19th, GWL Voices will hold an open event to discuss, acknowledge, and embrace the contributions of women in shaping the global political landscape during these times of increasingly polarized politics and more volatile democracies. The event will have a series of fireside chats with GWL Members moderated by young leaders and change-makers.
3. Raise awareness about inequalities in multilateralism:
During UNGA 78 we will continue positioning GWL Voices’ flagship report “Women In Multilateralism 2023.” The United Nations General Assembly is the most important event for multilateralism, and as such is also the right place to discuss why in 2023 there is so much gender inequality in leadership positions within the multilateral systems and development organizations.
Together and throughout history, the world’s 33 most important international organizations have had 382 leaders in total: 335 of them were men and only 47 (12%) were women. These disparities can no longer continue. While these organizations have among their goals increasing gender equality in governments, companies, and other industries, they have not done enough to ensure it inside their own structures. GWL Voices is here to help them achieve this goal and support it.
GWL Voices continues its mission to increase gender equality and inclusion of women in all spheres of society.
See you at UNGA 78!
