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Her voice

“Without women participating fully, enjoying fully human rights, I don’t think democracy will thrive.”

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BIO

Ms. Mari Simonen is former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations and former Deputy Executive Director (Management) at UNFPA ( United Nations Population Fund). 

Prior to this, she was Director of UNFPA’s Technical Division. In that capacity, she oversaw a staff of international technical experts in public health; reproductive health; HIV/AIDS; population studies; gender and human rights; and other specialized areas of work in support of population and development issues worldwide. Prior to that position, Simonen was the Chief of the Office of the Executive Director at UNFPA.

Before joining the United Nations in 1980, Simonen worked at the University of California, Berkeley.