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President's Message
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Left-to-right: UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka & USNC President Lalita Janke, HeForShe Turns Two Gala at MoMA in NYC - 20 Sept 2016 |
Dear Members & Supporters,
As the year winds down and fall turns to winter, I'd like to thank you again for your help this year. Your incredible energy and commitment, makes it possible for us to support the humanitarian work of UN Women.
In the last few months, the U.S. National Committee for UN Women co-sponsored our first-ever Side Event during September's Regular Session of the UN General Assembly, celebrated at the HeForShe Turns Two Gala, and participated in the annual UN Women meeting of national committees in Berlin. I hope you enjoy reading about some of these exciting gatherings and and the wonderful fundraising and educational events hosted by our chapters in their own communities.
Writing this in the midst of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (11/25-12/10), I am reminded that we are working for the world we wish our children to inherit. As the calendar ticks toward December 10th's International Human Rights Day, a day honoring the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, let us also remember the work required to end human rights abuses in the world. This document's basic philosophy has led to many legally-binding international instruments, including the groundbreaking work of UN Women and its many champions.
I ask you to support the work of UN Women, not for us, but for the millions of women and girls who are not in a position to do anything more than survive and hold themselves together, all while taking care of their families. Their needs are great. Our commitment and obligation to support UN Women has to be greater. In this year end season of thanks and giving, I urge you to donate - as global citizens, as concerned individuals, as women and supporters of women. Join, renew your membership, commit to a monthly gift, support the Haiti relief effort, and give generously to our year-end appeal.
Please accept my sincere thanks for all that you do. Together, we can change the world!
Lalita Janke
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UN Women:
Making Every Woman and Girl Count
Another fabulous initiative by UN Women! At the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, UN Women and partners Australia, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Data2x announced a new comprehensive gender data collection initiative. Public-private partnerships like this one are designed to help close gender gaps and contribute to sustainable development.
Read the Flagship Initiative Brief
here
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UN Women:
Women, Peace & Security
On October 25th, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka addressed the UN Security Council during the Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security.
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he celebrated successes such as UN Women's role as secretariat of key new gender mechanisms,
recent gender justice milestones in national and international courts, and the growing number of peace agreements with gender inclusive provisions.
Read the Under-Secretary-General's remarks
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UN Women:
HeForShe Turns Two Gala
UN Women's spectacular anniversary celebration, HeForShe Turns Two gala, was held at NYC's Museum of Modern Art on September 20th. World leaders, activists, change-makers, and celebrities gathered for the evening program emceed by The Daily Show's Trevor Noah and featuring remarks by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The event marked the release of the groundbreaking HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 University Parity Report in which 10 universities across the globe set out to confront gender inequality. With more than 1/2 of the world's population under 30 and graduation rates rising, universities have an unprecedented opportunity to make a difference. Three HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 Champions co-hosted the festivities; H.E. Sauli Niinisto, President of Finland; Dr. Samuel Stanley, President of Stony Brook University; and Bob Moritz, Chaiman of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
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| CLICK on the photo and watch Dr. Stanley detail the Stony Brook University investment in HeForShe |
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UN Women:
Emergency Aid to
Mosul, Iraq
UN Women Iraq and partners are providing emergency assistance in camps and host communities impacted by Iraqi special forces' operations in Mosul. Since these operations began on October 17th, the humanitarian crisis has deepened with more that 54,000 internally displaced persons and an anticipated 1.2 million more expected.
An estimated half of the displaced persons are women, girls and female-headed households. Immediately responding to their urgent needs for dignity items, the
UN Women teams distributed necessity kits to women in the camps.
Understand their challenges better with an
UPDATE from the front lines.
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USNC: UN General Assembly
USNC co-sponsored our first-ever side event at the 71st Regular Session of the UN General Assembly!
Many thanks to co-sponsor Save the Children and, especially, Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and Crystal Lander, USNC Communications Chair and MSH Sr. Director of Policy, Advocacy & Communications, for hosting the reception and panel discussion
From Overwhelmed to Resilient: Strengthening Health Systems to Better Serve Vulnerable Women and Children
. Liberian Minister of Health, Dr. Bernice Dahn, opened the discussion at the Population Council Offices.
We truly appreciate that
Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo, USNC Treasurer and Virginia Military Institute Professor, shared her time and expertise as one of the distinguished panelists who explored challenges and solutions for medical professionals in developing nations.
We're already looking forward to next year.
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The U.S. National Committee has a new address
&
phone number!
U.S. National Committee for UN Women
1050 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 772-1984
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Our Chicago chapter
held its inaugural
Gender Equality Awards
party on October 24th at the Lagunitas Brewing Company. The chapter's largest event to date, with over 100 guests, successfully raised $2,100 for UN Women's relief efforts in Haiti.
Attendees were proud to honor three local men that embody the spirit of UN Women's HeForShe solidarity movement for gender equality - Connor Jackson, Illinois Choice Action Team volunteer; Caleb Probst, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation educator; and Nikhil Trivedi, Rape Victim Advocates volunteer.
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Gulf Coast Chapter:
Gender Rights As Human Rights
USNC's Gulf Coast chapter co-sponsored an event at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee:
Gender Rights As Human Rights: Where Are We in 2016? Five panelists shared their experiences and expertise regarding women's issues, ranging from domestic issues to villages as far away as Africa and India.
Gulf Coast Chapter Advocacy Director E. Scott Osborne, Esq., led with a discussion of women in India that considered how cultural influences can be at odds with the country's democratic and legal structure. Joining her were Jody McBrien, Associate Professor at USFSM; Leen al-Fatafta, a student at New College; Phillip Wagner, Professor USFSM; and Noelle Polk Clark, Advocacy Director, UNA-Tampa Bay. Field research and partnership revealed both that women are advancing in the health, education and economic sectors, and that they would benefit from the help of more men. Ms. Clark emphasized the importance of adopting CEDAW legislation, beginning at the local level as a strategy.
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Miami Chapter:
New Member Reception
The Miami chapter recently hosted its New Member Reception
at the beautiful offices of the Apollo Bank. The chapter enjoyed an excellent turnout of new, highly enthusiastic members and chapter board members.
Chapter President Cary Avila
explained
UN Women's mandate within the United Nations system, illustrating ways the Miami Chapter can support their initiatives across the world with innovative fundraising and sharing UN Women's many successes.
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The Metro New York chapter enjoyed a busy fall season with 3 wonderful events in September and October!
Almost 100 members and guest celebrated the 7th annual fundraiser organized by the chapter's Young Professionals - A Night to Say No to Violence. This year, special guest and noted educator Nicholas Ferroni discussed the curriculum he developed that stresses the importance of gender equality.
In another well-attended event, the chapter teamed with the YWCA of Brooklyn and Zonta Club of New York for a panel discussion about women's physical security and local programs for domestic violence survivors.This event, PowHer the Vote, was named after the New York City-based coalition of NGOs that advocate for women's political participation.
The panel was moderated by Ugochi Adanmar Eze, Advocate of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Partnering with the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, the chapter sponsored a panel discussion: Gender Power and Politics. E
xpert panelists presented the challenges and importance of promoting women candidates for public office.
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North Carolina Chapter:
3rd Annual Governor's Mansion Luncheon
The North Carolina chapter held its third annual
When A Woman Leads event
on September 30th at the historic North Carolina Executive
Mansion. Featured speakers were ATHENA International founder Martha Mertz, Kenya League of Women Voters founder Dr. Ida Odinga, and former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
These remarkable women shared their experiences in leadership to a packed house of local women, many of whom work to better the lives of women in the Raleigh community. The annual luncheon aims to bolster local women's pursuit of leadership roles, encourages leaders to adhere to the boldness of visions, and reminds them to advocate within their own circles for more women leaders, both in North Carolina across the world.
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Utah Chapter:
United Nations Day Celebration
On October 24th, the Utah Chapter honored
United Nations Day with a fantastic evening event featuring presentations on community development in India and the global work of UN Women. Taking UN Women's global work to the local level, event-goers donated a carload of of goods raging from paper products to bedding for Salt Lake City-based South Valley Women's Shelter!
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