Partner News

Beirut, February 8, 2018

The Office of the Minister of State for Women’s Affairs in Lebanon and TheUnited Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program- LEAP and the European Union organize a six-day training program, divided in two phases, on electoral campaigning management and skills development targeting a group of women involved in the upcoming parliamentary elections of May 2018. The first training kicked off on February 5, 2018.  

The event held at Mövenpick hotel between February 5 and 10, 2018 comes in the context of the Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon and aims to enhancing the capacities of the Lebanese women aspirants, candidates and women in political parties to manage and engage in the upcoming elections. It is divided in two phases and targets two groups of participants for a total number of 45 women.

The first group that participated in the first phase, between February 5 and 7, 2018 included women belonging to political parties. The second group that participated in the second phase, between February 8 and 10, 2018 included potential women candidates belonging to the civil society.

Each group of women attended five sessions over three days which included theory and practical elements, a description of the electoral system and actors in the electoral process according to the Lebanese constitution and the electoral law. The participants were also informed about the components of a successful electoral campaign and the process for formulating a plan for it. They were also provided with practical tools on forming the electoral campaign’s team and with instructions on the basic skills for communicating with the public.

The Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon was launched in Beirut on 17 January 2018 at the conference "Fostering the role of political parties to promote women representation in the upcoming parliamentary elections" under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The Roadmap aims to building the capacity of women leaders, women candidates and voters (male and female) to promote women's representation in politics. The Roadmap also consists of a broad advocacy campaign including the launch of a media awareness campaign under the theme "Half the society, half the parliament" to promote and support women's participation in politics and advocate for political parties to endorse women candidacy in electoral lists.

Beirut, February 8, 2018

The Office of the Minister of State for Women’s Affairs in Lebanon and TheUnited Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program- LEAP and the European Union organize a six-day training program, divided in two phases, on electoral campaigning management and skills development targeting a group of women involved in the upcoming parliamentary elections of May 2018. The first training kicked off on February 5, 2018.  

The event held at Mövenpick hotel between February 5 and 10, 2018 comes in the context of the Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon and aims to enhancing the capacities of the Lebanese women aspirants, candidates and women in political parties to manage and engage in the upcoming elections. It is divided in two phases and targets two groups of participants for a total number of 45 women.

The first group that participated in the first phase, between February 5 and 7, 2018 included women belonging to political parties. The second group that participated in the second phase, between February 8 and 10, 2018 included potential women candidates belonging to the civil society.

Each group of women attended five sessions over three days which included theory and practical elements, a description of the electoral system and actors in the electoral process according to the Lebanese constitution and the electoral law. The participants were also informed about the components of a successful electoral campaign and the process for formulating a plan for it. They were also provided with practical tools on forming the electoral campaign’s team and with instructions on the basic skills for communicating with the public.

The Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon was launched in Beirut on 17 January 2018 at the conference "Fostering the role of political parties to promote women representation in the upcoming parliamentary elections" under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The Roadmap aims to building the capacity of women leaders, women candidates and voters (male and female) to promote women's representation in politics. The Roadmap also consists of a broad advocacy campaign including the launch of a media awareness campaign under the theme "Half the society, half the parliament" to promote and support women's participation in politics and advocate for political parties to endorse women candidacy in electoral lists.

Beirut, February 8, 2018

The Office of the Minister of State for Women’s Affairs in Lebanon and TheUnited Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program- LEAP and the European Union organize a six-day training program, divided in two phases, on electoral campaigning management and skills development targeting a group of women involved in the upcoming parliamentary elections of May 2018. The first training kicked off on February 5, 2018.  

The event held at Mövenpick hotel between February 5 and 10, 2018 comes in the context of the Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon and aims to enhancing the capacities of the Lebanese women aspirants, candidates and women in political parties to manage and engage in the upcoming elections. It is divided in two phases and targets two groups of participants for a total number of 45 women.

The first group that participated in the first phase, between February 5 and 7, 2018 included women belonging to political parties. The second group that participated in the second phase, between February 8 and 10, 2018 included potential women candidates belonging to the civil society.

Each group of women attended five sessions over three days which included theory and practical elements, a description of the electoral system and actors in the electoral process according to the Lebanese constitution and the electoral law. The participants were also informed about the components of a successful electoral campaign and the process for formulating a plan for it. They were also provided with practical tools on forming the electoral campaign’s team and with instructions on the basic skills for communicating with the public.

The Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon was launched in Beirut on 17 January 2018 at the conference "Fostering the role of political parties to promote women representation in the upcoming parliamentary elections" under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The Roadmap aims to building the capacity of women leaders, women candidates and voters (male and female) to promote women's representation in politics. The Roadmap also consists of a broad advocacy campaign including the launch of a media awareness campaign under the theme "Half the society, half the parliament" to promote and support women's participation in politics and advocate for political parties to endorse women candidacy in electoral lists.

Beirut, February 8, 2018

The Office of the Minister of State for Women’s Affairs in Lebanon and TheUnited Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program- LEAP and the European Union organize a six-day training program, divided in two phases, on electoral campaigning management and skills development targeting a group of women involved in the upcoming parliamentary elections of May 2018. The first training kicked off on February 5, 2018.  

The event held at Mövenpick hotel between February 5 and 10, 2018 comes in the context of the Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon and aims to enhancing the capacities of the Lebanese women aspirants, candidates and women in political parties to manage and engage in the upcoming elections. It is divided in two phases and targets two groups of participants for a total number of 45 women.

The first group that participated in the first phase, between February 5 and 7, 2018 included women belonging to political parties. The second group that participated in the second phase, between February 8 and 10, 2018 included potential women candidates belonging to the civil society.

Each group of women attended five sessions over three days which included theory and practical elements, a description of the electoral system and actors in the electoral process according to the Lebanese constitution and the electoral law. The participants were also informed about the components of a successful electoral campaign and the process for formulating a plan for it. They were also provided with practical tools on forming the electoral campaign’s team and with instructions on the basic skills for communicating with the public.

The Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon was launched in Beirut on 17 January 2018 at the conference "Fostering the role of political parties to promote women representation in the upcoming parliamentary elections" under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The Roadmap aims to building the capacity of women leaders, women candidates and voters (male and female) to promote women's representation in politics. The Roadmap also consists of a broad advocacy campaign including the launch of a media awareness campaign under the theme "Half the society, half the parliament" to promote and support women's participation in politics and advocate for political parties to endorse women candidacy in electoral lists.

Beirut, February 8, 2018

The Office of the Minister of State for Women’s Affairs in Lebanon and TheUnited Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program- LEAP and the European Union organize a six-day training program, divided in two phases, on electoral campaigning management and skills development targeting a group of women involved in the upcoming parliamentary elections of May 2018. The first training kicked off on February 5, 2018.  

The event held at Mövenpick hotel between February 5 and 10, 2018 comes in the context of the Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon and aims to enhancing the capacities of the Lebanese women aspirants, candidates and women in political parties to manage and engage in the upcoming elections. It is divided in two phases and targets two groups of participants for a total number of 45 women.

The first group that participated in the first phase, between February 5 and 7, 2018 included women belonging to political parties. The second group that participated in the second phase, between February 8 and 10, 2018 included potential women candidates belonging to the civil society.

Each group of women attended five sessions over three days which included theory and practical elements, a description of the electoral system and actors in the electoral process according to the Lebanese constitution and the electoral law. The participants were also informed about the components of a successful electoral campaign and the process for formulating a plan for it. They were also provided with practical tools on forming the electoral campaign’s team and with instructions on the basic skills for communicating with the public.

The Roadmap for Political Empowerment and Leadership of Women in Lebanon was launched in Beirut on 17 January 2018 at the conference "Fostering the role of political parties to promote women representation in the upcoming parliamentary elections" under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The Roadmap aims to building the capacity of women leaders, women candidates and voters (male and female) to promote women's representation in politics. The Roadmap also consists of a broad advocacy campaign including the launch of a media awareness campaign under the theme "Half the society, half the parliament" to promote and support women's participation in politics and advocate for political parties to endorse women candidacy in electoral lists.

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

As hundreds of youth activists from around the world convene at the United Nations for the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, from 30-31 January 2018, UN Women spoke to Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Ms. Wickramanayake is the first female Youth Envoy, and have worked on youth issues since the age of 21. Prior to joining the United Nations, in her home country, Sri Lanka, she created a youth movement for civic and political engagement named “Hashtag Generation”, and has served as the member of the Youth Parliament, among other positions.

The 2018 ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together youth from around the world at the United Nations. What is on the agenda and what can young people expect from the Forum?

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. This is the sixth year of the Forum and more than 500 young people and 200 officials, including Ministers responsible for youth, will come to New York to discuss the issues that youth around the world are facing. Together, youth leaders, activists and officials will propose new approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda. 

The topics on the agenda directly affect youth, like sustainable energy for all, safe and inclusive cities, access to clean water and sanitation, protecting our forests and biodiversity, and building partnerships to achieve these goals. The Forum will also feature a SDG Media Zone, where many young people from all over the world will be sharing the work that they are doing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for young people to shape the policies and programmes that impact their lives and reality.

We hope that young people around the world who cannot join in person, can be part of the Forum by joining the online conversations. Follow the accounts @UNYouthEnvoy @GlobalGoalsUN and @UNECOSOC, and the hashtags #Youth2030 and #SDGLive, and raise your voice on social media about youth issues.

What are the top priorities that young women and girls are raising?

There are 1.2 billion of young people in the world—the largest generation of youth that the world has ever seen [1]. Half of these are young women. While young people face discrimination based on their age, young women face an additional layer of discrimination because of their gender. For every young woman to reach her full potential, we need to ensure that all of them have equal opportunities. And we cannot achieve that goal without ensuring gender equality and putting an end to gender-based violence.

Despite recent improvements, young women and girls are still too often affected by violence, discrimination, and lower access to education and employment than young men. And indeed, they demand changes now. Over 35 per cent of women have been affected by physical or sexual violence, including young women [2]. Over 750 million young women and girls are married before their 18th birthday [3], which often prevents them from pursuing education and employment opportunities.

In terms of education, we need to do better too. In the least developed countries, barely 60 per cent of girls complete primary school, and just 30 per cent go to secondary school [4]. Young women also have lower literacy levels than men in 20 per cent of the countries [5]. Even when they have access to education, women are likely to earn less than men in most countries.

We need to address these challenges quickly if we want to ensure that our current generation of young women get the same chances as their counterparts. At the end of the day, achieving sustainable development will remain a dream, rather than a reality, if we are leaving 50 per cent of our population behind.

How is the work of the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant for young people in countries, far away from the United Nations where these discussions are taking place?

The best thing about SDGs is that they are universal. They apply to you regardless of where you are—in the global north or south, in a country with high GDP or a lower GDP—one or many of SDGs will apply to you. They are a very useful set of guidelines—a road map—to build a more sustainable and inclusive for all of us, ensuring gender equality, peace and security, decent work, and health and well-being for everybody, for example.

Achieving the SDGs can have a very meaningful and positive impact on everybody’s lives. And we all have a role to play in working towards the success of the SDGs. Every young person and every little action can make a major difference to achieve them.

For example, you can take action on gender equality in many ways. You can encourage people in your community to speak out against discriminatory behaviours. Teach young women useful skills that can help them advance their career, or offer support to young women around you who are in a vulnerable situation. Every initiative counts and we can all contribute to achieving the SDGs.

How can we make sure that the SDGs benefit young women and girls equally?

The way to ensure gender equality is by making young women and girls a priority! Whether we are working towards achieving quality jobs and economic growth, quality education, or access to good health and well-being, we must make sure that everybody can benefit, including young women and girls. We should not leave anybody behind.

I have seen in some practical instances, when there are opportunities, we often try to give the option of “women or youth”. It shouldn't be a choice. Women and youth, especially young women, should receive a priority in all our interventions from international level to the grassroots.

All young people need to be our partners in achieving gender equality, and that includes young men and boys. Educating and empowering young people to advocate for gender equality is perhaps the most important thing we can do to put an end to gender-based violence and harmful gender stereotypes that stand in the way of achieving the SDGs.

We need to teach the values of gender equality to young men early on so they can carry them throughout their lives, and educate and encourage their peers to follow these values. In one sentence, every young man needs to be a “He For She”!

You are the first female Youth Envoy of the UN Secretary-General. Tell us about your journey —why did you join the youth movement and how did you become the Youth Envoy of the SG?

Since I was in school, I have been very active in my community, and volunteered both in and outside my school. In 2012, I became the first-ever Youth Delegate of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. As I was finishing my tenure in 2013, I got involved in the International Youth Task Force of the World Youth Conference 2014, and became a Senator in the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka. By then, I was aware of the challenges that young people were facing around the world, such as the scarcity of decent jobs and the skills gap between young people and the labour market. More than 40 per cent of the world’s young people were either unemployed, or working but still living below the poverty line [6]. It was clear that we needed to do more to empower youth and advocate for them.

Another issue that I noticed was the lack of representation of youth, particularly young women, in politics and government in my own country. That’s why I co-founded a grassroots organization called Hashtag Generation in Sri Lanka, to build the capacity of young people and young women, to participate in politics in my country.

When I was nominated and appointed as the Youth Envoy, I accepted this role with the ambition to scale up the change I was pushing for at the national level to an international level. I am committed to this mission.

To all young women reading this, aspiring to be leaders, I want to say, believe in yourself and your power to change the world. Act now, speak up, and stand up for your rights and your ideas. Demand to have a seat at the table, don’t wait for an invitation. Support and encourage other young women around you to take action and advocate for their rights too.

And if you ever feel let down, remember that a young woman, just like you, is in the United Nations, rooting for you.

Source: UN Women

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), together with the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will launch the Inter-Regional Report on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women on 5 December 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.

Gender Equality and the Political Empowerment of Women are key elements for the consolidation of sustainable democracies worldwide, and global and regional organizations play a key role in the development of legal and policy frameworks, as well as in the design of effective action plans that incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, to better support their membership in the advancement of the gender-equality agenda at the global, regional, national and global levels.

This report highlights the role of regional organizations in supporting their membership on the operationalization and follow-up of key instruments such as, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women; and, more recently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which has the overall objective within Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

This publication has the aim of gathering and analyzing the main instruments that are currently in place at the global and regional levels, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and successes that each organization has encounter in the implementation within their respective regions. This report also offers policy recommendations based on the overall analysis at the institutional level, but also recommendations that resulted from a multidimensional regional consultation process that gathered governments, civil society organizations, specialized agencies, experts and citizens.

International IDEA, jointly with the partner organizations, proposes this report as an instrument to inform policymakers and relevant actors in the field on what is the current situation of gender equality, what has been done in terms of the political empowerment of women, and what is expected from the global community in order to successfully advance and achieve Goal 5 by 2030, and ultimately guarantee democratic, inclusive, safe and stable societies worldwide.

This initiative has been developed as part of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD) of International IDEA, which is a unique platform that gathers the main regional organizations to discuss issues related to democracy, exchange best practices and develop synergies for further cooperation. Currently, member of the IRDD are the African Union Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of American States, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The Community of Democracies and the United Nations are global partners of the IRDD.

The production and the launch of this publication is made possible, thanks to a generous contribution from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS/COLLABORATORS: 

The Community of Democracies, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission

RSVP/CONTACTS: 

Please send an email to EEPRES.CFSP.permrep@mfa.ee by Friday, 1 December 2017, 17:00.

Source: International IDEA

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), together with the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will launch the Inter-Regional Report on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women on 5 December 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.

Gender Equality and the Political Empowerment of Women are key elements for the consolidation of sustainable democracies worldwide, and global and regional organizations play a key role in the development of legal and policy frameworks, as well as in the design of effective action plans that incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, to better support their membership in the advancement of the gender-equality agenda at the global, regional, national and global levels.

This report highlights the role of regional organizations in supporting their membership on the operationalization and follow-up of key instruments such as, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women; and, more recently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which has the overall objective within Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

This publication has the aim of gathering and analyzing the main instruments that are currently in place at the global and regional levels, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and successes that each organization has encounter in the implementation within their respective regions. This report also offers policy recommendations based on the overall analysis at the institutional level, but also recommendations that resulted from a multidimensional regional consultation process that gathered governments, civil society organizations, specialized agencies, experts and citizens.

International IDEA, jointly with the partner organizations, proposes this report as an instrument to inform policymakers and relevant actors in the field on what is the current situation of gender equality, what has been done in terms of the political empowerment of women, and what is expected from the global community in order to successfully advance and achieve Goal 5 by 2030, and ultimately guarantee democratic, inclusive, safe and stable societies worldwide.

This initiative has been developed as part of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD) of International IDEA, which is a unique platform that gathers the main regional organizations to discuss issues related to democracy, exchange best practices and develop synergies for further cooperation. Currently, member of the IRDD are the African Union Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of American States, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The Community of Democracies and the United Nations are global partners of the IRDD.

The production and the launch of this publication is made possible, thanks to a generous contribution from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS/COLLABORATORS: 

The Community of Democracies, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission

RSVP/CONTACTS: 

Please send an email to EEPRES.CFSP.permrep@mfa.ee by Friday, 1 December 2017, 17:00.

Source: International IDEA

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), together with the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will launch the Inter-Regional Report on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women on 5 December 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.

Gender Equality and the Political Empowerment of Women are key elements for the consolidation of sustainable democracies worldwide, and global and regional organizations play a key role in the development of legal and policy frameworks, as well as in the design of effective action plans that incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, to better support their membership in the advancement of the gender-equality agenda at the global, regional, national and global levels.

This report highlights the role of regional organizations in supporting their membership on the operationalization and follow-up of key instruments such as, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women; and, more recently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which has the overall objective within Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

This publication has the aim of gathering and analyzing the main instruments that are currently in place at the global and regional levels, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and successes that each organization has encounter in the implementation within their respective regions. This report also offers policy recommendations based on the overall analysis at the institutional level, but also recommendations that resulted from a multidimensional regional consultation process that gathered governments, civil society organizations, specialized agencies, experts and citizens.

International IDEA, jointly with the partner organizations, proposes this report as an instrument to inform policymakers and relevant actors in the field on what is the current situation of gender equality, what has been done in terms of the political empowerment of women, and what is expected from the global community in order to successfully advance and achieve Goal 5 by 2030, and ultimately guarantee democratic, inclusive, safe and stable societies worldwide.

This initiative has been developed as part of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD) of International IDEA, which is a unique platform that gathers the main regional organizations to discuss issues related to democracy, exchange best practices and develop synergies for further cooperation. Currently, member of the IRDD are the African Union Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of American States, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The Community of Democracies and the United Nations are global partners of the IRDD.

The production and the launch of this publication is made possible, thanks to a generous contribution from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS/COLLABORATORS: 

The Community of Democracies, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission

RSVP/CONTACTS: 

Please send an email to EEPRES.CFSP.permrep@mfa.ee by Friday, 1 December 2017, 17:00.

Source: International IDEA

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), together with the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will launch the Inter-Regional Report on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women on 5 December 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.

Gender Equality and the Political Empowerment of Women are key elements for the consolidation of sustainable democracies worldwide, and global and regional organizations play a key role in the development of legal and policy frameworks, as well as in the design of effective action plans that incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, to better support their membership in the advancement of the gender-equality agenda at the global, regional, national and global levels.

This report highlights the role of regional organizations in supporting their membership on the operationalization and follow-up of key instruments such as, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women; and, more recently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which has the overall objective within Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

This publication has the aim of gathering and analyzing the main instruments that are currently in place at the global and regional levels, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and successes that each organization has encounter in the implementation within their respective regions. This report also offers policy recommendations based on the overall analysis at the institutional level, but also recommendations that resulted from a multidimensional regional consultation process that gathered governments, civil society organizations, specialized agencies, experts and citizens.

International IDEA, jointly with the partner organizations, proposes this report as an instrument to inform policymakers and relevant actors in the field on what is the current situation of gender equality, what has been done in terms of the political empowerment of women, and what is expected from the global community in order to successfully advance and achieve Goal 5 by 2030, and ultimately guarantee democratic, inclusive, safe and stable societies worldwide.

This initiative has been developed as part of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD) of International IDEA, which is a unique platform that gathers the main regional organizations to discuss issues related to democracy, exchange best practices and develop synergies for further cooperation. Currently, member of the IRDD are the African Union Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of American States, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The Community of Democracies and the United Nations are global partners of the IRDD.

The production and the launch of this publication is made possible, thanks to a generous contribution from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS/COLLABORATORS: 

The Community of Democracies, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission

RSVP/CONTACTS: 

Please send an email to EEPRES.CFSP.permrep@mfa.ee by Friday, 1 December 2017, 17:00.

Source: International IDEA

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), together with the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will launch the Inter-Regional Report on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women on 5 December 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.

Gender Equality and the Political Empowerment of Women are key elements for the consolidation of sustainable democracies worldwide, and global and regional organizations play a key role in the development of legal and policy frameworks, as well as in the design of effective action plans that incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, to better support their membership in the advancement of the gender-equality agenda at the global, regional, national and global levels.

This report highlights the role of regional organizations in supporting their membership on the operationalization and follow-up of key instruments such as, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women; and, more recently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which has the overall objective within Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

This publication has the aim of gathering and analyzing the main instruments that are currently in place at the global and regional levels, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and successes that each organization has encounter in the implementation within their respective regions. This report also offers policy recommendations based on the overall analysis at the institutional level, but also recommendations that resulted from a multidimensional regional consultation process that gathered governments, civil society organizations, specialized agencies, experts and citizens.

International IDEA, jointly with the partner organizations, proposes this report as an instrument to inform policymakers and relevant actors in the field on what is the current situation of gender equality, what has been done in terms of the political empowerment of women, and what is expected from the global community in order to successfully advance and achieve Goal 5 by 2030, and ultimately guarantee democratic, inclusive, safe and stable societies worldwide.

This initiative has been developed as part of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD) of International IDEA, which is a unique platform that gathers the main regional organizations to discuss issues related to democracy, exchange best practices and develop synergies for further cooperation. Currently, member of the IRDD are the African Union Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of American States, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The Community of Democracies and the United Nations are global partners of the IRDD.

The production and the launch of this publication is made possible, thanks to a generous contribution from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS/COLLABORATORS: 

The Community of Democracies, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission

RSVP/CONTACTS: 

Please send an email to EEPRES.CFSP.permrep@mfa.ee by Friday, 1 December 2017, 17:00.

Source: International IDEA

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), together with the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will launch the Inter-Regional Report on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women on 5 December 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.

Gender Equality and the Political Empowerment of Women are key elements for the consolidation of sustainable democracies worldwide, and global and regional organizations play a key role in the development of legal and policy frameworks, as well as in the design of effective action plans that incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, to better support their membership in the advancement of the gender-equality agenda at the global, regional, national and global levels.

This report highlights the role of regional organizations in supporting their membership on the operationalization and follow-up of key instruments such as, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women; and, more recently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which has the overall objective within Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

This publication has the aim of gathering and analyzing the main instruments that are currently in place at the global and regional levels, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and successes that each organization has encounter in the implementation within their respective regions. This report also offers policy recommendations based on the overall analysis at the institutional level, but also recommendations that resulted from a multidimensional regional consultation process that gathered governments, civil society organizations, specialized agencies, experts and citizens.

International IDEA, jointly with the partner organizations, proposes this report as an instrument to inform policymakers and relevant actors in the field on what is the current situation of gender equality, what has been done in terms of the political empowerment of women, and what is expected from the global community in order to successfully advance and achieve Goal 5 by 2030, and ultimately guarantee democratic, inclusive, safe and stable societies worldwide.

This initiative has been developed as part of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD) of International IDEA, which is a unique platform that gathers the main regional organizations to discuss issues related to democracy, exchange best practices and develop synergies for further cooperation. Currently, member of the IRDD are the African Union Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of American States, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The Community of Democracies and the United Nations are global partners of the IRDD.

The production and the launch of this publication is made possible, thanks to a generous contribution from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS/COLLABORATORS: 

The Community of Democracies, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission

RSVP/CONTACTS: 

Please send an email to EEPRES.CFSP.permrep@mfa.ee by Friday, 1 December 2017, 17:00.

Source: International IDEA

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), together with the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will launch the Inter-Regional Report on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women on 5 December 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.

Gender Equality and the Political Empowerment of Women are key elements for the consolidation of sustainable democracies worldwide, and global and regional organizations play a key role in the development of legal and policy frameworks, as well as in the design of effective action plans that incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, to better support their membership in the advancement of the gender-equality agenda at the global, regional, national and global levels.

This report highlights the role of regional organizations in supporting their membership on the operationalization and follow-up of key instruments such as, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women; and, more recently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which has the overall objective within Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

This publication has the aim of gathering and analyzing the main instruments that are currently in place at the global and regional levels, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and successes that each organization has encounter in the implementation within their respective regions. This report also offers policy recommendations based on the overall analysis at the institutional level, but also recommendations that resulted from a multidimensional regional consultation process that gathered governments, civil society organizations, specialized agencies, experts and citizens.

International IDEA, jointly with the partner organizations, proposes this report as an instrument to inform policymakers and relevant actors in the field on what is the current situation of gender equality, what has been done in terms of the political empowerment of women, and what is expected from the global community in order to successfully advance and achieve Goal 5 by 2030, and ultimately guarantee democratic, inclusive, safe and stable societies worldwide.

This initiative has been developed as part of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD) of International IDEA, which is a unique platform that gathers the main regional organizations to discuss issues related to democracy, exchange best practices and develop synergies for further cooperation. Currently, member of the IRDD are the African Union Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of American States, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The Community of Democracies and the United Nations are global partners of the IRDD.

The production and the launch of this publication is made possible, thanks to a generous contribution from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS/COLLABORATORS: 

The Community of Democracies, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission

RSVP/CONTACTS: 

Please send an email to EEPRES.CFSP.permrep@mfa.ee by Friday, 1 December 2017, 17:00.

Source: International IDEA

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), together with the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will launch the Inter-Regional Report on Gender Equality and Political Empowerment of Women on 5 December 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.

Gender Equality and the Political Empowerment of Women are key elements for the consolidation of sustainable democracies worldwide, and global and regional organizations play a key role in the development of legal and policy frameworks, as well as in the design of effective action plans that incorporate inputs from key stakeholders, to better support their membership in the advancement of the gender-equality agenda at the global, regional, national and global levels.

This report highlights the role of regional organizations in supporting their membership on the operationalization and follow-up of key instruments such as, among others, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women; and, more recently, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which has the overall objective within Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

This publication has the aim of gathering and analyzing the main instruments that are currently in place at the global and regional levels, highlighting the challenges, opportunities and successes that each organization has encounter in the implementation within their respective regions. This report also offers policy recommendations based on the overall analysis at the institutional level, but also recommendations that resulted from a multidimensional regional consultation process that gathered governments, civil society organizations, specialized agencies, experts and citizens.

International IDEA, jointly with the partner organizations, proposes this report as an instrument to inform policymakers and relevant actors in the field on what is the current situation of gender equality, what has been done in terms of the political empowerment of women, and what is expected from the global community in order to successfully advance and achieve Goal 5 by 2030, and ultimately guarantee democratic, inclusive, safe and stable societies worldwide.

This initiative has been developed as part of the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD) of International IDEA, which is a unique platform that gathers the main regional organizations to discuss issues related to democracy, exchange best practices and develop synergies for further cooperation. Currently, member of the IRDD are the African Union Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of American States, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The Community of Democracies and the United Nations are global partners of the IRDD.

The production and the launch of this publication is made possible, thanks to a generous contribution from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS/COLLABORATORS: 

The Community of Democracies, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Commission

RSVP/CONTACTS: 

Please send an email to EEPRES.CFSP.permrep@mfa.ee by Friday, 1 December 2017, 17:00.

Source: International IDEA