Context;
Six months into the war, Gaza is facing a humanitarian crisis disproportionately impacting women and girls, according to a new report by UN Women.
Relevance:
GS II: International Relations
UN Women Overview
Purpose and Establishment
- UN Women is the specialized United Nations agency focused on promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women.
- It was established by the UN General Assembly in July 2010 as part of the UN reform agenda to consolidate resources and mandates for more impactful results.
Core Objectives
- Policy Formulation and Support
- Assists inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in shaping policies, global standards, and norms.
- Implementation Assistance
- Supports member states in applying these standards, offering technical and financial assistance upon request, and building effective partnerships with civil society.
- Coordination and Accountability
- Leads and coordinates the UN system’s efforts on gender equality and advocates for accountability through ongoing monitoring of system-wide progress.
Global Engagement
- Advocates globally to realize the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for women and girls, emphasizing women’s equal participation across all aspects of life.
Country-Specific Initiatives
- Collaborates with government and non-governmental partners in countries seeking assistance to establish the necessary policies, laws, services, and resources to advance gender equality.
Funding Mechanisms
- Provides grants through two key funds to support innovative and impactful programs:
- Fund for Gender Equality
- UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
- CSW is a global policy-making body, operating as a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), solely dedicated to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Information Dissemination
- Offers regular updates on women’s rights issues to the General Assembly, ECOSOC, and the Security Council.
- Manages the UN Secretary-General’s database on violence against women to track actions by UN Member States and organizations to combat violence.
-Source: Down To Earth
