Women Lead: Politics, Civil Society, and Peacebuilding Worldwide

Please join us for our 2012 Annual Conference and Member Meeting on June 2, 2012 at George Washington University in Washington, DC.   We have an exciting agenda planned and an impressive line-up of speakers and panelists ready to explore women's global leadership.   

Arrive a day early and participate in USNC-UN Women's first Congressional Education Day on June 1, "Human Rights Are Women's Rights - A Morning on the Hill," led by National Advocacy Chairperson, Crystal Lander.

The conference agenda and a list of our accomplished speakers are now available on our conference pages!
 

REGISTER online or download a mail-in registration form.

Stengthening the Link Between UN Women and Civil Society:
UN Women's New Global Civil Society Advisory Group

UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet announced the members of the new Global Civil Society Advisory Group that will facilitate connections and dialogue between UN Women and civil society.

“I am delighted that a group of outstanding international women’s rights advocates and experts on gender issues have agreed to serve on my Global Civil Society Advisory Group. They will play an important consulting role, and provide strategic perspectives on advocacy on gender equality and women’s empowerment and on UN Women’s thematic priorities,” said Ms. Bachelet. “They will also help strengthen UN Women’s engagement and partnerships with civil society at all levels. I look forward to working together towards our common goals,” she added.

 To read more about this new initiative, please click here.
 

UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet Calls for Women’s
Equal Participation in All Spheres of Life as Fundamental to
Democracy and Justice

Calling for women’s increased political participation and economic empowerment, with a focus this year on rural women, Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet underlines urgent actions needed to ensure gender equality, in her 2012 International Women’s Day message.

On 8 March Ms. Bachelet will commemorate International Women’s Day from Morocco, to underline the need for women in the region to be fully involved in the democratic transition processes. “Women’s full and equal participation in the political and economic arena is fundamental to democracy and justice, which people are demanding,” she says in her message. “Equal rights and opportunity underpin healthy economies and societies.”

The official UN observance for International Women’s Day, with the theme “Empower Rural Women: End Poverty and Hunger,” was held at UN Headquarters in New York on 7 March, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the event along with other high-level officials and activists who work on issues related to rural women worldwide. Ms. Bachelet joined the gathering through a video message. For the full text of her speech, click here.

To find out more about UN Women's celebration of International Women's Day, click here.

Commission on the Status of Women - 56th Session

The fifty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women is taking place at at United Nations Headquarters in New York from Monday, February 27 to Friday, March 9, 2012. 

Among the USNC representatives attending the session are Maggie Forster Schmitz, USNC-UN Women President, (pictured in the far left with leaders of many of the 18 National Committees for UN Women) and Stephanie Block, USNC-UN Women Social Media Chair (to the right of Maggie in the 2nd picture above).  

For more information and live webcasts from the CSW - 56th session, click here.

Welcome Greater LA Chapter!

USNC-UN Women is pleased to welcome its newest chapter, the Greater LA chapter!  Co-founders Cathy Hillman and Megan Henry are “honored and thrilled to be joining the U.S. National Committee for UN Women.”  With the creation of new chapter, Cathy and Megan “endeavor to build an inclusive, community-based awareness effort to ensure that UN Women becomes a household name in the Greater Los Angeles region. [They] also look forward to developing partnerships with private and public sectors, non-for-profit organizations and concerned individuals to advocate for and support the rights of women and girls, globally and locally.”

Now with three chapters on the West Coast and several chapters in the East, USNC-UN Women is expanding its outreach within the US on behalf of UN Women and its programs.  New chapters are forming in Detroit, Philadelphia, Denver, Miami, and other areas around the country.  To join these efforts or start a chapter in your own area, contact USNC-UN Women today!

 

Michelle Bachelet with Lebanese Deputy Bahyia Hariri in Beirut (January 15-16, 2012)
UN Women/Nabil Ismail

Michelle Bachelet Outlines Action Agenda to Advance Equality
on the One Year Anniversary of UN Women

To coincide with the one year anniversary of UN Women, Michelle Bachelet, the first Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the organization spoke at a press conference on Thursday, February 2, at 11:00am EDT at the UN Headquarters in New York. 

“My top priority for 2012 will be to make a renewed push for women’s economic empowerment and political participation. This is in response to women’s demands and also to recent events, to the transformations taking place in the political, social and economic spheres,” said Ms. Bachelet. “With rising demand for justice, upcoming elections in many countries and political transition, we can open doors wider for women in pursuit of the dignity and rights which all human beings are entitled,” she added.

Read the press release and Ms. Bachelet's opening remarks.

Watch the press conference webcast.

CONGRATULATIONS ASHER JAY for becoming the USNC-UN Women 2012 DESIGN STAR 
 

Asher Jay is a designer, artist, writer and activist who often uses her work to raise awareness of  animal rights, wildlife conservation and sustainable development.  Her extensive travels combined with her art education at Parsons the New School of Design, led her to an appreciation and awareness of the complex mixture of varying cultural influences. According to Jay's website, "All of her work is anchored by the deep commitment she harbors toward the realization of a collective future."

Look for Asher Jay's winning design on our Walk T-Shirts this year: 

We want to thank all of our creative designers in our first ever contest to design a t-shirt for our coast to coast Walks to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls.  Entries and votes came from all over the United States.  We were thrilled to see such tangible support for UN Women's efforts to end gender-based violence.