YEALMUN’25
United Nations Entity
for Gender Equality
and the Empowerment
of Women
Letter from Secretery-General
Introduction To the Comittee
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment
of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity
charged with working for gender equality and the empowerment of
women. UN Women is charged with advocating for the rights of
women and girls, and focusing on a number of issues, including
violence against women and violence against LGBT people.
UN Women was established by a merger of the UN Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM, established in 1976) and other entities
and became operational in 2011.The organization operates under a
governance structure and has an executive board representing
different regions. Former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet was its
inaugural executive director and Jordanian Sima Sami Bahous is its
current executive director. UN Women is a member of the UN
Development Group
In the present day UNWOMEN strives to develop and uphold
standards and create an environment in which every woman and girl
can exercise her human rights and live up to her full potential. For its
mission of providing safety, access to basic necessities and equality
for women all over the world UNWOMEN works with over 40
member states of its, countless other non-profit organizations that
provide UNWOMEN with even better reach for individuals inside of
third world countries and even Legal bodies such as the European
Union via providing the European Union with an enhanced observer
status inside of UNWOMEN and also working in many collective
projects together by providing a safe environment for women all over
Europe thanks to collective effort of both parties.
Introduction to The Agenda Item
Agenda Item: Discussing the previous and 2030 sustainable
development goals that aim to realize the human rights of all
and achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all
women and girls
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a
necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and
sustainable world. There has been progress over the last
decades, but the world is not on track to achieve gender
equality by 2030.
Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and
therefore also half of its potential. But gender inequality
persists everywhere and stagnates social progress.
On average, women in the labor market still earn 23 percent
less than men globally and women spend about three times as
many hours in unpaid domestic and care work as men.
Violence and exploitation, the unequal division of unpaid care
and domestic work, and discrimination in public office, all
remain huge barriers. All these areas of inequality have been
exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic: there has been a
surge in reports of sexual violence, women have taken on more
care work due to school closures, and 70% of health and social
workers globally are women.
At the current rate, it will take an estimated 300 years to end
child marriage, 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and
remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be
represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the
workplace, and 47 years to achieve equal representation in
national parliaments.
Political leadership, investments and comprehensive policy
reforms are needed to dismantle systemic barriers to achieving
Goal 5 Gender equality is a cross-cutting objective and must be
a key focus of national policies, budgets and institutions.
In the Sustainable Development Goals which were decided
upon by the United Nations General Assembly the fifth goal
aims to provide gender equality by the year 2030 unfortunately
the world nowhere close to achieving gender equality for
women by the year quota. The reasoning behind this problem is
an extremely intricate topic but can be summed up extremely
simply as lack of action taken and presistance of existent
problems
What Are Sustainable Development
Goals?
In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had
decided on 17 detremental problems for our world. After heavy
amounts of debating a resolution was passed in order to
identify these problems the problems were identified and the
ways of eliminating these problems were also identified with
them, These ways of eliminating the problems were set as
goals and called the Sustainable Development Goals.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the Post-2015
Development Agenda. These goals were formally articulated
and adopted in a UNGA resolution known as the 2030 Agenda.
On 6 July 2017, the SDGs were made more actionable by a
UNGA resolution that identifies specific targets for each goal
and provides indicators to measure progress.In this resolution
17 sustainable development goals were set and most goals are
on track to be achieved by 2030
All of the Sustainable Development Goals set in this resolution
are as follows
1. No Poverty
Eradicating all forms of poverty everywhere and ensuring
the access to basic needs and opportunities.
2. Zero Hunger
Ending hunger, achieving food security, improving
nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
3. Good Health and Well-being
Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for
people of all ages.
4. Quality Education
Providing inclusive, equitable, and quality education and
promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
5. Gender Equality
Achieving gender equality and empowering all women
and girls.
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
Ensuring access to safe water and sanitation for all.
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and
modern energy for everyone.
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
Promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth,
employment, and decent work for all.
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive
industrialization, and fostering innovation.
10. Reduced Inequalities
Reducing inequality within and among countries, ensuring
fair treatment and opportunities.
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable for
all.
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
to reduce waste and environmental harm.
13. Climate Action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its
impacts.
14. Life Below Water
Conserving and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and
marine resources.
15. Life on Land
Protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems and halt biodiversity loss.
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Promoting peaceful societies, provide access to justice,
and building accountable institutions.
17. Partnerships for the Goals
Strengthening global partnerships to support and achieve
the goals through cooperation and resources.
Although it is predicted that most targets will be achieved by
2030, present problems that may inhibit these goals from
being achieved still linger.
Ensuring Gender Equality
As stated by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the
Empowerment of Women gender equality is not only a fundamental human
right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable
world. Women represent half of the human population yet women continue to
face many kinds of discrimination including physical violence, denial of
necessities and childhood marrige.
In the fifth sustainable development goal aims to eradicate all
kinds for gender inequality and providing access to basic
necessities for women all over the world.
Ensuring gender equality is also loosely related with many
other sustainable development goals but the fifth goal and its
subclauses are the ones that hold the upmost importance for
ensuring gender equality and although most sustainable
development goals are on track to be achieved by the year
2030 unfortunately ensuring gender equality will not be
possible by the year 2030 if countries continue to not make
impactful advances is ensuring gender equality.
Many problems that are currently present must be eradicated
in order to provide equality for all genders. In the fifth goal of
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) sub-clauses are
presented under the fifth goal which concerns equality. These
sub clauses bring attention to benefactors behind not being
able to provide gender equality.
These sub clauses are as the following:
5.1 Ending all discrimination
Despite countless attempts at trying to eradicate
discrimination against women which include many forms of
violence, denial of basic necessities and lack of rights.
UNWOMEN aims to eliminate legal, social, and cultural
discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
5.2 Eliminating violence
UNWOMEN recognizes the pain caused to women by violence
aimed towards women and the lack of legal repercussions for
the acts of violence UNWOMEN believes Eradicating violence in
both public and private spheres—including trafficking, intimate-
partner violence, and exploitation is an extremely urgent
matter.
5.3 Eliminating harmful practices
Progress towards gender equality is clearly off track. Harmful
practices such as child marriage are decreasing, but not fast
enough to keep pace with population growth. Gender parity,
especially in women's participation in public life and managerial
roles, remains distant. At the current rate, achieving gender
parity in managerial positions will take 176 years. Many women
still lack control over their sexual and reproductive health, and
violence against women persists. Urgent action is needed to
challenge biased social norms, eliminate harmful practices, and
change discriminatory laws. Increasing women's leadership
roles and investments in gender equality are crucial at national,
regional, and global levels.
5.4 Recognizing unpaid care
As stated by UNWOMEN, Women do 2.6 times more unpaid
care and domestic work than men. While families, societies and
economies depend on this work, for women, it leads lower
earnings and less time to engage in non-work activities. In
addition to equal distribution of economic resources, which is
not only a right, but accelerates development in multiple areas,
there needs to be a fair balance of responsibility for unpaid
care work between men and women.
5.5 Ensuring leadership
Recognizing the lack of female political figures around the
world and ensuring women’s full participation and equal
leadership opportunities at political, economic, and public
decision-making levels.
5.6 Protecting reproductive rights
Guaranteeing the universal access to and reproductive health
services and upholding reproductive rights for women all over
the world.
5.a Securing equal economic rights
Reforming laws in order to grant women equal rights to
economic resources—ownership, property, inheritance,
financial services, and natural resources.
5.b Empowering through technology
Using information and communications technology to empower
women and close the digital gender gap.
5.c Strengthening policies and legislation
Adopting and enforcing effective policies, legal frameworks,
and budgeting to support gender equality and women’s
empowerment.
Although many more minor problems are present, ensuring the
fifth goal and its sub-clauses are implemented by all member
states are enough to eradicate all kinds of gender inequality.
Benefactors of Gender Inequality
Unfortunately the upbringings of UNWOMEN is also
where many shortcomings start to become apparent
there are still many problems present that render
current advances rather useless unless other major
problems are solved no amount of funding can provide
gender equality.
In a official statement of UNWOMEN they have stated
that Gender equality by 2030 requires urgent action to
eliminate the many root causes of discrimination that
still curtail women’s rights in private and public
spheres. For example, discriminatory laws need to
change and legislation adopted to proactively advance
equality. Yet 49 countries still lack laws protecting
women from domestic violence, while 39 bar equal
inheritance rights for daughters and sons. Eliminating
gender-based violence is a priority, given that this is
one of the most pervasive human rights violations in
the world today. Based on data from 87 countries, 1 in
5 women and girls under the age of 50 will have
experienced physical and or violence by an intimate
partner within the last 12 months. Harmful practices,
such as child marriage, steal the childhood of 15 million
girls under age 18 every year.
This provides major evidence that there are still many
actions to be taken in order to completely eradicate
gender inequality by the year 2030
Biggest benefactors behind gender equality can be
listed as the following:
Persistent Gender Norms and Patriarchy
Social and cultural norms that are deeply rooted into
people continue to limit women's opportunities and
reinforce inequality.
In many societies, these norms justify gender-based
violence and restrict women’s mobility and autonomy.
Slow Legal and Policy Implementation
Although many countries have accepted the
resolutions of UNWOMEN most countries do not
properly regulate these laws which allow them to be
easily bypassed by anyone willing the justice systems
often fail survivors of violence due to stigma, lack of
support services, and impunity.
Conflicts and Humanitarian Crises
Wars and displacement disproportionately affect
women, increasing violence, trafficking, and loss of
access to education and health services.
UNWOMEN actively struggles at reaching women in
areas of conflict and heavily relies on non-profit
organizations based in the regions.
Economic Inequality
Women globally still earn about 77 cents to every dollar
earned by men for the same work.
The gender pay gap deters many women from around
the world pursuing careers women also oftenly get
mistreated by male co workers and higherups in normal
jobs
Women are overrepresented in informal, unpaid, or
low-paying jobs, lacking job security and benefits.
Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened gender
inequalities via increasing domestic violence,
reducing women’s participation in the workforce,
making women deal with heavier care burdens due
to the pandemic
Lack of funding
Gender equality programs are often underfunded.
Estimates suggest a significant global financing gap in
achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 is present.
Lack of confirmation
UNWOMEN has no true way of confirming whether its
laws are being correctly imfplemented and offenders
are being prosecuted properly or not
Lack of communication between UNWOMEN and the
parties they work with which include countries,
collaborative efforts with other organizations and non
government organizations.
Past Endeavors for Gender Equality
Despite the fact that UNWOMEN is not on track to achieve the
fifth sustainable development goal by the year 2030,
UNWOMEN has still made many substantial efforts in order to
ensure gender equality. Actions taken by UNWOMEN are as
follows but not limited to
Providing Job Opportunities
UNWOMEN has provided countless jobs with equal pay to co
workers of the opposite gender and fair working conditions for
women all over the globe via making sure to prioritize women
whilst recruiting workers for their own operations and
encouraging third parties to also provide women with jobs
under the same conditions via passing laws
Legal Reforms
Making Countries pass laws to criminalize domestic violence,
child marriage, and workplace discrimination.
UNWOMEN has worked with over 140 countries and made them
pass new laws in order to eradicate gender equality via
implementing legal consequences for committing any kinds of
discrimination against women, providing basic feminine
necessities for women all over the world and ensuring more
major roles for women in politic professions
Global Campaigns and Programs
UNWOMEN programs like “HeForShe” and “Generation
Equality” have rallied governments, businesses, and individuals
to support gender equality.
UNWOMEN also works with many non-profit organizations all
over the globe which provide them with even better reach for
women all over the world.
The Spotlight Initiative which is a collective initiative of both the
United Nations and the European Union has invested over 500
million dollars in order to eliminate violence against women and
girls globally and provide feminine hygiene products in women
all around the globe.
Education and Economic Empowerment
Expanding girls’ access to education—especially in low-income
countries—through non government organization (NGO) and
government programs Microfinance and entrepreneurship
programs aimed at helping women gain financial
independence.
UNWOMEN provides non-profit organizations all over the world
with sufficient funds in order to build education facilities in low-
income areas all over the world and also provide funding for the
operating fee for these facilities.
Health and Reproductive Rights
reproductive rights are critical in their own right. Shortfalls in
these multiply other forms of discrimination, depriving women
of education and decent work, for example. Yet only 52 per
cent of women married or in a union freely make their own
decisions about relations, contraceptive use and health care.
UNWOMEN has made many press releases in order to bring
attention to reproductive health and also provided treatment
for many reproductive diseases free of charge for women all
over the world.
Quotas and Political Participation
UNWOMEN and its resolutions have allowed countries to
implement gender quotas for political offices and corporate
boards in order to increase women’s representation in political
fields all over the world.
These are only some of the collective actions taken by
UNWOMEN and third parties in order to ensure gender equality
by 2030.
following:
Persistent Gender Norms and Patriarchy
Social and cultural norms that are deeply rooted into
people continue to limit women's opportunities and
reinforce inequality.
In many societies, these norms justify gender-based
violence and restrict women’s mobility and autonomy.
Slow Legal and Policy Implementation
Although many countries have accepted the
resolutions of UNWOMEN most countries do not
properly regulate these laws which allow them to be
easily bypassed by anyone willing the justice systems
often fail survivors of violence due to stigma, lack of
support services, and impunity.
Conflicts and Humanitarian Crises
Wars and displacement disproportionately affect
women, increasing violence, trafficking, and loss of
access to education and health services.
UNWOMEN actively struggles at reaching women in
areas of conflict and heavily relies on non-profit
organizations based in the regions.
Economic Inequality
Women globally still earn about 77 cents to every dollar
earned by men for the same work.
The gender pay gap deters many women from around
the world pursuing careers women also oftenly get
mistreated by male co workers and higherups in normal
jobs
Women are overrepresented in informal, unpaid, or
low-paying jobs, lacking job security and benefits.
Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened gender
inequalities via increasing domestic violence,
reducing women’s participation in the workforce,
making women deal with heavier care burdens due
to the pandemic
Lack of funding
Gender equality programs are often underfunded.
Estimates suggest a significant global financing gap in
achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 is present.
Lack of confirmation
UNWOMEN has no true way of confirming whether its
laws are being correctly imfplemented and offenders
are being prosecuted properly or not
Lack of communication between UNWOMEN and other
Questions to Ponder
What can be done in order to prove
sufficient funding for all parties involved in
ensuring gender equality?
How can UNWOMEN ensure all states
implement passed resolutions?
How can UNWOMEN solve problems
concerning cultural beliefs?
How can the safety of women in areas of
conflict can be ensured?
How can the gender pay gap be eliminated?
What can UNWOMEN do agaibst all types of
discrimination against women.
REFERANCES
https://www.unwomen.org/en/node/36060
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Women
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/5-
gender-equality/
https://sdgs.un.org/goals/
goal5#progress_and_info
