Women’s human rights are too often violated, and their potentials in education, the labour market, in politics or science, remain underutilized.
Gender equality is incorporated in the work of all UN organizations. At the forefront of these efforts is UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, supporting the UN system in its efforts and cooperating with governments to implement gender strategies into their politics.
Progressively, UN entities look at challenges transgender or intergender people face, for example from a health or a human rights perspective.
Human rights
The human rights basis for the work on gender equality is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women which has been ratified by 189 countries. States that have ratified the Convention are legally bound to the following:
- eliminate all forms of discrimination against women in all areas of life
- ensure women’s full development and advancement in order for them to exercise and enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms in the same way as men
- allow the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to scrutinize their efforts to implement the treaty by reporting to the body at regular intervals
The CEDAW is a group of 23 experts who follow up on the implementation of the Convention by taking up complaints from individuals or groups, and by investigating severe violations of the Convention by any of the signatories. The CEDAW also gives general advice to Member States and has thus achieved progress in several countries, for example in the areas of heritance rights, property rights and political participation for women.
Rights for everyone, everywhere
Human rights and gender, gender identity or sexual orientation are often closely linked. This becomes apparent especially for refugees and migrants: some need to leave their homes because of who they are or who they love. Others face discrimination and stigmatization in their host country. The International Organization for Migration and UNHCR work to protect migrants and refugees from any form of mistreatment or discrimination related to their gender or sexual orientation, like limited access to work, to social services etc. Educating communities about the effects of gender-based violence and about alternative ways of living together is another part of the organizations’ important work.
The world of work
Sexual harassment at work, uneven pay, a lack of women managers or insufficient maternity leave policies: The list of obstacles for female workers is long. In some cultures, this is exacerbated by a belief that women should not work, or even go to school, at all. The International Labour Organization (ILO), based in Geneva and working on workers’ rights and workers’ welfare, has adopted several key conventions. Translated into national contexts, they form the basis for a better work environment for women.
Women in trade
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) explores if and how trade policies affect women differently than men. The organization publishes their findings and offers training on trade and gender to help participants from Member States understand what impact their trade policies have on men and women, respectively.
Offering practical support to women entrepreneurs across the globe, the International Trade Centre has launched the “SheTrades” Initiative. Small businesses benefit from advice on product branding or access to international markets.
Health
Gender and health are interlaced in several ways. Women’s health is impacted by physical or sexual violence, by female genital mutilation, limited access to health care systems or health insurance. In addition, rigid gender stereotypes force all genders into certain behaviour patterns, for example the expectation that a man must provide for his family. This can have an impact on a person’s mental health. Discrimination of and violence against LGBTQ+ persons is another threat to both the physical and mental health of people.
WHO collects data on these risk factors, for example, how many women have become victim of domestic violence, and on general health statistics, divided by gender and other indicators (Health Equality Assessment Toolkit). The data basis gives Member States an opportunity to adapt their health systems to the different needs of all genders. The organization also publishes toolkits for health practitioners and managers, showing how to tackle the problem.
Sexual and reproductive health
UN Aids informs women around the world about the threat of HIV and other sexually transmittable diseases. The programme educates women and girls about sexual and reproductive health, access to health services and safer sex options.
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, works on all issues regarding sexual and reproductive health, family planning, safe pregnancy and child birth, and on equal opportunities for men, women and children. UNFPA also shares population data with governments. The Geneva office of the organization is largely engaged in gender equality as a human right and, in this respect, gives important input to the Human Rights Council.
Organizations working on gender equality
作为可持续发展目标的一部分，联合国艾滋病规划署正在领导全球努力，到 2030 年消除艾滋病这一公共卫生威胁。
自 35 多年前报告第一例艾滋病毒病例以来，已有 7800 万人感染了艾滋病毒，3500 万人死于与艾滋病相关的疾病。自 1996 年开始运作以来，联合国艾滋病规划署领导并激发了全球、区域、国家和地方的领导力、创新和伙伴关系，最终使艾滋病毒成为历史。
联合国艾滋病规划署是一个问题解决者。它将艾滋病毒感染者和受病毒影响的人置于决策桌上，并置于设计、实施和监测艾滋病应对措施的中心。它为各国和社区走上结束艾滋病的快速通道指明了道路，并且大胆倡导消除艾滋病应对的法律和政策障碍。
联合国艾滋病规划署提 [...]
联合国开发计划署是致力于结束贫困、不平等和气候变化的不公正现象的领先联合国组织。该机构与 170 个国家/地区的广泛专家和合作伙伴网络合作，帮助各国为人类和地球构建综合、持久的解决方案。
UNDP 日内瓦办事处是 UNDP 日内瓦和总部设在日内瓦的组织的平台，也是与法国和瑞士政府的主要联络点。自 2014 年 10 月以来，联合国开发计划署日内瓦办事处作为综合伙伴关系办公室，跨方案和代表职能开展工作。它确定、建立和发展开发署的机构能力，以加强广泛合作伙伴之间的战略伙伴关系，主要是与方案国和捐助国、联合国系统、非政府组织和民间社会组织、私营部门、政府间组织、国际金融机构、区域银行 [...]
联合国欧洲经济委员会 (UNECE) 由 ECOSOC 于 1947 年成立。它是联合国五个区域委员会之一。其主要目标是促进泛欧经济一体化。
联合国教科文组织日内瓦联络处（GLO）成立于 1979 年，旨在协调联合国教科文组织与联合国日内瓦办事处（UNOG）、设在日内瓦的联合国专门机构（例如世界卫生组织、国际劳工组织、国际电联、世界知识产权组织和世界气象组织）、联合国项目的联络。 、基金和组织（例如人权高专办、联合国难民署、联合国艾滋病规划署、贸发会议等）。
关联实体：
- 联合国教科文组织国际教育局
联合国教科文组织国际教育局致力于改革世界各地的课程并改善教育体系。为了设计和实施最佳实践，我们与国家和地区主管部门以及利益相关者密切合作。我们的主要目标是提高全民教育的标准、有效性、效率和可及性。
联合国毒品和犯罪问题办公室 (UNODC) 的使命是让世界更加安全，远离毒品、有组织犯罪、腐败和恐怖主义。本组织致力于通过应对这些威胁并促进和平与可持续福祉来遏制这些威胁，从而实现人人享有健康、安全和正义。
毒品和犯罪问题办公室在日内瓦的联络官促进了毒品和犯罪问题办公室与世界卫生组织合作，努力制定全面、整体和综合的减少毒品需求的方法。
UNRISD 是联合国系统内的一个自治研究机构，对当代发展问题的社会层面进行跨学科研究和政策分析。 UNRISD 与来自发达国家和发展中国家的学术、政策、从业者和活动家社区的广泛合作伙伴网络合作，旨在将社会公平、包容和正义置于发展思想、政策和实践的中心。
