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Role
of the United Nations
Today’s March 8,
International Women’s Day owes a great lot to the United
Nations for its ‘be’ing ! And it’s practically
impossible to overlook the contributions of the United
Nations if you’re talking about International Women’s
Day.
Now, it isn’t anything new
that women have been struggling against a male-dominated
society, striving to gain social, economic and political
equality since the beginning of time. But about a century
and a half ago, women felt the need to stand up for
themselves, to find their space in the society, to regain
their dignity. And they DID. The fruits of their persistent
struggle culminated in International Women's Day, a symbolic
dedication to all the efforts and courage of women in this
direction.
Every March 8, women all over
the world reflect on their role, status and rights, and
continue standing strong till equality, justice and peace
become a reality. International Women’s Day is the long
overdue acknowledgement of the victories of women against
all odds. The United Nations also
commemorates International Women’s Day. The first step was
a Charter signed by the United Nations in San Francisco in
1945 that proclaimed gender equality as a fundamental human
right. Since then, the cause for women has been one of the
strongest points of focus for the United Nations, with the
promotion and protection of women’s rights the main item
on its agenda. Now if you’re keen on knowing the role
played by the UN in the formation of the International
Women’s Day, the essentials follow:
1975: The United Nations called an International
Women's Year and convened the first Conference of women in New Mexico.
1977: The earnest involvement of the United Nations in
women’s issues began in when the General Assembly passed
‘resolution 22/142’ inviting every country to proclaim
any day in the year as a United Nations
Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace, in
keeping with its culture and tradition. March 8 was chosen
by many countries. They named it Women’s Day, and called
for its observance mainly to recognize the fact that social
progress, peace and the full enjoyment of human rights and
freedom required the active participation of women, and to
acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening
of international peace and security.
1980: A second convention was held in Copenhagen,
followed by a third in 1985
in Nairobi to review the progress in this direction.
1995: The Beijing Conference hosted representatives
from 189 countries. Here, everyone agreed that inequality
between men and women was NOT a women’s issue–it had
serious consequences for all mankind. It was agreed that
women ‘are the only way to build a sustainable, just and
developed society’. The United Nations continues to
address the problems faced by women as one of the main
issues on its global agenda. It has established a common
standard for the achievement of equality between men and
women by adopting international laws and treaties. The United Nations has
formulated policies and encouraged political commitment. It
has also developed institutions to promote new values at
international levels. The United Nations’ stand for
women’s equality is fourfold:
-
promotion of legal measures
-
mobilization of public opinion and international
action
-
training and research, and
direct assistance to disadvantaged groups.
By its involvement and action, the United Nations has
helped create a historic legacy of internationally
established strategies, programs, standards and goals to
advance the status of women worldwide. And today’s
International Women’s Day is eternally indebted to the UN
for its inspiration and support through these years. Click
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