Media Advisory: UN Women events commemorating International Women’s Day 2016

Date: Wednesday, 2 March 2016

Media Contacts:

Oisika Chakrabarti, Ph: +1 646 781-4522; Email: oisika.chakrabarti[at]unwomen.org
Sharon Grobeisen, Ph: +1 646 781-4753; Email: sharon.grobeisen[at]unwomen.org
Zina Alam, Ph: +1 646-781-4783; Email: zina.alam[at]unwomen.org

International Women’s Day will be commemorated globally on 8 March, galvanizing global attention on gender equality and women’s rights issues. The 2016 theme for International Women’s Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. UN Women will leverage the Day to underline the urgent need to accelerate concrete actions towards a more equitable world. A series of exciting events will be held in New York, complementing global efforts in every region. In New York City, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson will launch HeForShe Arts Week; private sector leaders and NASDAQ will ring the bell for gender equality and women’s rights along with 35 stock exchanges around the world, from Australia to Chile; and at the United Nations Headquarters’ official commemoration of the Day, UN officials, activists and experts will reflect on how to fast-track the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which recognizes women’s empowerment as a precondition to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Around the world, UN Women is organizing International Women’s Day events in more than 40 countries, including marches, rallies, musical events, sports matches and marathons.

Members of the media are invited to the following events in New York:

Launch of HeForShe Arts Week, Tuesday, 8 March, 8.30–9.30 a.m.

Venue: The Public Theatre, 425 Lafayette St., New York

UN Women’s HeForShe Arts Week will kick-off with an exclusive launch event hosted at the historic Joe’s Pub, at The Public Theatre. Speaking at the event will be Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City; Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women; Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theatre; Emma Watson, UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador; and Forest Whitaker, artist, social activist, SDG advocate and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace. The event will be centred around a lively discussion on the powerful role arts play in shaping behaviours, norms and perceptions that shape our cultural view of gender. The HeForShe Arts Week will run from 8-15 March 2016, during which time partner institutions will highlight efforts towards achieving gender equality and women’s rights, and support UN Women’s work by donating a percentage of proceeds. Photos from the events will be available at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gbipe7oiklrr0hf/AACk-vXtbB1cw5aXyyclWKJKa?dl=0

Coinciding with the launch, the Empire State Building will be lit up in the HeForShe magenta colour on 8 March. More information at http://www.heforsheartsweek.org/

Join the conversation: Follow @UN_Women on Twitter and share your messages using the hashtags #IWD2016, #HeForShe, #ArtsWeek

Media wishing to attend should RSVP to: tara.mullins[at]ogilvy.com; Ph: +1 646 520 6468

United Nations Observance of International Women’s Day 2016, ‘Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality’, Tuesday, 8 March, 10 a.m. to 12.45 p.m.

Venue: Trusteeship Council, United Nations Headquarters, New York [Event will be webcast live at www.unwomen.org]

The high-profile event will feature eminent speakers from UN Member States, civil society, the private sector and youth offering their reflections on what Planet 50-50 by 2030 means to them. Speakers include: Mogens Lykketoft, President of the 70th Session of the General Assembly; Video Message from Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women; Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of United Arab Emirates; Barbara Adams, Chair, Board of the Global Policy Forum; Tara Nathan, Executive Vice-President, MasterCard; Fatima Ptacek, youth actor; Monica Singh, activist. It will be moderated by Pamela Falk, CBS News, with a musical performance by Tennille Amor. The second part of the event will be moderated by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who will probe the progress made and challenges remaining to the status of women, with a specific focus on their equal representation and gender mainstreaming in the work of the UN system. Panelists include: Cristina Gallach, UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information; Peter Thomas Drennan, UN Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security; Carole Wainaina, UN Assistant-Secretary-General for Human Resources Management; Saori Terada, Adviser for Gender Integration, Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Drude Dahlerup, Professor of Political Science, Stockholm University.

Event Flyer is available here.

Media wishing to attend should RSVP to Cynthia Gale: cynthia.gale[at]unwomen.org

[Press covering the International Women’s Day event at the United Nations must have UN press accreditation. More information at: https://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/index.shtml ]

Join the conversation: Follow @UN_Women on Twitter and share your messages using the hashtag #IWD2016.

Ring the Bell for Gender Equality, Tuesday 8 March, 9 a.m.

Venue: New York Stock Exchange

In celebration of International Women’s Day, over 35 stock exchanges around the world will join UN Women, the UN Global Compact, IFC, Women in ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds), Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, and the World Federation of Exchanges in ringing their opening or closing bells for gender equality and women’s rights. The series of global events aims to mobilize attention to the intrinsic role of gender equality to business growth and sustainable economic development as well as highlight the opportunities for the private sector to advance women’s economic empowerment. UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange at 9 a.m.

Closing Bell; Remarks by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Tuesday 8 March, event will begin at 3 p.m., with bell-ringing at 3.30 p.m.

Venue: NASDAQ Marketsite, 4 Times Square, New York City, Entrance on Broadway (between 42nd & 43rd Streets)

A Livestream of the Nasdaq Closing Bell will be available at:https://new.livestream.com/nasdaq/live or http://www.nasdaq.com/about/marketsitetowervideo.asx.

To obtain a high-resolution photograph of the Market Close, please go to http://www.nasdaq.com/reference/marketsite_events.stm and click on the market close of your choice.

Media wishing to attend should RSVP to Deborah Fuhr: deborah.fuhr[at]etfgi.com