UN Women Executive Director to visit Nordic countries for annual consultations
Date:
UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka will visit Helsinki, Finland, on 12-13th April to discuss the status of gender equality globally, as well as Finland’s contribution to achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide—a top priority that Finland and UN Women share.
In Finland, the Executive Director is expected to meet a number of representatives from the Government of Finland and civil society, including the President of Finland Sauli Niinistö. She will be attending and speaking at the launch of Finland’s third national action plan (NAP), which focuses on women’s participation in peace processes, their role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, and the protection of women and girls during crises. NAPs are key tools to transform Security Council resolution 1325 into practical action, and have the potential to address structural barriers and power relations that negatively impact women during conflict and prevent their full and equal participation in peace and security. To this end, they remain a work in progress for many countries. The Government of Finland has been instrumental in this regard through its support of several countries engaged in conflicts and transition in the preparation, development and implementation of their national actions plans.
The Executive Director will also meet Finnish corporate leaders to discuss and strategize on how ICT, digital innovation and the game industry can further the empowerment of women. She will also attend bilateral meetings with several government officials including the Minister for Family Affairs and Social Services Annika Saarikko, Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Timo Soini, and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen to discuss other issues on the agenda include strategies on combatting sexual harassment and discrimination, Security Resolution 1325 and training of women peacekeepers, and ensuring appropriate funding for UN Women and civil society organizations working on achieving these goals around the world.
Following this, the Executive Director will visit Sweden on April 16-18 to attend the Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality, where she will deliver part of the closing remarks highlight the need to ensure concrete action is taken to ensure no one is left behind in the path to gender equality. She will also take part in a ministerial roundtable, hosted by the Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality Lena Hallengren, to discuss gender equality as a means for economic development, and the methods and best practices that have proven to be most effective in achieving real change.
During her stay in Sweden, the Executive Director will also meet with Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Margot Wallstrom, as well as the Minister for International Development Cooperation Isabella Lovin.
