United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)’s Post

We are strategising with our members and partners to continue our collective advocacy for #genderjustice in 2025. What are the policy forums that you are prioritising for 2025? #CSW69 #CPD58 #HLPF #TheRoad2Equality #FaithInGenderJustice #UN #Advocacy #SDG5 #GenderJustice #HopeInAction #ACTAlliance

📣May 2, 2024: Neeman Global Capital is thrilled to make its debut at a WGDAWG meeting during the New York session. This is a momentous occasion for us, as it allows us to engage in a powerful civil society consultation with a remarkable group of influential women lawyers and leaders from across the globe. The Working Group on Discrimination Against Women and Girls (WGDAWG) is an independent mechanism created by The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2010 to work with States and other entities to end discrimination against women and girls. It collaborates with countries and organizations to make a real difference. Conceptually, women are at the center of efforts to ensure governments uphold international standards for everyone's civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. This is a truly empowering approach. It was an honor to engage with the powerful global network led by experts from five regions: 🌎 Latin America (Mexico): Dorothy Estrada-Tanck, Chair 🌍 Africa (Uganda): Laura Nyirinkindi, Member 🌏 Asia-Pacific (China): Haina Lu, Member 🌍 Eastern Europe (Serbia): Ivana Krstic, Member 🌍 Western Europe & Other States (United States): Claudia Flores, Member There are 3 specific ways in which WGDAWG brings advocacy into action: 1.📣 Communication: Comment on national laws and policies through letters, inputs, and urgent appeals, advocating for fair treatment of women and girls. 2.📣Country Visits: With government invitations, visit countries to assess the situation and identify best practices for eliminating discrimination. (FYI, no visit to India has been proposed since 2012. Perhaps we can help spread awareness?) 3.📣Thematic Reports: Currently working on a 2025 report on the "gendered dimensions of care." This report will explore strategies to ensure unpaid care work by women and girls is finally recognized and valued in families, societies, and economies. They'll also explore how AI can help women in caregiving roles. Want to make a difference? Join the conversation. Share resources, network with advocates, or learn more about the WGDAWG. Share this post if you believe in a world where women and girls have equal rights and opportunities. Let's connect in the comments below. #genderequality #UN #humanrights #WGDAWG

Feminist movements remain underresourced and are facing escalating attacks, despite their critical work. The Spotlight Initiative spoke to our Senior Advocacy Officer, Nathalie Margi, during the 68th Commission on the Status of Women on why advocating for abundant, flexible, and sustainable financing is critical when addressing the increased risks faced by feminist activists across the globe. Read this article to find out why financing frontline feminist movements is so important to us. https://lnkd.in/eX9ma4rR

"Denial of systemic misogyny and patriarchy is the most dangerous issue, even among the educated and influential." In the latest edition of the WRT Mirror, we had the privilege of speaking with Anvita Plawat, a passionate advocate for women's rights and hygiene. Her insights shed light on the deeply rooted challenges faced by women and marginalized groups, from societal denial of inequality to the crucial role families play in shaping values. From personal stories of resilience to transformative community activism, Anvita reminds us that real change begins at home. Families are the foundation where respect, equality, and love are first learned—or neglected. She also critiques short-term policies that fail to address the root causes of marginalization, urging us to focus on long-term, sustainable change. 🎥 Watch the full interview to hear more about: -Tackling regressive societal norms. -How empowered families can challenge systemic oppression. -Stories of community-driven solutions and their impact. Watch now at: https://lnkd.in/gUNsvEzS Let’s rise together and champion equality at every level—family, community, and government. 🌍💪 #WeRiseTogether #WomensRights #Empowerment

If you are attending the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) in Bangkok, join us for a conversation on What’s the future of resourcing intersectional organizing in crisis-ridden regions like Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central and North Asia (#CEECCNA)? 📅 Date: December 3 🕒 Time: 14:30–15:45 (GMT+7) 📍 AWID Forum, Bangkok Join us and an incredible panel of activists and funders for a dynamic discussion on funding grassroots social justice movements in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central and North Asia. Featuring: 🔹 Activists from Eastern Europe, the North Caucasus, and Central Asia sharing insights on organizing amidst poly-crises. 🔹 Funders from Equality Fund, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), and UN Foundation discussing philanthropy’s role in supporting transformative movements in CEECCNA. 🔹 Collective strategies for anti-colonial, transformative resourcing in complex crisis contexts. Let’s connect organizing and funding ecosystems to strengthen equitable, anti-colonial resourcing strategies. #AWIDforum

Grateful for all who contributed to the three days of dialogue on feminist movements and funding to end violence against women and girls (EVAWG) organized by UN Women East and Southern Africa. The dialogue tapped into ongoing efforts for better funding to advance the work of women's rights organizations (WROs) and advocates in all their diversity. Thinking long-term and being clear about the scale and scope of resources required for EVAWG, being more intentional about inclusion, bracing ourselves for the backlash that accompanies progress, and making explicit investment in the care of ourselves and the collective well-being were some of the themes that surfaced in discussions. We challenged ourselves to unpack the limited actions taken since the 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of VAW made explicit references to government budgeting for EVAWG and for support to women's movements. In 31 years, there have been multiple other commitments reaffirming the need for funding EVAWG efforts, including via collaboration with WROs. But data on these investments shows that information remains fragmented and incomplete. OECD data shows that less than 1% of bilateral aid goes toward EVAWG and less than 1% for WROs. The Equality Institute and the The Accelerator for Gender Based Violence Prevention for GBV Prevention, among other sources, show that even less going to preventing VAWG and local WROs and those representing marginalized groups received the smallest share of resources. We are also challenged to understand State investments for EVAWG, which are not measured in a consistent or comparable way. It is promising, however, that as of 2024, 11 countries in East and Southern Africa have systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women's empowerment in line with SDG indicator 5c1 (https://lnkd.in/gUWqdi6n). In this context, with multiple crises and a coordinated and well-funded pushback against women's rights, we noted that we can only move forward together. We explored the need to operate in a way that embraces the totality of our individual efforts - seeing our work as interconnected, even when we have no formal relationship. We called attention to the missing perspectives and expertise of groups not recognized or counted. And we reflected on how our efforts shift or sustain the status quo of power imbalances and unequal distribution of resources. Some key takeaways: there is power in amplifying attention to accountability, beginning with our organizations. We build community when make space for others and show solidarity across our diverse identities. We can inspire others to join these efforts when we narrate the dynamic journeys of our movements and create momentum to sustain efforts by valuing our self and collective care. Deep appreciation for all who contributed to the dialogue and hopeful that with intentionality to ACT, we can create a more equitable future.  https://lnkd.in/gK4WFPwE

Women in Tana River County face numerous barriers, including traditional systems that devalue their place in society, lack of educational opportunities, forced child marriages, and limited economic participation. Being a vocal leader in a male-centric community has not been without challenges. Women's voices are often ignored, and in my fight against FGM and other gender-discriminatory practices, I have faced confrontation from some men. Through my journey, I realized that leadership doesn't necessarily require formal education; it requires a genuine desire to help vulnerable community members. It was in interacting with residents and understanding the urgent need for new leadership in advocating for women’s voices and leadership that I accepted the role of chairperson for Mororo Interfaith CBO. The WVL program resources gave us an opportunity to address the needs of the organisation as well as the community specifically women and girls. It also helped us to demonstrate to the girls that women can be good effective leaders and problem solvers. Effective leadership, in my opinion, involves staying focused on your goals. Throughout my journey, I have remained steadfast in advocating for women's rights. A good leader should be organized; I always start my day knowing my schedule, which helps prevent procrastination. Being principled is also essential. In Tana River, I have had to stand firm, especially in cases of gender-based violence where clan elders prefer to 'solve it the community way.' I consistently oppose this to ensure that victims receive justice. I encourage women leaders to believe in themselves and stand firm in what they are pushing on. We need more women leaders to advocate for the issues that women and girls face and continue to deal with. Zeinab Duresa ~~ Chairperson for Mororo Interfaith CBO #25DaysOfLeadership #LiftingHerVoice #WROFest2024 CARE Canada Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada CRAWN TRUST Uraia Trust Urgent Action Fund-Africa

Today marks the final day of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence—a campaign that has connected the world since its inception in 1991. Running from November 25th to December 10th, these 16 days serve as a bridge between two pivotal dates: 👉 The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 👉 Human Rights Day The message? Gender-based violence is a human rights violation. This year’s campaign has highlighted: 🔸 The power of awareness—naming and understanding the forms of GBV. 🔸 The power of education—breaking down systemic barriers to equality. 🔸 The power of action—transforming knowledge into meaningful change. At SBS, we stand firmly behind the belief that progress is only possible in environments of respect, equality and safety. While the campaign concludes today, the work continues. These 16 days are not just a calendar event—they’re a global movement for a better tomorrow. 📢 Help to keep the momentum going: Reshare this post. Start the conversation. Take action. 🔗 Learn more and find ways to get involved at UN Women’s website. Thank you to UN Women for leading this vital cause. #16Days #OrangeTheWorld #EndGBV #HumanRights #SBSCommunity #GlobalChange

🌍💜 One Billion Rising is Coming Up! 💜🌍 Did you know that 1 in 3 women globally will experience violence in their lifetime? That’s over one billion women and girls. To raise awareness and demand an end to violence, the One Billion Rising movement was born in 2012. Started by activist and playwright Eve Ensler, One Billion Rising has grown into the world’s largest movement to end violence against women, girls, and the Earth. Each year, people across the globe unite to rise, dance, and take a stand against violence in all its forms. This year’s theme, "Rise for Freedom," focuses on the fight against growing authoritarianism and fascism, emphasizing solidarity, care, inclusion, and love. Why should you get involved? By rising together, we amplify our collective voice to demand freedom, equality, and justice for all. It's a global movement that calls on each of us to take a stand for a world free from violence. Let’s unite for change. Stay tuned for ways you can join the movement and make a difference! #OneBillionRising #RiseForFreedom #EndViolence #GlobalSolidarity #SocialChange #CommunityMatters https://lnkd.in/gv8CTs4G

In recent years, we have faced unprecedented challenges, including rising violence against LGBTQI+ communities, increasing authoritarianism, economic instability, setbacks in women's human rights, and environmental crises. These intersecting issues disproportionately affect structurally marginalised groups, making initiatives like Power Up! (#PU!) more critical than ever. ✊🏾 As a consortium of feminist organisations, Power Up! supports womxn-led collectives, movements, and organisations in their efforts to challenge and dismantle oppressive structures of power across 17 countries. The struggles of our PU! partners demonstrate that, despite these mounting challenges, creating spaces of hope, solidarity, and transformative power is essential to challenging harmful norms, defending civic space, and fostering economic empowerment. 🔗 Learn more about the programme here: https://bit.ly/3rbhyzW #PowerUp! 🤝 JASS (Just Associates), PEKKA Foundation, Gender at Work