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International

Women in UN Leadership

Interview with The UN Secretary-General declared achieving
Ms Olga Algayerova gender parity and the empowerment of women

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and as his priority commitment on the first day
of his appointment. The introduction of the
Executive Secretary of the United Nations System-wide Strategy on Gender Parity, which
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) he launched in September 2017, set a fast pace
towards changing the institutional culture for
a fully inclusive workplace, to achieve gender
The history of the United Nations knows parity across the Organization by 2022. With
some outstanding women such as Jessie the appointments of women at senior level,
Street, the first and only female delegate at gender parity was quickly reached in the
the UN Founding Conference (1945), Eleanor Senior Management Group. At this level, the
Roosevelt, the first Chair of the Human Rights UN Secretary-General turned the idea of 21
st
Commission (1949), or Margaret Austee, century being the century of gender equality
the first woman appointed to an Under- into reality. He sent a clear message that the
Secretary-General role (1987). But they were UN is serious about women’s representation
the ONLY women to hold such positions in in decision-making. The Deputy Secretary-
the United Nations at the time. Today, thanks General, Amina Mohammed, is of course
to the policy of the United Nations Secretary- taking a more prominent role than many of
General, Antonio Guterres, the situation has her predecessors, and our Director-General
radically changed. here in Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya, is another
leader committed to gender equality who I am
What are your thoughts on the effects of these proud to work alongside.
changes within the United Nations, and do
you sense a changing trend in how women in In terms of how women’s leadership roles
leadership roles are regarded through these are perceived, it is generally recognized that
implemented changes? organizations with more gender balance and

w w w. d i va i n t e r n at i o n a l . c h