International Women's Day observance at UNHQ:
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Two panel discussions marked the International Women's Day at UNHQ:

Panel Discussion:
"Women in decision-making: Meeting challenges, creating change"

A panel discussion moderated by Mr. Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information

8 March 2006, 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon
Conference Room 2, United Nations Headquarters, New York

Opening:

• Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General

The panellists are:

• Ms. Margaret Mensah Williams, Deputy-Chairpreson, National Council, Namibia
• H. E. Ms. Nabeela Abdulla Al-Mulla, Permanent Representative, Kuwait
• Ms. Noeli Pocaterra, President of the Permanent Commission of Indigenous Peoples National Assembly, Venezuela
• Ms. Devaki Jain, Economist, India
• Ms. Anne Kathrine Slung�rd, Chair, Statoil Board of Elections, Norway

Programme subject to change. The conference room will have open seating and attendees are kindly asked to be seated by 9:50 a.m.

For further information, please contact:
Sylvia Hordosch, Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women/DESA, Tel: (212) 963-5450, e-mail: hordosch@un.org

For media enquiries, please contact:
Renata Sivacolundhu, Department of Public Information, Tel: (212) 963-2932,
e-mail: mediainfo@un.org


>> download flyer

Panel Discussion:
"Breaking barriers: Gender and decision-making in the workplace"

A panel discussion moderated by Ms. Aparna Mehrotra, Focal Point for Women in the United Nations

8 March 2006, 1:00 - 2:45 pm
Conference Room 2, United Nations Headquarters, New York

The panellists are:

• Ms. Barbara Crossette, Former Chief of New York Times United Nations bureau
• Ms. Mary Chamie, Chief of Demographic and Social Statistics Branch, Statistics Division
• Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development
• Ms. Yasmeen Hassan, Social Affairs Officer, Division for the Advancement of Women

Press conference

"Women in Decision-Making: From Politics to the Private Sector"

Women still struggle to break through glass ceiling in government, business, media and other spheres

Tuesday 7 March, 10:30am
United Nations, Room S-226

>> download media advisory

Press release

Women still struggle to break through glass ceiling in government, business, academia
International Women's Day marked with focus on women's participation in decision-making

>> Download press release in:
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

FAO

This year FAO's International Women's Day will focus on raising the awareness of FAO staff on the need for gender equality in order to promote food security, agricultural and rural development. A series of multimedia items will be used, at Headquarters, to illustrate this important theme.

ILO: Women in Sports

The main public event will be held at the ILO on 8 March, and is a collaborative effort by the ILO and the International Olympic Committee. At 10:00, a panel discussion will explore gender issues in the sports employment sector. Participants include former Olympic gold medallist Nawal El Moutawakel and World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Myriam Lamare. At 11:30, the IOC will present their annual "Women and Sport" awards, given since 2000 on International Women's Day to women or men (former athletes, coaches, administrators or journalists) or to organizations that have made a significant contribution to the development of women's sports in their countries.

The third annual ILO International Film Festival on Women and Work will take place from 6 to 10 March in the Cin�ma at the International Labour Office in Geneva. The selected films offer portrayals of women athletes from around the globe. Screenings will be open to the public and free of charge. The films will be shown in their original language and subtitled in either English or French; please check schedules for information on subtitles.

>> more info

UNESCO: International Women's Day Celebrations

Press Release from UNESCO:
Message from Mr Ko�chiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of International Women's Day, 8 March 2006

>> view in English | French


International Women's Day Celebrations at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, organized by the Section for Women and Gender Equality of the Bureau of Strategic Planning:

Women in Politics
International Round Table
Wednesday 8 March 2006, at 3:00 pm- Room II
Guest of honour: Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia Inaugurated by Ko�chiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO

This Round Table will bring together women ministers. Coming from all regions of the world, these women are leaders in their societies and hold positions which were traditionally occupied by men. The Round Table will emphasize the importance of women in politics as well as in the process of development in general.

- - - - - -

Women Restoring Post-Tsunami Asia
Photo exhibition by Agostino Pacciani, 8 to 14 March 2006

Bertha von Suttner: a life for peace
Photo exhibition, 8 to 30 March 2006

Dialogues
Photo exhibition by Ang�le Etoundi Essamba, 8 to 30 March 2006

Voices of Women, but not only.
(Mozart, but not only. part II)
Multicultural concert, 8 March 2006

African Women Architects
Photo, painting and mosaic exhibition, 6 to 16 March 2006

Women of Exception
Round Table
Organized in collaboration with R�ponses Initiatives Femmes Handicap�es,
Friday 10 March 2006

>> more info

United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations

United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP):
UNFICYP will host a panel of Cypriot women to discuss the issue of "Combating the Trafficking of Women in Cyprus"
>> download flyer

United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH):
MINUSTAH in cooperation with UN agencies, the Ministry and women's organizations, will support the Ministry for the Status of Women that will be holding an open house. In the context of the current electoral process, a campaign is being organized throughout the country with posters and leaflets to promote female candidates, encourage men and women to vote for women, and motivate women to go and cast their vote. A photo exhibit will be organized at the Ministry and at MINUSTAH's HQ. In addition, a panel discussion will focus on women's political participation.

United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
MONUC will organize a discussion between women in political leadership positions in Congo and women in leading positions at MONUC. (Kinshasa, March 8). Also this year, MUNOC will reach out especially to young girls and boys. Activities in local schools will include interactive theater performances engaging students in participation and discussion.
>> download pages from the dossier (French version)

United Nations Operation in C�te d'Ivoire (UNOCI)
On March 8, the Armed Forces will celebrate International Women's Day in local communities throughout the country. During a meeting with women organizations, the Gender Resource Package will be launched on March 8 and 9. On March 5 and 6, UNOCI will present at the official celebration of the Ministry for Family Affairs, and a photo exhibition and a poster campaign throughout the mission will complement the activities.

United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)
From March 6 to March 10, MINSURSO will broadcast information related to International Women's Day and "Women in Decision Making". On March 8, a Town Hall Meeting, activities in sports, arts and entertainment, as well as distribution of awareness materials are planned.
>> download flyer

United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB)
This year's commemoration of March 8 at National Level will be held on the 14 and 18 of March in three provinces with conference debates on the inheritance rights and land access for girls and women; ONUB (Human Rights, Gender, PIO) is coordinating a workshop to be held on the 7 of March on the theme "Etat des lieux de la Femme au Burundi" and "La Jeune Fille Burundaise et l'Access a la Terre". This is a joint work with the Ministry, UNIFEM and the Association of women lawyers. ONUB is organizing a big commemoration bringing together all the pillars of the mission to celebrate. Under the theme "partnering with men to achieve gender equality" the Gender Unit launched an invitation for a special commemoration this year.

United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS)
UNMIS will organize a panel discussion at UNMIS HQ on March 9 to introduce the theme "Women in decision making" to UNMIS staff and members of the UN Country team. The panelists will include UNFPA, UNIFEM, and representatives of women's civil society organizations working in Khartoum and the South. UNMIS plans to show the footage of the UNMIS PIO videographer who is preparing a video on "A day in the life of a Darfuri woman".

United Nations Interim Administration for Kosovo (UNMIK)
In celebration of the International Women's Day, the Office of Gender Affairs will show "Element Fem", a locally produced documentary on women's political participation in Kosovo. The film screening will be followed by a roundtable discussion on issues surrounding women's involvement in the political process.

UNU: United Nations University

UN agencies in Japan are organizing a forum to celebrate International Women's Day on 8 March at the UN House in Tokyo. This year a program will be offered that includes special video-messages from women political leaders around the world. These messages were recorded especially for this event in Japan. Also, videos containing short special greetings from the four women ambassadors in Tokyo will be shown.

The public forum will be webcast (and archived) at:
http://c3.unu.edu/videoportal/?82

>> Programme (PDF, 212 KB)
>> Press Release (PDF, 48 KB)

Previous years International Women's Day observances