Gender Equality Architecture Reform
Encyclopedia
The Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign is a network of over 300 women’s, human rights and social justice groups around the world.
The GEAR campaign urges UN Member States and the UN Secretariat to move swiftly forward to create a new UN gender equality entity. GEAR also urges the UN to set up a transparent process now for recruiting the best qualified Under Secretary-General to head this agency. The United Nations must move without further delay to implement changes that it has repeatedly recognized as critical to fulfilling its mandate of working for gender equality as a crucial component of development, human rights, peace, and security.
convened a High-Level Panel to explore how the UN system could be strengthened in terms of coherence and coordination in the areas of development, humanitarian affairs and the environment. After women from around the world pressured the UN to better address gender equality in the reform process, Kofi Annan asked the Panel to include gender equality as its mandate. The Panel’s report included recommendations on strengthening the gender equality architecture (GEA), and was endorsed by the current Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon
in March 2007.
(WEDO), together with the Center for Women's Global Leadership
(CWGL) convened a meeting of 50 women activists from around the world, to develop a comprehensive and multi-faceted strategy for global, regional and national action to gain the UN General Assembly’s approval of a stronger and single, fully resourced women’s entity at the UN. As a result of that meeting and the continued need for women’s collaborative advocacy on this issue, WEDO and the CWGL, along with hundreds of activists spanning all regions, launched the Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign in February 2008, to mobilize women’s groups and allies to push for the adoption of the new UN entity for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Regional groups such as the African Women's Development and Communication Network were mobilized to support the campaign.
On June 14, 2010, Charlotte Bunch
, on behalf of the GEAR Campaign, spoke at the UN Millennium Development Goals
Informal Interactive Hearings. The audience at these hearings included the UN General Assembly
, civil society
organizations and the private sector.
Bunch spoke about the urgency in establishing the new gender entity and articulated the linkages between gender equality, human rights and the MDGs in an effort to address the gaps on the ground in implementing promises that have been made by governments and the UN.
The meeting was convened in order to provide input to the preparatory process for the "MDG summit" (High-level Plenary Meeting) on September 20–22, 2010.
resolution was agreed to and subsequently formally adopted by the General Assembly on Friday, 2 July, to establish "UN Women
", the new gender equality entity at the UN. This new gender entity already has an operational website.
The GEAR campaign urges UN Member States and the UN Secretariat to move swiftly forward to create a new UN gender equality entity. GEAR also urges the UN to set up a transparent process now for recruiting the best qualified Under Secretary-General to head this agency. The United Nations must move without further delay to implement changes that it has repeatedly recognized as critical to fulfilling its mandate of working for gender equality as a crucial component of development, human rights, peace, and security.
Background
In 2006, former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi AnnanKofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
convened a High-Level Panel to explore how the UN system could be strengthened in terms of coherence and coordination in the areas of development, humanitarian affairs and the environment. After women from around the world pressured the UN to better address gender equality in the reform process, Kofi Annan asked the Panel to include gender equality as its mandate. The Panel’s report included recommendations on strengthening the gender equality architecture (GEA), and was endorsed by the current Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
in March 2007.
Campaign
In March 2007, the Women's Environment & Development OrganizationWomen's Environment & Development Organization
The Women's Environment & Development Organization is an international non-governmental organization based in New York, U.S. that advocates women’s equality in global policy. It was founded in 1990 by Bella Abzug and Mim Kelber to take action in the United Nations and other international...
(WEDO), together with the Center for Women's Global Leadership
Center for Women's Global Leadership
The Center for Women’s Global Leadership, based at Rutgers University, was founded in 1989 by Charlotte Bunch, the former Executive Director and an internationally renowned activist for women's human rights...
(CWGL) convened a meeting of 50 women activists from around the world, to develop a comprehensive and multi-faceted strategy for global, regional and national action to gain the UN General Assembly’s approval of a stronger and single, fully resourced women’s entity at the UN. As a result of that meeting and the continued need for women’s collaborative advocacy on this issue, WEDO and the CWGL, along with hundreds of activists spanning all regions, launched the Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign in February 2008, to mobilize women’s groups and allies to push for the adoption of the new UN entity for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Regional groups such as the African Women's Development and Communication Network were mobilized to support the campaign.
On June 14, 2010, Charlotte Bunch
Charlotte Bunch
Charlotte Bunch is an American activist, author and organizer in women's and human rights movements.A Board of Governor’s Distinguished Service Professor in Women's and Gender Studies, Bunch founded Washington D.C...
, on behalf of the GEAR Campaign, spoke at the UN Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
Informal Interactive Hearings. The audience at these hearings included the UN General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
organizations and the private sector.
Bunch spoke about the urgency in establishing the new gender entity and articulated the linkages between gender equality, human rights and the MDGs in an effort to address the gaps on the ground in implementing promises that have been made by governments and the UN.
The meeting was convened in order to provide input to the preparatory process for the "MDG summit" (High-level Plenary Meeting) on September 20–22, 2010.
Results
On June 30, 2010, the United Nations General AssemblyUnited Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
resolution was agreed to and subsequently formally adopted by the General Assembly on Friday, 2 July, to establish "UN Women
UN Women
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women, is a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women and girls....
", the new gender equality entity at the UN. This new gender entity already has an operational website.