Equality

Women and Girls in Science: Equality and Parity in Science for Peace and Development

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Girls in Science

In commemoration of the third international day of Women and Girls in Science, organizations in the United Nations held a forum regarding equality and parity in science for peace and development.

The forum began with testimonies from girls who had faced gender-specific hardships. Many speakers alluded to historical female figures that encouraged them to persevere against suppression. Two men also spoke, sharing stories of interactions with females in school and work, complimenting them for their intellect and uniqueness.

Mr. Seth introduced the second half of the forum, claiming that more important than the awareness was the identification of specific solutions to the gender-based issues that women are facing. Mr. Seth also stated that science offers great potential for the completion of the SDGs, but will offer even more potential with the inclusion of women.

Ms. Luo alluded to her homeland, Zambia, and the factors that inhibit women from securing an education, including: child marriages, socialization, stereotyping and colonial curriculum. Ms. Luo called for less talk and more action, as well as bringing this movement on an international scale.

Mr. Le Feuvre presented a brief overview of research that WIPO conducted to highlight the gender status of women in STEM. The data demonstrated an increase of international women patent applications, while only 30% of international patents are shared with women. The data also compared shared patents with women between specific fields of technology, pinpointing pharmaceutics to be the highest and construction engineering to be the lowest.

Several other women spoke regarding gender disparity, including a female researcher at Mount Sinai who was robbed of her research by a male supervisor and struggled to retrieve it—an example of what female scientists endure. 

Meeting: Forum on —”Women and Girls in Science: Equality and Parity in Science for Peace and Development”

Date/Location: Thursday, February 8, 2018; 10:00-13:00; ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY

Speakers: Mr. Nikhil Seth, Director of UNITAR; Nkandu Luo, Minister of Higher Education of Zambia; Bruno Le Freuvre, WIPO Statistical Analyst

Written By: WIT Representative Timothy Stephens

Technology and the Sustainable Development Goals

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Todays morning meeting revolved around realizing the potential science, technology and innovation has to help us achieve our SDGs. Mr. Kamen began by emphasizing the importance of creating scientists and engineers from our youth equally throughout the world. He showed two videos of his technology program, FIRST, a foundation that makes science just as enjoyable and entertaining to our youth as sports. He advised member countries to figure out a way to include their own FIRST programs in their respective states. Professor Co from Northwestern University continued the general assembly by promoting member states to work towards a future that can take advantage of our recourses and youth, such that one-day gasoline can be generated when needed and done so through renewable energy that will not contribute to climate change. He explained that partnerships of nations and a classification system of modern knowledge can make government funded research more accessible and help align target research with SDGs.

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Both Ambassador Joon and Secretary General Ki-Moon gave statements regarding the power of science and innovation. Mr. Ki-Moon stated that tech and innovation must not be limited to SDG17 or confined to the use of new technologies and software, rather innovation is a mindset and attitude we must utilize. He also noted that the Multi-Stakeholder forum will take place each year until 2030 to allow all sectors of society to work together and look outwards to include greater cooperation through parliaments. Mr. Nakicenovic represented the Group of 10 and spoke about their belief in the importance the forum holds in terms of STI and how central it is to human development and is the primary mechanism for achieving SDG. His plan is to increase the sustainable development plan of agenda 2030 and create a 2050 plan.

Meeting: Multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals

Date/Time/Location: Monday, June 6, 2016; 10:45-13:00; Conference Room 1

Speakers:  Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of United Nations; Ambassador Oh Joon, President of ECOSOC; Mr. Dean Kamen, American entrepreneur and founder of FIRST; Professor Dick T. Co, Research Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University; Komal Ahmad, Founder and CEO of COPIA; Mr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Deputy Director General/ Deputy CEO of the International Institute for Applied System.

Written by: WIT representative Amirali Agha-Khan

Edited by: WIT Administrator Modou Cham

Photo: www.ssr.titech.ac.j

International Leaders Discuss Bringing Agenda 2030 to Fruition

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This meeting was held to discuss the creation of partnerships between various stakeholders and how they would benefit the 2030 Agenda.

Mr. Lykketoft called for work between the public and private sectors, academia, and foundations in action for the Agenda 2030

Next, Ms. Kingo transitioned by encouraging companies and UN bodies alike to share available resources and collaboration to find new opportunities.

A statement from Ban-Ki Moon was read and it noted the need to move from commitment to action. Wide expertise was called for, as were the inter-linkages supported by the Agenda goals.

Mr. Mitchell spoke on how although there is a conception that business love risk, they ultimately crave stability with the hope of maintaining stakeholder relationships. He noted that it is extremely crucial for governments to establish infrastructure, maintain un-corrupt economics, and protect intellectual property. He also stated that it is crucial to foster economic development in other countries.

Ms. Marini spoke on how the first change that needs to be implemented for partnership development is transparency on the motives of all involved in the partnership. She also noted the need to shift towards putting the food of people first, effectively a shift towards human-centered design. She also touted that it is important to stop “think globally and act locally” to transition to “think locally and act locally”.

Meeting: “From commitments to results: Leveraging partnerships for the 2030 Agenda”

Date/Location: Thursday, March 31, 2016; 10:00-13:00 ECOSOC Chamber

Speakers: H.E. Mr. Oh Joon, President of the Economic and Social Council; H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the UN General Assembly; Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations; Her Royal Highness Haya Al Hussein, UN Messenger of Peace and Chairperson, International Humanitarian City; Mr. Richard Lui, Moderator, News Anchor, MSNBC; Ms. Alice Albright, CEO, Global Partnership for Education; Ms. Peggy Dulany, Chair, Synergos; Mr. Michael Landau, Chairman, CTI Global; Ms. Mary Chege, Director, Development Finance International; Ms. Lise Kingo, Moderator, Executive Director, UN Global Compact; Mr. Scott Mitchell, President and CEO, Sumitomo Chemical America; Ms. Joy Marini, Executive Director, Johnson and Johnso;  Mr. Igor Runov, Under Secretary-General, International Road Transport Union (IRU);

Written By: WIT Representative Olivia Gong

Edited By: Alex Margolick

Water on Fire: Sustaining and Sharing What’s Left

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The meeting convened with the chair, Ms. Uwizera, observing that ⅕ of the world lives in absolute water scarcity today.

Ms. Bartoleme, filling in for Mr. Gass, noted that the expanding overall demand for water in the next decades will affect social and economic conditions in all countries, especially increasing the chance of conflict in water-scarce countries. The world needs a paradigm shift in how we manage water. We must move away from current crisis management methods to more preventive measures.

Mr. Garrote agreed that water crisis is a definite policy priority, among the top 3 risks for global impact for the past three years. Sustainable water use has economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Integrated water resources management requires focusing on our instruments, infrastructure, water sharing, financing, and governance. We need to proactively move from supply to demand management, and from crisis to risk management. We need to understand the social challenges needed to effectively combat drought. Also of utmost importance is investing in capacity building and sharing knowledge and information among all countries.

Ms. Mucavi said that the issue of water cuts across all of the Sustainable Development Goals. By 2025 ⅔ of the global population could be living in water stressed conditions.

Ms. Maestu stated that water equality among the world’s population is important when considering water scarcity.

Mr. Khairy noted that though Egypt possesses a water efficiency rate of 75%, one of the highest in the world, there is still a net deficit of 20 billion cubic meters of water per year, the majority of which goes to the agricultural sector.

Mr. Dolcemascolo had four priorities for action: understanding risk, strengthening governance for risk reduction, investing in resilience, and strengthening preparedness for effective response. Regional cooperation is paramount.

Meeting: Panel Discussion on “Challenges and initiatives for the implementation of the water-related sustainable development goals in water-scarce countries: learning from Mediterranean and Latin American countries”

Date/Location: 11/6/15, 10:00 – 13:00, Conference Room 2

Speakers: Ms. Chantal Uwizera (Rwanda), Rapporteur of the Second Committee; Representative filling in for Mr. Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs; His Excellency Sherif Eissa, Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister for Nile Basin Affairs, Egypt; Mr. Luis Garrote, Professor, Polytechnic University of Madrid; Ms. Carla Mucavi, Director, Food and Agricultural Organization Liaison Office with the United Nations, New York; Ms. Josefina Maestu, Director, United Nations Office to Support the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005-2015; Mr. Wael Khairy, Deputy President of Nile Water Sector, Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Egypt; Mr. Ney Maranhão, Director, National Water Agency, Brazil; Mr. Dunixi Gabiña, Deputy Director, IAMZ-CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza; Mr. John Qu, Director, Global Environment and Natural Resources Institute, George Mason University; Mr. Melchiade Bukuru, Chief, Liaison Office of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, New York; Mr. Jamal Shah, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist on Emergencies, United Nations Children’s Fund; Mr. Glenn Dolcemascolo, Climate Change Coordinator, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Written By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: JB in Pacifica

Meeting on the Jacob Blaustein Institute’s Manual on Human Rights and the Prevention of Genocide

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13604167335_0958c8da2b_bThis meeting commemorated the creation of the Jacob Blaustein Institute’s Manual on Human Rights and the Prevention of Genocide. Deputy Secretary-General Eliasson opened the panel by focusing discussion on developing tools to mobilize action.

Permanent Representative Gasana (Rwanda) stated that we are still witnessing major human rights violations in the Central African Republic, Sudan, Iraq, and Kenya that warrant our resolve. Though it is impressive to see the international community’s commitment since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, Gasana believes that political will is lacking. Of course, in addition to political will, genocide prevention also requires civilian protection, warning systems, and swift, decisive action based on those warnings. Gasana believes that the current conflict-solving model, in which the Security Council manages genocide rather than preventing it, is problematic. He called upon the Security Council to collaborate more with the Special Office for the Prevention of Genocide.

Mr. Dieng stated that the statement “never again” is already a sign of failure: we must continue to take every effort to prevent what happened in 1994. Furthermore, he wanted everyone to refer to the “genocide in Rwanda” as the “genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda in which Hutu and others who opposed the genocide were killed.” Dieng acknowledged that genocides are not committed in a vacuum; there are usually warning signs. He challenged the international community to pick up on these early warnings of impending violence and immediately begin taking preventative action.

In the Q&A session, someone asked if an overly cautious approach, in which every human rights violation was deemed a genocide, would undermine the significance of the term ‘genocide.’ Eliasson responded that, rather than trying to distinguish ‘genocide candidates,’ we need to analyze each country’s risks on a case-by-case basis.

Meeting: Meeting on the Jacob Blaustein Institute’s Manual on Human Rights and the Prevention of Genocide
Date & Location: 11 April 2015, Conference Room 11, UN Headquarters, New York
Speakers: Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General; Eugène-Richard Gasana, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations; Adama Dieng, UNSG Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide; Felice D. Gaer, Director of AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights; Roberta Cohen, non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institute
Written By WIT Representative: Alis Yoo

United Action Towards Sustainable Development for All Through Sport

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Action_on_the_Ground_Peace_through_sport_540This meeting focused on incorporating sports into the work to achieve sustainable development goals. Mr. Ban Ki-moon addressed how sports can, “keep kids in school, promote leadership, encourage healthy lifestyles, and empower marginalized communities.” Mr. Kutesa emphasized that sports can teach young children about teamwork, leadership, fair-play, and resilience, stating that “sports have the power to unite people in a way that little else does.” Dr. Bach discussed how the IOC has made a positive impact on the world by donating more than 90% of all its revenue to different sport organizations and players.

Sir Craven stated that sport is the antithesis of war, as it unites all types of people, improves self-discipline, and teaches fair-play. Mr. Donoghue discussed how sport will be harnessed over the next 15 years, with hopes that it will be possible to recognize the power of sport in sustainable development and peace in the post-2015 agenda. Ireland is a strong example of a country in which athletics, such as soccer and rugby, act as essential parts of society, economics, and culture.

Mr. Kim discussed the inclusive nature of sports to foster peace and dignity. He hopes that Gwangju Universiade 2015 will have positive impacts worldwide. Ms. Ruggiero explained how sports can impact women and minority groups–they can help women confidently take control of their own well being, and can also help integrate different socially excluded groups back into their communities.

Dr. Blauwet mentioned that sports can be used as a tool to empower the disabled population as well as to positively stimulate economies, as seen in Beijing and Sochi. Ms. King delivered a powerful discussing the idea that access to sport equates to empowerment, which in turn can bring about powerful change. Ms. Farrell, an advocate for sport development and peace, closed by reiterating that leaders developed today are the footsteps to the the future of tomorrow.

Meeting: United Action Towards Sustainable Development for All Through Sport
Date & Location: 15 April 2015, Economic and Social Council Chamber, UN Headquarters, New York
Speakers: Mr. Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary- General; H.E. Mr. Sam Kutesa, President of the 69th Session of the General Assembly; Dr. Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee; Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee; H.E. Mr. Mohamed Khaled Khiari, Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the UN, Co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Sport for Development and Peace; H.E. Mr. David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN, CO-facilitator of the intergovernmental negotiations on the post 2015 development agenda; Mr. Angela Ruggiero, Olympic gold medalist, Member of the International Olympic Committee; Dr. Cheri Blauwet, Paralympic gold medalist, CHairperson of the Medical Committee of the International Paralympic Committee; Ms. Billie Jean King, Former no. 1 tennis player and advocate for gender equality; Ms. Asha Farrell, youth coach, A Ganar, Barbados
Written By WIT Representatives: Paige Stokols and Brian Lee
Edited by WIT Representative: Philip Bracey

Making the World of Books Accessible to People who are Print Disabled

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innovtech-pwdsMs. Bas began by presenting the Treaty of Marrakesh, which addresses the current relative lack of availability of print material to print disabled individuals, as the next step in the Post-2015 Development Agenda’s efforts of leaving no one behind. All of the efforts thus far tell us that mainstreaming disabilities is a successful but slow process. It is thus imperative that we encourage promotion and awareness of this new treaty.

Ambassador Webson approved the treaty because the world is now in a position in which it can address the problem of the “book famine”–just 1.7% of print material is available to people that are blind or otherwise print disabled. Thanks to Marrakesh, however, barriers to information are being removed and a new world is being opened up to the print disabled. This is especially significant when considering that access to information is key to getting an education, and education in turn is an proven path out poverty.

Mr. LaBarre discussed the Accessible Book Consortium (ABC), saying that it achieved three objectives:  (1) getting permission from rights holders so entities can exchange book copies across borders; (2) capacity building to enable countries to put books into accessible formats; and (3) accessible publishing, meaning all books are initially created digitally. Mr. Power added that the technology is in place to secure the achievement of such goals, but we must now enable this technology to be available internationally. Cost is also an issue for braille and audio reader technologies, but lower cost solutions are on the way.

Mr. Mitra asserted that addressing the print disabled is a central mission for UNICEF. The education system fails millions of children around the world, yet the technology exists to create book in formats that are accessible to all people. Of course, costs and resources are issues, but to create accessible books requires a one-time production cost at the beginning of the process. If we wish to meet goal number 4, he concluded, there is no other way than to ensure that all textbooks are available to all children.

 

Meeting: Innovative Technologies: Making the world of books accessible to people who are print disabled
Date & Location: 25 March 2015, Conference Room 9, UN Headquarters, New York
Speakers: Ms. Daniela Bas, Director, Division for Social policy and Development, united Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).   H.E. Dr. W. Aubrey Webson, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, New York.   Mr. Scott LaBarre, Board Member, Accessible Books Consortium and Representative, World Blind Union. Mr. Dave Power, President and Chief Executive Officer, Perkins, Watertown. Mr. Gopal Mitra, Programme Specialist, Children with Disabilities, Gender Rights and Civic Engagement, UNICEF, New York. Moderator: Ms. Lucinda Longcroft, Head, WIPO New York Office.
Written By WIT Representative: James Victory
Edited by WIT Representative: Philip Bracey

Power of Collaboration – Women, Technology, and Social Innovation

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Women-working-international-resizeThe purpose of this meeting was to talk about women’s equality in the private and business sectors and in collaboration with civil society. Mr. Molinari focused on moving capital around businesses run by women, stating that “women are not looking for handouts; they are looking for access to capital.” Gate Global Impact has partnered with organizations like Microsoft and OPEC to invest in technologies and ways to disrupt the means by which capital is formed. Ms. Scott discussed the various “thermostats of inequality,” using data from 2013 in European countries like the Czech Republic and Hungary. The female-to-male ratio for tertiary education and professional jobs in these countries was favorable from a gender equality standpoint, but that same ratio for labor participation, similar pay for similar work, and roles and wages was not equal.  Ms. Scott also discussed the Russian Doll Effect, which is the idea that if girls are not nourished as children, poor states of health will remain in the family for generations. Professor Ritschelova continued by discussing reasons why women do not represent a larger percentage of the labor force. She cited a lack in education–499 million women worldwide have no education–and access to information as the two most significant reasons.  Ms. Macdougall talked about providing incentives so that banks will invest more capital into women. Ms. Chowdry also spoke about the importance of financial inclusion of women and integrating them into the economy more fully.

Meeting: Event on “Power of Collaboration: Women, Technology, and Social Innovation- Creating the Future of Inclusive, Sustainable Economies” (co-organized by the Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic and the Impact Leadership 21)
Date & Location: 25 March 2015, Conference Room 2, UN Headquarters, New York
Speakers: Ambassador Edita Hrda, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations; Ms. Janet C. Salazar, CEO and Founder of IMPACT Leadership 21; Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, Former Under-Secretary General and High Representative of the United Nations; Mr. Constance J. Peak, CFO, Chief Strategist, and Co-Founder of Impact Leadership 21; Mr. Amir Dossal, Global Partnership Forum Chairman; Mr. Vincent Molinari, CEO of Gate Global Impact; Professor Linda Scott, DP World Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Professor at the University of Oxford, Founder of Double X Economy;  Professor Iva Ritschelova, President of the Czech Statistical Office; Ms. Lisa Macdougal, Representative of Goldman Sachs; Ms. Nalia Chowdhury, TeleConsult Group Chairman, formerly Grameen lead on Village Phone Project; Ms. Elizabeth Isele, Founder and President of Senior Entrepreneurship Works
Written by WIT Representatives: Paige Stokols and Brian Lee
Edited by WIT Representative: Philip Bracey

Community and Policy Action to Empower Women

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2415633098_37d02e886aMs. Colakovic discussed the status of women in Bosnia, where 25% of peacekeepers are required to be women. Currently, 10 safe houses for women exist and victims of domestic violence are now more encouraged to report violence to NGOs and agencies working on issues related to domestic violence and protection. Ms. Colakovic stated that the most common form of violence is psychological followed by physical and sexual abuse.

Ms. Sisic asserted that to feel safe and protected is a human right. Violence against women and girls is a global human rights issue fueled by a global power imbalance. She stated that political action–not just political will–must be increased. Ms. Swahn explained that gender based violence and the global burden of alcohol are both barriers for development. People who are intoxicated have increased risk of rape and sexual violence, and very little research exists in areas where high levels of alcohol use take place, such as in African countries. Mr. Cortez introduced an initiative that UNDP and WHO are working together on to reduce alcohol consumption.  The goal of this conference is to interfere with health policy specifically in Africa, where alcohol policies have gotten stuck in draft phases.

Ms. Rojhani discussed how non-communicable diseases affect women and how they undermine sustainable development. At least half of the 40 million people with HIV are women, and women who have experienced violence are up to three times more likely to be infected with HIV. Women in general are less responsive to health systems because of a lack of screening, a “one size fits all” approach, and lack of access.

Meeting: Three Major Epidemics Burdening Women: Community and Policy Action to Empower Women (organized by the Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina and IOGT International)
Date & Location: 18 March 2015, Conference Room E, UN Headquarters, New York
Speakers: Kristina Sperkova, IOGT International; Aldijana Sisic, UN Trust Fund to End Women Against Violence; Adis Arnautovic, CEM Bosnia and Herzegovina; John Mututho, NACADA Kenya; Clifton Cortez, UNDP HIV, Health & Development Group; Ariella Rojhani, NCD Alliance; Monica Swahn, Georgia State University; H.E. Mirsada Colakovic, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN
Written by WIT Representative: Paige Stokols
Edited by WIT Representative: Philip Bracey

Leaving No One Behind: Tackling Inequalities In the Post-2015 Development Agenda

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A.post-2015_12The meeting began with H.E. Anna Maembe’s remarks on Tanzania’s successes and challenges regarding sustainable development. As she pointed out, Tanzania has made significant achievements, like reducing its infant mortality rate and increasing primary education enrollment. It has, however, also faced difficulties in reducing poverty in rural areas as well as mitigating gender-based violence.

H.E. Juan Sandoval emphasized the need for reliable data in measuring social progress with a human rights perspective. He stated that the inclusion of youth, members of local and provincial communities, as well as the use of national indicators is necessary for sustainable development.

Mr. Roche stated that no target is achieved within a country unless all social groups meet the target, and that disadvantaged groups need to “catch up” in order to achieve national success. He addressed framework issues, disproving the belief that inclusion of marginalized groups inhibits progress. In fact, most of the countries that reduced inequality gaps and did not exclude disadvantaged groups achieved 6% faster progress.

Lastly, Mr. Bhattacharya addressed the issue of the meaning of “Leave No One Behind.” The definition, in the context of a universal agenda, applies to inequalities within countries as well as amongst them. He also stated that convergence is the common core issue in the goal of closing inequality gaps, and systemic concerns are the strongest interventions in achieving this.

Meeting: Leaving no one behind: Tackling inequalities in the post-2015 development agenda
Date & Location: 19 March, 2015, Conference Room 8, UN Headquarters, New York
Speakers: Elizabeth Stuart, Research Fellow, ODI; Jose Manuel Roche, Head of Research, Save the Children; Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Chair, Southern Voice on Post-MDG International Development Goals; Peter van der Vliet, Dutch Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN; H.E. Anna Maembe, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Community Development Gender and Children, Tanzania
Written By WIT Representative: Elise Freeman
Edited by WIT Representative: Philip Bracey