19 September 2013: The UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and partner organizations highlighted the importance of including women’s rights and gender equality in the post-2015 development agenda druing events held on the margins of the 68th UN General Assembly (UNGA), in New York, US.

Participants at ‘Strengthening Gender Justice and Human Rights to Achieve Sustainable Development’ presented the Women’s Major Group’s (WMG) recommendations for shaping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 agenda. The event showcased women’s perspectives on sustainable development themes, including climate change, sustainable energy, food sovereignty, gender equality and decent work. WMG and Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung (FES) launched a joint publication with the same name as the event, arguing that gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment are critical to realizing a transformative agenda. WMG also launched a compilation document, ‘Gender Equality, Women’s Rights and Women’s Priorities: Recommendations for the Proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Post- 2015 Development Agenda.’ WMG and FES organized the event in collaboration with UN Women and the Permanent Missions of Norway and Timor-Leste, on 19 September 2013.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Global Compact, UN Women and the Rockefeller Foundation hosted an event on ‘Empowering Women to Lead the Way to a Low-Emissions and High-Resilient Future.’ Women CEOs discussed the private sector’s role in enhancing women’s leadership in the green economy and supporting women to accelerate climate action. Delivering the keynote address, Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, said women business leaders play “a critical role in the transition toward low-emission and high-resilient economic growth,” including by cutting emissions from daily operations, examining climate risks and opportunities in investments and creating corporate sustainability initiatives.

‘Women’s Empowerment and the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Achieving Equality in the Workplace, Marketplace and Community’ highlighted women as agents of change and emphasized their empowerment as a key driver of sustainable development. UN Global Compact, UN Women, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the International Trade Centre (ITC) organized the event.

Both events showcased the Women’s Empowerment Principles, a set of seven principles to guide business in empowering women in the workplace, marketplace and community. Over 600 CEOs from 40 countries have signed a CEO Statement of Support for the WEPs. The two events were held in conjunction with the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2013, on 19 September.

Additional events underscored the role of women’s economic empowerment in post-conflict recovery and discussed progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). UN Women and the Government of Canada launched the Global Economic Knowledge Gateway for Women’s Economic Empowerment, an online resource platform. [UN Women Press Release on UNGA 68] [UN Women Events] [WMG-FES Event Concept Note] [Press Release on ‘Empowering Women to Lead the Way to a Low-Emissions and High-Resilient Future’] [Women’s Empowerment Principles] [Economic Knowledge Gateway]